Tip of the Day 105: Software Installs Wait for Job Stops

It came to our attention that some did not know about this feature. It became available in Release 8.2 (July, 2007).

When you get a new release, an optional software tool or a patch you use the « edart_installer.exe » provided with it to load the software over the network. This places the install files in the temporary folder on the eDART™. Our full release software (e.g. 8.6) does not install itself because that would automatically stop the job with possibly disastrous results. So the files lurk in /tmp until a restart.

Generally customers have done the download (eDART_installer) and then run around the plant stopping presses and restarting eDARTs. As of release 8.2 the software provides a message that pops up when you stop the job saying that it has found new software to install. This lets the installs take place at natural breaks in jobs.

You can teach the operators and technicians that, if they stop the job and see that message they are free to accept the install. Then, after you have loaded all of the eDARTs in the plant with the new install it is simply a matter of letting time pass until every eDART has had a job end at least once and been restarted.

Detail:

The message reads as follows:

New software Release 8.6 has been sent to this eDART.

Do you want to restart the eDART now to install it?

Of course the release number is different each time.