Updates through JWS work for a lot of pain and help desk, because on some releases some percent of users are "stuck" in the middle and unable to launch the application without restoring. We are exploring a way to update only a few users and then push the new version forward for more of them.
I do not have a way to do this directly with JNLP. The ideas we have so far include:
- Keep a new jar in the web directory. Update the JNLP launch file to these new jars. After one hour, return JNLP question: Does JNLP specify what will happen to previously updated users and will now hit the "downgraded" launch file? (Hard data please)
- 5 JNLP launches files and restores the application everywhere in the help desk, then update one file at a time (i.e. 20% of users at one time)
- Apply a server-side solution such as a CGI script above Apache, which will serve different versions of the JNLP launch file for different users depending on their IP.
What do you see downsides in these options? What else can we consider?
I do not understand why some users get stuck. What do you mean by reinstalling? I just launched from the user's web site, nothing gets installed, they can put the JNLP file on the desktop if they like, but the software is still not "installed" in the traditional sense.
For my application, I have been checking for updates in the background:
This means that every time the program starts, the client computer is against the server as a local form against the jar Checks the stored version from the latest downloading version behind the scenes and the next time the program launches, the new version is used. Nobody is trapped.
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