How to Update Synergetic Using the Synergetic Self Deployment Tool (SDT)

1. Operational Policy & Support Coverage

• Handover Walkthrough: Clients may autonomously upgrade Test and Production environments once an initial handover walkthrough has been completed with Tes. You can book a handover session here.
• Fast Maintenance Windows: Because SDT automates package downloading, schema patching, file replacement, and service cycling, school IT teams can easily schedule updates during quiet evening windows or weekend slots.
• Priority Support Hours: If you do not have a pre-booked appointment, priority assistance for active upgrades is monitored between 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM AEST, Monday to Friday. Submit a ticket via the Tes Help Portal under Synergetic > Upgrades and migrations.
• Assisted Upgrades: If your organisation prefers Tes to conduct or supervise your upgrade, you can book an upgrade appointment here.

2. Pre-Upgrade Preparation & Readiness Checklist

To ensure a swift, seamless deployment with zero lockouts, complete these quick pre-checks before launching SDT:

1. Broadcast System Maintenance Message
   Notify staff and students that Synergetic will be temporarily offline. Use the maintenance message functionality in SynWeb so users are prompted to save work and log out. Refer to How to Set a System Message.
2. Verify Disconnections & Clear Open File Locks
   Ensure no user sessions or background processes hold file locks on executables in the custom application network share (\\server\share\Synergetic):
   • On the file server hosting the share, open Computer Management (compmgmt.msc).
   • Navigate to System Tools > Shared Folders > Open Files.
   • Inspect and disconnect any active Synergetic file handles.
3. Take a Hypervisor / SAN VM Snapshot (Strongly Recommended)
   
   Expedite Your Upgrade Window with VM Snapshots:
   Taking a complete hypervisor VM or SAN storage snapshot of your Synergetic SQL and application servers immediately prior to upgrading allows you to bypass the lengthy manual database backup stage during the upgrade window. If a snapshot is not taken, a full native database backup must be performed, which adds substantial time to the maintenance window.
4. Verify Cross-DMZ Connectivity
   If your web tier (SynWeb) resides in a DMZ and application/database components reside on internal subnets, verify that internal firewall policies permit SMB (TCP 445) and management traffic from the SDT host.
5. Configure Antivirus & EDR Exclusions
   
   Do Not Disable Antivirus / Endpoint Protection:
   To prevent security risks and avoid false-positive execution blocks during file mirroring, ensure your security platform has real-time scanning exclusions configured for:

   • C:\Program Files\SDT\
   • Your designated Working Staging share / directory
   • Your designated PatchLog directory
6. Clean Obsolete Configuration Files
   Audit the Synergetic application share to ensure no legacy configuration files (*.cfg) exist, as these can conflict with modern deployment routines. Remove or archive any found.

3. SDT Installation & Client Updates

The SDT desktop application resides on your designated administrative host (commonly the SQL server or an administrative jump box):

• Standard Installation Directory: C:\Program Files\SDT\Synergetic.Application.SDT.exe
• First-Time Setup: Download and run the SDT System Installer (.msi).

How to Update SDT when a New Version is Released

When Tes publishes an updated release of the deployment client, the tool will automatically display an update prompt upon launch:

1. Click Yes to initiate the update wizard.
2. Click Next. On the setup dialog, select Everyone (instead of Just me), then click Next.
3. Click Close once the installation completes.

Figure 1: Select 'Everyone' when installing or updating the SDT client.

4. Step-by-Step Upgrade Procedure

Upgrading with SDT is a simple, guided 3-stage process:

Step 1: Launch & Sign In

Open the SDT client from the desktop shortcut or C:\Program Files\SDT\Synergetic.Application.SDT.exe. Enter your designated Username and Password. (Administrative elevation via 'Run as administrator' is not required).

Figure 2: SDT authentication prompt.

Step 2: Select Environment

On the left-hand navigation menu, select the environment you wish to upgrade (e.g. Test, Dev, or Production).

Step 3: Run Pre-Flight Health Checks (Zero-Surprise Guarantee)

Before any files or databases are modified, SDT executes an automated battery of pre-flight checks to guarantee safety:

1. Click Check Health in the centre panel. SDT checks share paths, NTFS permissions, database connectivity, and SQL privileges across all components.
2. A diagnostic Command Prompt window will appear temporarily. Minimise this window; do not close it.
3. Wait until Jobs in progress returns to 0 and all components display green readiness indicators.

Figure 3: SDT dashboard showing environment selector, Check Health, and View Releases.

Step 4: Stop the Synergetic Service Suite

When prompted by the SDT interface prior to applying releases:

1. Log into the application server where background services are hosted.
2. Open Windows Services (services.msc).
3. Locate Synergetic Service Suite, right-click, and select Stop.

Figure 4: Manually stopping the Synergetic Service Suite in services.msc.

Step 5: Select & Authorise Target Release

1. Click View Releases on the right-hand panel of SDT.
2. Highlight the target version you wish to install.
3. Tick the verification checkbox: I have verified.
4. Click Apply.

Figure 5: Highlighting target release and confirming verification.

Step 6: Automated Execution & Monitoring (Hands-Off)

SDT takes over and orchestrates the deployment completely automatically:

• Pre-Upgrade Application Backup (Optional): If enabled, existing application directories are mirrored to a timestamped backup folder in your backup share before changes commence.
• Database Patcher Execution: Database scripts execute automatically in strict dependency order (typically 5–15 minutes). Progress is continuously recorded in the PatchLog folder.
• Product Binary Deployment: Web, client, and analytics packages are securely mirrored into place via atomic Robocopy sync.
• Simpler Rollback & Troubleshooting: Because the database is updated and verified first, rolling back is significantly cleaner and easier in the unlikely event an issue occurs that cannot be resolved in real time.

Once deployment completes with zero errors, the Release and Last Updated metadata automatically update on the dashboard.

Figure 6: Confirmed completion status with updated release information.

Step 7: Post-Upgrade Verification & Service Resumption

1. Return to services.msc and Start the Synergetic Service Suite.
2. Open SynWeb in a browser to confirm normal loading and user authentication.
3. Open the Synergetic Windows Client from a test workstation to confirm database communication.
4. Remove the maintenance banner in SynWeb to restore general access.

5. Troubleshooting & Diagnostics

Troubleshooting Reference Visuals

Figure 7: Inspecting PatchLog transcripts in the Working directory.

Figure 8: Disconnecting locked file handles via Computer Management.

Figure 9: Selecting only the Windows Client to re-run after resolving a file lock.

6. Support & Escalation

If you experience any unhandled exceptions during an upgrade:

• Raise a high-priority ticket on the Tes Help Portal, selecting Synergetic > Upgrades and migrations.
• Attach the latest transcripts from the PatchLog directory and any relevant error screenshots.
• Support coverage is active Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM AEST.