Profile/working copy

A profile contains the file set and settings in a specific folder structure that FileUpdater can publish to a given location, which the client reads and replicates to corresponding folders on users’ machines. 

A profile is basically a folder with subfolders - a working copy.

• The files folder contains a folder structure that dictates which files are placed where on the client machine
• The settings folder contains an index of files that are published with this profile. First time the profile is published the files xml will be generated with the published file set, that the FileUpdater clients will subsequently install for the users.
• The file xml is the FileUpdater configuration file – it can be edited via the admin interface.

Recommended naming of profiles/folders

The root folders of profiles and published profiles can be named freely. We recommend the following naming convention or something similar and meaningful to your organisation:

Profile (the profile, which contains the folders files, settings and the file profile.xml – the configuration itself. This is where content is managed in a standard configuration)

Profile_Published (the published profile, which contains the folders files og settings – a replica of the profile folder located in a path that is available to all users. Here the filelist.xml is also located, thus allowing the Client to compare the files listed with the already distributed files and synchronize the files accordingly)

Admin Install (a folder containing the installation file for the Admin module FileUpdater(x64).msi and the license file clf.slf (should just be available to the admins).

Client Install (a folder containing the installation file for the Client named SDUpdater.msi and the installation parameters install.bat)

Be advised that special characters and some letters e.g. the Nordic ”æ”, ”ø” and ”å” in file names can cause problems, if publishing to an FTP site.

Configuration of the Profile

Each FileUpdater client can connect to one or more repositories. The most common configuration is one location that the administrator(s) publish content to. From this location the clients synchronise files onto the users’ machines from the Published Profile folder.

It is possible to have more profiles – e.g. one for a test environment and one for a live environment.

In most cases Omnidocs will deliver the profile and file/folder structure to the FileUpdater administrator. The next section Creating a New Profile explains how to create a new profile and is mostly relevant if Omnidocs has not delivered one.

Creating a New Profile

Navigate to the location in File Explorer where the profile is meant to be created and right click in white space within it. Hold the mouse cursor over FileUpdater Lite for [Company name] and choose New Profile.

A profile folder with the name New Profile is created. It can be renamed to something that makes sense to the organization e.g. Profile, Profile Live, Profile Test as needed.

The profile contains two folders files and settings, as well as the aforementioned XML file named profile.xml.

The folder structure in files represents how the files therein will be distributed via the FileUpdater client.

The most common destinations for MS Office related files are Office/UserTemplates, Word/Startup, Registry entries and SkabelonDesignContent.

When the necessary folders have content placed inside them the remaining empty folders can be removed by right clicking on the profile folder holding the mouse cursor over FileUpdater Lite for [Company Name] and clicking Clean folders. FileUpdater will then remove the unnecessary folders and simplify template management.

Configuration of the FileUpdater profile

Begin the configuration by right clicking the profile folder, hold the mouse cursor over FileUpdater Lite for [Company Name] and click Connection Settings

Insert the path to Profile_Published in Repository Url meaning the desired location to the published files. All users must have access to this location.

 "file:///" signifies a file path and is in the field as default. It will automatically be affixed a file path when profile.xml is saved whether it is typed or not unless the solution is published to a site (HTTP,HTTPS or FTP).

Note that it is possible to use a mapped drive location as Repository Url, e.g. Z:\Visual_Strategy\Template_Management\Profile_Published but the FileUpdater admin must have the drive mapped before he or she can publish to the location and all users must have the drive mapped before their FileUpdater clienter can access the location. Therefore it is usually recommended to use the UNC path to the location instead.

For security reasons it is recommended to tick mark Encrypt and archive files. The files will then be published to Profile_Published in encrypted and archived state (ZIP). The FileUpdater client decrypts and extracts the files, when they placed on the user’s PC.

In many cases only Repository Url needs to be set. Connection name, User name and Password are usable for all kinds of connections but only technically neccesary for sites (HTTPS or FTPS).

If you wish for the FileUpdater client to automatically shut down after finishing an update for the user tick mark Run update only once.

FileUpdater supports the following connections:

UNC

HTTP

FTP

Repository Url in profile.xml corresponds to the parameter SOURCEURL in the FileUpdater klient key in the registry.