This page is aimed mainly at IT providers who need to know in detail what steps we follow in performing your annual update. It may also be helpful to anyone else wishing to better understand this process, as it indicates the period during which you do not have access to your database.

Steps in the Update

  • Advise users of time and date of update (and therefore downtime) via calendar invitation.
  • Request session access to server (we prefer TeamViewer or Splashtop)
  • Connect to server
  • Log in to FileMaker Server admin console

Users have no access to database from this point.

  • Disconnect users (if any)
  • Run a backup
  • Close all databases
  • Copy databases from hosted folder to desktop of server
  • Copy new, empty set of databases to desktop of server
  • Copy old MusicMonitor file and Custom file from the old set of files to the new set (these two files have school specific login accounts and code and are not replaced in the update)
  • Open the new files and run process to import data (table by table) from old databases to new databases Run through checklist at conclusion of import process. This checklist varies over time but includes things such as:
    • check general settings;
    • check the Statistics table to make sure numbers pre-update match the numbers post-update;
    • manually enter a setting for new options (such as Exam Approval template emails).
  • Navigate to main tables in the system, do some general searches to make sure data looks OK
  • Check and update expiry date and number of users
  • Check any customisations 
  • Close system on desktop and copy back to hosted folder

Users technically have access now but it's best that we complete testing before users log in.

  • Log in to FileMaker Server admin console
  • Open all files
  • Check and run schedules (eg. Housekeeping, Student import, Enrolments export)
  • Check FileMaker Server version, validity of SSL certificate, timeout settings, backup schedules, available storage (and advise IT of any recommendations)
  • Test logging in to the hosted Music Monitor as a FileMaker Pro client
  • Close FileMaker Server admin console
  • Tidy up desktop, leaving the latest update folder but deleting any others
  • Exit TeamViewer session and notify primary users via an email (cc IT) that the update has been completed

Normal use is restored. Total downtime is usually around 2 hours.

Testing

Changes, new features, and bug fixes are made to Music Monitor continually. Changes are tested by:

  • The developer, in a dedicated testing environment.
  • The MM team, in a live copy of Music Monitor that is managed as a real database in use, but with sample data. 
  • And finally, our users.

The annual license fee includes one complete system update each year. (Additional updates can be requested and the time is deducted from the customer's support account.)

These updates are performed throughout the year as each customer's license comes up for renewal.

Each customer receives the very latest version and, after their update is completed, the version number in our development files is increased.

We keep a detailed change log so if a bug is discovered we can see which schools have been affected.

If a bug is discovered, we notify our impacted users and offer a fix (which may require another remote session to the server).

Cloud Hosting

For our cloud customers, the process is slightly different:

  • In most cases, we are able to perform the update out of hours.
  • Original database files are downloaded to the developer's desktop (Alison Carr) where the update is performed. Files are uploaded back to the cloud server at the conclusion of the process, and all downloaded files are deleted.