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Revision as of 13:32, 17 November 2017

General Information

Next Upgrade Date

The next upgrade is scheduled for July 20 2023.

Upgrade Schedule

Upgrade	Key Release Date	Global Release Date
November 2024	Thu, Nov 14 2024	Thu, Nov 28 2024
February 2025	Thu, Feb 13 2025	Thu, Feb 27 2025
June 2025	Thu, Jun 12 2025	Thu, Jun 26 2025
October 2025	Thu, Oct 9 2025	Thu, Oct 23 2025
February 2026	Thu, Feb 12 2026	Thu, Feb 26 2026
June 2026	Thu, Jun 11 2026	Thu, Jun 25 2026
October 2026	Thu, Oct 8 2026	Thu, Oct 22 2026

We regularly update the list of upgrade features and schedule for both the backup and production environments on this Wiki page.

This page will provide a general overview of each upgrade, with links to the Wiki articles describing the new or updated features and how to use them. You can also subscribe to the Technical Journal that is sent out prior to each upgrade on the Newsletter Signup Page. (Unsubscribe here).

System Upgrade Process

The objective of the System Upgrade Process is to ensure that customers have a chance to review, without compromising the integrity of their production system, how their applications and information will work following the upgrade. In order to take advantage of this you will need to know how to access your backup instance of SmartSimple. If you need assistance with this either refer to the Backup Server and Testing Instances Wiki article, or contact the SmartSimple support desk.

For clients on a Private Cloud enviornment, please review the SmartSimple Upgrade Process – Dedicated Server page.

Upgrade Schedule Details

The following tables outline the detailed upgrade release cycle.

If you are part of our Key Release your SmartSimple Cloud system will be automatically upgraded according to the following schedule. Generally North American Clients are on the Key release.

Hosting	Environment	Date	Maintenance Window	Typical Downtime
Key Release	Production	Second Thursday of an upgrade month	22:00 - 23:59 EST	5 minutes
Key Release	Backup	Two weeks prior to the production upgrade	22:00 - 23:59 EST	5 minutes

If you are part of our Global Release your SmartSimple Cloud system will be automatically upgraded according to the following schedule. Generally clients in Europe, Middle East and Asia as well as Managed Dedicated clients are on the Global release.

Hosting	Environment	Date	Maintenance Window	Typical Downtime
Global Release	Production	Fourth Thursday of an upgrade month	22:00 - 23:59 local time	5 minutes
Global Release	Development/Test	Fourth Thursday of an upgrade month	22:00 - 23:59 local time	5 minutes
Global Release	Backup	Second Thursday of an upgrade month	22:00 - 23:59 local time	5 minutes

If you are on dedicated environment that is client-managed your SmartSimple Cloud system is only upgraded manually by your system administrator or by submitting a request to SmartSimple. The upgrade package is made available for you according to the following schedule.

Hosting	Environment	Date	Maintenance Window	Typical Downtime
Global Release	All	Fourth Thursday of an upgrade month	client-managed	5 minutes

Backup Environment Update

• Each backup environment will be updated to the "release candidate" prior to the upgrade date.
• This update will provide for instance specific testing of release candidate, as you can log into your respective backup environment and test the changes against your most current data and configuration.
• Internal staff will also be using these environments to perform instance specific testing.

Update Go/No-Go

• Subject to satisfactory testing on both the pre-production environments and the backup environments, the Go/No-Go decision will be made on the Wednesday prior to an upgrade release.

Current Upgrade Package: August 2017

The production environments for the Public Cloud were last upgraded on May 24th 2018.

Important: The upgrade will be applied to your backup environment two weeks prior to the scheduled upgrade date for your production environment. You are encouraged to log into your backup environment during this period to test the changes against your most recent data and configuration.

If your organization is subscribed to Private Cloud hosting, the upgrade will be made available to you two weeks after the Public Cloud release.

General Details

Upgrade Dates

Public Cloud Production release date: November 30th 2017
Public Cloud Backup release date: November 14th 2017

Private Cloud Production (Managed Upgrades) release date: December 14th 2017
Private Cloud Backup (Managed Upgrades) release date: November 30th 2017

Overview

Watch this video to get a general overview of the new features in our November 2017 upgrade.

To watch this video in full screen, please click on the full screen button on the bottom right.

Global System Upgrades

The new features listed below are enhancements to the SmartSimple system and will be immediately available to SmartSimple users upon the application of the upgrade to their server:

Major Updates

Behaviour Change for User/Company Security Matrices Allow Permissions

Updated the User/Company security matrices, where allow permissions were being more restrictive rather than additive as they should be. Previously, if there was a user with two roles where one was set to allow edit of all other roles, and the other was set to allow edit of only one role, the user was restricted to only editing the latter. This upgrade will change the behaviour instead to combine the allow permissions in addition to each other.

Major Enhancements to User Interface

Record, or object, pages have been updated for improved user experience and usability. Specific changes include:

1. Lists of associated organizations, contacts, activities, etc. will be moved into a new left menu panel. The 'More' menu options will also be moved into this left menu.
2. Notes will also be moved into the new left menu panel.
3. Tabs created by Title Bar custom fields may move up to the top of the page depending on the layout of your custom fields. These tabs are now sticky and stay at the top of the page as you scroll down. This keeps all your navigation options always visible for greater ease of use.
4. Any fields positioned above the set of Title Bar custom field tabs may become grouped into a new General tab. Currently, these fields always display at the top of the record as you scroll through the custom field tabs. However, the upcoming changes means that these fields will be hidden as you scroll through the custom field tabs. Note, that this change will not apply to systems that have generated a display order and customized the arrangement of standard fields.
5. With these changes comes a new ability to dock the associated lists into a right-pane. This means that you'll be able to see the associated organizations and contacts concurrently with the application form.

Before:

After:

Organization and contact record pages have also been updated for an improved look and feel. The default profile card has been updated with a new look.

Minor Enhancements to User Interface

Several minor enhancements to the interface have been made for improved user experience, and look and feel. Specific changes include:

• Updated look up lists for greater consistency and mobile responsiveness.

• Updated display of multiple file field custom fields for improved look and feel.

• Updated alert messages throughout the system for improved look and feel.

• Updated display of tabs throughout the system for improved look and feel.

• Updated date/time pickers throughout the system for improved look and feel.

• Removed dotted underline indicator from fields and moved any attributes such as field history, etc., out for greater visibility.

'New' Buttons Have Moved Down to List View Action Bar

The buttons to create new records has been moved from the top action bar down into the action bar of a list view. This was done for improved ease of use and consistency. With this change we've been able to enhance list views to more easily create objects of that type. For example, within a level 1 application, if you have the level 2 activities tabbed out into different types, e.g. reviews, payments, etc., you will be able to directly create those activities from the tabbed list view. Also due to this change, we've removed the ability to create new level 2s from within an organization record.

Enhanced List Views Maps

The map feature for list views has been updated for an improved experience and greater functionality. You can now dive into a record and specify the various addresses associated to the record whether it be from associated organizations or contacts.

New System Security Summary Page

New System Security Summary page lets you easily review the security of your system at a glance. You can review this page regularly to identify any deprecated features still in use in your system, as well as any new features that we suggest you start using. A short description is included with each of the points to help you better assess the associated risks involved. This page can be found in Global Settings.

Enhancements to SmartCards

Enhanced SmartCards with greater functionality. You can now expand each SmartCard and work with the records listed within almost like a list view. When sharing SmartCards with others, you can now also allow them to modify the list of records within the SmartCard too. On the flip side, you can also hide any SmartCard that has been shared with you that you don't want to see. You will also be notified via email any time someone shares a SmartCard with you.

Enhanced Batch Update for Specific Fields

Enhanced the batch update functionality within list views with the ability to now update specific field values.

Simplified Configuration of Login and Sign Up Page Templates

Updated the configuration screens for login and sign up pages with easy field settings. You can now easily create great looking default pages without any configuration of HTML or CSS syntax. We've also introduced a new preview panel into the configuration screen of the login page. This panel will show you in real-time what your page will look like with your edits as you make them. Look out for this preview panel to be introduced in other areas in future updates.

Minor Updates

Updated Portal Shortcut Display

Updated portal shortcuts that were not always being sized consistently. This would have resulted in shortcuts of different sizes in a portal. This has been updated instead with a more consistent styling to the shortcuts.

Simplified Width Setting for Custom Fields

Updated the width setting for custom fields from a free text box instead to a select combo-box. This makes the creation of custom fields and forms even easier by having pre-set, and default field sizes. Fields that already have a value set for their width will still retain their previous setting.

Extended Reader Log Functionality to Organizations and Contacts

Extended the reader log functionality to organization and contact records. You can now log when organization and contact records are viewed.

Updated Advanced Search Builder for Stronger Searching

Added the ability to configure brackets into the advanced search expression builder. This gives a greater ability to create stronger search queries for your list views.

Added User Names for Data Exchange Logs

Added the names of the sender as well as receiver of data exchange packages into the logs for easier troubleshooting. The data exchange feature is mainly used by the case management space.

Updated Tabbed List Views with Ability to Search

Updated tabbed list views with the ability to further search and filter the results. For example, when you have multiple tabbed level 2 list views you can now search within each.

Extended Report Interactive View for Internet Enabled Reports

Extended report interactive view for internet enabled reports. Previously internet enabled and externally accessed reports were not capable of this.

Updated Annotations to Allow Editing Before Submission

Updated the annotations feature to allow you to edit any annotations that you just created before you submit the form.

New Ability to Search Media Library Fields

Updated the sub fields for each media library custom field to now be searchable.

On-Demand System Upgrades

The following features are available immediately with the application of the upgrade, but must first be enabled or configured by a System Administrator:

Major Updates

New Geo Mapping Custom Field Type

New custom field available for geographical mapping. With this field you can allow your users to easily mark up a Google integrated map by dropping pins, or drawing areas for all of your mapping needs. The ability to draw anywhere on the map solves the issue of defining geographical areas that do not have a street address that you can find.

New External Data Source Custom Field Type

New custom field available for searching external data sources. The first service offered is a new integration with Google Civic Information API. This allows you to, for example, search any U.S. residential address to identity who represents that address at each elected level of government. Look out for additional data sources to be added to this field type in future updates.

Simplified Configuration of Provider/Consumer Creation Buttons

New simplified configurations available in order for users to create consumer records under provider records. For example, in the research grants space you might have a program/call manager application (the provider), underneath which you allow applicants to apply for grants underneath these umbrella programs within a submission/grant manager application (the consumer). This new feature simplifies the configuration of new programs/calls and determining if and when applicants can apply to these.

Simplified Contact Assignment Module

New easily configurable module for contact assignment and invitation to collaborate. Specifically designed for UTA provider-consumer related records, there are several new features to handle the process end-to-end from assigning a contact from a provider record to consumer records, to email notifications and reminders, to the acceptance or decline of these. While your systems may already contain such functionality these new features introduce an easy to configure and easy to maintain method for this. An example process is in the research grant management space, and the panel assignment of reviewers from a panel manager to their corresponding grant applications.

New Activity Consolidation

New ability to consolidate level 3 activities up to a single level 2 activity. This feature takes a copy of multiple level 2 activities and copies their level 3 activities into a brand new consolidated activity. For example, in the research management space where you have multiple review activities, each with their own comment activities, you may wish to copy and consolidate the reviews into a single combined review in order to publish.

New Workflow Connector Conditions

New workflow connector conditions now allow you to easily trigger a workflow task based on the corresponding object type or status.

Minor Updates

New Custom Report Template

New template available for reports. You can now find a sample template introduced in the custom template configuration of a report. This makes it easier for you to start with our generic template and further customize the look of your reports if you wish.

Simplified Language Translation Configuration for New User Email Template

Improved the ability to easily configure language translations for new user and password reset email templates.

Updated Sign Up Pages for Status Restriction in Search

Updated sign up pages with the ability to restrict the searching of existing records based upon their status.

New Ability to Define CSI Web Verification Service Threshold

New ability to define your own threshold value for when the system should flag a finding with results returned from CSI Web verification services.

Enhanced Notes with Deny View Permission

Enhanced note types with the ability to configure deny role permissions.

Updated Emulation Mode with Ability to Restrict Access

Updated the emulation mode feature with the ability to restrict the user roles of users that you're able to emulate.

Updated Workflow Task Messages with Ability to Send Immediately

Updated workflow tasks with the ability to send a message immediately as opposed to waiting 5 minutes for the automated scheduler to process the message.

Updated Privacy and Security Policies with Role Based Permissions

New ability to designated user role settings for privacy and security policies in addition to the current settings for country and language.

Updated GuideStar API Method

Updated GuideStar integration with the ability for you to choose whether to use the SOAP or REST API methods. Depending on your GuideStar license and account you can select the appropriate API methodology.

Beta Previews

New Discussion Board 2.0

New revamped discussion board. This new discussion board offers new features such as the ability to mark a reply post as the best solution to your thread, and the ability to like any post. These features serve to make it easier to navigate the discussion board easily to find the most helpful discussions and answers to your questions.

Notes for Admins

Simplified Configuration of Text Box - Multiple Lines Custom Field

Simplified the configuration of the Text Box - Multiple Lines custom field by defaulting the label position above the field and the width to full screen width as the recommended setting.

New Ability to Disable Workflows from Triggering

New ability to disable all workflows from triggering. You will find a setting in the Global Settings that will allow you to disable and re-enable workflows from triggering. This can be used when you're importing or batch updating records and don't want workflows and notifications to trigger.

Enhanced Autoloader with Ability to Import Contact and Organization Associations

Enhanced the autoloader with the ability to import contact and organization associations to UTA level 1 and 2 records.

New Ability to Designate Associated Contacts as Primary Contact of Organization

New ability to designate a contact as the primary contact for multiple organizations that they are associated to. A setting in the Global Settings will enable you to do this.

Simplified the Configuration of Column Widths within XML Section Builder

Simplified the XML Section Builder of the Special - XML Data custom field by allowing you to explicitly define the column widths in order to easily refine the layout of your table.

New Ability to Move Custom Fields up a Level

You can now move fields contained within a Dynamic Control custom field up and out of the Dynamic Control field. You can also move fields from under type specific records up to the global common field set.

Previous Upgrades

See the Previous Upgrades page for a list of previously-implemented upgrade features.

Future Upgrades

Click here for a listing of future upgrade dates.