Since late 2006 the DotNetNuke application has offered an integrated Update Service that provides users with a visual indicator when new versions of our software are made available. When a user clicks the visual indicator they are immediately directed to a location on the web where they can safely download the latest version of the specified software.
In 2009 the Update Service was enhanced to include integration with our Security Center, which is the system we use internally to track known vulnerabilities in legacy versions of our products. This enhancement allowed us to replace the familiar “Updates Available” green indicator with a “Critical Updates Available” red indicator for those versions of our software which are susceptible to security vulnerabilities.
The Upgrade Service has played a key role in providing a reliable and secure communication channel for our users; both in terms of monitoring the status of their existing installations, as well as notifying them of the availability of new product releases.
From its inception, the Update Service was architected to support both the core framework as well as all types of Extensions which are available for the platform. When working with Extensions, the update service is integrated into the Host / Extensions area of the application ( formerly known as “Module Definitions” in earlier versions ):
Traditionally the only Extensions which have been supported as part of the Update Service were the “Core Modules” ( the limited set of official open source Modules which carry the DotNetNuke Corporation copyright, are managed by the Core Team through the Release Tracker, and are shipped as Available Extensions in the default DotNetNuke installation package ). However with the launch of the Extensions Catalog, a key feature in the overhauled DotNetNuke 6 platform released last week, the Update Service also received an important upgrade.
From this point forward, any product that is identified in either The Store ( snowcovered.com ) or Extension Forge ( forge.dotnetnuke.com ) which have provided the necessary information to be included in the product feed that is surfaced through the Extensions Catalog in the DotNetNuke 6 product, will also be automatically included as part of the Update Service.
What this means for example, is that if you are a Vendor who is offering a commercial Module through The Store ( snowcovered.com ) and you make a new version of your Module available, an “Updates Available” indicator will be displayed next to your module in the Extensions area of the DotNetNuke application. When a user sees this indicator and clicks it, they will be redirected to your detailed product listing page in The Store where they can purchase the upgrade. The system works in a similar manner for Forge extensions ( obviously without the commercial aspects ). It is important to note that because of the way the Update Service was originally architected with the future in mind, this new capability is not only available in DotNetNuke 6, but in every DotNetNuke version since DotNetNuke 4 ( we estimate this represents nearly 400,000 production installations )!
We have always known that the Extensions ecosystem is a strategic differentiator that is fundamental to the success of the DotNetNuke platform. We believe the recent integration with the Extensions Catalog and Upgrade Service will further cultivate its growth and prosperity.