Scheduling Client Updates

The Client Manager allows you to schedule version updates for one or multiple TOC clients.

Scheduling Client Updates

The Client Manager allows you to schedule version updates for one or multiple TOC clients. This guide walks you through the update scheduling process, from selecting clients to confirming deployment.

Overview

Update scheduling lets you:

  • Deploy new versions to one or many clients
  • Schedule updates for immediate or future execution
  • Choose specific target versions
  • Perform bulk updates across multiple clients
  • Track scheduled updates until execution

Before You Begin

Prerequisites

Before scheduling an update:

  1. Verify current status - Ensure clients are not already updating or in a failed state
  2. Check deployment logs - Review recent deployment history for any issues
  3. Identify target version - Know which version you want to deploy
  4. Plan timing - Decide between immediate or scheduled deployment
  5. Notify stakeholders - Inform relevant team members of planned updates

Important Considerations

  • Updates typically take 5-15 minutes per client
  • Clients will experience brief downtime during deployment
  • Failed deployments can be retried after investigation
  • Schedule groups can coordinate updates across multiple clients
  • Always have a rollback plan ready

Scheduling a Single Client Update

Step 1: Find the Client

  1. Navigate to Product > Client Manager
  2. Use search or filters to locate the client
  3. Verify the client’s current version and status

Learn more: Filtering and Search

Step 2: Initiate Update

Click the Schedule Update button in the client’s row or action menu.

Step 3: Configure Update

In the Schedule Update dialog:

  1. Select Target Version

    • Choose the version to deploy from the dropdown
    • Versions are listed from newest to oldest
    • Current version is typically highlighted or noted

  2. Choose Timing

    • Immediate - Deployment starts within 1-2 minutes
    • Scheduled - Pick a specific date and time
    • Consider maintenance windows and user activity

  3. Review Summary

    • Verify client name and identifier
    • Confirm current version and target version
    • Check scheduled time (if applicable)

Step 4: Confirm

Click Confirm to schedule the update. The client status will change to “Pending” or “Updating” depending on timing.

Scheduling Multiple Client Updates (Bulk Updates)

Bulk updates allow you to deploy the same version to multiple clients simultaneously or in sequence.

Step 1: Select Clients

  1. Navigate to Product > Client Manager
  2. Use filters to narrow down clients (optional but recommended)
  3. Check the checkbox next to each client you want to update
  4. Or use Select All to select all visible clients

Tip: Filter by version or region first to ensure you’re selecting the right clients.

Step 2: Open Multi-Select Action Bar

When clients are selected, an action bar appears at the bottom or top of the screen showing:

  • Number of clients selected
  • Available bulk actions
  • Option to clear selection

Step 3: Click Schedule Update

In the action bar, click Schedule Update or Bulk Schedule Update.

Step 4: Configure Bulk Update

The bulk update dialog shows:

  1. Selected Clients List

    • Review all selected clients
    • Remove any clients that shouldn’t be updated
    • Verify current versions

  2. Target Version

    • Choose a single version for all selected clients
    • All clients will be updated to this version

  3. Timing Options

    • Immediate - All clients start updating soon (may be staggered)
    • Scheduled - All clients update at the specified time
    • Staggered - Updates spread out over time (if supported)

  4. Deployment Strategy (if available)

    • Sequential - One at a time
    • Parallel - Multiple simultaneously
    • Group-based - According to schedule group settings

Step 5: Review and Confirm

  1. Review the summary:

    • Total clients to update
    • Target version
    • Scheduled time or “immediate”
    • Estimated total duration

  2. Click Confirm to schedule all updates

  3. Clients will show “Pending” status until deployment begins

Timing Options Explained

Immediate Updates

When to Use:

  • Urgent security patches
  • Critical bug fixes
  • Testing in development environments
  • Low-traffic periods

What Happens:

  • Update queues immediately
  • Deployment starts within 1-2 minutes
  • Status changes from “Pending” to “Updating” quickly

Considerations:

  • Users may be using the system
  • No time for stakeholder notification
  • Best for non-production or urgent situations

Scheduled Updates

When to Use:

  • Planned maintenance windows
  • Off-hours deployment (nights, weekends)
  • Coordinated updates across teams
  • Production environment updates

What Happens:

  • Update queues with scheduled start time
  • Status shows “Pending” with “Next Update” time
  • Deployment begins automatically at scheduled time
  • Status changes to “Updating” when deployment starts

Considerations:

  • Time for stakeholder notification
  • Can coordinate with schedule groups
  • Allows preparation and resource allocation
  • Can be cancelled before scheduled time

Time Zone Note: All scheduled times use your browser’s local time zone. Coordinate with team members in different time zones.

Choosing the Right Version

Version Selection Guidelines

  1. Latest Stable Release

    • Use for regular updates
    • Most common choice for production
    • Thoroughly tested and documented

  2. Security Patches

    • Deploy immediately for critical vulnerabilities
    • May skip minor versions
    • Prioritize over feature updates

  3. Specific Feature Version

    • Deploy when users need specific functionality
    • Verify compatibility first
    • Review release notes

  4. Rollback Version

    • Revert to previous stable version after failed update
    • Use after incompatibility discovery
    • Requires careful planning

Version Best Practices

  • Read Release Notes - Understand what’s changing
  • Test First - Deploy to development/test clients before production
  • Skip Versions Carefully - Some versions shouldn’t be skipped
  • Track Dependencies - Ensure compatible with other system components
  • Document Changes - Record which clients are on which versions

Managing Scheduled Updates

Viewing Scheduled Updates

To see which clients have pending updates:

  1. Filter by Update Status: Pending
  2. Check the “Next Update” column for scheduled times
  3. Review the list of upcoming deployments

Cancelling a Scheduled Update

To cancel an update before it starts:

  1. Locate the client with “Pending” status
  2. Click the Cancel Update action (if available)
  3. Or schedule a different update to override the pending one

Note: Once an update begins (status = “Updating”), it typically cannot be cancelled mid-deployment.

Modifying a Scheduled Update

To change the time or version:

  1. Cancel the existing scheduled update
  2. Schedule a new update with the desired settings

Or:

  1. Schedule a new update (may override the existing schedule)
  2. Confirm the new schedule replaces the old one

Monitoring Update Progress

After scheduling updates:

Immediate Monitoring

  1. Enable Live Updates
  2. Watch status change from “Pending” to “Updating” to “Success” or “Failed”
  3. Review Deployment Logs after completion

Status Changes to Watch

  • Pending → Updating - Deployment has started
  • Updating (in progress) - Deployment running (5-15 minutes typical)
  • Updating → Success - Deployment completed successfully
  • Updating → Failed - Deployment encountered errors (investigate immediately)

Learn more: Understanding Statuses

Bulk Update Strategies

Strategy 1: Phased Rollout

Update clients in phases to minimize risk:

  1. Phase 1 - Dev/test clients (immediate)
  2. Phase 2 - Pilot production clients (scheduled)
  3. Phase 3 - All remaining clients (scheduled)

Strategy 2: Regional Deployment

Update by region:

  1. Filter by Region (e.g., us-east-1)
  2. Schedule updates for that region
  3. Monitor and verify success
  4. Proceed to next region

Strategy 3: Schedule Group Coordination

Use schedule groups for organized updates:

  1. Organize clients into schedule groups
  2. Update entire groups together
  3. Coordinate timing across multiple clients

Learn more: Schedule Groups Overview

Strategy 4: Version Leapfrog

Update clients from very old versions:

  1. Identify clients on outdated versions
  2. Test update path (may require intermediate versions)
  3. Schedule updates during extended maintenance windows
  4. Monitor closely for compatibility issues

Troubleshooting

Can’t Schedule Update

Problem: Schedule Update button is disabled or not working

Solutions:

  • Verify client status is not “Updating” or “Failed”
  • Check user permissions
  • Ensure client is not locked by another process
  • Refresh the page and try again

Update Immediately Fails

Problem: Update changes to “Failed” status right away

Solutions:

  1. Check deployment logs for error messages
  2. Verify client is online and accessible
  3. Check for configuration issues
  4. Verify target version is compatible
  5. Contact technical support if needed

Scheduled Update Doesn’t Start

Problem: Client stays “Pending” past scheduled time

Solutions:

  • Verify time zone settings
  • Check system time on client and server
  • Look for scheduler service issues
  • Refresh the page to update status
  • Contact technical support if persists

Bulk Update Partially Fails

Problem: Some clients succeed, others fail in bulk update

Solutions:

  1. Filter by Status: “Failed” to see which clients failed
  2. Review logs for each failed client individually
  3. Fix issues and retry failed clients
  4. Consider individual updates for problem clients

Best Practices

  1. Test in Non-Production First - Always test updates in dev/test environments
  2. Schedule During Off-Hours - Minimize user impact by updating during low-traffic times
  3. Monitor Actively - Watch deployments in real-time using live updates
  4. Document Updates - Keep records of what was updated and when
  5. Have Rollback Plan - Know how to revert if something goes wrong
  6. Communicate - Notify stakeholders before major updates
  7. Use Schedule Groups - Organize clients for coordinated, repeatable updates
  8. Review Logs - Check deployment logs even for successful updates
  9. Update in Phases - Use phased rollouts for large-scale updates
  10. Verify Success - Confirm clients are functioning properly after update

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Emergency Security Patch

Situation: Critical security vulnerability requires immediate patching

Steps:

  1. Filter to show all affected clients (by version)
  2. Select all affected clients
  3. Choose Immediate update with patch version
  4. Enable live updates to monitor progress
  5. Verify all clients update successfully

Scenario 2: Scheduled Maintenance Window

Situation: Weekly maintenance window for production updates

Steps:

  1. Filter by Schedule Group: “Production Weekend”
  2. Select all clients in the group
  3. Schedule update for Saturday 2:00 AM
  4. Notify team of scheduled maintenance
  5. Monitor Sunday morning for results

Scenario 3: Pilot Deployment

Situation: Testing new version before full rollout

Steps:

  1. Select 2-3 pilot clients (low-risk, representative)
  2. Schedule immediate update to new version
  3. Monitor and verify functionality
  4. If successful, proceed with broader deployment
  5. If issues found, investigate before proceeding

Scenario 4: Failed Update Recovery

Situation: Client update failed, needs retry

Steps:

  1. Review deployment logs to identify cause
  2. Fix underlying issue (connectivity, config, etc.)
  3. Schedule new update (same version or rollback)
  4. Monitor closely
  5. Document resolution for future reference

Next Steps

Now that you understand update scheduling:

For questions about scheduling updates or deployment issues, contact your system administrator or technical support team.