Windows updates and Continuum

[Product_Support]

Issue

Should automatic updates be turned on for Continuum workstation? Are there certain known issues of updates that have caused problems with Continuum or Webclient?

Product Line

Andover Continuum

Environment

• Continuum Cyberstation
• Continuum webClient Server
• Windows 10
• Windows XP 
• Windows Vista
• Windows Server 2003
• Windows Server 2008

Cause

Microsoft Windows has an automatic update feature and frequently releases updates which can potentially affect Cyberstation and Webclient Server.

Resolution

1. Automatic updates should not be turned on for a Continuum or Webclient workstation. The Continuum compatibility matrix indicates Windows Operating Systems, Windows Service packs, SQL Server, .Net and Internet Explorer versions that were tested by Quality Assurance at the time of product release.
   
   Continuum Quality Assurance does not perform regression testing where new Microsoft updates are tested with Continuum products released in the past.
   
   Product Support recommends setting Windows updates to one of the other two options to allow for testing of Microsoft updates: Additional details can be found at: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525
   1. Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them
   2. Notify me but don't automatically download or install them
       
2. There are several specific updates that have caused issues with Cyberstation or Webclient. This is not a comprehensive list. Occasionally updates will break certain features and we discover this from our internal testing or from reports from partners or branches. Here is a list of some updates that have caused issues.
   1. KB835732-  Pinpoint 1.52 crashes when installed on a machine and you are accessing graphics from a network share. If you remove the hotfix the problem goes away.  This is the same hotfix that caused the SmartHeap out of Memory errors that was fixed with SP5 for 1.6. 
   2. KB828741- IIS (Webclient) machines without this patch may receive “Unable to establish a link to the remote Infinity services”
   3. Webclient 1.73 - Any patches that will install .Net Framework 2.0 will cause problems with webclient 1.73 since we don’t start using .Net 2.0 until webclient 1.74.
   4. KB911280 - this update blocks the acc.scp script from setting controller to PPP mode. This will a cause a Cyberstation using RAS controllers to not allow a connection. It will authenticate, but not connect.
   5. KB928366 – Webclient machines that use .Net 1.1(Listed on the compatibility matrix) will receive the error
      "Could not connect to server cause; type missing for member of type object _context id'. Could not create acwppserverproxy."  when opening web pinpoint graphics.  Remove this hotfix or upgrade to webclient 1.74 or greater.
   6. KB929969 – this hotfix does not require a reboot by Microsoft, but can cause the Cyberstation install to fail, if the install is performed before rebooting after the installation of the hotfix. See the Technical bulletin.
   7. KB968749 - SQL Express install fails on XML6 SP2
      See SQL Express install fails on MSXML 6.