1. Client Deployment Guide
  2. Client Application Loader (CAL)
  3. Planning and Considerations

Planning and Considerations

Installing or upgrading to the most recent software version is the optimal path. Care must be taken in choosing when to perform the upgrade and which devices should be upgraded first. This choice depends on the business requirements of each location being upgraded. The best way to mitigate issues is to read all release notes for the version to which you are upgrading. These release notes are available on the Oracle Help Center at: https://docs.oracle.com/en/industries/food-beverage/pos.html.

Common Considerations for New Installations and Upgrades

  • Verify Supported Technology and Devices: Simphony supports a variety of environments and devices. Review the Compatibility Matrix, located on the Oracle Help Center, to ensure that your environments and devices are supported.

  • Review Known Issues: Ensure that workarounds for known issues have been implemented before deploying the client. See the Known Issues section of the release notes for details.

  • Verify security policy compatibility: Confirm that your local security policies are compatible with the update process. See Security Considerations for details.

  • Launch to UAT or lab environment: If you have a lab environment available, Oracle recommends that you test new versions in that environment first. If you do not have a lab environment available, always use a pilot store before upgrading all locations (if you have more than one location).

  • Check network constraints on the day of the installation: Ensure that your network has sufficient bandwidth to dedicate to deployment of the CAL packages to the workstations.

  • Verify that the latest Microsoft Windows updates are installed: Ensure that all Microsoft Windows updates are current and the latest service pack of the Microsoft SQL Express is installed.

  • Verify the CAL Package deployment schedule’s expiration date: Ensure that the CAL Package deployment schedule has not expired before deploying the CAL packages to the workstations.

  • Verify access to the Enterprise Management Console (EMC): Use the EMC to complete the initial steps required to start the installation process. Verify that you can access EMC as well as the CAL Packages modules within EMC.

  • Verify employee privilege to download and install updates: A property user (employee) needs to have the authority to download, install, and authenticate clients and service hosts using the CAL. Identify this employee and verify that the role assigned to them in the EMC has Miscellaneous option 10065 enabled. See Allowing Employees to Install and Authenticate POS Clients and Service Hosts for details.

  • Verify Simphony Enterprise certificate from the workstations: A secure (TLS 1.2) connection to the Enterprise is required when installing or upgrading the Simphony client to release 2.9.1 or later. Verify that the workstations can establish a secure connection with the Enterprise before the installation. Enterprise Certificate Verification contains more information.

  • Document your Simphony server name and your Check and Posting Service (CAPS) client: When you log in to EMC, write down the server name used with your login credentials. If you do not know which client is your CAPS client, log in to EMC, click the Setup tab, select the Property Parameters module, and then click the Workstations tab. Write down the name of the CAPS client service host. Using the CAPS service host name, locate the physical CAPS client machine at your property and make note of its location.

  • Verify software versions on the workstations: After the installation completes, ensure that all workstations are on the same release of the Simphony client software before performing any transactions.

  • Test normal operations: Set aside time to test normal operations after the installation completes. Make a checklist of all critical business functions to test so that you can verify that they are working post installation.

Additional Considerations for New Installations

When should the property use Distributed CAL (DCAL)? The property should have at least three workstations to benefit from downloading the CAL package once to the property level and to reduce bandwidth demands during upgrades.

Additional Considerations for Upgrades

  • Verify potential installation issues: Use the Device Information module to identify issues that may prevent the software from installing successfully. Scheduling and Viewing Device Information contains more information.

  • Prepare for and schedule downtime: Depending on your business hours, find ample time for the upgrade process. During the process, workstations are inoperable until the upgrade finishes. The best time is usually after closing. The total amount of downtime depends on the number of POS clients/workstations that need to be upgraded, as well as network access speed. In addition, there is the chance you need extra time due to unforeseen factors.

  • Close all open checks: Close all open checks and ensure that all sales have posted to Reporting and Analytics before starting the upgrade. To ensure that all open checks are closed, run an Open Check Report at the workstation and verify that there are no open checks in each revenue center at the property.

Parent topic: Client Application Loader (CAL)