Manage app versions/updates

You can manage the updates of an installable cloud app by creating different deployment versions of the app, and you can control whether a client should upgrade the app by setting appropriate values of the deployment version and minimum compatible version:

  • It is recommended that each time when you build and deploy the updated application, you increment the number of "Deployment version", for example, from 1.01, to 1.02, then to 1.03 etc., so you will have multiple versions of the installable cloud app.

  • The current deployment version number determines whether a client needs to perform an update of the application, and the minimum compatible version number determines whether the client can continue running the existing version that is currently installed. The user will be given choices to upgrade the app or continue running the existing version (if the existing version is within the range of the minimum compatible version and the current deployment version). Only when the existing version that is currently installed on the client is older than the minimum compatible version, a forced update will be performed (the user can only choose to upgrade the app, otherwise the app cannot run).

  • There is no way to force a client to upgrade the app, unless the existing version that is currently installed on the client is older than the minimum compatible version, for example, if you set the minimum compatible version number to be the same as the current deployment version number, then the user can only choose to upgrade the app to the current deployment version, otherwise the app cannot run.

If you don't want to manage the app versions and updates by using the deployment version and minimum compatible version settings in the PowerServer project painter, you will have to manage them manually. For example, you will have to manually notify all users before stopping the server for updating. After the server files are updated, if the end users have a multi-instance problem, they will need to close all applications first, and then start the application again to solve the problem of file locking. Or you will have to use a separate site or path in the server to deploy the updated application, and then notify the users to use the new URL.