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      How to Update Antero 7

      AllMax Software provides application and database updates, bug-fixes, and enhancements based on customer feedback.

      This guide pertains to updating an existing Antero 7 installation to the latest version, which at this time is Antero 7.17.0. If you are using Antero 6.15 or earlier, please see this knowledge base article: How to Update Antero 6.15 to Antero 7.

      It is recommended that a user with domain administrator or similar permissions perform the Antero 7 update. The user performing the update should also have the SA (Server Administrator) role in SQL Server.

      For assistance, contact AllMax Technical Support at 800-670-1867.

      Download the Antero Installer

      1. Navigate to this website: AllMax Software - Latest Downloads

      2. Click "Download Full Installer" under Antero, and allow the installer to download.

      3. Run the downloaded installer.

      4. If any required software such as Windows Desktop Runtime is missing, you will be prompted to install it. Allow the installation of the required software by clicking the Yes button, as in the image below:

      5. If you were prompted for it, complete the installation of the Windows Desktop Runtime, and you will be returned to the Antero Setup window.

      6. Once all required software is installed as in the image below, click the Next button to continue.

      7. Accept the license agreement, and press Next.

      8. Antero will detect whether a previous version was installed. Click the Next button, and choose the option to have Antero create a shortcut on the desktop or not by checking or unchecking the checkbox.

      9. Click the Install button. Antero will update the installed application files.

      10. Check the box labeled "Launch Antero", and click the Finish button.

      Antero will now launch.

      When Antero was first installed, and connected to the database server and an Antero database was opened for the first time, the name of the server and the database to which it was connected was written to the local user's "%LOCALAPPDATA%\AllMaxSoftware\Antero\antero.config" file. This information is used by all versions of Antero, and is retrieved each time Antero is started.

      If Antero can retrieve the information, it will attempt to connect to the server and database in the file. If an update to the database is required in order to open the database in the version you installed, you will be prompted to update it.

      If Antero cannot retrieve the information, the Server Select window will be displayed, where you will enter the name of the database server.

      If you are prompted to create a license, do not create a new license - the license database already exists in the SQL Server instance. Contact AllMax Technical Support at 800-670-1867.

       

      Depending on whether Antero was able to retrieve the information mentioned in the above note, you will either see the Server Select window, or you will see the Select Antero Database window. Complete Option A if you see the Server Select window. Complete Option B if you see the Select Antero Database window.

      Option A: Once Antero launches, if you see the Server Select window as in the image below, type the name of the server (or localhost if the local computer is the server) into the Server name field, press the TAB key on your keyboard, and click the OK button.  

       

      Option B: Once Antero launches, if you see the Select Antero Database window as in the image below, select your database from the displayed list. If the database is in a version that requires an update, the database will be under the Unable to Open group header, labeled as "Older database version" and will require an update before it can be opened.

      11. Once the database is selected, click the Open Database button. If the database does not require an update, Antero will open the selected database. If the database requires an update, you will be prompted as in the image below.

      12. Click the Update button, and Antero will update the database to the required version.

      13. Once the database update is complete, Antero will open.

      At this stage the Antero application files have been updated, and any required database updates have been applied. If you encounter any issues, please contact AllMax Technical Support at 800-670-1867.

      If a new version of the Antero Service has been released, it will need to be installed. The Antero Service setup installer is packaged inside the main Antero setup installer, and is available in the Antero application directory once Antero is installed. The default path of the Antero application directory is C:\Program Files (x86)\AllMax Software\Antero.

      The Antero Service is responsible for generating new scheduled work orders. It should only be installed on one machine at a time, and that machine should be the server in almost every case.

      Check the version of the installed Antero Service on the server. If it is a version prior to the version of Antero that was just installed, follow the steps below:

      Updating the Antero Service

      • The Antero Service is a local system-level service that interacts with the Antero database, and handles the automatic creation of scheduled Work Orders.
      • The Antero Service only needs installed on one PC. In most cases, that PC should be the server, or the PC acting as the server.
      • The PC or server on which the Antero Service is installed must not be turned off. While the PC or server is off, scheduled Work Orders will not be generated.
      • The Antero Service is granted the local system logon upon installation. Ensure that the NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM login in the SQL Server instance exists, and has been granted the SA (Server Administrator) role to ensure its correct operation.
      • The Windows login that the Antero Service uses by default is the LOCALSYSTEM login. Ensure that this login has read/write permissions to the Antero storage directory, and every file in it.
      • If this login is changed, ensure that whatever login is used has read/write permissions to the Antero storage directory, and every file in it. The Windows login will need to be granted a login to the SQL Server instance, and will need mapped to the Antero license database, and each Antero user database with the SA (Server Administrator) role.
      • For assistance, contact AllMax Software Technical Support at 800-670-1867.

      1. Open Windows File Explorer and navigate to the Antero 7 installation directory, which is by default C:\Program Files (x86)\AllMax Software\Antero.

      2. In that directory, locate the Antero Service installer, which is labeled "Setup_AnteroService.exe".

      3. If the local PC or server will be hosting the Antero Service, double click the Setup_AnteroService.exe file to begin.

      4. If the local PC or server is not the machine that will host the Antero Service, copy the installer to a folder on the machine that will host the Antero Service, and double click the installer to begin.

      5. The Antero Service installer will check for required software. If the required software is installed, click the Next button. If any required software is missing, you will prompted to install it.

      6. Continue through the installer, and install the Antero Service.

      7. Once the installation is complete, check the checkbox labeled "Launch Antero Service Configuration", and press the Finish button. The Antero Service Configurator application will open after a short time.

      8. The Antero Service Configurator has a few options:

      • Database Server Name - this is the name of the server hosting the SQL Server instance with the Antero 7 license database. Type the name of the server into this field.
      • Work Order Interval - this is the interval in minutes at which the Antero Service checks for new scheduled Work Orders to create. If Work Orders are due to be created, the Antero Service will create them. If no Work Orders are due to be created since the last check, the Antero Service will wait for the specified number of minutes before checking again. AllMax recommends that this value not be set to less than 5 minutes.
      • Procedure Interval - this is the interval in minutes at which the Antero Service checks for new scheduled Procedures to create. If Procedures are due to be created, the Antero Service will create them. If no Procedures are due to be created since the last check, the Antero Service will wait for the specified number of minutes before checking again. AllMax recommends that this value not be set to less than 5 minutes.
      • Use Connection Pooling - this allows the use of connection pooling for SQL connections, and is optional for the Antero Service. From Microsoft: "Connection pooling reduces the number of times that new connections must be opened. The pooler maintains ownership of the physical connection. It manages connections by keeping alive a set of active connections for each given connection configuration. Whenever a user calls Open on a connection, the pooler looks for an available connection in the pool. If a pooled connection is available, it returns it to the caller instead of opening a new connection. When the application calls Close on the connection, the pooler returns it to the pooled set of active connections instead of closing it. Once the connection is returned to the pool, it is ready to be reused on the next Open call." - Link to Microsoft article: Connection Pooling

      9. Once the required inputs are entered, click the Save button in the top-right area of the Antero Service Configurator window. A dialog will open to inform you that the settings were saved. Click OK to continue. You may now close the Antero Service Settings/Configurator window.