Source:Updating SEP sesam

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Draft.png WORK IN PROGRESS
This is a draft document for the SEP sesam upcoming Beefalo V2 release. Note that the article is in the initial stage and may be updated, replaced or deleted at any time. It is inappropriate to use this document as reference material as it is a work in progress and should be treated as such.

Copyright © SEP AG 1999-2024. All rights reserved.

Any form of reproduction of the contents or parts of this manual is allowed only with the express written permission from SEP AG. When compiling and designing user documentation SEP AG uses great diligence and attempts to deliver accurate and correct information. However, SEP AG cannot issue a guarantee for the contents of this manual.

Docs latest icon.png Welcome to the latest SEP sesam documentation version 4.4.3 Beefalo/Beefalo V2. For previous documentation version(s), check Documentation archive.


Overview

This article provides information on available update options and procedures that were introduced in 4.4.3 Beefalo and fine-tuned in 4.4.3 Beefalo V2. As updating SEP sesam is version-related, some of the described update options and procedures may not be available in earlier versions. If you are running a version ≤ 4.4.3 Grolar, see 4 4 3:Updating SEP sesam in earlier versions.

Once you have set up your SEP sesam environment, SEP sesam provides free updates from previous to new versions and features of SEP sesam within the maintenance period. During this period, you can download bug fixes, patches, service packs, and the latest SEP sesam version(s) if you have a valid license.

Manual and auto update

SEP sesam software update feature provides an easy way to control your updates. It can be used to either automatically or manually check for and install updates. The following options are available for updating SEP sesam software.

  • You can set your preferred update mode in GUI Install/Update as explained in section Setting preferred update mode. Depending on your selected mode, the displayed status details and the options available from the right-click menu in the Topology or Clients view may vary, see below Checking update status.
  • Alternatively, you can use the CLI sm_update_client command, as described in Updating SEP sesam Using CLI.

Update process

SEP sesam software update functionality is designed to check the SEP sesam versions currently in use against the latest versions available from SEP and propose updates when a newer version is available. The process can handle everything needed to update SEP sesam environment, including installing service packs for SEP sesam Server, UI update and clients update, as well as automatic roll-back when newly updated software fails as the update function prevents partial updates. The process of auto updating SEP sesam consist of the following:

  1. First, the index.txt file is checked to get the list of all available packages at SEP sesam repository.
  2. The index.txt contains the list of all available packages at SEP sesam Server. It is stored in the directory where it has been generated, typically in SESAM_VAR/work/packages. If you would like to manually update your clients with the packages that are stored locally, you have to provide the index.txt file to the update manager, as described in Use custom package.
  3. Depending on the selected update mode, SEP sesam packages may be downloaded and installed automatically or manually later by the administrator. Software packages can be downloaded from SEP Download Center.

If you decide to stay with the manual updates, you can download and install the relevant Windows or Linux-specific distribution, as described in SEP sesam Quick Install Guide. For Linux systems, SEP provides special service pack (SP) executables that ease the installation of service packs and patches. Installing on Windows is easy; simply download the executable file for your version of SEP sesam and install it. On Linux, however, you must make the SP executable after downloading it. For details, see Applying Service Packs on Linux. SEP sesam software packages can be downloaded from SEP Download Center.

Setting preferred update mode

You can set your update mode in SEP sesam menu bar -> Configuration -> Defaults -> click the tab Install/Update. The displayed status details and the options available from the right-click menu in the Topology or Clients depend on the selected update mode. By default, SEP sesam does not check, download and install updates.

Defaults install BeefaloV2.jpg

The following options are available:

Turn off (hide from all users)
If selected, the install and update feature is not shown in the GUI. No install/update options are visible for any of the users, not even the administrator until this mode is switched on.
Do not check or install automatically (default)
If selected, updates are not checked, downloaded nor installed when a new version is available.
Check automatically, but install manually
If selected, updates are checked by using index.txt to get the list of all available packages, but you have to download and install them manually.
Check, download and install automatically
If selected, updates are automatically checked, downloaded and installed, based on SEP sesam NEWDAY, when a new version is available in the SEP Download Center. This option may not be recommended depending on the configuration of your SEP sesam environment and its activity.

Use custom SEP sesam package source

By selecting this option, you can update your SEP sesam Clients by using a SEP sesam custom package source which may be stored locally, on the network drive, or is available at specified URL. The advantage of using a custom package is that you have full control over the version that is getting installed.

For this, you have to browse for or specify the full path (a file system location) to the index.txt file for the specified custom package. How you specify the path depends on the file location and your OS, see examples below.

Generating index.txt

If index.txt does not yet exist, you have to generate the file locally to get the list of all available packages at your SEP sesam Server. To create the index.txt file, open the command prompt and navigate to your SEP sesam installation packages directory. Depending on your OS, run the following command:

Windows

cd C:\ProgramData\SEPsesam\var\work\packages
dir /B >index.txt

Linux/UNIX

cd /var/opt/sesam/var/work/packages
find . -name "*sesam*" -printf "%P %k %TY-%Tm-%Td %TH:%TM:%TM \n" >index.txt 

Specifying path to the index file

  • Package and index.txt are in the local directory, e.g., in the directory temp/sesam_download/index.txt. On Windows, you specify the path to the index file as:
  • file:///temp\sesam_download OR on Linux file:////temp/sesam_download
    Information sign.png Note
    You have to use the syntax file:, followed by /// or //// and then a path to the index file. On Windows, these first 3 forward slashes are mandatory, then also backslash is allowed. On Linux, specify the path with 4 forward slashes!
    .
  • Package and index.txt are on a network share, e.g., on Windows: <win_share>\users\admin\sesam\4.4.3_beta file:///<win_share>\users\admin\sesam\4.4.3_beta OR on Linux: <linux_share>/users/admin/sesam/4.4.3_beta
  • file:////<linux_share>/users/admin/sesam/4.4.3_beta
  • To load SEP sesam packages from custom URL, simply enter the URL. For example, to install SEP sesam beta packages enter SEP sesam beta download repository where index.txt is located:
  • http://beta.sep.de/
SEP Tip.png Tip
The latest index.txt file with all available packages at SEP sesam repository can be retrieved from the SEP Download Center.

Checking update status

You can enable the automatic check for updates in the Defaults -> Install/Update menu, or you can check manually with the right-click menu Check Update State. Note that the availability of the latter option depends on your selected update mode, see above Setting preferred update mode.

A message that the client is up to date is shown when there are no available updates (shown below in green frame). If an update is available, a yellow arrow will appear on the client (shown below in yellow frame). For details on client status icons, see Client status icons.

Client state-update.jpg

Performing mass update

You can simultaneously update all clients in the same location or decide to update only Linux or Windows clients that belong to the selected location. The mass update updates all existing clients according to your selected option (all, all Linux or all Windows) in the selected location except SEP sesam Server. For details on how to update the server, see section SEP sesam Server update.

For example, you may have a location that has both Windows and Linux clients and you want only the Linux clients to be updated, so you choose your target location, right-click it, and select Update all Linux Clients. The right-click update menu options are available in Topology and Clients view if your update mode is not set to Turn off (hide from all users); for details, see above Setting preferred update mode.

Client update-all.jpg

SEP sesam Server update

Exclusively for SEP sesam Server use there are two more options available: Install Service Pack and Install UI Server Service Pack (the latter is a GUI SP for server).

  • SEP sesam service packs are cumulative and contain all released bug fixes for the corresponding SEP sesam version. SEP sesam sends notifications via RSS feeds to alert administrators to the important issues affecting your SEP sesam environment, such as availability of a service pack. These notifications can be checked in the Notification Center (top right corner in the GUI).
  • Note that whenever the SEP sesam Server is updated, you also have to update the GUI client because the GUI client and the SEP sesam Server have to work with the same GUI.

File:Client server-update.jpeg

Verifying updates

You can easily check whether your update was successful by checking the log files or by checking the client status in the Topology or Clients view, if you have enabled either of the following two modes: Check automatically, but install manually or Check, download and install automatically (see above Setting preferred update mode). Note that SEP sesam prevents partial updates and performs an automatic roll-back if any issues are encountered or newly updated software fails.

If you have selected the Turn off update mode and you want to check if the update was successful, proceed as follows:

  1. Check the connection between a GUI client and SEP sesam Server. The connection should work.
  2. Open the SEP sesam GUI and from the menu bar select Help -> About SEP sesam. Both, SEP sesam GUI client and SEP sesam GUI Server must have the same build versions.
  3. File:About SEP sesam 4.4.3.74.jpg