Updating Solstice to the Latest Version

There are several components of the Solstice product suite that should be updated when a new software version is released. This guide for Solstice administrators provides an overview of how each component is updated, as well as step-by-step instructions for the various methods for updating Pods. A current Solstice Subscription is needed to access software updates.

If using the Solstice Dashboard, you must first upgrade your Dashboard before you upgrade your Pods and/or Windows Display Software licenses. To upgrade your Solstice Dashboard, download and install the latest version from mersive.com/download/, where you can also access the latest versions of the Solstice Apps and Solstice Discovery Service (SDS).

Access to Solstice Software Updates

Solstice Pod Update Options Summary

The following are the available methods for updating Solstice Pods:

  • Standard Over-The-Air (OTA) Updates via Solstice Cloud - Recommended method for Enterprise Edition Pods. Administrators can choose to schedule over-the-air updates to begin at a later time, or can choose to start the update process immediately. Pods can be scheduled to update in batches, with an option to notify you when the scheduled update is complete. If internet connectivity is interrupted during the update process, Solstice Cloud will retry and resume the update where it left off. To use this method, Pods must be added to your Solstice Cloud account and have direct internet access, and the Mersive web server (https://www.mersive.com) must be allowed through your firewall. Pods will reach out to the Mersive web server to access software updates. Once Pods are imported into Solstice Cloud from Solstice Dashboard, you can log in to Solstice Cloud (cloud.mersive.com) to update the Pods. For more information, see Schedule Solstice Pod Updates Using Solstice Cloud.
  • Standard OTA Updates via Solstice Dashboard – The Pod’s default OTA (over the air) update method reaches out to the Mersive web server to access updates. To use this method, Pods must have direct internet access and the Mersive web server (https://www.mersive.com) must be allowed through your firewall. This method can be configured via Solstice Dashboard or a Pod’s local/web configuration panel.
  • OTA via Web Proxy – This method can be used when Pods have internet access via web proxy. Pods will still receive OTA updates from the Mersive web server, but the Pod must have the proper web proxy settings configured to do so. This method is useful if the network requires Pods to be behind a firewall and can be configured via Solstice Dashboard or a Pod’s local/web configuration panel.
  • Local OTA – The Local OTA method can be used when Pods don’t have direct or web proxy-based access to the Mersive web server for updates. This method requires you to download the Solstice upgrade file, place it on a local web server, and configure Pods to point to that location for updates via the Solstice Dashboard. This is only available for Enterprise Edition Pods version 3.5 or later and can only be configured using Dashboard version 3.5 or later.
  • Solstice Local Release (SLR) – This method should only be used when Pods can’t receive OTA updates because they don't have access to the Mersive web server or a local web server for updates. This method uses a local file downloaded to the Solstice Dashboard machine for upgrades and is only available for Enterprise Edition Pods using the Dashboard. When network encryption is enabled, Solstice Dashboard will send SLR updates via port 443.

When updating Solstice Pods to version 5.0, Pods may experiences slightly longer update times than normal. Please give Pods at least 8 minutes to fully update, and do not unplug or reboot your Pod during the update process.

How To

In order to use the Solstice Cloud portal to update your Pods, you or your organization must have a Solstice Cloud account (see the Solstice Cloud tab in Dashboard to create one) and import Pods into Solstice Cloud using Solstice Dashboard. For more information on creating a Solstice Cloud account, see Get Started with Solstice Cloud.

  1. Log in to Solstice Cloud.
  2. In the left sidebar menu, go to Manage > Updates.
  3. Select the Pods you want to be upgraded.

    If you don't see a Pod in the list, it may already be a part of a scheduled task.

  4. Click Update Pods. Two update options will appear.
  5. To update Pods now:
    1. Click Update Now. A warning appears that once that update process begins, it cannot be canceled.
    2. To proceed with the update, click Update Now. You will be returned to the Tasks tab where you can view the progress of the update.

  6. To schedule Pods to update at a later date and time:

    1. Click Schedule for Later.
    2. Select the date and time you wish to schedule the Pods to update.

      The update will occur based on the local time set in the Pod's system settings.

    3. If you wish, select the option to get an email notification when the update is complete.
    4. Click Schedule. The Pod software update is now scheduled.
  7. To view or edit your scheduled updates, click on the Tasks tab in the Solstice Software Update Overview section.

This method can be configured using Solstice Dashboard or a Pod’s local/web configuration panel.

  1. Ensure the Pod is connected to the internet via Ethernet or attached to an existing wireless network.
  2. In Solstice Dashboard or a Pod’s local/web configuration panel, go to the Licensing tab.
  3. Under Software and License Information, select Use web server for upgrades from the menu. By default, the Mersive web server is used.
  4. Click Check for Updates. The software will check for updates.
  5. If an update is available, select the Pods you wish to update, then click Install Update.

This method can be configured using Solstice Dashboard or a Pod’s local/web configuration panel.

  1. Ensure the Pod is connected to the internet via Ethernet cable or attached to an existing wireless network.
  2. Go to the Licensing tab of the Solstice Dashboard or Pod’s local/web configuration panel.
  3. Under Software and License Information, select Use web server for upgrades from the drop-down. By default, the Mersive web server is used.
  4. Go to the Network tab > Web Server Proxy section.
  5. Enable one or both of the web proxy settings.
  6. Enter in the required web proxy details. To verify, click Test Proxy Settings.
  7. Click Apply.
  8. Go to the Licensing tab and click the Check for Updates button. The software will check for updates.
  9. If an update is available, select the Pods you wish to update, then click Install Update.

In the steps below, you will download a Local OTA .zip archive that will need to be extracted and placed on an internal web server that can respond to https requests. This method can only be configured for Enterprise Edition Pods version 3.1.1 or later using the Dashboard version 3.5 or later. You must first upgrade your Dashboard to 3.5 or later before upgrading your Pods.

Download the OTA .zip file and extract it to a local web server.

  1. Download the Local OTA (.zip) file from Solstice Download Center > Admin Downloads > Pod Updates.
  2. Extract the .zip file and place its contents on an internal web server that can respond to https requests. This file contains all the files needed to update Solstice Pods and will overwrite any previous update package when extracted into the same directory.

    3. To check that the update is accessible, point a web browser at the Solstice.apk file on the internal web server. If the file automatically downloads, the update should be accessible via Solstice Dashboard. If the file does not begin to download, you may need to adjust your web server’s handling of .apk files.

Configure Solstice Dashboard to access the OTA files on the local web server. This initial configuration only needs to be done once.

  1. In Solstice Dashboard, go to the Licensing tab.
  2. Under Software and License Information, select Use web server for upgrades from the menu.
  3. Go to the Network tab > Local Web Server section.
  4. Select Use local web server for updates.
  5. In the field below, enter the location of the upgrade files on your internal web server.
  6. Click Apply.

Have Dashboard check for available updates on your local web server and install the update on your Pods.

  1. Ensure the Pods to be updated via Local OTA are connected to a network with access to the internal web server the Solstice OTA update file was extracted to.
  2. In Solstice Dashboard, go to the Licensing tab and click Check for Updates. Dashboard will use the local web server location defined above to check for updates.
  3. If an update is available, select the Pod(s) you wish to update and click Install Update.

This method can only be configured for Enterprise Edition Pods using Solstice Dashboard.

  1. Download the Solstice Local Release (.slr) file from Solstice Download Center > Admin Downloads > Pod Updates.
  2. In Solstice Dashboard, go to the Licensing tab.
  3. Under Software and License Information, select Use local file for upgrades from the menu.
  4. Click the Load Local Update File button, then browse to and select the .slr file.
  5. Click Open.
  6. Once the file is loaded, select the Pods you wish to update and click Install Update.