Overview about the AutoUpdater

Requirements

Autoupdates enable the simultaneous replacement of a version with a new customization. Currently, autoupdates are supported for the following types of installers:

• per user (with a perUser Installation, all products are using the AutoUpdater)
• express
• personal

Design

The autoupdate consists of two components:

1. A client management API is now always installed with the backend. Updates are provided via this API.
2. The Autoupdater. This is always installed with the setups described above. If the client is configured for Autoupdates, this application is started at every system restart and checks against the backend if updates are available.

Function

When the application is started, the last time of the update check is read and it is checked if the interval has already expired.
There are different types of intervals:

• Interval after a restart of the application by the installation via the Autoupdater: 5 minutes
• Interval in case of an error: 60 minutes (configurable in the backend)
• Interval when applications are still running: Next day (Scheduled next day at midnight)
• Interval when unrepairable errors occur and user is notified: 7 days
• Default interval: 1 day (configurable in backend)

At the beginning of each update check the current configuration is loaded from the backend.
Then it is checked for a new version and if it is available, it is downloaded.
In case of errors in the download process, a certain number of download attempts is made (configurable in the backend, 5 by default). Each retry is rescheduled with the error interval. After the download, a check is made to ensure that all Office applications are closed. This is done by checking the processes at a configurable interval (configurable in the backend, 2 minutes by default). This is aborted after a configurable amount of attempts (configurable in the backend, 120 by default). Which applications are to be closed is defined by the installed products.
After this check has been successfully skipped, the installation takes place. Since the updater application is closed during the installation, it is scheduled to check the successful installation after 5 minutes.
There will be only a maximum number of installation attempts (configurable in the backend, 5 by default).

Restrictions

The customizing update without performing a version update currently does not work.
The autoupdate is only available from version 8.4 and using the suite uninstaller.

It is obligatory to have webview 2 for edge installed and in use in order to configure and use the Autouodater.