cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
adurai21
Level 3

InstallShield 2020 edition

I have installed my Asp.net website in IIS and SQL DB  using Installshield.

Now I want to  modify some of the files and also to add new files and folders.

I have tried to use QuickPatch where  i could only replace website files and not able to update

DB scripts.

 

whats is the best way for web application upgrades in Installshield

 

 

Labels (1)
0 Kudos
(5) Replies
shunt
Revenera Moderator Revenera Moderator
Revenera Moderator

Upgrading a Windows Installer installation is a large topic.
Ultimately there are 2 types of upgrades you can perform:

1. A Major Upgrade - this will automatically uninstall the previous version
2. A Minor Upgrade - this will keep the previous install in place and just upgrade the necessary files
A Patch is just another way of delivering a Minor Upgrade

Which upgrade type you choose will depend on the changes you have made in your project - this is because a Minor Upgrade will not support many changes, for example; for the removal of Features, components or key files amongst many other rules. You can see what can and can not be changed in this article here:

https://docs.revenera.com/installshield26helplib/helplibrary/MajorMinorSmall.htm? 

We also have a great white paper on designing an update friendly installation here:
https://resources.flexera.com/web/media/documents/IS_Tip_Designing-Update-Friendly-MSI-Installation.pdf 

If you decide to create a Major Upgrade we have a full walkthrough here:
https://community.flexera.com/t5/InstallShield-Knowledge-Base/Create-a-Major-Upgrade/ta-p/3879 

If you decide to create a Minor Upgrade we have a full walkthrough here:
https://community.flexera.com/t5/InstallShield-Knowledge-Base/Create-a-Minor-Upgrade/ta-p/3880 

0 Kudos

How Many time can we do a Minor Upgrade.

Also since i use web application most of the time we will be replacing files.

file changes will afftect complete application or only the file modified

0 Kudos
shunt
Revenera Moderator Revenera Moderator
Revenera Moderator


You can do as many Minor Upgrades as you would like to - so long that you do not break any of the upgrade rules for Minor Upgrades.
You may find that as your application evolves over time you will need to make changes that a Minor Upgrade does not support - and at this point you could create and deploy a Major Upgrade.

"Replacing files" can mean a lot of things, if its the same file name, in the same component and only the file version has changed - then a Minor Upgrade would be OK as this does not break any of the rules.
If however you are replacing files which involves a restructure of the feature/component tree then you would need a Major Upgrade.

There is a wealth of information available on this subject (more than I could write in this response)  some articles you can begin with:

Creating MSI Update Packages:
https://resources.flexera.com/web/media/documents/IS_Tip_Creating-MSI-Update-Packages.pdf 

Patching and Upgrades:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/patching-and-upgrades 

Minor Upgrades:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/minor-upgrades 

Major Upgrades:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/major-upgrades 

Changing the Product Code:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/changing-the-product-code 

0 Kudos

Thanks a lot .I have one more doubt if i find there is an error in application after minor upgrade.

How can we revoke the earilier versions

0 Kudos
shunt
Revenera Moderator Revenera Moderator
Revenera Moderator

Windows Installer just isn't designed to downgrade packages so there would be no way to trigger an automatic return to the previous version using a Minor Upgrade package.

The only two options I can think of would be to deliver the Minor Upgrade as a Patch using the Patch Deisgn option in Installshield. You can create the patch so it allows itself to be uninstalled from the control panel. This will allow the customer to remove the patch and return to the original version they had.

Alternatively if you are delivering a full Minor Upgrade then the customer would need to manually uninstall and then re-install the version they wanted.

I hope this helps.

0 Kudos