Automatic sync & install of B&R upgrades

Ask Questions B&R Software & Runtime
1

Prerequisites

  • Installations of AS (4.x, 4.12, 6.x) can be performed manually in any location

  • The anchor is therefore the registry (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node → BR_AS_AS…)

Problems:

  • Typically, the “default path” is installed, which is:

  • AS4.x in “C:\BRAutomation”

  • AS4.12 in “C:\Program Files\BRAutomation4” (-> I didn’t know that AS4.12 is 64-bit…)

  • AS6 in “C:\Program Files (x86)\BRAutomation”

Now, upgrades for AS4 are not stored in the path of the registry key “BuRSharedFilesPath”, as one might expect, but in the path of the registry key “BuRAutStudioPath”.

The installation path of AS (program itself) is, of course, the path of the registry key “BuRSharedFilesPath”.

If AS6 is also included, the installation still takes place in the registry key “BuRSharedFilesPath”, while the path in the registry key “BuRAutStudioPath” doesn’t exist for AS6 at all (exceptions occur if this is used).

Questions:

  • With automatic installation of AR, these are located in the path “C:\BRAutomation\AS\Upgrades” (Registry key “BuRAutStudioPath” → actually a shared path)

  • With automatic installation of “normal” (don’t know why upgrades are handled different) upgrades, these are located in “C:\BRAutomation\AS48\Upgrades”

  • The above does not apply to AS4.12 (-> 64-bit Program Files folder) or AS6 (-> 32-bit Program Files folder)

How do others handle this?

Am I misunderstanding the name “BuRSharedFilesPath” as a registry key? Or is it simply a mix-up?

What do I need to be aware of with “normal upgrades”, and why are they not located in (for example, AS4.x < AS4.12) “C:\BRAutomation\AS\Upgrades” after installation, but instead in versioned paths like “C:\BRAutomation\AS48\Upgrades”?

What other upgrades might require handling “specifically like AR” and be located in a different path?

Are AS4 upgrades compatible (i.e., same AR, HW, etc.)? Are there upgrades for AS4.8, AS4.9, AS4.12, etc.?

CycloneDX 1.5 SBOM Generator for Automation Studio 6 Projects
2

Hello, this is one fundamental improvement with AS6 - shared upgrades. In AS4, each major version required its own installation of upgrades.

All of the AS4 upgrades are mostly compatible with any AS4 version. There might be exceptions but it’s not common.

Does that answer your questions?

3

HI @Pad_Dern , what is status of your topic, can you update us?

4

It’s not finished yet. Waiting for an answer from B&R support.

Received information:

  • Compatibility (version overview): versionoverview
  • AS4/AS6: No compatibility
  • AS6 Automation runtime is now “shared” (was installed in “/BRAutomation/AS/” instead of “/BRAutomation/AS/”)

Looks like everything except AR can be “shared” for us (only use AS4.12 (→ every AR version schould be supported) and AS6 (→ AR is now “shared” too))

5

OK. It is important to know that the problem is already under investigation by the support team. I marked this info as a solution. Please update us with your final findings.