Talk > Rants, Raves, and Praise > [Rant] DST updates

[Rant] DST updates

DST...?

We went on for so long without changing it this offten whats the problem with people now?

and its murder on the eyes to look through hundreds of updates in add/remove to fine the one that matches the KB number

reply to DarkLogix
Poorly written software. If it has an absolute version dependency you can be certain the rest of it is held together with prayers. No excuse for that in this day and age. Contact the vendor for an updated version that works with SPs/current shipping version of SQL Server. If they can't provide one, you really need to be looking for a different product.
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reply to DarkLogix

reply to DarkLogix
So, your Winpak software by Honeywell, is it for access control?

We usually install our access control/hvac control software on a separated computer that is used only for this. (Honeywell is one of our main competitor) Maybe you should simply disable Windows Updates, that's usually what we do to avoid any kind of weird problems.

reply to DC DSL
It works with SQL fine, I might test it on 2008R2 later just to see

the issue it has is DST updates kill its link to SQL

btw sadily it is the current version, they don't seem to update it offten

any idea as to a better fix that might allow the DST update to be installed so I don't have to mess with it again?

reply to BigBlarg

reply to DarkLogix
Are these the general Windows DST updates or SQL Server-specific ones? In either case, hardware device manufacturers are notorious for providing software that breaks because a) the product has dependencies on specific behaviors or results from the OS or other components that are changed by an update; or b) their product rejects dependency components that are newer than what it was programmed to recognize.

Device manufacturers are not known for being proactive and making sure their stuff continues to work or developing updates to correct problems a forthcoming update could cause. Quite often, updates for existing users won't happen unless there are a lot of customers complaining about it. The SOP is for a new, "replacement" product to ship and if you want yours to work, you have to replace yours. That's how they stay in business.

If you can't get a corrective update from the manufacturer, you will have to isolate the system(s) running it on the "last known good" configuration and disable automatic updates. (In this case, you may want to look into making it a VM and make sure you have a clean version of the system image in case something else breaks down the line.)
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"Dance like the photo isn't being tagged; love like you've never been unfriended; and tweet like nobody is following."

Yes the genral Windows DST updates (sql updates are fine)
Yes its a VM already so reverting is easy but then data sored in the DB would be lost and we can't allow that

the hardware of the access control is linked to the computer vai a Serial ethernet link (ie a Digi port server)

and the only thing the manufacture says is remove the DST update (which is a PITA)

Yes the DB is backed up but Winpak doesn't like restored DBs

its backedup VERY regularly but for some crazy reason WinPak has some verification data that get updated in the DB and if you just restore the DB it might not work, so thats avoided as much as possible

trust me WinPak is very annoying to deal with to get support
1. Its sold not directly through Honeywell but through ADT and honeywell won't even talk to you unless ADT calls them to start the support

2. I wasn't here yet when it was selected but I doubt that I would have been able to get such a clause put in

Yet another thing majorly wrong with the product. Did whomever evaluated and approved this have any clue as to how things work?

I think it was a managment choice (so layer 9 problem)
and seeing as how Honeywell still doesn't support it being used on server 2008 or 2008R2 I doubt that they view it as a big enough issue

btw right now just for kicks I'm setting up a vm to see if winpak can talk to SQL2008R2

reply to DC DSL

When I am evaluating a product like this, I will make them work for the sale and put these things in writing. If they can't or won't, unless it is something so highly-specific to the client's business that there is no acceptable alternative, that vendor does not get the sale.
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"Dance like the photo isn't being tagged; love like you've never been unfriended; and tweet like nobody is following."

reply to BigBlarg
I work very closely with an access control program that is EOL at the end of this year.

The thing is held together with bubble gum and bailing wire.
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