How to Install the Q-Pulse Client Using ClickOnce

  Who is this article for?  

  IT personnel responsible for deploying Q-Pulse.

 IT access will be required to implement this update.

ClickOnce is a deployment technology that enables you to create self-updating Windows-based applications that can be installed and run with minimal user interaction. This is used for Q-Pulse to ensure all your users applications remain up to date without any inconvenience to the end user.

This article outlines how to setup ClickOnce for the first time. To make this easier to follow the article is split into the following sections:

1. ClickOnce Overview
2. How to Configure the Q-Pulse Files
3. How to Update the File Manifest
4. How to Update the .application
5. Further Reading

Already have a client deployed via ClickOnce? Visit How to Perform an Upgrade Using ClickOnce for details.

1. ClickOnce Overview

ClickOnce operates by configuring a manifest of files on your network (usually in a shared folder). Every time Q-Pulse is launched, the client will connect to the manifest to check if there is a newer version to use. 

If the user is already on the latest version then the client will launch normally. However if there is an update available then this will be deployed.

This is outlined below:

2. How to Configure the Q-Pulse Files

1. Copy the ClickOnceManual folder from your Q-Pulse installation disc and place this in a suitable location on your server.  This will be your publishing directory.
2. Share the ClickOnceManual folder on your network.  This will allow users to access the .application file to perform the installation.

Note: Only read access is required to this directory.

3. Copy the Tools folder from the Q-Pulse installation disc into the ClickOnceManual directory

1. Browse to our publishing directory.
2. Open the ClientFiles folder.
3. Open the Q-Pulse.exe.config file with Notepad.
4. Amend all references to 'SERVERNAME' to the IP address of your Q-Pulse application server.
5. Save the Q-Pulse.exe.config.

3. How to Update the File Manifest

1. Browse to the Tools folder and launch MageUI.exe.
2. Click File, then Open and then select the manifest file contained in the ClientFiles folder.
3. When the file opens, confirm that the correct version of Q-Pulse is displayed.
4. On the navigation pane at the left, select Files.
5. Confirm that the folder structure shown is the correct path to your ClientFiles folder, then click Populate.

6. Once the files have populated, browse the file list for Thumbs.db.  If found, make this file optional as it is a hidden file created by Microsoft Windows and is not needed for the installation.

7. Click File, then Save.
8. Select your Personal Information Exchange (PFX) certificate file and enter the correct password for the file.
9. Click OK.

4. How to Update the .application

• The minimum version of Q-Pulse required for the client to run
• The location of the Q-Pulse File Manifest

To configure the .application:

1. In MageUI, Click File, then Open and then select the Q-Pulse.application file contained in the ClickOnceManual folder.
2. When the file opens, confirm that the correct version of Q-Pulse is displayed.
3. On the navigation pane at the left hand side, click Deployment Options.
4. Update the Start location field with the shared path to your Q-Pulse.application file.

5. Click Update Options and ensure that Specify a minimum version for this application has been selected.

6. Click Application Reference and then click Select Manifest.
7. Browse to the ClientFiles folder and select the Q-Pulse.manifest file.

• Q-Pulse 7 Technical Overview
• Q-Pulse IT Toolkit