service packs and upgrades

Lets do a quick crash course on system maintenance. Vocera versions are usually represented as:

X.Y spZ

X = major release version
Y = minor release version
Z = service pack level

Currently most production systems will be running 4.0 with some level of service pack, and the very newest systems will be 4.1. There has not been a service pack released for 4.1 as of this post.


Service Packs:
Service packs are released quarterly so set a reminder for yourself to log into the support page, click the tab for "Find Knowledge Base Article" and under the section "All Knowledge Base Articles" you will see a category for "Service Packs & Upgrades" lets take a peak in there.

So scanning for 4.0 today I see that latest service pack released for 4.0 was sp8 so I will click that article. First thing I see is a link to the RELEASE NOTES. ALWAYS read the release notes!!! This will tell you what is fixed, what is still open, and HOW TO install the service pack. The other important link will be to download the service pack itself.

Some people feel this sort of patching should be left for consultants, personally I think the sys admin should run these when released and OS patches monthly, my two cents.


Upgrades:
Upgrades are a different bear. New versions (minor or major) introduce new features and often cause a significant restructure of the database and sometimes change the behavior of the system.

These are invasive and have some risk that can be mitigated by training and experience, thus I think this is the sort of work you should bring in your parter to help with. Even if you have someone come in to run major or minor version upgrades you need to make sure you block appropriate downtime and notify users of the upgrade plan well in advance. Your partner should help you plan for the upgrades and let you know what to expect for impact in your particular environment.


Conclusion
Service packs, should be applied by sys admins as they are released.
Upgrades, should be well planned for and performed by people trained to do them.

Questions? Comments? Post them below!