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Upgrading SpamFilter

Printed From: LogSat Software
Category: Spam Filter ISP
Forum Name: Spam Filter ISP Support
Forum Description: General support for Spam Filter ISP
URL: https://www.logsat.com/spamfilter/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=6632
Printed Date: 05 February 2025 at 5:44pm


Topic: Upgrading SpamFilter
Posted By: Luis
Subject: Upgrading SpamFilter
Date Posted: 18 March 2009 at 1:16am
Hello Support,
 
I have upgraded my SpamFilter several times, and each time I come across the same questions, so I thought I'd ask for some clarification on upgrading...
 
The newer SpamFilter includes a text file that says to either run Setup or copy over the \Win32 directory to the destination.
 
The Win32 directory includes some important files (i.e. SpamFilter.INI) that would cause issues if it were to be overwritten.  But, often, the new SpamFilter.INI has new switches in it which are not in the older SpamFilter.INI, which means they would be lost.   In the past I've used utilities to compare the two files, and copy over the new .INI settings, but it's a pain.    How does one easily upgrade SpamFilter without losing any current settings?
 
As for the Setup.EXE file, which I've never used, does it "notice" a current installation and not overwrite key files like SpamFilter?
 
I look forward to your thoughts on this...
 
Thank You!
 
Luis...
 


Replies:
Posted By: LogSat
Date Posted: 18 March 2009 at 10:06pm
Luis,

The zip you are referring to is the "full" distribution package. It contains both an installer (Setup.exe) which contains all the necessary installation files, and also contains the "Win32" directory you refer to. This Win32 directory contains all the necessary files if, instead of using the installer, you wish to manually install SpamFilter simply by copying the contents of that directory to any location on your filesystem. Unlike most other Window applications, we made SpamFilter as "clean" as possible, so that all the files we use are stored in a single directory structure, without the need to "register" DLLs, nor making any registry changes (except for the antivirus plugin - this latter does have a registry key it uses).

In addition, we usually make available "binaries only" updates. As 99.9% of our updates simply require updating the SpamFilter.exe and SpamFilterSvc.exe files, these zips only contain the updated executables. Sometimes (v4.1.2.805 is an example) we also include some DLL files that are either extra or ned to be updated. With these "binaries only" you simply have to stop SpamFilter, extract the contents of the zip in SpamFilter's directory, replacing the existing files, and restart SpamFilter. A reboot has never, in the past 7 years, been necessary...   



-------------
Roberto Franceschetti

http://www.logsat.com" rel="nofollow - LogSat Software

http://www.logsat.com/sfi-spam-filter.asp" rel="nofollow - Spam Filter ISP

Posted By: Luis
Date Posted: 18 March 2009 at 10:52pm
Robert,
 
The "Executable Only" update you're referencing is EXACTLY what I'm looking for...  I've never seen those, so I must be looking in the wrong place.  Maybe you can clarify where I should look for these.
 
Additionally, I'd like to also make a few suggestions:
 
1) Every update that is listed in the download section include both a "Full" install and a "Binary Only" install.
2) In the Binary Only package, include a revision controlled text file of newly added SpamFilter Options.  As each new version comes out, you would append to the end of the file what new SpamFilter.INI switches have been added with that respective version.   So, if I'm upgrading from 4 versions back, I would just open the file, and do a COPY and PASTE of the INI options from the version following what I'm running up to the current version.
 
For example, the Revision Controlled Switch Settings File might be called SpamFilter_INI_Switches.TXT, and I would envision it looking like this:
 
============ Version 4.0.0.227 - New Switches Below ==================
xxxxx=yyyy
abc=1
 
============ Version 4.0.0.230 - New Switches Below ==================
xxxxx=yyyy
cde=0
 
============ Version 4.0.1.0 - New Switches Below ==================
xxxxx=yyyy
cde=3
 
...
 
 
As you can see by the structure, if I were at 4.0.0.227 right now, I'd only grab the switches from 4.0.0.230 onward, and manually add them to my SpamFilter.INI file.
 
Thank you, and I _LOVE_ the fact that all of your files live in a very "clean" directory structure...Please keep up the good work!
 
Sincerely,
 
Luis...
 

Posted By: LogSat
Date Posted: 19 March 2009 at 7:51pm
Luis,

You may find the "executable only" by logging into the registered user area on our website, and look, towards the bottom of the page, for the section "Binaries, pre-release and/or previous builds". Please note that your software maintenance needs to be up-to-date for those options to be available.

For the suggestion about labeling the new options, here's the issue :-)
SpamFilter will automatically add the new available options in the SpamFilter.ini file as soon as the "Save Settings" button is clicked at least once (it will run with the built-in default values in memory - upon clicking the "Save Settings", these will be written to the ini file). When these new options are added, they *should* be added at the end of the section they belong to, wich in 99% of the cases is the [server settings]. So we "almost" have the functionality you suggest out-of-the-box, as they are relatively easy to spot. We are missing the comments in the ini file though, but to obtain that we'd have to disable the above automatic functionality and instead having to start adding values and comments programmatically to the .ini file... which is a bit of a headache!
We do however always maintain the release notes for every single build of SpamFilter that is released to try making up for this...

Please contact us by email if you are still not seeing the binaries only builds. We did have an issue with the website last week dealing with a very similar issue, but thought it had been solved.

-------------
Roberto Franceschetti

http://www.logsat.com" rel="nofollow - LogSat Software

http://www.logsat.com/sfi-spam-filter.asp" rel="nofollow - Spam Filter ISP


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