Remote Upgrade
In addition to traditional installation, you can also apply upgrades to the software components remotely from the central management server. Eligible components are: Macula Recording Server, Macula Console and Macula Monitor application. This feature will allow you to deploy the remote Macula Recording Server and client machines once and then easily handle the upgrades from any place, keeping the whole system up to date with little effort.
Briefly, the idea of the remote upgrade procedure is that you first upgrade your Macula Global server, then carry out the upgrade for Macula Recording Server machines and remote workstations. For Macula Recording Server installations, the upgrade procedure is conducted from the central management server side; for Macula Console and Macula Monitor applications, you simply enter file locations on the central server, allowing the remote machines to perform their upgrades by downloading the installation files.
Below, you will find a detailed description of the recommended upgrade procedure, and details on each step.
For the remote upgrade feature to work properly, the Macula Global server must be reachable over HTTP from the Macula Recording Server machines. Starting with software version 1.25, you can upgrade the system via HTTP or HTTPS protocols. Depending on your settings, the system will use different protocols:
HTTP on + HTTPS on - the system will use HTTPS
HTTP on + HTTPS off - the system will use HTTP
HTTP off + HTTPS on - the system will use HTTPS
HTTP off + HTTPS off - the system will return a connection error
We strongly advise that you keep the software versions (e.g., 1.x.x) and subversions (e.g., 1.2.x) across your system match exactly. Software build numbers (e.g., 1.2.0.xxxxx) may differ slightly in case you are using 64-bit and 32-bit editions.
Different major versions (e.g., 1.5.0 and 1.6.0) will not work together by design.
Prerequisites
Before starting the upgrade process:
make sure you have downloaded the target version files for all components
use a good uplink with enough bandwidth as you will have to transfer the installation packages to the remote machines
ensure all Macula Recording Server servers are stable and have the latest OS updates installed (and no OS updates are being installed at the moment)
make sure that remote servers are reachable via HTTP or HTTPS from the central management machine
The simplest way to verify the HTTP connection status is to try opening the Macula Global server in your browser, as if you were trying to reach its Macula Streaming Server interface, e.g., http://192.168.4.56:8081 (default port is 8080). Another simple alternative is to use telnet to the same IP and port.
If required, it is also possible to perform the recording server upgrade manually locally, similarly to the initial installation.
Macula Recording Server Upgrade Procedure Description
The general idea is to: transfer the upgrade packages and verify remote server availability, upgrade the central server, then carry out the remote server upgrade. The order of steps is important for smooth experience, especially in case you have a lot of recording servers.
Steps:
Download the new version installation packages onto the Macula Global server PC.
Do NOT upgrade the central server yet. Open Macula Console locally on the Macula Global server. In Macula Console, go to the main menu > System upgrade > File locations > specify the local paths to the new Macula Recording Server installation packages (both bit versions, if necessary).
Go to the Upgrade tasks tab > select all required recording servers > click Upload upgrade. By doing so, you verify the HTTP port availability and transfer the files.
After the upload is complete and Macula Recording Server status is Ready to install, you can proceed with the central server upgrade. If some server does not have the Ready... status (Waiting for connection/connection timeout), double-check if HTTP connection is available. Close Macula Console and upgrade the Macula Global server locally.
Recording servers will now have incompatible server versions. They are still operating but it is impossible to re-configure them, so therefore you need to upgrade them ASAP.
Open Macula Console and go to main menu > System upgrade > File locations > check if packages are defined, and, if not, then point to them again.
From now on you can use either local or remote Macula Console connection to the Macula Global server. In the System upgrade dialog, to Upgrade tasks > click Upload upgrade until all servers have the Ready for upgrade status.
Now upgrade recording servers one by one. Click the Install upgrade button to launch the installation on the remote server. Repeat for each recording server.
You can do this for all servers at once, but it is better to upgrade step-by-step: if something goes wrong, you will have the system partially running.
Upgrade Procedure Step-by-Step
To access the remote upgrade feature, open your Macula Console application, click the main application menu button in the upper-right-hand corner and choose the System upgrade option. The System upgrade dialog box will appear.
The Upgrade tasks tab will contain all the currently configured recording servers with their type, status, current version and upgrade status. As the upgrade proceeds, the server status reflects the changes.
Before starting the upgrade procedure, specify paths to the new installation packages. To do so, switch to the File Locations tab. The locations must be on the central management machine, even if you are accessing the Macula Global server from a remote Macula Console.
Here, you can review the existing locations of the packages. In order to pick different installation packages for your next upgrade, click the Edit button on the upper panel.
For every software component, click the Select button on the right side and choose the appropriate installation package; use the Clear button to remove the currently defined field value. Make sure to define correct packages for 32-bit and 64-bit.
The specified paths must point to the files, which are located on the central management server.
Please make sure to use original, valid installation packages for Macula, which have been either downloaded from GSF website or FTP, or provided by its representatives or certified partners.
Files that are not proper Macula packages will not be accepted, resulting in an error.
Macula Recording Server Upgrade
When you have entered locations of all the required components, switch back to the Upgrade tasks tab. From the list of all the configured recording servers, choose one to be upgraded by clicking it once in the list. Note that only online servers (i.e., those having their status as Connected) can be upgraded.
Here, you have two options: transfer the upgrade package to the target server and run the upgrade at once, or just upload the file. The latter option is convenient when, for example, you have a good upload speed at the moment but it is not possible to perform the upgrade for some reason: you can transfer the file at once and then log in remotely later over a slower connection and simply hit the Update and install button - the installation package will not be uploaded repeatedly and, instead, the installation of the upgrade will be conducted immediately.
After the upgrade, the remote Macula Recording Server service will be restarted automatically so you will get a Disconnected status for a moment, and then the Macula Recording Server will appear back online with a new version installed.
Macula Console and Macula Monitor Upgrade
Remote UI applications are upgraded in a slightly different way. First, you need to set the paths to the new packages on the central management server side; then, every connecting Macula Console or Macula Monitor will get an upgrade notification if their version is older than the one specified in the upgrade package path. No upgrades will be offered in case no upgrade package has been specified.
If Macula Console or Macula Monitor detects that an upgrade is available, it will offer you to download it straight away. If your network connection allows it, click OK to agree and download the upgrade package.
The upgrade package will be downloaded using your default Web browser and saved on your local computer. You can start its installation at any time, provided that your Windows user has enough privileges to run the installation. After the installation, just start the application as usual.
Last updated