1. Atlas Systems
  2. Ares
  3. Installing and Updating

Updating Ares to Version 5.0: Updating the Server

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Sara Juel
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1. Before Getting Started (Can be performed the day(s) before)

Please consider blocking out 1 to 3 hours for this update.   

Gather Information    

  • Check server and workstation requirements for the new version by reviewing the Ares 5.0 Release Notes to ensure your hardware and software can support Ares 5.0.
  • Have the Intranet Protocol (IP) and Domain Name System (DNS) for the Ares SQL Server and Web Server readily available. 
  • Know the SQL System Administrator (sa) username and password login information.
  • Check your notes from past updates to see if there are any server/site considerations (e.g., custom SQL triggers, installations that are on different drives, multiple sets of Web Pages, if the default location of the AresDocs has changed, etc.).
  • Verify the version of .NET on the server is at least 4.6.2. 

    • If you do not see what version of .NET is installed via Windows\Control Panel, try running this Command Prompt: wmic /namespace:\\root\cimv2 path win32_product where "name like '%%.NET%%'” 

    • If that doesn’t work, check the “Version” entry in the registry here:

      • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Client
        Or here:
        HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full

Downloading the Installers  

    1. All installer files are password protected. Contact an Atlas Systems' Customer Service Representative (support@atlas-sys.com or 1-800-567-7401 ext. #1) to obtain the download credentials.   

      Send Email Request for Credentials
  1. Go to Ares Downloads to download the Ares 5.0 Client Installer and the Installing the Ares Server to download the Ares 5.0 Server Installer. 
  2. Save the installer files to the Desktop.

Completing a .NET Update

If necessary, update .NET to ensure the latest update is version 4.6.2 or above (Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2 Multi-Targeting Pack).

Copying SQL Triggers 

Make a copy of any custom SQL triggers so you can add them back later. 

 

2. Updating the Ares Server 

Setting Custom User Name & Passwords   

A dialog has been added to the Ares Server installer that allows the server administrator to specify the database user account credentials used to access the Ares database (e.g., the account credentials that can be specified in SAM). This allows you to use custom account names and passwords for Ares as a security measure, without having to manually run modified versions of the standard install scripts. For more information, see Ares 5.0 Server Installer Database Configuration. 

Running the Server Updater

  1. On the server, run the previously-downloaded .msi installer.
  2. An installation wizard will appear. Follow the steps to approve setting selections.
  3. When the installer has completed, select Finish.
  4. Delete the Ares Server Installer file.
  5. Optional: download and run the Ares Client Installer on the server.

Resolving Errors During the Ares Server Installation

If the installation fails and displays "Error 1303": See Resolving Ares Server Installer "Insufficient Privileges" Error (Error 1303) for resolution steps.

If the installation fails in the backup portion: If the Ares Server Installer fails in the backup process:

  1. Ensure there is a C:\inetpub\wwwroot\ares folder on the Ares Server. If it is not there then create one.
  2. The installer will continue the installation process after this folder is created.
  3. After the installation, check to ensure that C:\Ares\Web\Webservice has the latest version of files from c:\inetpub\wwwroot\ares\webservice.
  4. Once updated, remove the c:\inetpub\wwwroot\ares\webservice folder from the Ares Server.

3. Testing the Web Pages

Replacing RemoteAuth DLLs

Sites that use remote authentication may have additional copies of the ares.dll file saved in web page folders protected by SSO providers. These copies will not be automatically updated by the server installer and should be manually replaced with the version of ares.dll that is installed during the server update, typically located in C:\Ares\Web\DLL.

Testing URLs

Confirm the indicated behaviors when testing URLs for your webpages, testweb pages, and WebService. The following examples illustrate how individual site's webpage URLs might be formatted, if "site.ares.atlas-sys.com" was replaced with your Ares web server's DNS.

4. Updating the Clients

For details on updating the Client, see Updating Ares to Version 5.0: Updating the Client.

 

5. Version Specific Changes

Message Boards & Free Text Items in the Web Pages

Formatting

As of Ares 5.0, message board posts are now saved using Markdown rather than HTML. The free text editor for these will still display the formatted text correctly in plain text. All previous message board threads, reply pages, and posts will be converted to the new format during the 5.0 update.

The Html To Markdown Conversion Utility is the command line application responsible for converting HTML content in Ares FreeText items and Message Board posts to the markdown format. The utility is configured through the following parameters:

  • Verbose - Default (false) - If present, all log output will be written to the console window. If not, only errors will be written to the console window.
  • Server - Required - The address of the SQL server to connect to.
  • Database - Required - The name of the database to connect to.
  • Timeout - The SQL connection timeout in seconds.
  • IntegratedSecurity - Default (false) - if present, the application will use your Windows account to authenticate against the SQL server. Otherwise, username and password parameters must be specified.
  • UserName - The username used to log in to the SQL server.
  • Password - The password used to log in to the SQL server.
  • ConversionType - Default (ALL) - Defines what tables are converted. Values are [FreeText, MessageBoard, All].
  • LogChanges - Default (false) - if present, the original values of all converted records will be written to a file names HtmlToMarkdown.Preconversion.log.

Questions?

If this article didn’t resolve your issue, please contact Atlas Support for assistance:

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