Introduction
Terms Used in Prinect Maintenance Center
The section below explains the terms that are important for working with the Prinect Maintenance Center.
An update can be a product update or a system upgrade. The term "update" is used to describe both actions.
All the computers involved in an update are part of an update group. The update group is not always identical to the system because movable computers can be added to the system and also removed from it. See also Structure of the navigation pane (section on left).
In addition to the executable installation files, each update package includes a description file with a specific update description. It gives the name of the update and which version needs to be installed on the customer's network. The package is identified by an acronym which is made up of the short name of the software that is to be updated (e.g. "PMC" for Prinect Maintenance Center) and the version number of the package (see Version number).
Here, a computer is considered as an individual computer in the customer's network.
The Prinect Supervisor view uses the term "component". In this context, "component" describes the various programs (products, services, etc.), that have to be started and stopped on the respective computers during updating.
The customer's network refers to a network of several computers at the customer's site.
Local Information Service (LIS)
The Local Information Service runs on every Heidelberg Prinect Computer (including servers). LIS is a software that identifies which Prinect products are installed on the individual computers in the customer's network. For this purpose, LIS parses the entries of each of the computers' registration files (Windows Registry or MAC-Info.plist). LIS supplies a computer-specific Prinect product list, including details on the product versions, to the Prinect Maintenance Center. LIS is also involved in the installation of the update packages by invoking the respective installer.
Prinect Maintenance Center (PMC)
The Prinect Maintenance Center is a network-based application for customers with a Heidelberg software maintenance contract. The main tasks of PMC are to store the update packages and to invoke installation.
The PMC is connected to each LIS on the customer’s system. Each LIS sends its Prinect product list to the PMC. The PMC merges these computer-specific product lists into one comprehensive product list for the customer's site. This comprehensive list and a list of all of the update packages that are already available in the PMC repository are sent from the PMC to the PSC (Prinect Software Center, see below) and analyzed there.
This list is then used to compare the versions of the latest update packages that are available on the PSC with the versions that are installed on the customer's network. When the PSC finds newer versions that can be installed taking into account all cross-dependencies, the PSC generates a list of installable update packages and sends this list back to the PMC. The corresponding update packages are then transferred from the PSC repository to the PMC repository and will then be available for installation on the PMC.
A selection of update packages to be installed is suggested automatically. The administrator can customize the selection of product updates. The customer always starts the installation manually so the customer has full control over any software updates on the customer's network at all times.
Caution: If the PMC is not installed on a separate server, please refer to PMC Reboot Mode.
Prinect Remote Update consists of multiple software components, some of which are installed on the Heidelberg network and some of which are installed on the customer's network.
This is the individual identification number for the customer's site.
The Prinect Software Center is a database-driven application which is used to manage the update packages and the access data. The main purpose of the PSC is to qualify and distribute the update packages to the customer's network. The PSC can be accessed from the PMC via the Heidelberg network.
The Prinect Supervisor is a software application for centralized starting and shutting down running programs on all linked computers in a Prinect system. This applies to all running Prinect programs and a small number of programs on which Prinect programs depend. The software operates according to the master-slave principle. The Supervisor Master and the Prinect Integration Manager are always installed on the same computer, the Supervisor Slaves on all the other computers of the system. To perform an update, the PMC will communicate with the Supervisor Master and transfer all required information, including information about the computers in the system that are affected by the update. The Supervisor Master controls the Supervisor Slaves of the computers to be updated so that preparation and cleanup of the installations occurs automatically. This means that local interaction is not necessary in order to start and stop software on a computer because the Supervisor Master provides exclusive central control.
A product update is an update where the base and target version of one or several products have the same master version. The first three digits (YY.U) of the version number identify the master version (see Version number). These are the first two digits of the year version (block 1) and the first digit of the subversion (block 2). Compared with a system upgrade, a product update is a frequent, simple process during which a smaller number of products is updated.
A cross dependency exists if the functioning of a Prinect product within the workflow system does not only depend on its own version, but also on the versions of other Prinect products with which it cooperates. Therefore, it is often not possible to install update packages individually. If there are any cross dependencies, the required update package must be installed in a set of packages.
Prinect Remote Update checks the cross dependencies automatically and provides sets of update packages that function in conjunction with one another.
A repository is a data storage facility. There is one repository each in the Heidelberg Network (PSC) and in the customer's network (PMC).
Service Tools
See Local Information Service (LIS).
A system or a system group is a cluster of multiple computers, often in a server-client architecture. The software components of a Prinect workflow system are generally installed and distributed among several computers. Therefore, when updating the software, the entire workflow system must always be taken into account, not just the individual software components. Correspondingly, all of the computers must be seen as a system on which software components of a workflow system are installed. See also Structure of the navigation pane (section on left).
When one of a system’s software components is to be updated, all of the cross dependencies with the versions of the system’s other software components are considered automatically. This means that, in general, several components of the system must be updated, rather than just one.
The color of the computer icons differs, depending on whether or not the computers are members of the system group, see Description of the icons used .
A System Upgrade is an update where the base and the target version differ with regard to the master version. The first three digits (YY.U) of the version number identify the master version (see Version number). These are the first two digits of the year version (block 1) and the first digit of the subversion (block 2).
Compared to a product update, a system upgrade is a very complex and rather rare process that usually takes place once a year. In contrast to a product update of individual products, a system upgrade raises a great number of products to a higher version is a single concentrated action.
There are different types of connections for transferring data: The Heidelberg Remote Service connection and the download connection.
Please refer to Prinect Remote Update - Why? regarding this subject.
Heidelberg Remote Service connection
This connection is intended for small amounts of sensitive data. It is used to transfer customer data (including the Prinect Site ID) and the list of the Prinect products that are installed on the customer's network with version numbers.
The large data volumes required for the update packages are transferred via the download connection.
A Version identifies how up-to-date a software component or an update package is.
This is the version the product had when it was first installed. You would see this version in a Windows operating system in a subfolder, for example, in "Control Panel > Programs" where you can install and uninstall applications.
This is the version that needs to be installed so that an update can be applied.
This is the version installed before updating takes place.
This is the version that is currently installed on the computer or the version after an update.
Each version number is made up of 4 blocks of numbers, separated from one another with dots. Here is an example of a version number: 11.50.463.8
•Block 1: The Prinect master version or annual version of a Prinect product is described by a 2-digit number. For example, "11” is the annual version 11.
•Block 2: The Prinect minor release version is described by a 2-digit number. The first digit is the minor release number and the second digit is the service pack / service release version. For example, "50” is the minor release "5” and the service pack / service release version "0" (i.e. none).
•Block 3: The build number can have a maximum of 5 digits. It steadily increases within the minor release version, but it can jump, i.e. the increment can be larger than 1. For example, "463” within the minor release "5”.
•Block 4: The sub-build number can have a maximum of 5 digits. It steadily increases within the build number, but it can jump, i.e. the increment can be larger than 1. For example, "8” within the build number "463”.