Client HotFixes
All HotFixes, whether for the server or client, are initially installed on the PTC RV&S server using the PatchServer utility. For client-side HotFixes, the PatchServer utility extracts the updates and places them on the PTC RV&S server. The server’s patch distribution utility then automatically distributes the updates to connecting clients.
The server’s patch distribution utility supports all generally available HotFixes for each service pack version. The patch distribution utility does not support custom or untested fixes that are manually installed.
If a HotFix is available, the connecting client is prompted to download the update and the HotFix is installed upon restarting the client. All client-side HotFixes are considered mandatory.
Client-side HotFixes are mandatory to download and install; however, HotFixes that are rolled back on the PTC RV&S servers are not mandatory to roll back on the PTC RV&S client.
After the HotFix is installed on the client, a marker file is placed in the following folder on the PTC RV&S client to indicate which HotFixes have been installed:
<installdir>/installinfo
The marker file is a text file (.txt) and the file name is based on the HotFix number.
Information on installed HotFixes is also recorded when collecting support packages for the PTC RV&S client.
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Clients are only prompted to install a HotFix when connecting to the server. If a HotFix is placed on the server while a client is already connected, the client is not notified of the available HotFix until it disconnects and then reconnects to the server. In cases where multiple HotFixes are available, clients are required to connect multiple times to download and install the HotFixes.
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Updating Sequence
If a client connects with an earlier service pack and there is a newer service pack and HotFix available, the service pack is downloaded first. Service packs are downloaded before HotFixes.
The HotFix download sequence is based on HotFix number, going from the lowest value to the highest. If there are multiple HotFixes available for download, the client downloads the oldest HotFix not currently installed (that is, the HotFix with the lowest ZZZ value). HotFixes for a different service pack version are ignored.
When the HotFix is installed, a file is created in the installinfo directory to indicate successful installation. This information is then checked to confirm version information when the client connects to the PTC RV&S server.
Updating the PTC RV&S Client through a Proxy
Client-side HotFixes can also be downloaded when the client connects to the PTC RV&S server through a proxy; however, if the client connects directly to a proxy that has not been updated, the HotFix is not distributed. If the client downloads the HotFix through the proxy, the proxy keeps a local copy of the client-side HotFix.
When the proxy server is in the process of downloading the service pack file from the main server, and if in the process the connection between the main server and the proxy server is interrupted, the proxy server may have an incompletely downloaded or corrupt service pack file. Such a service pack file when extracted gives an error. Using the mksis.patch.download.attempts server configuration property, you can enable the proxy server to make further attempts at downloading the service pack file. For more information, see PTC RV&S Server Properties in is.properties.
The attempts made by the proxy server are logged in the server.log file under the proxy server installation directory.
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• To allow connections between older clients and the main server, the proxy server administrator must configure at least the minimum supported version of the required CPS on the proxy server. The proxy server, while allowing such connections to the main server, creates additional local copy of the CPS or HotFix corresponding to the main server. For more information on service pack policies, see Service Pack Policies.
• If the client connecting through the proxy fails to download the CPS or Hotfix file in the first attempt, the user needs to reconnect to the server to get the CPS or HotFix file. Depending on the size of the patch and the bandwidth between the server or proxy, and proxy or the client, you may need make several such attempts to successfully download the file.
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For consideration when applying a CPS or HotFix on a client through a proxy, see Considerations When Applying the Proxy Server, Client, or the Agent CPS or Hotfixes.