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    Purchased copy of SmartGWT generating SmartGWT is expired dialog

    Info:
    SDK: SmartGWT 3.1 Nightly Build Dec. 3, 2012

    We are seeing a note dialog now when we got back into the office on Monday Jan 21, 2013
    on client application startup indicating:

    This copy of Isomorphic SmartClient is expired.
    See http://www.isomorphic.com for a renewal.

    Details:
    When we integrate a new nightly build, we replace all the Isomorphic packaged SDK jars
    with the new ones from the nightly build. We were told that the nightly builds were
    the builds to use for production software. Also, only accessible to paid customers had access
    to these builds and they had the client expiry checks disabled.

    #2
    There are licensed and unlicensed (Eval) nightly builds. You've either downloaded one of the latter (incorrectly), or you've updated various .jars but are still loading .js files from an older version or build. The most common cause for the latter problem is forgetting to run a GWT compile after adding new .jars / changing .gwt.xml.

    Comment


      #3
      Please don't take this issue lightly and consider the legal ramifications for having this get out into the field (especially since we will not see this in our testing since there is not a known signature that we know of to indicate that we have an eval or non-eval version. We will not see the issue until 60 days or so after which could be after our release of our software).

      In addition, we download the software from this section of the download page:

      ---
      Enterprise Edition: For complex, mission-critical or enterprise-wide applications, and enterprise ISVs. See features page for feature differences.
      Download Smart GWT 3.1 Enterprise Edition
      ----

      From all our dealings with your web page, the section above always indicates a nightly time stamp such as:
      Smart GWT Enterprise Edition (2013-01-21 nightly)

      The evaluation section such as:

      ---
      Smart GWT 3.1 Full-Featured Evaluation - please download the latest patched version above
      Purchase Smart GWT 3.1 Pro Edition
      Purchase Smart GWT 3.1 Power Edition
      Download Smart GWT 3.1 Enterprise
      Smart GWT on Google Code
      ---

      Doesn’t generate a nightly time stamp that we know of and states something like this:
      Smart GWT Enterprise Edition (3.1)

      We never download from the evaluation section and we get our timestamps versions of the nightly build from your web page. The recompile of GWT is not a plausible explanation since we are in a development cycle right now. We have to recompile to get our changes to work for our application in the first place.

      Here are some suggestions:

      1. Please provide a method or steps in determining if the Smart GWT SDK used in a product is eval or purchased.

      2. Please consider providing a custom download page for paid customers. There should be no reason to have an eval download link for software which is purchased by the customer. This will eliminate any possibility for an end customer from downloading an eval version of their software.

      3. There still a strong possibility there is a bug in the nightly build that I downloaded. The SDK I downloaded was on Dec 3, 2012. This is 7 weeks ago (49 days). Isn’t your evaluation check 60 days? Is there something we can check on our side locally to indicate what the issue is or some files we can send to you to verify that the SDK is eval or non-eval?

      Cheers, T.

      Comment


        #4
        Sorry, but you are simply mistaken. Someone downloaded an Eval build at some point. Other builds do not have this expiration.

        There is a full version timestamp in the Developer Console, including both edition and exact date. The forums reminds you of this every single time you post (it's in the text you have to delete).

        A "GWT compile" is not something performed every time you make changes, it's an explicit action, which generates code used for non-development mode, and also copies resources from .jars into the "war" directory.

        Comment


          #5
          The dev console shows:

          === 2013-01-21 16:14:24,113 [main] INFO ISCInit - Isomorphic SmartClient/SmartGWT Framework (v8.3_2012-11-20/EVAL Deployment 2012-11-20) - Initialization Complete

          which explains the expiry for today.

          It will still be helpful to remove the eval nightly build link for registered paid customers. This would certainly help with eliminating the possibility of pulling in the wrong SDK.

          Though there is reminder text in the post of where to get the version, honestly, after people read it a couple of times, they are most likely to to just delete the text right away instead of re-reading it every time (which is our case). Would removing the respective eval link be something you guys would consider.

          Also, seeing that the framework date is 11-20-2012 and we believed we were using the Dec-5-2012 files is showing that our internal change management processes cannot handle your nightly build process (nightly builds is something we do not do in our company).

          Is there some version or readme file in the SDK packages which specifically indicate the version of the SDK package? We are putting the SDKs in our source control, however, we don't know what version they are since they all get downloaded with the same file name.

          We are currently manually tracking which nightly build package we downloaded and clearly this is not working for us since it is error prone.

          Cheers, T.

          Comment


            #6
            As further version checks, is there an API which we can call to get the version of the framework from code. We could do a startup check in our code to make sure that we don't have an EVAL version of the SDK in the product.

            Comment


              #7
              No, we won't be removing the Eval link. Customers have reasons to download Evals, such as trying out a new version they haven't licensed.

              The JavaScript expression "isc.version" can tell you what version you are running if you want to check it at startup.

              We don't ask that your build process is able to deal with builds every night - just when you need a particular patch. This is normal and very common.

              Comment


                #8
                To clarify, I'm not suggesting removing the eval link for everything. What I am suggesting is to remove the eval link to purchased software.

                For example, if a customer has the rights to version 3.x, and not 4.x, the eval link would only show for 4.x.

                Another way to approach it is would it be possible to move the eval and non-eval download links to separate pages?

                Thanks for the reference to isc.version. We will look into that.

                In terms of the nightly build. We don't have an easy way to track even a single nightly build that we download from your site and put into source control since we are manually keeping track of the versions.

                What we are looking for is a version tag within the zip package itself so that we can be 100% sure what was submitted into source control when we pull the zip package out of source control. Would it be possible to put a version tag file within the zip package for example?

                Also for reference, we tend to not want to spin versions of 3rd party libraries that we pull in and want stability. We were happy to stay on the released version of 3.0. However, it was recommended that we move up to the latest 3.1 for support to continue troubleshooting our issues.

                There also doesn't seem to be a stable released version (non-nightly build) of 3.1. Is there going to be a stable release version of 3.1 (non-nightly build) that we can lock onto and when will it be available.

                Comment


                  #9
                  We won't be removing the Eval link. Your situation appears to be rare if not unique and the version and instructions on how to check it are already in many places. Or put another way, if the links were on separate pages, it would be just as likely that someone would forget to log in, mix up files, etc.

                  If you want to implement a programmatic check, the version appears inside ISC_Core.js at the top of copyright header (inside smartgwtee.jar).

                  There has been a stable version of 3.1 for over two months. See the download page, and revisit smartclient.com/builds to understand build designations.

                  Once again what we are delivering here is patches not nightly development builds. This is a completely normal software process and not anything special.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Maybe we are seeing different things.

                    When I log in with my account and go to the upper bar:

                    PRODUCTS->DOWNLOADS

                    I get a page description multiple versions of software. Under the SmartGWT 3.1 section, I click

                    Download Smart GWT 3.1 Enterprise Edition

                    and I get the following URL:

                    http://www.smartclient.com/product/download-bounce.jsp?product=smartgwt&license=enterprise&version=3.1p&nightly=true

                    Which seems to be picking up the latest nightly build.

                    I also put the page to firebug and didn't see any links to:

                    smartclient.com/builds

                    Note: How is someone suppose to remember the smartclient.com/builds link if it is not on the download page?

                    When going to smartclient.com/builds and navigating to:

                    SmartGWT->3.1p->Enterprise

                    I see directories that build everyday from Jan-06-2013 to jan-21-2013.

                    If there is a stable load since two months, I don't have access to it since the last load from the oldest load from the smartclient.com/builds is Jan-06-2013 and it seems it is an automated build page as the title of the page shows.

                    Where is the link to the stable load?

                    Also, I had a question before on how does one identify the version of the zip package. Can you please provide an answer.

                    Also FYI: For those interested, the JSNI call for getting the SmartGWT version from the Java code looks like:

                    private static native String getSmartGWTVersion() /*-{
                    return $wnd.isc.version;
                    }-*/;

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Read the actual content of smartclient.com/builds. It explains what the builds are. The fact that it says "nightly" in a URL does not mean that the build is unstable - again read the actual text of smartclient.com/builds to understand what the builds are.

                      There is no need to remember a link to smartclient.com/builds since the download page already gets you the latest patched build (like it says it will). But if this troubles you, use your browser's bookmarking feature.

                      Also, I had a question before on how does one identify the version of the zip package. Can you please provide an answer.
                      We already did:

                      If you want to implement a programmatic check, the version appears inside ISC_Core.js at the top of copyright header (inside smartgwtee.jar).

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Maybe to help you understand the issues we are seeing, I'll explain our current process on integrating the Isomorphic software into our software process.

                        To SDK is delivered to us via the Internet from the Isomorphic download page (http://www.smartclient.com/product/download.jsp). We look for the specific SDK release
                        on the page that we locked onto and are only interested in release final loads.
                        Our current interest is in SmartGWT 3.1 (since Isomorphic support recommended that we moved
                        up from SmartGWT 3.0), however, the download page only provides the latest nightly build links and
                        not a stable base release (which Isomorphic support indicated was available for two months now).
                        The link looks like: http://www.smartclient.com/product/download-bounce.jsp?product=smartgwt&license=enterprise&version=3.1p&nightly=true
                        The downloaded file is always called smartgwtee-3.1p.zip. We then check in the file into our source
                        control (Clearcase) and have to manually label associate the version of the software via a description
                        for a tagged ticket which was used to check in the file. We then work off the zip package from source control.

                        Issues that we see currently:

                        1. There doesn't seem to be any links on the download page or the page from smartclient.com/builds that reference
                        a stable final load (using the terminology from smartclient.com/builds). I checked with the older SmartGWT 3.0 SDK links and that also only points to the latest patched nightly build. We don't have any issues that are fixed with any patches on the 3.1 or 3.0 SDK stream. We just want the best fully tested non-patched load that you have for a release. Please provide a link for what Isomorphic deems as the "stable final load" for the SmartGWT 3.1 stream.

                        2. There is no clear identification between an eval or non-eval Smart GWT SDK when downloading it. For example, they are both called smartgwtee-3.1p.zip. Since it is a manual process to check in the file that we download from Isomorphic into our source control, this is going to be very error prone.
                        Recommendation: Store the evaluation zip packages with a different file name. It would seem like an easy change with big rewards. For example, if Isomorphic stored the eval loads with names like smartgwtee-3.1p_eval.zip, it would be very obvious which load was manually download from the site.

                        3. Once we have the SmartGWT SDK into our source control, there is no easy way of identifying what is the contents of the zip file from the source control interface. The current recommendation from Isomporphic support is to pull the file out of source control, expand the zip file, then expand the SmartGWTee.jar file, navigate through multiple levels of directorys and pull out the ISC_core.js file to look for the version string. This is unexceptable seeing that if we have to trouble shoot and look at multiple versions of the SDK, we have this tremendous overhead just to verify SDK loads.
                        The other note that people should be aware of is our source control assumes that we are checking in the SDK zip file with the same file name per release (since the source control maintains its own version tree).
                        Recommendation: A version tag file detailing built within the zip deliverable and controlled by Isomorphic will help out here. We would not need to go through hoops to verify the load version that the zip archive contains.

                        4. The versioning string given by Isomorphic has no relation to the SmartGWT SDK version and it is difficult to track what is actually being used in the product. For example, here is the tag from the SmartGWT 3.1 nightly build that we have in source control: v8.3p_2013-01-21/Enterprise Deployment 2013-01-21
                        How does a customer know that V8.3 is linked to SmartGWT 3.1 officially? There doesn't seem to be any documentation on the Isomorphic web page linking the version tag string with the SmartGWT SDK packages.
                        Recommendation: Isomorphic should publish the offical version string for each SmartGWT SDK package for tracking in a simple and convenient manner.
                        Note: I also looked at the release_notes.html file in the archive and there is not any reference to V8.3 anywhere in document
                        5. Looking at the smartclient.com/builds directory, Isomorphic seems to be building nightly automatically. Eg. there are even directories for weekends and holidays. It is hard to believe that fixes are going in 24/7 every single day (since it would make a customer feel unsure on how safe the loads are). How does someone identify whether any of the builds in the directories actually have any incremental fixes in them or not?

                        Also, is every nightly patched build tested even if there are no changes going into the stream? We are worried about build issues that might slip in the automated process and since we are not aware of how to identify a nightly build that doesn't have any changes, we might pull it into our source control by mistake.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          OK, we really need you to read both these posts and the web pages / docs very closely. We have had to repeat ourselves several times in this thread, and we are having to repeat things that are already explained on the pages you're reading.

                          1. as smartclient.com/builds explains in detail, we recommend that you use the fully patched version - the "p" builds - these are regarded as the most stable builds.

                          It may be that the word "nightly" is confusing you here. It means only that the software is built at night. So again we recommend you use the fully patched version - the "p" builds.

                          While the download page does (very obviously) provide links to the original release version, this has bugs that are already corrected in the patched version. If you use this version and tell us you have encountered some kind of issue, we are just going to tell you to use the patched version instead, because it would be pointless to investigate a problem that may already be fixed by a patch.

                          2. Again, you will just need to persevere and find a way to keep your files straight. We, for example, put things in named directories.

                          3. Also solved by putting files in named directories or renaming the file yourself.

                          4. We have parallel SmartClient and SmartGWT releases. The blog posts and/or announcement emails make it clear what versions are parallel. Currently, all you need to know is SmartGWT 3.1 and SmartClient 8.3 are the same, and SmartGWT 4.0 and SmartClient 9.0 are the same.

                          5. They are built every night even if there are no changes. There is no different action you would be taking based on whether there are changes between two builds or not - you should simply grab the latest, every time (as the Download page does for you).

                          Yes, automated tests are run for every build.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Dear Isomorphic Support:

                            Clearly we are not talking the same language here. Our company is ISO rated and as such we get audited in our processes on a regular basis.

                            Since we integrate your software into our product, that audit will also cover the Isomorphic software. My biggest concern on this thread right now is we will not pass our next ISO audit on our product because of the Isomorphic software that we include.

                            I have included a link I found on the web which summarizes the ISO 9001 process dealing with configuration management in case Isomorphic is not familiar with the standard:

                            http://www.ssqc.com/do25v6new.pdf

                            Is there someone in Isomorphic familiar with standards that I can talk to so that we can effectively resolve my issue.
                            Last edited by tamt; 22 Jan 2013, 12:39.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              You are one of many, many ISO shops using our software.

                              All we are talking about is a delivery mechanism for patches. This does not present any problem for ISO CM.

                              This issue is closed from a support perspective. No bugs, documentation issues, build issues or website issues have been identified.

                              If you would like to have an Isomorphic Consultant help you with your CM processes, use the Services link to get started.

                              Comment

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