Error downloading client.net4.wys @ wyday.com from a locked down machine

Our software is installed on a customer's PC that has extremely limited connectivity outside of their local network.The -updatepath and -server parameters point to an *allowed* 'external' IP address, where our .wyu & .wys files reside. The 'external' IP address is allowed by the customer because there is a VPN tunnel between their location and our update server.

So periodic checks for updates were working fine until we released an update to our software. This is when errors began to occur. The error is:[The updated version of wyUpdate required to update our-app-name failed to install.Error trying to save file: Error downloading "http://wyday.com/file/wyupdate/updates/client.net4.wys": The remote name could not be resolved: 'wyday.com']

As it appears, wyUpdate.exe itself has been recently updated (3/1/2012) and thus requires an auto-update of its own.

Considering that the client does not allow connections to any site, wyday.com will not resolve. Nor will they allow connectivity to wyday.com for any reason due to their strict security measures.

Is there a workaround for such cases? Is there a way for wyUpdate.exe itself to be updated from our own allowed site, by means of something analogous to -updatepath / -server parameters?

Thanks a lot,Alex

Hey Alex,

You can either manually replace wyUpdate with the newer version, or specify your own self-update site. See: How to make a custom version of wyUpdate. Tell me if this helps.

Hi Wyatt,

Thanks a lot for the reply.

Copying the file manually may not be an option for us - we would obviously not be granted access to customers' computers, nor would we be able to ask them to do so.

I already looked into the "custom version of wyUpdate" solution. It does work, even if we simply use non-custom wyUpdate.exe versions in wyBuild project, e.g., 2.6.14.0, 2.6.14.4, etc.

My current issue is with the specification of the URL for the site that will host the server file for wyUpdate itself. This is defined in wyBuild project's File / Properties / wyUpdate tab / Add site section for our application. This information is packaged inside client.wyc file, and that is what wyUpdate will use to update itself, if needed. This URL seems to be hard-coded, regardless of whether we use DNS names or IP addresses.

Given our different customers' VPN tunnel requirements, the IP address of our own web site hosting the updates will be different from one customer location to another; even the same customer can have multiple locations with different VPN tunnels.

To deal with the issue of different IP addresses of our update web server for our application's auto-updates, we simply utilize a config file that the app reads and sets at runtime in -updatepath and -server parameters for wyUpdate.exe.

So now the question is, how can we parameterize wyUpdate.exe self-updating URL that is presently hard-coded?A more involved method would require truly making changes to wyUpdate project to expect another parameter for wyUpdate's own update server. If such parameter is present, then override the URL specified in client.wyc; otherwise use the hard-coded URL.Aside from the aforementioned, would you recommend a less invasive way for wyUpdate.exe's own auto-updating purposes?

Thanks a lot,Alex

So now the question is, how can we parameterize wyUpdate.exe self-updating URL that is presently hard-coded?

Right now there's no way to do that. There are a few options, though. One options is to use a phony domain name in the self-update site list. Like "http://fake.yoursite.com/updates/server.wys", and in the HOSTS file of the client's computer "forward" the "fake.yoursite.com" to the IP or domain of a site accessible to that customer.

Another option would be for us to modify wyUpdate to parse the self-update sites for updatepath and/or urlargs. Would that work for your? That is, do your regular sites share the same target as the self-update site?

Agreed about the feasibility of using the HOSTS file. In our case, though, it would be almost impossible to convince customers' networking departments to allow it.

The other option of having a modified version of wyUpdate is definitely much more appealing. Yes, we would use the same site (IP/DNS) for self-updates as for -updatepath / -server parameters, for it would be the only external address that will be permitted to be used.

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks again,Alex

Ok, we'll see if we can squeeze in this feature for the next bugfix release.

Thanks a lot!

We've added this to wyBuild 2.6.18

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