Upgrade and uninstall

A new phaf version comes as a new installer. Run it on the server where phaf is installed: it replaces the application, keeps config.json and never touches your data folder. The version you had is kept in C:\phaf\app.previous for roll back. Plan about 15 minutes, outside your busiest hours.

Before you start

• Read the release notes of the new version, and of any version you skip.
• Verify the new installer with its SHA-256 checksum and unblock it (as in Install).

Upgrade step by step

1. Let running work finish

In Settings › Advanced › Database, open Migrate to another database and click Enter Safe Mode. phaf stops sending, processing and receiving and tells you when running work has finished. You do not need to continue the migration.

2. Back up

$svc = (Get-Service | Where-Object DisplayName -like 'phaf*').Name
Stop-Service $svc
$stamp = Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd'
Compress-Archive -Path C:\phaf\data, C:\phaf\app\config.json -DestinationPath "E:\Backups\phaf-before-upgrade-$stamp.zip"

With SQL Server, take a database backup now as well.

3. Run the new installer

Run phaf-<new version>-setup.exe as administrator, or with /S for a silent upgrade. The installer detects the existing installation and:

• moves the current application to C:\phaf\app.previous;
• installs the new version in C:\phaf\app and keeps your config.json;
• leaves C:\phaf\data as it is;
• starts the phaf service again.

4. Check

On start, phaf adds any new tables the version needs to the application database. Sign in — a browser tab that was already open reloads on its own when it detects the new version. Check the version in the footer of the console, that the flows are there and that Safe Mode is off (restarting leaves it automatically, unless "safeMode": true is in config.json). Watch the first transactions in Activity.

If you run the service under a dedicated account, check that it still has read access to C:\phaf\app (see folder permissions).

Roll back

1. Stop the phaf service.
2. Rename C:\phaf\app to C:\phaf\app-failed and C:\phaf\app.previous back to C:\phaf\app.
3. If the release notes say the new version changed existing data, restore the backup from step 2 (and the database backup). Otherwise the previous version works with the current data.
4. Start the service and send us the details of the failed upgrade through support.

Uninstall

Open Settings › Apps › Installed apps (or Apps and Features), select phaf DATA CONNECTOR and choose Uninstall. The uninstaller stops and removes the service and removes the application.

Then remove what you added yourself: the IIS site and its firewall rule, the service account, and — with SQL Server — ask your DBA to drop the phaf database and the phaf_app login.