Introduction

Ginesys version 11.152.0 onward, below mentioned components will have to be present in the Ginesys application server for functioning of Ginesys. These are components that are important for advancement of the .NET technology stack of Ginesys. They have no functional impact and should be installed by your IT administrator before attempting to update to Ginesys version 11.152.0.

Background

Some parts of the Ginesys web application are being moved to the new ASP.NET Core 3.1 technology stack by Microsoft. The new stack offers a host of benefits and moving to the new stack will allow Ginesys to stay updated with the latest technologies and bring great features for the users. Starting with 11.152.0, Ginesys will be having server side applications running on both .NET Framework 4.6.2 as well as .NET Core 3.1. It will be our active strategy to bring out as much features as possible on the .NET Core stack. However, some features already taken up in .NET Framework 4.6.2 will be released in the .NET Framework 4.6.2 stack only.

Technically, starting with 11.152.0 the IIS Web Server will now have two web applications one on .NET Framework 4.6.2 and the other on ASP.NET Core 3.1. Going forward, newly developed modules will come up as individual web applications rather than consolidated ones, facilitating delivery and management of individual modules.

Prerequisites

1. Windows version 2012 R2 (x64) or above

2. Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable (x64)

3. IIS (Internet Information Services) 8.5 or above

4. ASP.NET Core 3.1 (x64) hosting bundle to run .NET Core based applications

   1. Download from this link
      Link from Ginesys Support Download site: http://support.ginesys.in/downloads/current/dotnet-hosting-3.1.3-win.exe
      Alternative link from Microsoft Website: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet-core/thank-you/runtime-aspnetcore-3.1.3-windows-hosting-bundle-installer

   2. Know more about .NET Core at https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet-core/3.1

Ginesys 11.152.0 can only be installed by version 18.0 of the AutoUpdate utility. You need to update your existing AutoUpdate utility to 18.0 while updating to version 11.152.0. Click the ‘Check for newer version of Auto Update...’ link on top right hand corner of the AutoUpdate utility to download the latest version of the same.

The AutoUpdate utility is equipped to check whether the prerequisites are available in the system. If they are not found then it will show a window named ‘Prerequisite Check Results’ where the list of missing components will be displayed. Unless the components are installed, the utility will not allow to update 11.152.0.

Following image illustrates the scenario where the required components were not found in the system.

Open

Configurations in IIS (Web Server)

Once the above components are found in the Ginesys application server, the AutoUpdate utility 18.0 will help you configure the new Web Application for ASP.NET Core based applications and a Web Application Pool for the same.

On attempting to install version 11.152.0 and on passing the above checks, the utility will show the following list in the Prerequisite Check Results window.

1. .Net Core Application Pool

2. .Net Core Web Application

Select each item on the left pane and click the ‘Install’ button on the right pane. the component will be auto configured for you.

Congratulations !!

Your application server is now capable of running ASP.NET Core web applications. Ginesys 11.152.0 will now be installed by the utility.

Frequently asked questions

Is it mandatory to have Windows Server 2012 R2 or above installed? Why?

Yes. To update the Ginesys version to 11.152.0 or later the HO Auto Update utility will check for server compatibility and will not allow to proceed on update.

Microsoft already ended support for Windows Server 2008. Moreover, the advanced technology adopted in Ginesys will work on IIS 8.5 or above which comes inbuilt with Windows Server 2012 R2 and advanced Windows Server OS versions. If you are still using any lower version than Windows Server 2012 R2 you need to plan for upgrading the OS version. Please refer the link https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/windows-server-2008 for the information of Windows Server 2008 R2 end-of-support and guide on OS upgrade.

Ginesys also recommends to use currently available most advanced server operating system, Windows Server 2019. Windows Server 2019 has many enhanced features and advanced threat protection like Ransomware. It helps you to reduce your business interruptions. Please refer the following link for more details. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started-19/whats-new-19

How do I upgrade Windows? Is it require complete re-configuration of Ginesys application?

You are requested to contact your IT team for upgrading Windows Server version. Windows allows in-place upgrades which will keep all compatible server roles and installed programs as it is. We have already tested for in-place upgrade for Ginesys application server including Oracle database 12c (12.1.0.2.0) successfully. Please refer the Microsoft guide https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/upgrade/upgrade-2008r2-to-2012r2.

Ginesys Cloud service customers don’t have any additional actionable here. Once you request for Ginesys version update necessary actions to be taken care by Ginesys team.

Is it mandatory to have ASP.NET Core installed?

Yes. In Ginesys application server ASP.NET Core 3.1 is mandatory pre-requisite for Ginesys version 11.152.0 and subsequent versions.

Can I run Ginesys if ASP.NET Core 3.1 is not installed in Ginesys server?

You can still run Ginesys of any version earlier than 11.152.0 on the server where you not yet installed ASP.NET Core 3.1. You have to install ASP.NET Core 3.1 hosting bundle before you update the Ginesys to 11.152.0 or later. The Ginesys HO Auto Update utility won’t allow you to proceed for update if ASP.NET Core 3.1 is not found.

Can I run Ginesys on Windows 10?

No. Though Windows 10 has advanced IIS version but Ginesys won’t support any Client Operating System to use as Ginesys server. Windows Server operating system is mandatory. You can use client Operating System on Ginesys Workstations.

Is there any sequence to follow when installing IIS and required runtime like Microsoft .NET Frameworks and .NET Core frameworks?

For existing running Ginesys application servers IIS and required .NET Frameworks are already installed. You need to install ASP.NET Core 3.1 hosting bundle before running the Auto Update utility. Rest of the configurations will be done by the utility only.

For new installation, it is always suggested to install all pre-requisites like Microsoft Frameworks first, before enabling IIS and installing Ginesys application.

Does installation of ASP.NET Core disturb any other part of Ginesys, like Ginesys Report, DataExchange etc.?

No. Mostly all Ginesys modules are runs on Microsoft Framework 4.6.2 (or later). Microsoft ASP.NET Core can run in parallel with .NET Framework and has no impact on any application which runs preciously. Moreover, ASP.NET Core requires .NET Framework 4.6.1 (or later) present on the server.