Upgrade Kits
A Siebel Anywhere upgrade kit is an archived file that contains software or Siebel database schema changes required to upgrade a specific upgrade component on a subscriber's computer. An upgrade kit contains one or more upgrade kit items, which are instructions for actions to be performed and the files associated with those actions. An upgrade kit also contains information about the sequence in which the actions are to be performed.
Executing any type of program or batch script. For example, this could include installing a Siebel Innovation Pack release or a Siebel Patchset release.
Copying, moving, or deleting files.
Note: In this guide, these actions are generally referred to as installing the upgrade kit, even where some actions might not represent installation in the same sense as what is described in the Siebel Installation Guide or in Siebel Patchset documentation.
The Siebel Anywhere architecture supports the creation of upgrade kits in a Web deployment. A Siebel administrator can use a Web browser, without any locally installed Siebel Business Applications software, to perform many Siebel Anywhere administrative tasks. The administrator prepares upgrade kits by using the Upgrade Kit Wizard and the Upgrade Kit Builder server component.
After the Siebel administrator creates an upgrade kit, it is automatically stored on the Siebel File System. From this location, it is available for retrieval and installation by subscribers. Files or scripts that are included in the upgrade kit are stored in compressed form. For more information about how Siebel Anywhere stores and identifies upgrade kits and the files that are included in upgrade kits, see About Siebel Anywhere File Attachments.
It is very important to test upgrade kits. For example, it is recommended that you distribute each upgrade kit to selected mobile users through the use of a test configuration, and have those users attempt to download and execute the upgrade kit before you distribute the upgrade kit to a wider group of users.
Upgrade kits for Siebel client subscribers can be either required or optional.
Required Upgrade Kits
A required upgrade kit is an upgrade kit that must be retrieved and installed on the intended Mobile or Developer Web Clients or Siebel Servers. The Siebel clients and servers will prompt the user to upgrade if there is a required upgrade. If a required upgrade is not implemented, then the Siebel client can only be started in read-only mode and the Siebel Server will not start.
Upgrade kits created for Siebel Servers must always be defined as required upgrade kits.
Optional Upgrade Kits
An optional upgrade kit is an upgrade kit that is made available to subscribers, but subscribers are not required to retrieve and execute the upgrade kit. For example, optional upgrade kits are useful for making third-party applications, files, or other noncritical components available for users to retrieve at their discretion.