Posted by David Portas on 06/08/06 20:35

HC wrote:
> Hello, Folks. I am not sure if this can be done (and a brief search of
> this group didn't yield any results that I thought would do the trick)
> but if it can be done it would make my life easier so here goes.
>
> First, what I am trying to accomplish is to make a program I've written
> automatically update itself if there is a newer version on the network.
>
>
> Second, my application runs on one or more computers at many
> geographically separated locations. I have remote control software
> that enables me to remotely update and troubleshoot my application but
> I since I have to pay for this access per computer I don't have the
> ability to control each and every computer that runs my software (for
> those clients with more than one computer that uses my software).
>
> Third, my application uses as its data storage system MSDE 2000 (with
> current service pack).
>
> Fourth, my users are not technical people and I want to rely on them as
> little as possible.
>
> Fifth, not all of the workstations are Internet enabled or connected,
> so having the application check a website for an update is not
> feasible.
>
> Finally, to bring those different pieces together, what I want to be
> able to do is connect to and control the "server" (the computer with
> MSDE installed on it) and store in the database what the current
> version number is along with the current program files. Then, when the
> application launches, it will check that stored version number against
> it's own version number to determine if there is a newer version
> available. If there is a newer version available I want it to update
> itself (that workstation) by retrieving that newer software from the
> database. I want to avoid file sharing because it's problematic and
> since I already have SQL Server (MSDE) running on the network I'd like
> to use that.
>
> Is there some way that I can either a) store my program files (one EXE
> approximately 5MB in size and one OCX approximately 250KB in size) in a
> table to be retrieved by my application so it can update itself or b) a
> way to get SQL Server (MSDE) to read a file locally on the server and
> return it to my application just like it would any recordset so I could
> just tell it where the file was and let it read it from whichever
> folder it's stored in?
>
> I've looked at making a column of datatype Binary, and perhaps that's
> the way I'll go (re-creating the field to the correct size each time I
> do an update or perhaps making it really big so I don't have to worry
> about the size). But I thought I'd ask around first since this isn't
> anything I know much about.
>
> Thank you for your time and help.
>
> --HC

You could use IMAGE (SQL Server 2000) or VARBINARY(MAX) (SQL Server
2005).

Check out ClickOnce:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/windowsforms/learning/features/clickonce/

ClickOnce may be the solurtion for those that are online. For those
that aren't, I don't understand why you can't deploy the installer to a
file path and have the application execute it from there - seems like a
lot less trouble to me.

--
David Portas, SQL Server MVP

Whenever possible please post enough code to reproduce your problem.
Including CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements usually helps.
State what version of SQL Server you are using and specify the content
of any error messages.

SQL Server Books Online:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/library/ms130214(en-US,SQL.90).aspx
--

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