This model typically dispenses with both the web update control file and the local configuration file. Instead, you (the site administrator) manually places the desired update package into the special %MIAME%/atesetup directory on the server. The name of the package indicates both its version and type, so there is no additional need for configuration files to control either of those options. (There are, however, a couple of additional but optional files to customize the behavior, described below.)
When each workstation connects to the server, A-Shell on the server scans the atesetup directory for the presence of any file matching either of the package naming schemes:
ate-#.#.#.#{-suffix}.exe
ate-#.#.#.#{-suffix}-web.exe
ate-#.#.#.#{-suffix}.msi
ate-#.#.#.#{-suffix}-web.txt
The first two package types are the single-file (monolithic) and multi-file (web base) installers previously described. The third is essentially the same as the first, but wrapped in a Microsoft Installer (MSI) package; MicroSabio may make these available by special order for sites that insist on using the MSI format for all software installations, for security, standardization, or some other inscrutable reason. The last type (TXT) is not really a package but just a text file containing the URL of the desired package. This alternative is useful in the case where file transfer between the server and the workstation doesn't work well.
If any package file is found whose version is later than the version currently running on the workstation (see Comments below), the user is prompted to update. The actual text of the message may be customized by editing the file %miame%/ate.txt; otherwise a generic message is used.
If the user responds affirmatively to the message requesting the update, A-Shell on the server sends the update package to the workstation and forces it to launch. (In the case of the .txt pseudo-package, it simply sends a command to the workstation to download the specified URL, which eliminates the file transfer from the server, but leaves it to the user to deal with the prompts from the browser needed to save and execute the file.)
If the file %miame%/atesetup/options.txt exists, the contents of the first line will be appended to the command line used to launch the update package (allowing you to specify additional command line switches). Currently the only available option is /SILENT, which disables all of the extra user interface elements of the update package.
Note that if newer monolithic and incremental (web-based) update packages are available that are newer than the current version on the workstation, the -web package will be used by preference, unless the server can detect that the workstation does not have Internet access. (This is only possible for workstations already running ATE 5.1)
Comments
For 6.x ATE clients, the version of A-Shell running on the server must be 6.0.1244.6 or greater in order for the atesetup package matching logic to work. Thus, even though ATE 6.x is compatible with A-Shell 5.x server versions, in order for this form of automatic updating to work, you may need to first manually update the server to 6.0.1244.6+.
For troubleshooting assistance, you can add TRACE=ATE to the miame.ini on the server and then check the ashlog.log file on the server for messages related to checking for updates.
