OfficeSync Update - March 7, 2009

WHAT’S NEW

The primary purpose of this update is to migrate the OfficeSync gateway onto a faster, more reliable, and more easily maintainable server.  This update also addresses a server issue where users would occasionally experience timeout errors when attempting to access the system.

This server migration will be done at approximately 11:00 am pacific time on Saturday March 7, 2009.  During this transition, there will be a brief period where access to the OfficeSync gateway will be unavailable.  After the transition is complete, updated versions of all three OfficeSync applications (Office Manager, Job Monitor, and Field Connect) will be made available for download via automatic updates and/or full installation, and any previous versions will no longer connect to the OfficeSync gateway until they have been updated. 

UPDATE INSTRUCTIONS (Option #1, Automatic Update)

The attached PDF document contains the same information as follows, but includes screenshots.

The following method will work only after the server upgrade on March 7, 2009 and before approximately March 31, 2009.  After that please use Option #2, Full Reinstall, described below.

Installing the Office Manager update

To update Office Manager on your desktop or laptop computers, simply start up Office Manager as usual.  You will see a message indicating that there is a new update available.

Click OK and allow the update to download.  The update will be automatically installed, and when finished you will be presented with the login screen, allowing you to log in as usual.  You will know that you have the newest version if you are able to log into the program.

Installing the Job Monitor update

To update Job Monitor on your desktop or laptop computers, simply start up Job Monitor as usual.  You will see a message indicating that there is a new update available.

Click OK and allow the update to download.  The update will be automatically installed, and when finished you will be presented with the login screen, allowing you to log in as usual.  You will know that you have the newest version if you are able to log into the program.

Installing the Field Connect update

To update Field Connect on your handheld data collectors, simply start up Field Connect as usual.  If your data collector has an internet connection (for example through ActiveSync or a WIFI network, or if a manual dialer is used to connect to the internet prior to starting the program) then Field Connect will automatically check to see if there is an update, and will notify you that a new update is available.  If your data collector is not already connected to the internet when Field Connect is started, then Field Connect does not automatically check to see if there is an update, you will have to check manually.  On the Field Connect login screen, tap on the Tools menu and pick Check For Updates.  Field Connect will then check to see if there is an update, and will notify you that a new update is available.

Tap OK and allow the update to download.  The update will be automatically installed, and when finished you will be asked to re-start the program.

Tap Yes to exit from Field Connect.  Some data collectors (including the Allegro CE, and Rangers running Windows CE 3.0) will automatically do a warm boot/soft reset at this point.  Then run Field Connect again, and log in as usual.

Note 1:  When you pick Tools > Check for Updates, on some data collectors you may see a “No Connection” message.

If you get this error message, try the following items to get around it:

1.     Restart your data collector, and follow any of the usual “tricks” in getting it to connect – for example running the manual dialer on Windows Mobile 5 devices, etc.

2.     You can force Field Connect to connect to the internet before downloading the update.  Login as usual, then tap Send Job Data.  You will get the No Connection error message again and the Send Job Files screen will not appear – this is expected because the old OfficeSync gateway is offline.  Then tap on the Tools menu and pick Check for Updates again.

3.     If it still cannot download the update, you may be able to connect the data collector to ActiveSync on a computer with internet access, and then run Field Connect and check for updates again.  This method will not work with all data collectors, but it should work with most newer models.

4.     If it still cannot download the update, you may need to manually reinstall the Field Connect application, see the instructions below under Option #2, Full Reinstall.

Note 2:  If you see an “Exception” message on startup after installing the Field Connect update, simply tap on the Tools menu and choose Refresh Account Data to re-load the list of User ID’s.

UPDATE INSTRUCTIONS (Option #2, Full Reinstall)

The following method will work any time after the server upgrade on March 7, 2009.

You can download and install new copies of the complete installation package from our website at www.officesync.com/downloads

We recommend that you uninstall any previous versions of Office Manager, Job Monitor, and/or Field Connect through the Add/Remove Programs command in your Control Panel prior to installing the updated version.

A document listing complete step-by-step installation instructions is available from the download page above.

FIREWALL INFORMATION

If you have had to configure a software or hardware firewall to allow communications to the OfficeSync gateway from computers running the Office Manager and/or Job Monitor applications, this update may require a modification to the “allow” rules which may have been manually configured allowing communications through to specific IP addresses.

Communications required before the server upgrade (your current firewall settings):

128.121.250.209 (port 80)

128.121.154.140 (port 1433)

Communications required after the server upgrade (new required firewall settings):

officesyncserver.com or 207.102.20.140 (ports 80 and 1433)