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Aeon 5.1 Release Notes

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Brittany De Gail
Updated

Important Update Information    

Released July 8th, 2021

Highlights        

As promised on the Aeon Product Roadmap, here are the main features/enhancements of Aeon v5.1:

There are over twenty-three bug fixes and several underlying component updates to continue supporting external systems in this release.                 

Considerations Before You Update            

Review Aeon v5.1 FAQ   

For frequently asked questions and additional information regarding the 5.1 features and fixes, please see the Aeon 5.1 FAQ. You can also view the recorded 5.1 pre-release webinar and a webinar overviewing the new appointment scheduling feature in the Video Training Library. For all other questions, please contact support at support@atlas-sys.com.

Updating During Normal Working Hours       

Please consider running updates and installations during standard support hours 8 am - 5 pm eastern time (business days: Monday - Friday) so that help is readily available if any issues are encountered.

Updating Procedures       

Before you begin updating, please review the Hardware and Software Requirements for Version 5.1. For specific instructions on updating, see Updating Aeon to the Newest Version.

Warning! New System Requirements

Aeon Server 5.1.18 or later requires the Microsoft ASP.NET Core 8.0 Runtime Bundle for the Aeon API. This bundle can be installed via Microsoft's website. To prevent disruptions in the Aeon API after updating, please ensure that this bundle is installed on the Aeon Server prior to updating to Aeon 5.1. Once the update has been run, Microsoft .NET Core 2.1/2.2 should be manually removed from the server, if present. See Microsoft's documentation for instructions on this process.

Aeon 5.1 features a new process that allows users to install the client at the user level without requiring the use of escalated admin privileges. See Updating Aeon to Version 5.1: Updating the Client for more details on choosing between a "per-user" installation or a "per-machine" installation (Note: Installing the client per-user will not install the 3 of 9 barcode font. The font can be downloaded and installed.).

Customized print templates will need to be moved to a new default print template location if updating the Aeon Client from a previous version to v5.1. For more information, see Changes to the Default Print Template Location After the Aeon 5.1 Update.

For self-hosted sites, new installation and update PowerShell scripts that support a broader array of configurations will be used to perform the server installation/update. See the "Installing/Updating the Server with PowerShell Scripts" section in Installing the Aeon Server for more information.

Note: The new VersionSystem key will need to be configured during the 5.1 update process if you choose to perform the server update using the new PowerShell scripts. To configure this key, please enter 5.0 when you see the "Unable to determine currently installed server version" warning during the scripting process and are prompted to enter your current version of Aeon.

Addon Updates

New versions of the CaiaSoft Server Addon, Aeon ArchivesSpace Client Addon, and Aeon Alma Primo Catalog Addon are available to ensure functionality with Aeon v5.1. Sites using either of these addons should plan to update to this latest version before updating Aeon to v5.1. For more information, see Addons.

End of Support for Windows 7 and 8.1

Windows 7 and 8.1 are no longer supported operating systems due to the end of support by Microsoft. The minimum required operating system for Aeon is now Windows 10.

Point Releases 

Bug fixes and new features are added periodically as point releases. See 5.1.x point releases below:

For a list of current known issues, see UserVoice.

Aeon 5.1 Features & Fixes     

Aeon API | Addons | Appointment Scheduling | Customization Manager | Database | Email | Enhanced EAD Processing Engine | Printing | Payment Gateways | SQL Alias Manager | Staff Client | Staff Manager | System Manager | Unlimited Configurable Custom Fields | Updating | Web Interface 

Aeon API     

New
Added an endpoint to the API that will retrieve a list of all requests (or active requests only if the ActiveOnly parameter is used) for a specific user: 
  • users/{username}/requests
New

Added an endpoint to the API that creates Aeon requests for a specified user:

  • requests/create
New
Added an endpoint to the API that will retrieve a list of custom fields defined for the specified context type:
  • customFieldDefinitions/{contextType}
New
Added five new endpoints to the API to support the appointment scheduling feature. See the Appointment Scheduling section of the release notes for more details.
Changed
Added support for custom fields when creating a request via the POST Request endpoint. Response objects returned by the GET Request and POST Request endpoints and User objects returned by the GET User endpoint will contain a CustomFields property listing all defined fields for the given request. For configuration information, see Aeon API. 

Addons

Changed
Added several improvements to the embedded Chromium browser used by addons to include the following: 
  • Storing any login sessions at the per-user level.
  • Optional 'private mode' flag.
  • Ability to delete cookies. 
  • Ability to download files, including PDFs.

For additional details and configuration instructions, see Chromium WebBrowser.

Note: Google Chrome is built on Chromium. Addons do not use Chrome and instead use an instance of a Chromium browser. This means that if an addon is installed to use Chromium, it will still work even if Chrome is not installed on your machine. 
Changed

The CaiaSoft Server Addon was updated to v1.1.2 to ensure full functionality with Aeon v5.1. 

Sites using this addon should plan to update the addon to the new version before updating to Aeon v5.1. To download the new version, see Aeon CaiaSoft Server Addon.
Changed

The Aeon ArchivesSpace Client Addon was updated to v2.2.0 to ensure full functionality with Aeon v5.1. 

Sites using this addon should plan to update the addon to the new version before updating to Aeon v5.1. To download the new version, see Aeon ArchivesSpace Client Addon.
Changed

The Aeon Alma Primo Catalog Addon was updated to v1.5.3 to ensure full functionality with Aeon v5.1. 

Sites using this addon should plan to update the addon to the new version before updating to Aeon v5.1. To download the new version, see Aeon Alma Primo Catalog Addon.

Appointment Scheduling

To view a brief video overview of this feature, click here.
New

The appointment scheduling feature gives staff the option to configure reading rooms in the Aeon Customization Manager to offer appointment dates and times to patrons for booking. Patrons will have tools available on the web to create, edit, and manage their appointments, as well as the ability to associate a request with an appointment when submitting a new request. Staff will be able to create and manage appointments on behalf of patrons and associate requests with appointments through the Staff Client.

For more information, see the new appointment scheduling articles below: 
New New feature-specific appointment scheduling web pages are available to provide patrons with an appointment scheduling interface. These web pages are not installed by default and must be downloaded from the Aeon Downloads page and manually implemented. For complete instructions, see Implementing the Appointment Scheduling Web Pages. 
New
Added five new API endpoints for appointment scheduling:
  • Users/{username}/appointments

    Returns a list of appointments for a given user.

  • ReadingRooms

    Returns a list of reading rooms configured for appointment scheduling in Aeon.

  • ReadingRooms/{id}

    Returns information on a specified reading room identified by ID. 

  • ReadingRooms/{id}/Closures

    Returns a list of full closures for the specified reading room.

  • ReadingRooms/{id}/AvailableAppointments/{date}

    Returns a list of available appointment times for the specified reading room on the specified date.

For configuration information, see Aeon API.
New New AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) endpoints were added to return JSON responses containing all available appointments for a user, all available reading rooms, and appointment availability for a given room and date. Two additional endpoints were also added to handle creating and rescheduling appointments. For more information, see Appointment Scheduling AJAX Endpoints.
New

Added new tables to the database to support the appointment scheduling feature:

  • Appointments
  • AppointmentExceptions
  • ReadingRooms
  • ReadingRoomsForSites
  • ReadingRoomOpenHours

For details, see Aeon Database Tables.

Customization Manager

Changed Renamed "Taiwan, Province Of China" to "Taiwan" in the Custom Drop Down table's country list. 

Database

Changed Increased the maximum length of match strings for routing rules from 500 characters to an unlimited number of characters to support custom fields that may have longer field names.
Fixed

Fixed an issue where a transaction could not be added to a bundle with a name and description longer than 255 characters since this would exceed the character limit for creating an entry in the History table. To prevent this error, history entries now truncate bundle names to 100 characters and no longer contain bundle descriptions. Bug# 8806
Fixed

Increased database password maximum length from 15 to 128 characters for user accounts. Bug# 6496

Email

New
Fixed the verbiage in the UserAddedToActivity email template to reflect the new Aeon web page design. The old template referenced the nav menu on the left-hand side of the user accounts web page in the old default web pages.
 
Note: This change only affects the default templates for new installs. Bug# 5348

Enhanced EAD Processing Engine

New Added support for using multiple XSLT files when processing EADs. The DLL will follow the rules set in the Customization Manager's EADMapping table to decide which XSLT file to use for a given EAD, allowing for customized solutions for any EADs with significantly different processing needs. For more information, see The EADMapping Table.
New Added an EADMapping table to the database to support the enhanced EAD processing engine. For details, see Aeon Database Tables.

Payment Gateways

Changed
Added the PaymentProviderPrefix customization key to support Aeon web DLL changes that provide more detailed Touchnet transaction identifiers. The key provides a way to specify a string prefix that will be added to the invoice number (external transaction identifier) Aeon sends to TouchNet. This helps to better identify where an invoice originated from when dispersing funds to the appropriate party.

Changed

The credit card payment pages are no longer feature-specific pages and are now part of the default web pages. CreditCardPayment.html has been updated with significant changes, and several new include files were added to the default files to work in conjunction with the new payment page. For details on these changes and for instructions on updating your existing credit card payment pages, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes.
Fixed

Fixed an issue where PayPal transactions would complete on the provider side but would sometimes not be updated in Aeon. Additional error handling was added to report connection timeouts when using the PayPal payment endpoint in the Aeon web pages. Bug# 5360

Fixed

The handling for 'ancillaryData' TouchNet fields was changed in order to address a bug that prevented data from passing correctly to TouchNet. Changes must be made to CreditCardPayment.html and CreditCardPaymentConfirmation.html to correct this feature. For more information, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes. Bug# 10472

Fixed

Fixed an issue where the "Pay Now" button on CreditCardPayment.html could be clicked multiple times, leading to duplicate form submissions. To address this issue, atlasUtility.js was updated with new functionality that disables most buttons on form submission. For more information, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes.  Bug# 5638

Printing

Changed

The default location for the Aeon print templates has moved to one of two new locations based on the installation method chosen for the Aeon Client:

  • C:\Program Files (x86)\Aeon\Client\Print\ for per-machine installations
  • C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Apps\Aeon\Client\Print\ for per-user installations
Print templates that had been customized prior to updating Aeon to v5.1 will not be automatically moved to the new location during the 5.1 update process. For information on moving your customized print templates after updating, see Changes to the Default Print Template Location After the Aeon 5.1 Update.

SQL Alias Manager

New
An optional standalone installer is now available for the SQL Alias Manager that can be used for more detailed control over the Aeon installation. For more information, see SQL Alias Manager Standalone Installer.

Staff Client

New
A 'Preferred Name' field has been added to the User Info Form as a user identifier in place of the first name. The preferred name is a searchable parameter. For details, see The User Information Form.
Changed
User icons have been updated to display a gender-neutral appearance.
Fixed

Fixed an issue where exporting the results grid of a Z39.50 search did not include values in the Location, Call Number, or Availability columns, even when values were displayed in those columns. Bug# 5960
Fixed

Fixed an issue that would compare dates based on UTC time instead of the current time zone for custom searches, which could cause custom searches to display incorrect results when using the datetime search parameters. Bug# 8689
Fixed

Fixed an issue where a request with no value in the RequestFor field could incorrectly become associated with an activity. Bug# 5751
Fixed

Fixed an issue that prevented users from being able to log into the Client when the value of the StaffPreviousPasswordCount customization key was set to 0. Aeon will now default to a value of 4 when the key value is set to 0 instead of treating a 0 as null. Bug# 4238
Fixed

Fixed an issue where using the up and down arrows in the Quick Access Toolbar to switch between transactions after generating an invoice would cause the invoice information to compound instead of creating a new invoice for the next transaction.
Fixed

Fixed an issue where an error would occur when using the Request Form to route a request with the ResearcherUsername field set to a blank or empty string.

Staff Manager

Changed User icons have been updated to display a gender-neutral appearance.
Fixed Using the "Reset Password" button on the main ribbon will no longer display the "Force Reset on Login" checkbox when changing the password for the user that is currently logged in. Bug# 7030

System Manager

Fixed Fixed an issue where the System Manager's Item Cleanup process stopped running if it encountered an error. It will now restart and try the process again at a later time.

Unlimited Configurable Custom Fields

New
Aeon now supports the creation of unlimited new custom fields for Transactions, Users, and Activities. These fields are set up in the Customization Manager's Custom Field Definitions table and are supported in forms, email and print templates, routing rules, custom searching, web pages, addons, and API. For a complete overview of this feature, please see Unlimited Custom Fields. 
New
Added the ability to set custom fields within existing DLL tags:
<#PARAM name="[Context].CustomFields.[ShortName]">
<#USER field="CustomFields.[ShortName]">
<#TRANSACTION field="CustomFields.[ShortName]">
<#ACTIVITY field="CustomFields.[ShortName]">
<#DATAROW field="[Context].CustomFields.[ShortName]">
These fields can be displayed on any of the web pages. Some additional display options are available. For more information, see Configuring Custom Fields on Web Pages.
New Added two new tables to the database, CustomFieldDefinitions and CustomFieldValues, to support the new unlimited custom fields feature. For details, see Aeon Database Tables.

Updating

New

Added the VersionSystem customization key that will track which version of the Aeon server is currently installed. This key will be automatically incremented with the new version each time an update is installed.
New

For self-hosted sites, new installation and update PowerShell scripts that support a broader array of configurations should be used to perform the server installation/update. For more information, please see the "Installing/Updating the Server with PowerShell Scripts" section in Installing the Aeon Server.

Note: The new VersionSystem key will need to be configured during the 5.1 update process if you choose to perform the server update using the new PowerShell scripts. To configure this key, please enter 5.0 when you see the "Unable to determine currently installed server version" warning during the scripting process and are prompted to enter your current version of Aeon.
Changed

Updated the Aeon Client installer to allow staff to choose if the Client should be installed "per-user" or "per-machine." Per-user installations will not require admin privileges. The installer will remember the choice of installation scope and will default to that option on future updates. For details, see Updating Aeon to Version 5.1.

Note: Installing the Client per-user will not install the 3 of 9 barcode font. The font can be downloaded and installed.

Web Interface

New

Several changes were made to the default web pages. The new web pages are not installed automatically to prevent overwriting any customizations your institution may have created. The complete set of 5.1 web pages are available for download on the Aeon Downloads page. For more information, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes:

  • Item titles now link to their associated request details pages on the Saved Requests web page, and Edit and Request Copy buttons are now visible for each saved request by default.
  • Added an Actions dropdown menu for each saved request that contains Cancel, Clone to Copy, Export Citation, and Submit Request options.
  • Updated the Saved Requests link in the navigation bar's Order History dropdown menu with a more intuitive look and feel to display the current number of saved requests for the user and a shopping cart icon.
  • Added a RequestFor dropdown on ViewUserReviewRequests.html so that saved requests can now be associated with a researcher or activity when submitted.
  • Fixed an issue where web validation was not applied to saved requests by replacing the status class with the statusLine class on KeepInReview.js.
  • Added HTML5 form validation to the EAD request form.
  • Fixed an issue where the "FOR DUPLICATION ORDERS" label was hidden on the detailed information page for photoduplication orders. Bug# 7337
  • Fixed an issue where the "Search only active requests" option returned results for all requests. Bug# 7335
  • Added a missing "formnovalidate" attribute to the cancel button on ExpiredUsers.html to allow users to stop the request form and return to the main menu. Bug# 6909
  • Updated the calendar icon next to the date picker on request forms to a new look as a clickable "Font Awesome" icon.
  • Normalized the quoting style for DLL Tags.
  • Removed the "form-control" class from all select elements.
  • Added footer tags to ViewOrderApprovals.html.
  • Added the Site Map link to the footer on Logon.html. Bug# 6681
  • Removed the custom "new-line" CSS class from the default CSS and replaced all <span> elements using the "new-line" class attribute with <div> elements.
New

Four new default web pages have been added:

  • Added GenericRequestManuscriptPhotodup.html and GenericRequestMonographPhotodup.html for monograph and archive photoduplication requests. These pages can be accessed by new "Switch to Photoduplication Request" buttons that were added to the existing monograph and archive request pages. See Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes for configuration instructions.
  • Added EditGenericRequestManuscriptPhotodup.html and EditGenericRequestMonographPhotodup.html as corresponding edit pages for the new photoduplication requests pages.
New Added a blank custom.js page to the default web pages for site-specific custom JavaScript changes.
New
Added a new tag (<#USER field="UserReviewCount">) in the Aeon Web Pages that will retrieve the total number of requests in review for the current user.
New
Added a web tag to handle generating a list of checkbox groups. This tag is not added by default, to add to the web pages, see Adding Web Tags for Generating Custom Checkbox Groups.
New
Added duplicationPermissionToggle.js to the default web pages, which makes it possible to use radio buttons to show or hide content on web pages based on the user's selection. For more information on configuring this feature, see Show or Hide Content Based on Radio Button Selections.
Changed

The default RequestsInReviewDataRow.html file was renamed to DataRow_ReviewRequest.html, and the default ViewUserReviewRequests.html file was also updated with new code to reflect this change. See Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes for more details. 
Changed Empty drop-down actions/transaction menus that have been disabled will now include a tooltip that reads "You are not able to perform any actions for this request since you did not create it.".
Changed

Removed Session ID as a URL parameter and from all submitted forms to enhance web session security.         
Changed Improved performance when loading request action menus and getting total billing charges by implementing caching of request information in the DLL.
Changed Enabled the "Request Copy" action for requests in the Awaiting User Review queue. 

Changed

 Cloning requests from the web will now consider document type when determining which request form to display if the WebRequestForm field is "DefaultRequest," "EADRequest," or "PhotoduplicationRequest."

Changed

 Updated the <#COPYRIGHT> tag to display the current year, 2021, in the footer of the web pages.

Changed

 The existing "data-persistedValue" attribute styling has been deprecated, but can still be used without causing any break in functionality. Web pages will now use the new "data-persisted-value" styling in all future changes.
Fixed

Several updates were made to the web pages to fix accessibility issues. See Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes for more details:

  • Added header classes for h1-h6 elements to the default CSS that can now be used on any element.
  • Updated header elements on certain datarow templates and on webAlerts.js to instead use div elements with the relevant header class to fix an issue caused by missing header values on screenreaders. Bug# 10178
  • Fixed an invalid aria-labelledby target on webalerts.js.
  • Updated and standardized "Research Topics" checkboxes on user pages to fix an issue with missing form labels.
Fixed

Fixed an issue where the 'Logged in as' user profile menu would not display the username on the FAQ, About, and Site Map pages when navigating to the pages as the logged-in user. Bug# 4415
Fixed Fixed an issue where adding a new line to a web alert would break the alert message preventing it from being properly displayed on the web pages. Bug# 7246
Fixed

The SLActiveRequestsUnlimited customization key has been added to display when the UserRequestLimit is set to 'Yes' but the user has a request limit of '0' set in the Client (so that the user can have unlimited requests).

The handling for the <#REQUESTLIMIT> tag has been removed from individual request status lines (SLEADRequestRecieved, SLSubmitExternalRequest, etc) and should now only be used with SLActiveRequestsWithLimit. For additional details, see Aeon Customization Keys. Bug# 3732
Fixed Fixed an issue where special ISO dates weren't being properly formatted. Added handling for special ISO DateTime formatting on Activity Tags. Bug# 8611
Fixed Fixed an issue where using the "Request Copy" action for a request in the "Item Checked Out" or "Available for Use" status would not redirect the user to the Edit Photoduplication form and returned an error status stating that the request could not be edited. Bug# 7393
Fixed Fixed issues in the DLL where some requests were not being routed to "Awaiting Item Delivery" after making a credit card payment and where some requests incorrectly did not allow editing in the web.
Fixed Fixed an issue in the DLL where a duplicate request was created if the user refreshed the page or had to log back in due to an expired web session after submitting the initial request.  Bug# 8826

Aeon 5.1 Point Releases

12 Jul 2021 (5.1.2) Client Release

Fixed

Fixed an issue where sorting a grid of requests in the Client by a column other than the default or applying a filter to the grid would sometimes cause the grid to disappear and display an error if it contained requests with associated appointments.

15 Jul 2021 (5.1.3) Client Release

The earlier versions of the v5.1 Client installers have been removed and replaced with v5.1.3. The 5.1.3 Client release includes all the same features from v5.1.1 and v5.1.2, along with additional bug fixes.

Updating to v5.1.3

Version 5.1.3 includes a bug fix for the automatic updater. If you had previously installed v5.1.1 or v5.1.2 of the Aeon Client, you will not be prompted to update and must perform the update to the new version manually by downloading and running the v5.1.3 installer. 
Fixed

Fixed an issue where configuring the appointment scheduling feature for one site in a multi-site instance of Aeon would cause the appointment controls to show in the Client for all sites and lead to errors for any sites that had not configured this feature. The Client now considers whether the appointment feature is enabled on a site-by-site basis.
Fixed

Fixed an issue where the Client automatic updater would sometimes fail to run the downloaded MSI file when performing an update.

15 Jul 2021 (5.1.4) Server Release

Fixed

Fixed an issue with the server installer scripts where specifying an alternative installation location for the SQL Alias Manager would still install it in the default location and the scripts would fail to automatically create the DBC file for the system. 
Fixed

Updated the Aeon System Manager to v5.1.1 to fix an error that would display in the logs stating that the license was missing for the IPWorks SSH component and prevent the Aeon SFTP File Server component from working correctly. 

20 Aug 2021 Default Web Pages, Client, Server, DLL Release

New versions of the Default Web Pages, Aeon Client, Aeon Server, and Web DLL were released to address a variety of bug fixes. Please see each section below for more information on the fixes for each release and for implementation instructions.

(5.1.14) Default Web Pages Release

The 5.1 web page download on the Aeon Downloads page has been updated with the latest version of the default web pages. To implement these changes:

Fixed

Fixed an issue where the View, Delete, and Details buttons did not work on the Electronically Delivered Items web page (DataRow_ElectronicDelivery.html). For more information on implementing this fix, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes. Bug# 12824
Fixed

Fixed an issue where EditGenericRequestManuscriptPhotodup.html and EditGenericRequestMonographPhotodup.html erroneously contained a hidden TransactionLink input instead of a hidden TransactionNumber input. For more information on implementing this fix, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes. Bug# 12899
Fixed Fixed an issue where clicking the Cancel button on NewAuthRegistration.html and ExpiredUsers.html would send an unregistered/expired user back to the same page instead of exiting the Aeon system. The Cancel button will now send the user to the location specified in the RemoteAuthWebLogoutURL customization key. For more details, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes. Bug# 12668
Fixed

Fixed issues with the buttons used on the EAD Request form (EADRequest.html):

  • Fixed an issue that prevented the Save Request for Later button from working properly in some cases
  • Added functionality to prevent unnecessary form validation when clicking on the Save Request for Later or Cancel button

For more details, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes.

(5.1.4) Client Release

The v5.1.3 Client installer has been removed and replaced with v5.1.4 on the Aeon Downloads page.

Fixed

Fixed an issue where Transaction emails did not use the site-specific LocalInfo Table row defined in the Customization Manager to populate the email's "From" name and "From" address. Bug# 11000

All Transaction emails will now properly populate the "From" name and address from the site-specific row with the following exceptions:

  • If no site-specific LocalInfo row exists or if the General Contact Name and General Email Address fields within the site-specific row are blank, then the default LocalInfo values will be used.
  • If no default LocalInfo values exist, the values in the EmailFromName and EmailFromAddress customization keys will be used.
Fixed

Fixed an issue where an appointment's start and end times would display as UTC instead of being converted to the appropriate server time in some places in the Aeon Client. Bug# 13160

(5.1.5) Server Release

A new version of the Aeon Server is available that includes several bug fixes and a new version of the Aeon Web DLL (v5.1.1). 

The newest version of the Web DLL will be installed when updating to v5.1.5 of the Aeon Server. Please perform a server update to implement the DLL bug fixes.

Server Installation/Update Script Changes

Fixed

Fixed an issue with the 5.1.4 server installation scripts where an extra backslash in the path to the Aeon DLL in the IIS CGI/BIN restrictions would cause a 404 error when navigating to a web page served by the DLL.

Note: This issue is only found in fresh installs of Aeon Server v5.1.4 and does not affect sites that updated to v5.1.4 from a previous installation. 
Fixed Fixed an issue where the server update scripts did not properly set the SQL function permissions, which would cause AtlasBI reports to fail after updating to v5.1.  

Web DLL Changes (v5.1.1)

Fixed

Fixed various bugs in the DLL related to the appointment scheduling web interface:

  • Fixed an issue that caused the appointment scheduling calendar for a reading room on the web pages to take an excessive amount of time to load if the room was fully booked for a long period of time in advance. Bug# 13107
  • Fixed an issue where a reading room's exception dates for closures or reduced availabilities would not properly display in the appointment scheduling calendar on the web pages if they included the current date. Bug# 13196
Note: To implement these fixes after updating the DLL, please visit the Aeon Downloads page to download the newest set of 5.1.14 Feature-Specific Web Pages and overwrite your default appointments.js file with the updated file (located in the AppointmentScheduling/js folder). 
Fixed Fixed an issue in the DLL that prevented a web form from submitting if it contained a custom field with no value entered. Bug# 13020

16 Sept 2021 (5.1.6) Server/Web API Release

A new version of the Aeon Server is available that includes a new version of the Aeon Web API (v1.4.3) to implement several bug fixes.

The newest version of the Web API will be installed when updating to v5.1.6 of the Aeon Server. Please perform or request a server update to implement the API bug fixes if you are experiencing any of the issues detailed below.

Web API Changes (v1.4.3)

Fixed

Fixed an issue where defining a custom field with the context type set to 'Transaction' in the CustomFieldDefinitions table would break routing via the /Requests/{id}/route endpoint and return a "500 Internal Server Error." Bug# 13642
Fixed

Fixed several issues with the /Requests/create endpoint:

  • Fixed an issue where associations with a researcher or activity were not correctly validated or saved for requests created with the endpoint.
  • Fixed an issue where defining a custom field with the context type set to 'Transaction' in the CustomFieldDefinitions table would cause the endpoint to work once, then fail and return a "500 Internal Server Error" until the Web API service was restarted.
  • Fixed an issue where specifying custom fields with values of NULL would result in a validation error when creating a request using the endpoint. 

30 Sept 2021 (5.1.16) Feature-Specific Web Pages Release

The 5.1 feature-specific web page download on the Aeon Downloads page has been updated with the latest version (5.1.16) to fix an issue with the appointment scheduler tool breaking in the latest version of the Google Chrome browser. To implement these changes:

  • Download the 5.1.16 feature-specific web pages. 
  • Replace your appointments.js file with the updated file.
Fixed

Fixed an issue where the appointment scheduling web tool would break after updating to the most recent version of Google Chrome (version 94.0.4606).

If you are using the appointment scheduling feature, please download the new web pages and replace the appointments.js file in your web directory with the new file to implement this fix.

13 Oct 2021 (5.1.7) Server/Web DLL Release

A new version of the Aeon Server is available that includes a new version of the Aeon Web DLL (v5.1.2) to implement several bug fixes.

The newest version of the Web DLL will be installed when updating to v5.1.7 of the Aeon Server. Please perform or request a server update to implement the DLL bug fixes if you are experiencing any of the issues detailed below.

Web DLL Changes (v5.1.2)

Fixed

Fixed an issue where requests for an activity would incorrectly require an appointment if the associated reading room required appointments. Requests for activities will no longer enforce the appointment requirement setting for the associated reading room. Bug# 13821
Fixed

Fixed an issue where an appointment with a date that was within the Minimum Lead Days setting for the associated reading room could be assigned and submitted with a new or edited request:

  • Validation will now apply when a request is edited or submitted to ensure that the associated appointment date is not within the room's Minimum Lead Days setting.
  • Added a new SLInvalidAppointmentDate customization key to the Customization Manager that can be used to configure the status line text that will display if the user attempts to submit a request with an appointment date that falls within the Minimum Lead Days for the room.

15 Nov 2021 Default Web Pages, Server/Web DLL Release

New versions of the Default Web Pages and Web DLL were released to address a variety of bug fixes. Please see each section below for more information on the fixes for each release and for implementation instructions.

(5.1.18) Default Web Pages Release

The 5.1 web page download on the Aeon Downloads page has been updated with the latest version of the default web pages. To implement these changes:

Fixed

Fixed an issue where clicking the Pay Now button to submit a credit card payment would sometimes cause an error. For more information on implementing this fix, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes. Bug# 14371
Fixed

Fixed incorrect links for the Delete Item, Approve Estimate, and Approve Billing items within the Actions dropdown menu contained on include_TransactionMenu.html and DataRow_DefaultRequest.html. For more information on implementing this fix, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes. Bug# 14398

Note: Please update your Aeon Server to version 5.1.8 to implement the associated DLL fix for the Approve Billing button before or after making your web page changes. For more information, see the release notes for the 5.1.3 Web DLL release located below.

(5.1.8) Server/Web DLL Release

A new version of the Aeon Server is available that includes a new version of the Aeon Web DLL (v5.1.3) to implement several bug fixes.

The newest version of the Web DLL will be installed when updating to v5.1.8 of the Aeon Server. Please perform or request a server update to implement the DLL bug fixes if you are experiencing any of the issues detailed below.

Web DLL Changes (v5.1.3)

Fixed

Fixed an issue where clicking the Approve Billing button from the Actions dropdown menu for a request would result in an error. Bug# 14404

Note: There is an associated web page change that should be made in conjunction with this DLL update to fully fix issues with this button. Please visit the Aeon Downloads page to download the newest set of 5.1.18 Default Web Pages and then see the Fix for Incorrect Action Menu Links for specific instructions on implementing this fix.
Fixed

Fixed an issue introduced in Web DLL v5.1.2 (Aeon Server v5.1.7) where editing a request to associate it with an appointment would overwrite the request details for the most recent request that had been previously associated with that appointment. 

02 Dec 2021 (5.1.9) Server/Web DLL Release

A new version of the Aeon Server is available that includes a new version of the Aeon Web DLL (v5.1.4) to implement an important bug fix affecting the previous DLL version.

The newest version of the Web DLL will be installed when updating to v5.1.9 of the Aeon Server. Please perform or request a server update to implement the DLL bug fix.

Web DLL Changes (v5.1.4)

Fixed Fixed an issue introduced in Web DLL v5.1.3 (Aeon Server v5.1.8) where billing charges would not be calculated correctly when paying for multiple transactions at once, causing those transactions to be incorrectly marked as paid.

04 January 2022 (5.1.10) Server/Web DLL/Server Installer Scripts Release

A new version of the Aeon Server is now available that includes a new version of the Aeon Web DLL (v5.1.5) to implement an important security fix. The Aeon Server Installer Powershell scripts have also been updated to v5.1.10 and must be used to perform the server update. 

Update Procedure

The newest version of the Web DLL will be installed when updating to v5.1.10 of the Aeon Server. Please perform or request a server update to implement the DLL security fix.

Note: Self-hosted sites will need to visit the Installing the Aeon Server page and download the new version of the Aeon 5.1 Server Installer Powershell scripts to perform this update. The 5.1.10 server update will not appear if using a prior version of the installer scripts to attempt the update.

Web DLL Changes (v5.1.5)

Fixed Fixed a potential security vulnerability found during a web application scan.

01 Feb 2022 (5.1.19) Default and Feature-Specific Web Pages Release

New versions of the default and feature-specific web pages were released to address a variety of accessibility concerns and to provide a better user experience on the Aeon web pages. In particular, a large number of changes were made to improve the browsing experience for screen reader users. 

The new 5.1.19 default and feature-specific web pages are available for download on the Aeon Downloads page. To implement these changes:

Fixed

Fixed various accessibility issues on the web pages, particularly those affecting the experience of screen reader users. The list of changes can be found below. For more information on implementing each fix, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes. 

  • Added a missing h6 class to the default CSS
  • Added a <main> container to surround and indicate the main content within most web pages
  • Removed the role="heading" attribute from top-level <div> containers (Bug# 13847)
  • Moved the footer to the proper location on several web pages where it had been previously misplaced
  • Removed any extraneous <footer> elements surrounding the footer
  • Reordered the heading elements on each web page (when necessary) so that they are presented sequentially (e.g., h2, h3, h4, etc.) and without skipping levels 
  • Changed several heading elements on DataRow_ReviewRequest.html that were surrounding non-heading content to use <div> containers instead
  • Specified the language in the <html> element on pages where this was missing
  • Removed a duplicate instance of the '(required)' text for the Title field on GenericManuscriptPhotodup.html
  • Added missing '(required)' text for the Appointment Date, Start Time, and Stop Time fields on EditAppointment.html
  • Corrected an error within the ForPublication field's <label> element on include_photoduplication.html and within the ResearchTag field's <label> element on include_ResearcherTagsUpdate.html
  • Removed an extraneous function call from the Javascript used on Sagepay\CreditCardPayment.html

18 Feb 2022 (5.1.20) Default Web Pages Release

A new version of the default web pages was released to make several minor changes to the Logon.html file for consistency purposes and to patch a minor Bootstrap vulnerability. 

The new default web pages are available for download on the Aeon Downloads page. To implement these changes:

Changed

Updated the copyright year to the current year (2022) on Logon.html. 
Fixed

Updated the versions of Bootstrap and Popper.js used on Logon.html to versions 4.3.1 and 1.14.7 respectively to match the versions used in the include_head.html file and to patch a minor Bootstrap security vulnerability. 

01 March 2022 Server (5.1.11) and Client (5.1.5) Release

Several Aeon 5.1 server components and client applications have been updated to patch a potential security vulnerability found in their external log4net component. A new customization key has also been added to the Customization Manager that will further strengthen security by enforcing password complexity requirements for staff accounts.

Please coordinate with your IT department to update the Aeon Server (if self-hosted) and client applications as soon as possible after the server update is completed to ensure that all components are secure.
Note: The Aeon Server must be updated to the latest version before beginning the Aeon Client update process to ensure that the new StaffPasswordComplexity customization key is properly added. The Aeon Client will begin prompting users to update to the newest version once the server update is completed.

Update Procedure (These steps must be performed in this order)

Atlas-Hosted sites can see the Aeon Update Procedures and Best Practices for Atlas-Hosted Sites article for more information on minor point release update procedures.

1. To install the latest Aeon 5.1 server components, please schedule a server update with your IT department if self-hosted. Atlas-hosted sites will be contacted by Atlas Support directly via email regarding their server update. 

Note: Self-hosted sites must use the v5.1.10 of the Aeon 5.1 Server Installer Powershell scripts (available from the Installing the Aeon Server page) released with the previous version of the Aeon Server to perform this update. The 5.1.11 server update will not appear if using a prior version of the installer scripts to attempt the update.

2. Follow the Client Automatic Updater prompts within the Aeon Client, or download and run the 5.1.5 Client Installer from the Aeon Downloads page to install the new client applications. 

Server Component Updates

The Aeon Server (5.1.11) update includes the following new component versions:

  • System Manager 5.1.2.0
  • Web DLL v5.1.5.0
  • Web Platform v5.1.1.0
  • Web API 1.4.4.0
New Added the StaffPasswordComplexity key to the Customization Manager under System | Password Expiration that contains a regular expression to enforce password complexity requirements for staff accounts. The default value will require that passwords contain at least 8 characters with at least 1 uppercase letter, 1 lowercase letter, and 1 number. For more information on this key, see Staff Password Requirements.
Fixed Updated the log4net component used in each Aeon component to the latest secure version (v2.0.14). 

Client Application Updates

Performing the Aeon Client update process will install the following new application versions:

  • Aeon Client v5.1.5.0
  • Aeon Customization Manager v5.1.2.0
  • Aeon Staff Manager v5.1.1.0
Fixed Updated the log4net component used in each application to the latest secure version (v2.0.14). 

08 Aug 2022 (5.1.29) Default and Feature-Specific Web Pages Release

New versions of the default and feature-specific web pages were released to address a variety of accessibility concerns and to provide a better user experience on the Aeon web pages. In particular, a large number of changes were made to improve the browsing experience for screen reader users. 

The new 5.1.29 default and feature-specific web pages are available for download on the Aeon Downloads page. To implement these changes:

Fixed

Fixed various accessibility issues on the web pages, particularly those affecting the experience of screen reader users. The list of changes can be found below. For more information on implementing each fix, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes. 

  • Fixed an issue where the "Billing Account" dropdown on photoduplication request pages was not properly hidden when billing accounts were disabled Bug# 11533
  • Fixed an issue where the "Billing Account" field on photoduplication request pages contained an incorrect value in the error tag and 'for' attribute Bug# 16833
  • Fixed an issue where the SLRequestLimitMet status line would appear incorrectly formatted on the Saved Requests page (ViewUserReviewRequests.html) Bug# 15801
  • Added custom focus indicators for input fields and buttons and darkened the default border color for form fields to address color contrast issues Bug #17572/Bug #17573
  • Added custom focus indicators and new underline behavior for hyperlinks to address color contrast issues and fixed an issue affecting the "Powered by Aeon" hyperlink in the default footer Bug#17578/Bug# 17571
  • Added borders to all buttons and updated the modal button colors on appointment controls to address contrast issues Bug #17604
  • Fixed an issue where the "Skip to main content" link would remain invisible when focused on using keyboard controls Bug #15254
  • Fixed an issue where the cookie notification popup could not be dismissed using keyboard controls Bug# 16945
  • Changed the default title of the first-time user registration page (FirstTime.html) to differentiate it from the logon pages Bug# 17574
  • Fixed an issue where the "Switch to Photoduplication Request" and "Switch to Manuscript/Archives Request" buttons would overflow on certain screen sizes Bug# 17576
  • Fixed an issue where small notes attached to fields on web forms were not read automatically by screen readers Bug# 14420
  • Standardized the widths of the "My Notes" and "Special Request" fields on several request forms to ensure consistency with the widths of these fields on other forms
  • Fixed an issue where certain buttons used in the DataRow template files could not be activated using expected keyboard controls Bug# 17580
  • Removed tooltips from the DataRow template files that did not meet accessibility requirements Bug# 17575
  • Fixed an issue where errors involving the appointment fields were sometimes not read by screen readers Bug# 17577

20 Sept 2022 Client (5.1.8) Release

The Aeon 5.1 Client has been updated to a new version in order to reduce lengthy loading times and improve the overall performance of the application. In support of these enhancements, several minor changes have been made to the default refresh behavior in the Aeon Client, detailed below.

Update Procedure

Follow the Client Automatic Updater prompts within the Aeon Client, or download and run the 5.1.8 Client Installer from the Aeon Downloads page to install the new client applications.

Client Application Updates

Performing the Aeon Client update process will install the following new application versions:

  • Aeon Client v5.1.8
  • Aeon Customization Manager v5.1.4
  • Aeon Staff Manager v5.1.3
Changed
The following Customization Manager settings will now be stored when first retrieved by the Client instead of continuously retrieved and updated each time they are used:
  • Sites
  • Reading room appointment calendar settings
  • Custom fields defined in the CustomFieldDefinitions table
  • Routing rules
  • Email templates
  • Entries in the WebPlatformConfig table

If updates are made to any of the above settings in the Customization Manager after they are first retrieved by the Client, a manual Client restart will be required to apply those changes.
Changed
Information on the main dashboard of the Aeon Client (including request queues and counts, email counts, and uncleared users) will now only automatically refresh when focused on if 60 seconds have passed since the last automatic refresh was performed.
 
Note: This change does not apply to the refresh button located at the top of the application window, which can be clicked at any time to force a refresh of the information on the dashboard.
A new DashboardRefreshInterval customization key will be added to the Customization Manager in a future Aeon Server release that will allow you to adjust the length of the default 60-second auto-refresh interval (however, please note that this value should not be set to less than 60 seconds to avoid incurring performance issues). If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Atlas Support at support@atlas-sys.com for assistance.
Changed
The list of requests displayed when a queue is opened will no longer refresh automatically when changes are made and will require a manual refresh using the refresh button located at the top of the Client application window.
Changed Several additional changes were made to the backend of the Aeon Client application to reduce database traffic and improve performance that will not alter any pre-existing Client functionality. 

30 Nov 2022 (1.3.3) SQL Alias Manager Release

The Atlas SQL Alias Manager (SAM) has been updated to a new version (1.3.3) to fix an expired certificate issue that prevented the application from opening. A standalone SQL Alias Manager installer is available on the Aeon Downloads page that should be used to update the SAM application to the latest version.

Update Procedure 

To update the SQL Alias Manager to the latest version:

  1. Download the Atlas SQL Alias Manager v1.3.3 installer from the Aeon Downloads page.
  2. Run the installer using the Run as Administrator option.

  3. SAM v1.3.3 will be installed at the machine level at the following location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Atlas Systems\ and replace the previous version of the application on the machine.

    Note: SAM v1.3.3 will only be installed at the machine level using the standalone installer. If SAM had previously been installed at the user level, then running the SAM 1.3.3 installer will create a separate installation of the application at the machine level and a second desktop shortcut to the new installation. To ensure that the newer application is used, the desktop shortcut pointing toward the older, user-level SAM application should be deleted after running the SAM 1.3.3 installer.
Fixed

Updated the signing certificate used by the application to fix an issue that prevented the SQL Alias Manager from opening.

23 Jan 2023 (5.1.14) Server/Web DLL Release

A new version of the Aeon Server is now available that includes a new version of the Aeon Web DLL (v5.1.8) to implement a bug fix affecting requests processed through payment gateways as well as to provide additional handling options for requests submitted from EADs.

The newest version of the Web DLL will be installed when updating to v5.1.14 of the Aeon Server. Please perform or request a server update to implement the DLL bug fix.

Note: This server update also includes the latest version (v1.3.3) of the SQL Alias Manager (SAM) previously only installable using the standalone SAM installer. Running this update will update/install the v1.3.3 SAM application at the machine level if the SAM application was not previously updated or installed using the standalone SAM installer.

Web DLL Changes (v5.1.8)

New

Added a new SubmitEadRequestsUpToRequestLimit customization key (located in the Aeon Customization Manager under Web Interface | EAD) that can be configured to change the default handling for requests submitted from the EAD request form when the number of requests submitted by the user would exceed their request limit:

  • When SubmitEadRequestsUpToRequestLimit is set to Yes, Aeon will submit as many requests as possible to the Awaiting Request Processing status until the request limit is reached and save the remaining requests to the Awaiting User Review status
  • When SubmitEadRequestsUpToRequestLimit is set to No (default), Aeon will save all requests to the Awaiting User Review status if the request limit would be exceeded by the total number of requests submitted
    • EAD requests will only be submitted to the Awaiting Request Processing status if the total number of requests submitted would not exceed the user's request limit
  • A new SLEADRequestsReceivedUserReview status line will display stating the number of requests saved to user review when EAD requests are sent to Awaiting User Review under either scenario described above 
  • The SLEADRequestsReceived status line will display when EAD requests are successfully submitted to the Awaiting Request Processing status
For complete details, please see Configuring User Request Limits.
Note: Users will not have the option to decide which requests are submitted for processing and which requests are saved for review when SubmitEadRequestsUpToRequestLimit is set to Yes. Before enabling this customization key, it is recommended to consider the impact this change may have on your patrons and to review the text in the SLEADRequestsReceived status line to ensure that the language in the status reflects this change appropriately.
New

Added the SLEADRequestsReceivedUserReview customization key (located in the Aeon Customization Manager under Web Interface | Status Lines) that will determine the text for the status line displayed when submitted EAD requests are saved to the Awaiting User Review status. The default text will state the number of requests saved for review and include a hyperlink to the Saved Requests web page:

<#REVIEWTRANSACTIONCOUNT> request(s) 
<a href="aeon.dll?Action=10&Form=76">kept for your review</a>.
Changed

Changed the default value of the SLEADRequestsReceived customization key (located in the Aeon Customization Manager under Web Interface | Status Lines). This status line will now clearly state the number of EAD requests successfully submitted to the Awaiting Request Processing status:

<#SUBMITTEDTRANSACTIONCOUNT> request(s) submitted for processing.
Note: This key's value will need to be manually changed if updating from a previous version of Aeon.
Fixed Fixed an issue where custom routing rules would sometimes fail for requests processed through the Authorize.net Accept Hosted payment gateway.
Fixed Updated the server installers to include the latest version of the SQL Alias Manager (v1.3.3) with the updated signing certificate. 

23 Feb 2023 Client (5.1.9) Release

The Aeon Client has been updated to a new version (5.1.9) to implement a fix for printing errors caused by an issue discovered in recent Microsoft Word updates. The Aeon Client Installer has also been updated to include the latest version of the Atlas SQL Alias Manager (SAM) (v1.3.3), previously only installable using the standalone SAM installer/Aeon 5.1.14 server update.

Update Procedure

To implement these changes, follow the automatic updater prompts that will display upon opening the Aeon Client, or download and install the latest Client application from the Aeon Downloads page. Running this update will also update the SQL Alias Manager (SAM) to v1.3.3 if this application had not been previously updated using the standalone SAM installer/Aeon 5.1.14 server update.

Note: If you had previously run the SQL Alias Manager v1.3.3 standalone installer/Aeon 5.1.14 server update to install the updated SAM application, this application was installed at the machine level. Running the latest Aeon Client Installer at the user level will also update/install the SAM application at the user level and may create a second desktop shortcut to the SAM if the shortcut to the machine level installation is present on your machine. In this case, the new shortcut to the user level installation can be left in place and the shortcut to the machine level installation can be safely deleted after the client update is completed.
Fixed

Changed the default mail merge method used by the Aeon Client to fix an issue where attempting to print after updating to Microsoft Word version 2211 or above could potentially return an error stating "The OpenDataSource method or property is not available because a macro is currently running."

Note: Updating the Aeon Client will automatically enable the new mail merge method. No existing printing functionality will be affected or changed by this update. If you were not experiencing the Microsoft Word printing issue before the Client update and start experiencing different printing issues after updating, please attempt to resolve these issues as a short-term fix by checking the Use Legacy Mail Merge Method option on the new Print Settings section of the Client Options form, then contact support@atlas-sys.com for further troubleshooting:

For detailed instructions, see Troubleshooting Printing.

Aeon Options Print Settings
Fixed Updated the Aeon Client Installer to include the latest version of the SQL Alias Manager (v1.3.3) with the updated signing certificate.

16 May 2023 (5.1.38) Default and Feature-Specific Web Pages Release

New versions of the default and feature-specific web pages were released to make several important bug fixes and improve the patron experience on the Aeon web pages.

The new default and feature-specific web pages are available for download on the Aeon Downloads page. To implement these changes:

Fixed

Fixed various accessibility issues on the web pages. The list of changes can be found below. For more information on implementing each fix, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes. 

  • Fixed a broken 'aria-labelledby' attribute on webAlerts.js to address an accessibility issue affecting the modal dialog for web alerts Bug# 18686
  • Removed a broken 'aria-describedby' attribute affecting the 'Current Password' field on ChangePassword.html Bug# 18687
  • Changed the default color used for hyperlinks added to the cookie consent banner to address contrast issues Bug# 18486
  • Changed the default label color used for fields that fail server validation when a form is submitted to address contrast issues against the default web page background colors Bug# 18758
  • Added additional formatting for the search box on ViewSearchResults.html to address color contrast issues and to improve the layout of the web page for a better user experience Bug# 19937
  • Fixed an issue where the transaction menu (include_TransactionMenu.html) was not fully visible on smaller display sizes and added an underline on hover to its enabled menu buttons for better consistency with other buttons on the Aeon web pages Bug# 18917
  • Realigned the Actions menu dropdown options contained in the DataRow template files to fix an issue where this menu was not fully visible on smaller display sizes Bug# 18915
  • Fixed an issue where hidden billing fields on request forms could become enabled and prevent submission of the form Bug# 16440
  • Fixed an issue where text was not properly responsive and could become unreadable on ViewAppointment.html and other web pages when viewed on smaller display sizes/high zoom levels 
  • Fixed an incorrect label for the 'ReadingRoomID' field on ViewAppointments.html that would prevent the field label from being read out to screen reader users Bug# 18913
  • Updated the hardcoded copyright year on Logon.html to 2023

06 July 2023 (5.1.16) Aeon Server/(5.1.9) Web DLL/(5.2.2) Server Installer Scripts Release

The Aeon Server has been updated to a new version (5.1.16) to install a new version of the Web DLL (v5.1.9) that will implement new configuration options to prevent bot-driven account creation spam through the user registration pages on the Aeon web interface. The Aeon Server Installer Powershell scripts have also been updated to v5.2.2 and must be used to perform the server update. 

Update Procedure

The newest version of the Web DLL will be installed when updating to v5.1.16 of the Aeon Server. Please perform or request a server update to implement the updated DLL.

Note: Self-hosted sites will need to visit the Installing the Aeon Server page and download the new Aeon v5.2.2 Server Installer Powershell scripts to perform this update. The new installer scripts will include an additional prompt to determine if the SQL connection is encrypted when running the update. 
New

The following new configuration options are available for the Aeon web interface to prevent bot-driven spam account creation via the New User Registration form (NewUserRegistration.html):

  • Aeon can now integrate with one of three supported third-party captcha providers to add a captcha challenge requirement to the New User Registration form (NewUserRegistration.html). The captcha challenge will provide extra security against bot-driven account creation by requiring new users to solve the challenge in order to submit the form and create their accounts. The following captcha providers and plans are supported by Aeon (note that a separate account must be created with your chosen captcha provider to implement this feature): 

    • Google reCAPTCHA: reCAPTCHA v2 (both the "invisible" and "checkbox" variants) and reCAPTCHA v3
      • Note that reCAPTCHA Enterprise is not supported by Aeon
    • hCaptcha: Free "Publisher" plan
    • MTCaptcha: Free plan
  • As an alternative to implementing the captcha requirement, user registration can now be completely disabled for accounts created through standard Aeon authentication (AeonAuth) from the New User Registration form (NewUserRegistration.html) using the new AeonAuthUserRegistrationEnabled customization key. This option will prevent the creation of spam accounts by completely blocking account creation for users who are not pre-authorized for an Aeon account via an Aeon Exclusive, LDAP, PatronAPI, or Remote Authentication configuration. This option should not be chosen if you only allow users to register for accounts through the standard Aeon account creation and authentication process.
For complete details and configuration instructions for these options, please see Preventing Account Creation Spam in Aeon.
New

Added the following new customization keys to the Aeon Customization Manager to support the new spam prevention options in the Aeon web interface:

  • AeonAuthUserRegistrationEnabled: Determines if new user registrations can be created via standard Aeon authentication (AeonAuth)
  • SLUserRegistrationDisabled: The web status line that appears if registration has been disabled using the AeonAuthUserRegistrationEnabled key
  • CaptchaProvider, CaptchaSecret, CaptchaSiteID: These keys are used to configure the captcha integration for the user registration form
  • SLCaptchaFailure: The web status line that appears if a user fails the CAPTCHA challenge during user registration.
New

Added the CAPTCHA web DLL tag to the Aeon web interface. This tag is used to display the captcha challenge requirement on the New User Registration form (NewUserRegistration.html) when a captcha integration has been configured in the Aeon Customization Manager. 

For more information on this tag, see Aeon CAPTCHA Tag.
Changed

Users will no longer be able to register for an Aeon account from the TestWeb directory to prevent bot-driven spam account creation from the Aeon TestWeb web pages. TestWeb user registration will be disabled by default upon update and cannot be re-enabled.

06 July 2023 (5.1.41) Default Web Pages Release

A new version of the default web pages has been released to implement captcha support on the New User Registration form and to implement a bug fix for the calendar date picker tool used with the Scheduled Date field.

The new default web pages are available for download on the Aeon Downloads page. To implement these changes:

New

Modified NewUserRegistration.html to include the new <CAPTCHA> tag and added the following new files to the default web pages to implement captcha support on the New User Registration form:

  • include_captcha_none.html
  • include_hcaptcha.html
  • include_mtcaptcha.html
  • include_recaptcha_v2_checkbox.html
  • include_recaptcha_v2_invisible.html
  • include_recaptcha_v3.html
For more information on configuring these changes, please see Preventing Account Creation Spam in Aeon.
Note: The Aeon Server must be updated to v5.1.16 following the server update instructions above before the new captcha web pages can be used to implement the captcha requirement on the New User Registration form.
Fixed

Fixed an issue where disabled dates were not properly displayed in the calendar date picker tool used with the Scheduled Date field. Bug# 22802

For more information on implementing this fix, see Implementing 5.1 Web Page Changes. 

19 April 2024 (5.1.18) Aeon Server/(1.4.5) Aeon API/(5.1.10) Web DLL Release

The Aeon Server has been updated to a new version (v5.1.18) to install a new version of the Web DLL (v5.1.10) to provide an important security fix and to install a new version of the Aeon API (v1.4.5). This update will transition the API from the Microsoft .NET Core 2.2 framework to the Microsoft .NET 8 framework as .NET Core 2.2 has been deprecated by Microsoft and is no longer receiving security updates. The existing functionality of the Aeon API will not be affected by this update. 

Security Updates

This update contains an important security fix for the Aeon Web DLL. If self-hosted, please coordinate with your IT department to update the Aeon Server as soon as possible to ensure that all components are secure. Atlas-hosted sites will be updated automatically by Atlas Support.

Warning! New System Requirements

The Microsoft ASP.NET Core 8.0 Runtime Bundle must be installed on the Aeon Server prior to running the v5.1.18 server update to prevent disruptions in the Aeon API after updating. This bundle can be installed via Microsoft's website. To prevent disruptions in the Aeon API after updating, please ensure that this bundle is installed on the Aeon Server prior to updating to Aeon Server v5.1.18. 

Remove Previous Version of .NET Core

After the Aeon Server v5.1.18 update has been run, Microsoft .NET Core 2.2/2.1 should be manually removed from the server, if present, for the best possible security. See Microsoft's documentation for instructions on this process.

End of Support for Previous API Versions

As .NET Core 2.2/2.1 has been deprecated by Microsoft and is no longer receiving security updates, older versions of the Aeon 5.1 API prior to v1.4.5 are no longer supported. Please install the latest API version to ensure uninterrupted support for the API and the best possible security on your server.

Update Procedure

Atlas-hosted sites can see the Aeon Update Procedures and Best Practices for Atlas-Hosted Sites article for more information on minor point release update procedures.

Atlas-hosted sites will be updated automatically by Atlas Support (support@atlas-sys.com) and will receive an email with more details about the update.

Self-hosted Aeon sites should follow the update procedure below:

  1. Install the Microsoft ASP.NET Core 8.0 Runtime Bundle on the Aeon Server. This bundle can be installed via Microsoft's website.
  2. Run the Aeon v5.1.18 server update to install Aeon API v1.4.5 and Aeon Web DLL v5.1.10. The update script will update the API in its existing location on your server.
  3. Once the server update is completed and the new API has been installed, manually remove Microsoft .NET Core 2.2/2.1 from the Aeon Server, if present. See Microsoft's documentation for instructions on this process.

Servers using Windows Server 2012 should remove Microsoft .NET Core 2.2/2.1 before running the Aeon v5.1.18 server update.

Note: Self-hosted sites must use the v5.2.2 of the Aeon Server Installer Powershell scripts (available from the Installing the Aeon Server page) to perform this update.
New

Updated the Aeon API to v.1.4.5. The new version of the Aeon API uses the Microsoft .NET 8 framework in place of the deprecated Microsoft .NET Core 2.2/2.1 framework used in previous API versions for enhanced security.

The existing functionality of the Aeon API will not be affected by this update.
Fixed Fixed a potential security vulnerability in the Aeon Web DLL found during a web application scan.

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