Home Forums Discussions General Discussion AC version upgrade

It was free to schedule product support to do the AC version upgrade for me. I just checked the pricing on the web and it now says there will be a charge of several hundred $$ if you need they to do it for you! Do you usually upgrade on your own?

Thanks

I think the majority upgrade by themselves.

If the upgrade needs credentialing, it is free for AC to install.
If there is an error during upgrade, it is free for AC to install.
If you simply want AC to install it, then it is $200 for the server/main computer.

We are Beta Tester for Version 10
I installed latest release Version 10.0.1812. As per instructions, first installed on Main Computer followed by Database Tuner. This all went well but No file was pushed automatically to my Client computers. I then copied Installer File from Main PC to all clients and then installed on Client PCs. Every thing went very smooth with no hiccups
AC appears a little faster but it may be my perception
Best feature so far: I CAN SEND ANY FILE / LABS / NOTES TO PATIENT'S PORTAL while I am signing off on these right from the Sign Off screen. This would save a lot of my office staff time making phone calls to the patients regarding their test results and biopsy results.
So far, I like this version.

Does Version 10 say it will push installer files to your client computers. AC has never done that before. We have always just put the installer on the server and browsed to it and ran it from there.

Here is the email I received:

"Hello Amazing Charts Valued Customers,

We now have what we feel will be our final beta release for version 10 ready, we are anticipating this will become the General Release barring any unforeseen issues.
You are receiving this email because your practice is running one of the version 10 beta releases, we Highly suggest upgrading to this new beta version of 10.0.1.
We apologize for the delay as we have fully tested the new version 10 installer and have found no issues.

Amazing Charts is doing the beta release again using the Auto Update.
We will be sending this out to your practice tonight.
The installer file will be downloaded into a folder called ?Amazing Charts New Release?, found in your Amazing Charts directory on your main computer, (as long as the computer is powered on).
Then your main computer will distribute the installer to your client computers, again (as long as the computers are powered on).

You should receive a message in your Default Providers inbox when you receive the install file, and again when it pushes the file to your client computers.
Also you can change the receiver of the notification in Admin Options > Miscellaneous Preferences and choose from the drop down menu:

The file will be downloaded to your Amazing Charts directory on each computer in a folder called ?Amazing Charts New Release?.

Here is the download link for the Database Tuner:
www.amazingcharts.net/download/DatabaseTunerV10.0.1%20Build%20812.zip

If you do not automatically receive the V10 beta 4 installer file, please let us know and we can send you out the download link.

If you would like assistance with the upgrade please click here to make an appointment.
In the ?What else should we know about your situation?? box at the bottom, just note that this is a beta 10 upgrade so your appointment request will be expedited.

Please let us know when you receive the installer so we know the Auto Update has successfully sent you the file.

As always thank you for your support,"

Thank you Bert and Qaiser!

v10 was the easiest install I have had over the past 10 years. Just make sure to follow the directions. Start with the main computer -> run the installer -> open AC -> tell it Not to automatically run the tuner -> then run the tuner separately -> run the installers on the other computers. Done.

Upgraded 9.3.1 to 10.0.1 on 22APR2018 on my 7 computer windows 7 peer to peer network without difficulty. Took about 2 hours. Computer restarts required mid installation. Version 10 and the tuner now available on the Amazing charts portal. So far so good.

I am not a fan of installing or upgrading myself. I am not IT and if something goes wrong during the process there we are stuck until we can get AC IT TRAINED PROFESSIONALS to help.
So, for us non IT persons we have to pay the $ to get the upgrade?
What does "If the upgrade needs credentialing, it is free for AC to install" mean?
Please do not tell me a computer can not be broke. I have been there and done that. haha

Alley

If you upgrade on a computer that does not need credentialing, there is a charge.

AC is not going to charge a user if they need to have it credentialed.

Any client that AC installs will be charged also.

I hope this isn't taken the wrong way, and I agree this is mission critical, and I also agree that AC has its bugs, but there are very few companies, if any, that will install software for you.

You could make a time for them to do it, say 5 pm on a Friday, then install it at 2 pm. Cancel the appointment.

I believe that the latest installers are pretty smooth and will uninstall the old version and install the other. If you have any clients which have had AC installed in the past, you could practice there.

Just some ideas.

There are also others on here that are good at IT that would probably be willing to help. I could name a few if you PM me.

Remember we all help each other. You have been very helpful with your posts to the community.

Just chatted with AC Support this morning to get a server credentialed. They are not charging to credential a new machine as far as I know. I believe they also said, they would cover it if there was an issue during the installation. I haven't tested that yet.

Here's a process to make credentialing go faster. The tech should be able to get it done in a few minutes if you take these steps.:
1. Request install key and setup AC on your new main computer/server. Run through the initial setup. You can enter any info. Make sure you're installing the same version you had before to simplify the restore.
E.g. 9.4.2 on the old machine and 9.4.2 on the new machine
2. Backup your database without Imported Items (Typically <1GB Backup)
3. Backup your SystemSettings XML file from the old server
4. Place both on the desktop of the new server.
5. Contact AC Support via Chat . Be sitting at the main computer if possible.
6. Let AC do their thing.
7. Run the Backup Restore Utility (should only take a few minutes without the II)
8. Test AC
9. Copy the Imported Items folder from the old server to the new one.

Pass these onto your IT in case they have to do an emergency recovery from the AC Backup. It will expedite the restore process. Restoring with II can take hours if there's a lot of items which is why it's better to copy them over manually. Also, you don't have to create massive backup files.

Yes, if there are issues, they will help at no charge.

The only time they charge is:

1. You are upgrading on an already credentialed machine.
2. Installation of clients.

One can't expect that they would install to clients. If you have the installer centralized, you can start the install on all five, six or ten clients at the same time.

However, the credentialing and SA, etc. is still unnecessary. Biggest reason to not uses AC.

yep the credentialing piece is a pain; I stay on 9.1 just because I don't feel like making an appointment with support for 3 months out and wonder if that will be a good day for me to be around or not too busy to be there for the credentialing/install. Still seems like credentialing is a useless exercise undertaken by AC/PriMed and continued by the new boss for not clear(or believable) reasons.

I am so not IT. I have to ask this question---- What does credentialing mean in this context ""If the upgrade needs credentialing"? I take it to mean if you are adding a new computer to your AC repertoire. I am correct or, way off?

Thank you all for posting also.
Alley

If your current version of AC is 9.1 or lower, to upgrade to version 9.2 or greater the AC genie has to wave a magic wand over your database giving your computer the right to use the database on your computer. If you already are using version 9.2 or greater you should be able to upgrade without the genie.

Thank you Koby. It is 9.4.2.
I do not need the little AC genie. Haha.
I do really like your description. Gave me a good laugh just visualizing.

Alley

I didn't know it had anything to do with the version other than it is version 9.x or above. Credentialing is only needed for version 9.x machines installed on any computer that has never been used as a main server, i.e. had SQL Server installed. So, if you get a new server or computer, and you wish to install v9.x (9.2 and up if Koby is correct), you will need an activation key and you will need support to install and provide the install with a personal SA password for SQL.

Prior to v9, all versions and SQL used the same password. Now, no too are alike.

I agree that the credentialing (AC setting up your personal SA password) along with activation key and possibly enabling the backup to work is beyond silly.

But, I don't think it takes three months. I beg your forgiveness if that was your experience. I know they have support on the weekends. If your server crashes, and you need to install to a new server, they generally will help right away.

last time I asked for an scheduled upgrade to 10 it was 3 mo out but time of day and day of week may have played into it, yes if there is a crash it is a 'higher priority' and support gets to it ASAP.
Wonder if I upgrade to Server 2016 and do a clean install they would consider it a new server and get right on it?

Doubtful, but you should upgrade.

Hi Bert & Qaiser.

I am the Release Engineer for Amazing Charts and I can answer a couple of good questions.

Quaiser, you are absolutely correct, during Beta, we tested the ability to pull updates from the Internet on the main computer, and then each client has a Microsoft Windows scheduled task that checks the main for an updated version. If an updated version is found then the client computer copies the installer locally if there is enough free disk space.

We have been carefully testing implementing this, and while the beta went very well, product management needs to still evaluate when and how to implement this feature for all customers.

DanielL Hopefully that is a feature any client has the option to turn on or off and is not the Default Setting

Hi DanielL,

Thanks for that info. That is helpful.

Koby,

The process does not AUTO-INSTALL the update. It copies the approximately 350 MB installer to the client computer if there is an update available.

The whole process works like this:

• Get current version on main computer (scheduled to run at 12 AM every day by default)
• Check if newer version is available (this is a quick web check)
• If newer version available, download the available file, otherwise quit the process
• Once complete, check that the file download is good (hash checksum comparison)
• If download is good, update 'UpdateVersions.xml'
• At 2AM clients will begin checking 'UpdateVersions.xml' for a version newer than installed.
• If newer version is found, copy the available installer to the client machine.

There is no user interface for the customer to modify the behavior of the check for updates.

Note that every process checks for available disk space on the target machine. If there isn't available disk space for the size of the install package plus 100 MB left over, then it does not copy the file, even if it is available.

When updates are available, you will be notified that an update downloaded and is available in your messages.

In today's environment of security risk for our customers, keeping updated is hugely important. Being notified of available updates and having them conveniently automatically downloaded to the main computer and the clients saves you, our customers, lots of time.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Sounds like a nice little feature but if updates are only 1X year or so ? utility
plus could it be packaged as a SVN so that only the changes are in the download and not the entire program thereby only 1 big download 1st time then each incremental download is relatively small

Hi DanieIL

Thanks for the input. It is very helpful
Is the new Version 10 for general release is 10.0 or 10.1?
Version 10.0 can not accept incoming CCD files in XML format thru Updox - (as I get from my hospital from their EPIC system). AC Support told me that this feature of being able to get CCD file / XML files imported in AC will be available in Version 10.1

Thanks

Koby,

I would love to be able to push out 'patches' e.g., incremental updates. I tested that when I converted the installer to use InstallShield, right around version 7. However, there are some hurdles to overcome.

• Our development & build method is not conducive to patches since every file gets 'touched' on every build. So a patch would require changes to all files.
• Delivering changes to meds & codes databases as a patch is more difficult
• I recall some issues with some files not patching correctly - I forget now exactly what files were involved.

Qaiser,

The current version is 10.0.1. Chris stated that was available for download on 4/17.
The next product in the development cycle is 10.1.

According to the developer working on the issue, this issue should be fixed for the current release. Can you retry the process again to see if it is working for you?

Hi DanieIL
Thanks for your reply
I am still getting email messages stating "One or more attached document(s) failed to import into Amazing Charts." and there is an XML attachment which I can open in Web Browser but not in AC - I have Version 10.0.1 Build 812

This message is as of today. Thank you

Hi Daniel,

Please see PM.

Qaiser,

Thanks for the information. I have passed this along to the developer.