Intelligent downloader explained

Summary

This KB article will explain the intelligent downloader and give the best practices to upgrade your self-healed software by benefiting from this feature through Filesets / Payloads.

Intelligent Downloader

When a Fileset / Payload is deployed and the time to download has come, the FileWave Client will check for existing exact copies of the Fileset files before it starts the download.

The match is met only if:

1. The file exists with the same name.
2. The file size matches.
3. The file CRC matches.

The client will skip downloading all files that match existing copies on the disk.

The Client will also skip the download in two other cases:

1. The Fileset files are set to never overwrite when the Fileset property "Don't overwrite existing files upon deployment" is checked.
2. The files creation date is newer than the ones in the server and this Fileset property is checked "Overwrite only if existing file is older".

Note: Symlinks will always be replaced.

Upgrading your Software

There are two scenarios to best upgrade your self-healed software (we assume Fileset v1 is active on the clients)

1. Create the association to Fileset v2, delete the association to Fileset v1 and update the model. (this will start the upgrade immediately)
2. Create the association to Fileset v2 and set it to activate at some time in the future eg: 06:00PM and then make the Fileset v1 to Delete at 06:01pm (some time after v2 has activated)
   
   Note: If you set the delete time of v1 before activating v2, you end up deleting files that are needed to activate v2 and the missing files will download at verification. So, to best benefit from the intelligent downloader, it is better to go for 2. knowing that deleting Fileset v1 at 06:01PM will not delete common files with v2.