carstenw さんのグループアクティビティ

Aras Update Guide: Self-Upgrading Innovator Independently

Daan Theoden — Thu, 01 May 2025 10:59:30 GMT

After plenty of trial and error – and some much-needed help from Aras Denmark – we finally got the Aras Update application working. We wanted to handle upgrades independently to reduce reliance on the upgrade team and speed up our deployment cycles. The catch? The Aras Update installer only runs smoothly on a clean, out-of-the-box Innovator installation, which is rarely the case in real-world production environments. To save others from the same headaches, I’ve documented the steps for anyone brave enough to attempt a self-upgrade.

Note: This process is supported from Release 14 onwards. It’s recommended that an experienced software engineer performs these steps. Attempt at your own risk.

1. Prepare a Clone of Production

Install your current Aras version on a separate machine using the ‘Configure Only’ option.
Restore a recent production .bak file in SQL Server Management Studio.
Run the following queries against the cloned database:
- exec sp_change_users_login 'Update_One', 'innovator', 'innovator';
- exec sp_addrolemember 'db_owner','innovator';
- exec sp_change_users_login 'Update_One', 'innovator_regular', 'innovator_regular';
- exec sp_addrolemember 'db_owner','innovator_regular';
Update the InnovatorServiceConfig.xml with the correct SQL connection string

2. Install Prerequisites

Install all required prerequisites from the Installation Guide PDF for the desired target version.

3. Back Up Your Code

Make a backup of the Innovator folder (your code tree).

4. Download the Patch

Get the desired patch from the Aras FTP. You do not have to go through each version. E.g., you can go from Release 26 to Release 34 directly.

5. Customize Patch Files

In the following files, append a custom suffix to the <name> property (e.g., <name>VersionServiceUpdate[YOURCOMPANYNAME]</name>):
- VersionBuild.xml
- VersionLabel.xml
- VersionMajor.xml
- VersionMinor.xml
- VersionServiceUpdate.xml

6. Launch Aras Update

Run Aras Update as Administrator.

7. Add the Patch Package

Click ‘Local’ in the left menu and add a new package.
Select the extracted patch folder.

8. Install the Patch

Click ‘Install’ in Aras Update.

9. Update Each Module

For each applicable module:

Select only one module at a time (this helps isolate issues).
Enter the required application/server/SQL credentials.
Click ‘Install’.
- If errors occur:
  - Login to Innovator failed: Check prerequisites and ensure IIS is running.
  - TRUNCATE or FOREIGN KEY errors: Compare the affected ItemType with one from a clean install. Adjust the related XML file in .\Aras Innovator 34 Patch\Imports\com\aras\innovator\ as needed, or temporarily remove it from the manifest (keep a backup for step 11). Oftentimes, it has something to do with property lengths, foreign properties and permissions.
  - Innovator Variables issues: Revisit step 5.
  - GetMethodsKey endpoint (500 Internal Server Error): Make sure a user with loginname clientadmin exists in the database. Add it through nash.aspx
  - Other: If you hit something else, prepare for some blood, sweat, and forum searches – or maybe it’s time to reach out to the support team. Do not forget to leave the error message and solution in the comments down below.
- Tip: if you need many attempts running the Aras Update installer, do not click 'Exit' when it fails. If you click 'Home' instead you do not have to enter the server credentials every attempt.

10. Verify the Update

If the update completes without errors, try logging in.
If login fails:
- Use the NASH endpoint (e.g., localhost/.../nash.aspx) to manually execute the contents of any removed XML manifest files.
- Use DevTools (F12 > Network) to check for failed requests.

11. Test Everything

Test all features and modules. If Aras features have changed, manual conversion may be needed.
- I recommend writing down test plans with relevant key-users to confirm everything still works
Review Release Notes for all versions between your source and target version and perform tests accordingly.
Keep a checklist of manual actions required.
Repeat the entire process – including running the Aras Update installer and performing all your documented manual actions – until a clean test environment upgrades completely without errors or issues, and all tests pass, before moving on to the cutover step.

12. Plan Production Cutover

Schedule a cutover weekend to upgrade production.
Run your customized Aras Update Patch and complete any manual steps identified in testing.

Congratulations

You’ve now performed a self-upgrade. Time to celebrate. Just remember: this isn’t formal documentation, and I’m not responsible for any production issues you may face as a result of following these steps.

Server logging for Aras 31

Sudhir Meduri — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 17:52:08 GMT

Hello Experts,

As the title says, we are on Aras 31 and building some custom code in a dll, trying to understand the new way of logging in C# classes

Looking at the release notes here, there is a new way to add logs, the extract from that document

ASP.NET Core native logging mechanism (ILogger and ILoggerFactory) is available in CallContext public object. This mechanism uses server's log configuration and writes server methods logs along with other server's logs. Developers of server methods should use this mechanism for new development. Old public log API in CallContext is depracated with appropriate messages and will be removed in the future

We could not find any documentation on this, the below is the sample we tried but it does not work

CallContext CCO = ((IOMConnection)_inn.getConnection()).CCO;
ILogger _logger = CCO.Logger;
_logger.LogDebug("Print something");

Do we have an example on how this can be configured?

Can someone please point me in the right direction on this, thanks

Selected Index type properties are not displayed/added in the Enterprise search

Former Member — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 04:14:50 GMT

Hello,

Apart from default search properties we added few other properties of an Item type in the enterprise search Indexed type properties but these properties are not displayed in the search. Some of these properties are Items from different Item types so we included or made the configuration as per the documentation to include them part of search but no luck.

I would highly appreciate if any suggestions or some more documentation provided regarding this.

Thanks,

Vivek

Introduction to xClassification and xProperties

AJ Sebastian — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 14:00:00 GMT

Everyone’s data model is different. You might need connections across ItemTypes that nobody else has ever considered. One way that Aras allows you to do this is by defining what we call Extended Classifications and Extended Properties.

Standard ItemTypes allow for classification. If you have a Part, you can classify into a couple groups, like software, component, assembly, or any custom classification you add. What Xclass allows you to do is create a set of classifications which you could apply to multiple different ItemTypes. This allows you to tag specific items within some overarching group. This makes it really easy to find all the times related to a specific business process, or project, based on the classifications you’ve added.

Extended Properties (xProperties) are defined on a global scale. You’ll create a group of xProperties which we can then assign in a few different ways. We can Implicitly assign them, which means assigning them to a specific xClassification, and will be shared across all items which are classified as such. The other option is to Explicitly assign them, which means we’ll pick specific ItemTypes which our properties will apply to. The example below will Implicitly assign them, using the xClassification structure we define.

Implementing

In this example we’re going to create an xClassification tree, some subclasses, and some xProperties. To do this we’ll first navigate to the Extended Classification section on the table of contents.

Let’s go ahead and create a new xClass. Immediately you are presented with a form. We’ll call our new xClassification tree “Inventory tracking”, as we can group everything related to sales together. Once you’ve filled out the form, you can use the relationships grid to assign which ItemTypes can use your new xClassification tree. We're going to go ahead and configure our xClass to apply to the following ItemTypes.

If your curious what the end result could look like, here's a sample structure which could be created from the simple one we will create here.

Once you press save, you’re then presented with a new sidebar button. Click it and it will take you to the xClassification Tree editor. This is where we can define the structure of classifications. The pane to the right allows us to define xProperties which correspond to our newly created xClassifications. You can use the left pane to define your xClassification structure. Using the example from the above structure, we'll make our xClass structure look like this:

Once you’ve defined some sub-classifications on the left, select one to assign it some xProperties in the right pane. You can only select from existing xProperties, so I've quickly created xp-material from the diagram above. Here's what the xProperty looks like

And here's what the editor will look like once we assign our xProperty to our classification.

Once you’ve defined some properties, you can save and close the xClassification tree. Our tree will still need a set of permissions. Like everything in Aras Innovator, we use role based permissions to decide who can access, modify, or delete these Items. Without modification, this is set to a permissive option. To modify it, we’ll create a new “Item Classification Permission” Item. Here we can assign different sets of permissions to different identities, similar to how normal permissions are set. The difference is the selections. Here you can choose whether specific identities have the ability to assign classifications, delete classifications, or perform queries about whether items are classified within the related xClassification.

To assign our permission, we must open our classification tree again. The permissions are actually set for each individual relationship in the “types” tab. Right click each individual relationship and you can select “Pick Item Classification Permission”.

We’re almost done! Our ItemTypes are classified, have xProperties, and have permissions set. The final step is being able to modify the xProperties for an Item through the form. If we open up our custom form, we can add an xClassification box to it. I've added it to the Part Form, as that's where I assigned my custom xClassification. You can see that the box generated only has samples. This is because you can add as many Classifications and Properties as you'd like, and the box will format itself properly.

Now once we go to instantiate one of our new items, we will be able to see and modify the associated xProperties.

Conclusion

So now that you know how to assign classifications and xProperties, hopefully you see how they could be used to improve your process. Let us know how you or your organization utilizes this feature in the comments!

Blank Screen After login - Aras Innovator 12

Yuvaraj B M — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:06:39 GMT

Hi All,

New innovator setup implemented at our office version 12, i can login to clients without any issues but only having trouble with some machines like it goes to blank screen login.

1. I can see login page appears.

2. once login is performed, it goes to blank screen with windows 10 pro.

Tried with admin login as well.

Please help me to get the solution.

Thanks!

Yuvaraj

Execution Timeout Expired

carstenw — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 12:46:36 GMT

Hi Everyone, I have the following issue on one of my instances V12SP2:

When saving a Part with a large BOM (~1500 Parts) it takes a while with the red wait indicator is shown. Then Chorme displays a message saying the website is unresponsive and I can click Wait or Leave.

The immediately I get an Innovator Error box saying

Edited with the Error Details

What can cause this error? I thought it was a network / server resource issue, but I don't see this kind of behavior in other hosts with similar hardware configuration

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Cannot upload files to the Vault Server

Former Member — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 15:58:19 GMT

I have my instance of Aras Innovator running on an Azure Windows Server 2016 VM, and have it exposed to the Internet, allowing myself and others involved in development / testing of our configuration to easily connect from wherever they are. Everything is working great it seems, except for trying to upload files, for example a custom icon or a Document. I get two different error messages when I try to upload a file, I was going to attach screen grabs of the errors, but can't see any way to attach image. So here is their text, verbatim: 1st: "An internal error has occured." 1st (after click "Show Details"): "Technical Message: false Cannot upload file. Exception name: "WebException"; Exception message: "The remote server returned an error: 500 Stack Trace: Client Side Error" 2nd: "Failed to upload the files. Is the specified Vault Server URL: "">www.mydomain.com/.../vaultserver.aspx" correct ?" I thought maybe this was something to do with permissions in the Vault Server directory for something like the IUSR account, but I have tried changing permissions such as that and still have had the same issue. Perhaps it is a permissions thing and I am just not looking into the right specifics. Thanks in advance!

Rest API Bad Request

carstenw — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 13:11:22 GMT

Hi,

thanks for providing the rest api, very useful!

However, when following the guide in the first of your rest api posts https://community.aras.com/b/english/posts/tech-tip-using-the-aras-restful-api

I get a 400 Bad Request with the response

"message": "Value cannot be null.\r\nParameter name: loginName"

I did put database, authuser, authpassword in the header as described.

I use postman and the server is V12SP2

Any ideas on how to solve that?

Best practice for code in Aras Innovator 11 SP12

Marvin — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 10:54:41 GMT

I have recently joined a team that uses Aras Innovator 11 SP12, so I'm quite new to this. I see that my predecessors have written some custom C# methods, but I am not happy with the way they are written. The formatting is not great (indentation etc.), which isn't surprising, given the code was probably typed right into the Innovator admin interface. A copy of the code exists in our version control system, but this is most likely just a copy and I am not even sure if it reflects the code currently running on the server. To me this looks like a less than ideal setup, so I am wondering what the recommended practice for custom code is. Ideally, all custom Innovator code would be in our versioning control system and deployed to the Innovator server from a build server. But what's the best way to debug code that is under active development? I would like to use Visual Studio with Resharper etc. for development, with external logging libraries like Serilog etc. etc. Or would it make sense to implement a custom webservice that implements the actual logic and only have very short methods in Innovator that interact with the webservice? How do you guys do this?

Ask A Question I

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 15:03:03 GMT

Ask a question in a forum.

Trigger method on timestamp

carstenw — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 15:03:02 GMT

Hi everyone,
do you know how to make something happen at a specific timestamp? Specifically I'm thinking:

On our Express ECO form we have a field that lists the people who needs to be notified when the ECO is closed. At the same time we have a Change effective date, which may be some day in the future other than the ECO close date. When that date is reached I would like the system to email those needing notification and say 'Hey remember ECO-678346 we worked on three moths ago? Today is the day it takes effect.'

I am thinking some sort of scheduling service to run a server method???

Any input is welcome

Let me Help You

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 23:21:34 GMT

Answer a question that is verified as helpful or correct.

Disabling field in relationship

philn — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 00:15:20 GMT

Hi all,

I am currently trying to disable a field on the relationshiptab when the item is at a certain state.

The method is current run under onFormPopulated.

Below is my code:

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

var documentItem = document.thisItem;

documentItem.fetchRelationships("q_Quote Part");

var Xpath = "//Item/Relationships/Item";
var relationship = documentItem.getItemsByXPath(Xpath);
//alert(relationship.getItemCount());
if (documentItem.getProperty("state") == "Generate Quote") {
for (var i = 0; i < relationship.getItemCount(); i++) {

//var wrapper = relationship.getItemByIndex(i).getFieldByName("_quantity");
//var wrapper = getFieldByName("_quantity");
// wrapper.getElementsByTagName("input")[0].disabled = true;
}
}

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

I am currently having trouble targeting the field from the relationship tab. getFieldByName doesn't seem to be able to grab the wrapper if it is on the relationship tab. Any Input would greatly be appreciated!

How to use toggleSpinner in javascript for a client Action?

plmsteven — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 19:42:33 GMT

I have a medium-long running client action and are trying to use aras.browserHelper.toggleSpinner() while the client is busy and waiting for the server method to complete. It works fine in Firefox browser but I cant get it to work in Chrome or IE. These browsers just freeze until the action have completed and the "red spinner" is never shown. If someone have an idea about this please share.

The Action (Type: Item, Location: Client) is calling a javascript method (Method: test_client_method, Target: None)

The JS Method (test_client_method)

try
{
aras.browserHelper.toggleSpinner(document, true);

this.apply("long_running_server_method");
}
finally
{
aras.browserHelper.toggleSpinner(document, false);
}

Reference additional JavaScript libraries to the code tree

Gregor Cervek — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 03:01:33 GMT

Hi, I am using additional JavaScript libraries, and at this moment I am adding them manually on each form. Is there a way that I could referenced them inside the code tree in a way that they be available in all forms?

carstenw さんの グループ アクティビティ