Updating Vertec On-Premises

This article explains how to install the latest version of your Vertec. You can find the download link at Vertec version 6.7 .

Whether it needs a convert or not depends on whether it is a change to the database version or the program version:

Database version: One of the first 3 digits of the Vertec version number changes. Program version: Only the last digit of the Vertec version number changes.

• In case of version changes that affect the database version, a program update must be done with Konvert.
• In case of version changes that affect the program version, a program update is made without convert.

Can I update older versions directly?

For larger customers with many custom reports and list settings, we recommend that you set up a test installation in advance and run through the release switch before performing the update on the active system. It is very important that the Notif server is turned off on the test system so that test data is not mixed with the production database. For more information, see Test Installations.

In addition, updating Vertec from version 6.6 onwards is no longer supported across major versions. Accordingly, for example, to update to version 6.7 you must have version 6.6 installed. See section further down .

For both updating and converting the database, it is necessary to ensure that Vertec is not used, either on the server or on a client.

1. Execute Setup on the server. This will not overwrite the existing database.
2. If you have a Firebird version < 3.0.4 installed, the setup suggests an update to the new Firebird version. This update is done automatically and without additional effort. We recommend updating to the latest Firebird version, as it brings significant improvements especially in terms of performance.
3. For version changes that affect the database, perform the convert (see section Convert).
4. Start Vertec Desktop App for the first time (see First program start after conversion below).
5. Restart the Vertec Cloud Server if prompted.

If the Vertec Desktop App is also used on client computers, the Desktop App Setup must be performed there. If the version number of the client does not match the version number of the server, a corresponding warning message appears when starting Vertec.

To perform Desktop App Setup, access the Vertec installation directory on the server from the client via the share and start Setup.exe from the Desktop App Setup subfolder.

If the database version (see above) has changed, perform a database conversion as follows:

While the database is being converted during an update, clients trying to connect to it receive the following error message:

The Vertec database is blocked for access due to data conversion. 
Please wait a moment before restarting Vertec.

Only the computer/user that started the convert may then start Vertec for the first time.

After the Convert/First Boot operation is completed, access is released to others (see also Parameters for Unlocking Upgrade-Lock below).

If your Vertec installation uses Firebird as the database server (default), proceed as follows:

1. Start Vertec Desktop on the server. A dialog box will alert you to the required database conversion and ask if the conversion should be performed immediately. Confirm the dialog with Yes. If the dialog does not offer a selection of the conversion, Vertec has not been started on the server or a database server other than Firebird is being used. During the conversion, Vertec creates two copies of the database file: A backup copy of the existing database (name of the database file + 2 digit counter, e.g. vertec01.fdb) and a temporary working copy for the conversion (name: vertectemp.fdb). If an error occurs during the conversion, the database file is replaced by the backup copy.
2. Vertec will automatically convert. A small window will show the progress of the conversion. Depend on the size of the database, this may take a few minutes. Vertec will notify you when the conversion is complete. After that, restart Vertec Desktop and verify that your data has been applied correctly.

Start conversion manually

The conversion can also be started manually. However, this is only recommended for very experienced users:

1. Stop the Cloud Server , if it is running.
2. Start the Vertec Desktop App with the /DC parameter. The easiest way to do this is to link to Vertec.Desktop.exe where you can specify the additional parameter under Properties.
3. The Vertec database converter should now appear. The target database information is already entered, the option Schema erstellen und Daten kopieren should be checked. As a working mode, select Automatisch .
4. To start the conversion, press the Start button. The database converter creates a backup copy of the previous database (named vertec01.fdb, or vertec02.fdb etc.) and creates the database again. A query will appear, if you really want to delete all data, confirm with Yes.
5. The log window that appears shows first the progress of the database creation, then the copy of the data in the window behind it. Depend on the size of the database, the copying process may take a few minutes. Close the database converter and restart the Vertec Desktop App.
6. Start the Cloud Server.
7. Check that your data has been applied correctly.

If your Vertec installation uses Microsoft SQL Server as the database server, a couple extra steps are required. The exact procedure is in the article     Database Convert  described.

The first start of Vertec Desktop after the convert is important and is also part of the conversion, since various adjustments in tables etc. are only carried out then. Therefore, this start takes longer than the subsequent program starts. For installations with large amounts of data, this can take noticeably longer.

It is important that this first boot runs smoothly. Under no circumstances should the first boot process be aborted after a convert.

When updating to a new major version (changing the first two digits of the version number), a new license must be entered. The first time you start the Vertec Desktop App after the update, a corresponding message will appear. Via the button Lizenz... go to the Vertec License Manager. The license code can be found in the Customer Portal retrieved.

When a database is being converted, it is locked for access during this time. If an error occurs during the conversion, it may be that this block, the so-called upgrade lock, remains in place. The following message always appears:

To reset this block, you can start Vertec Desktop with the /releaseupgradelock parameter, which resets the upgrade lock on the database and completes Vertec immediately.

Some operating systems block access to files downloaded from the Internet, so you should unblock access to them after unzipping the files. The easiest way to do this is by right-clicking on the file and selecting Allow or Unblock.

Update from older Vertec versions

Starting with Vertec version 6.6, updating Vertec across several Vertec versions is no longer supported. This means that you can no longer upgrade from Vertec 6.3 directly to Vertec 6.6, for example, but that you have to proceed step by step.

Therefore, a step through an intermediate version may be necessary. This involves the following things:

1. Different Firebird versions: In principle, older versions also run with the latest Firebird version, but not the other way around. If updates are performed manually, you must first make a backup of the Vertec database with the old version, which can be restored after installing the latest version.
2. Database-Convert: This is about converting the Vertec database to the newer version. This is actually independent of the Firebird version. Care must be taken not to accidentally install an older Firebird version over a newer one. Below is a list of which converts are needed for which versions.
3. It is important that the Vertec Desktop App is started once after the conversion, even during intermediate steps, as certain adjustments are made with the first start after the convert.

Starting with Vertec 6.2, this is automatically detected by Vertec. If you try to convert from a version that is too early, which requires an intermediate step, you will receive an error message like:

It is not possible to convert the database version 5.7.0 to the program version 6.2.0.1. 
Use a Vertec version before 6.2.0 to perform the first conversion step.

Versions 5.1 – 5.7

Can be updated directly to Vertec 5.8 without any intermediate step. Please note that with version 5.4 the target time system changes. However, this will be changed correctly by Vertec Update in all versions.

Versions 4.4 – 5.0

Must be updated first to version 5.1 and then to version 5.8. The intermediate step above version 5.1 is necessary because of the conversion from notes and documents to activities. To convert your existing documents to activities, please contact your Vertec adviser.

Versions 3.0 – Version 4.3

Must be updated to version 4.4, then 5.1 and then 5.8. The intermediate step to version 4.4 is necessary, otherwise out-of-memory errors may appear.

To obtain the appropriate Vertec versions and for support with the migration, please contact your Vertec adviser.

When updating to the different versions, the following should be noted:

Update to Vertec version 6.1 and higher

When upgrading from an older version to Vertec 6.1 or higher, please note the following:

• In Vertec version 6.1 the Windows Login feature has been removed (see Release Note 6.1). As a replacement, the option to remember me in is offered (see Article Login).
• This means that after the update, users will only log in with the password stored in Vertec. This assumes that users know their passwords. Make sure that users know their passwords before the update so that they can log in to Vertec again after the update.

Update to versions before 5.5

On local clients, each user uses a local vertec. Make sure that a user does not open “his” vertec and write to the database during the convert.

For updates to older versions, unauthorized access can be prevented as follows (applies to MS-SQL Server and Firebird):

1. First, make a backup of the production database and a restore to a new database.
2. Run the convert on the new database by launching the Vertec Desktop App with the parameter /DC . In the database converter, specify the new database created under point 1 for the source and destination databases.
3. After the conversion, make a backup of the new database and restore it to the productive, “real” Vertec database.