Upgrades

General Information

Next Upgrade Date

The next upgrade is scheduled for July 21 2022.

Upgrade Schedule

Upgrade	Planned Production Date
July 2022	Thu, July 21 2022
November 2022	Thu, November 10 2022
March 2023	Thu, March 9 2023
July 2023	Thu, July 13 2023
November 2023	Thu, November 9 2023
March 2024	Thu, March 14 2024
July 2024	Thu, July 11 2024
November 2024	Thu, November 14 2024
March 2025	Thu, Mar 13 2025
July 2025	Thu, July 10 2025
November 2025	Thu, November 13 2025

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.

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 environment, please review the SmartSimple Upgrade Process – Dedicated Server page.

Upgrade Schedule Details

The following tables outline the detailed upgrade release cycle.

If you are subscribed to our Public Cloud offering your SmartSimple system will be automatically upgraded according to the following schedule

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

If you are subscribed to our Private Cloud offering with managed upgrades your SmartSimple system will be automatically upgraded according to the following schedule

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

If you are subscribed to our Private Cloud offering with client-managed upgrades your SmartSimple 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
Private Cloud - Client-Managed Upgrades	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.

Upgrade Feedback and Questions

If you have questions or need assistance or want to share your thoughts on the upgrade contact our support team toll-free at 866.239.0991 or email support@smartsimple.com

Previous Upgrades

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

Current Upgrade Package

General Details

Upgrade Dates

Public Cloud Production release date: July 21 2022
Public Cloud Backup release date: June 30 2022

Private Cloud Production (Managed Upgrades) release date: July 28 2022
Private Cloud Backup (Managed Upgrades) release date: July 21 2022

Overview

Watch this video to get a general overview of the new features in this release.

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

Updated Behavior to User/Organization Security Matrix

Added a new setting to enable stricter controls for the User/Organization Security Matrix. For new instances, the default behavior of the system will be to apply any settings selected under the Hierarchy Permission section AND any settings selected under the Category/Role section. Currently, the default behavior would choose one section setting OR the other in some scenarios. There is no change in behavior for existing clients. However if you wish to adopt the stricter controls, navigate to Global Settings > Security tab > System Security section > Toggle off Enable Classic Security Matrix Behavior.

Updated Tab Bar to be Visible to All Users Based on Role Permissions

Visibility of the Tab Bar will no longer be controlled by both a personal setting and a role-based setting. If a role has permission to see the Tab Bar, users with that role will see it. Previously users with role permission to see the Tab Bar also had to enable an additional setting under the user menu before they would be able to see it. To enable the tab bar, go to Global Settings > Security tab > System Feature Permissions > Features tab > Enable Tab Bar.

The Tab Bar will appear the bottom of the page if you have role permission to see it.

Accessibility Mode No Longer Optional

The option to opt out of accessibility mode has been deprecated. Interface elements in all systems will be keyboard accessible to ensure compliance with accessibility standards.

Minor Updates

Retain Page Location on Save

Currently when a user saves, the page reloads and the user is brought back to the top of the page. After the upgrade, if a user saves a record page such as Level 1, 2, 3, Organization, User or Template page, then after the page reloads, the system will automatically scroll the page to approximately the user's last location.

Updated Media Library UI

Updated the look of the Media Library and surfaced the Share and Statistics features. Previously, the share and statistics features could be found if you clicked on the Edit Metadata button. The edit metadata button has now been renamed to Properties.

The buttons of the Media Library are consistently styled. The Share and Statistics buttons are now surfaced on the first level.

Added Ability to Copy Signup Pages

Added the ability to make copies of Organization and User signup pages. To make a copy of a signup page click the Save As button. In addition, signup pages will also have a new field called Signup Page Name to help distinguish between signup pages.

Updated System Generated PDFs for Top-Aligned Captions to Stay with Content

Updated system generated PDFs so that any top-aligned caption and their corresponding content is enclosed in the same table row. This will help keep question and answer content together in PDFs.

When generating PDFs, field caption, instructions and the answer will appear on the same page if Caption Location is set to Above Field and if all 3 can fit on a single page.

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 Global Administrator:

Major Updates

Added New Multi-Factor Authentication Option

Added an option to send verification codes through SMS messages or email for multi-factor authentication on user roles. To see this option, go to Global Settings > Users tab > Roles > Edit a role > Under the Multi-Factor Authentication dropdown, select Verification code via SMS or Email.

Note: SMS notifications are billable and must be enabled to receive verification codes. Contact us to enable this service on your system.

Users set up with the new multi-factor authentication option will be presented with an option to receive the verification code via email or text message. This option is presented after the user has entered their username and password.

Enhanced Single Sign-On and Added Role Mapping

Updated the single sign-on (SSO) module with greater role mapping functionality to better support identity federation. A new option for role mapping is available, and if enabled, users will be provisioned with only the roles and access as configured within this mapping section, and as described by the SSO assertion received from the Identity Provider system. You may define the list of roles to be monitored or managed, and then from this list, a user upon login will have their user roles updated according to the contents of the SSO assertion. Any mapped roles that are presented in the assertion will be added to the user's profile, while any roles not explicitly presented in the assertion will be removed from the user's profile. Additionally, updates were made to the layout of the configuration page including labels, tooltips, and title bars for added clarity.

Added a new role mapping section to the single sign-on settings page used with federated authentication

Added New Hierarchy Permissions to the User and Organization Security Matrix

Added a new hierarchy permission of Users Under Associated Organizations to the User Security Matrix and Associated Organizations to the Organization Security Matrix. This adds a new scope of access for associated users and organizations within both the User and Organization Security Matrix.

A new hierarchy permission was added to the Organization Security Matrix

A new hierarchy permission was added to the User Security Matrix

Added Ability to Provide Feedback on Invitations

Added ability to allow the user to provide a reason for accepting or declining an invitation from the system. To enable this setting, go to Configuration Settings > Level 1/2/3 tab > Invitation Templates > Edit a template > Invitation Templates tab > Toggle on Enable Input for Decline Reason and/or Enable Input for Accept Reason. To see a list of response reasons from invitees, go to the Invitation tab. If the invitee provided a reason for accepting/declining click the View Reason button.

Invitees can provide feedback about why they accepted or declined an invitation

Added Setting to Trigger a Workflow for Incomplete E-signature Requests

In the event that an e-signature status is canceled, expired, failed, or voided, a new workflow can be triggered to continue the process. For example, you might want to update the level 1 record status if the e-signature request was not completed. To enable this setting, go to the desired Special - Web Page View custom field with Enable E-signature toggled on to see the new setting called Failed to Complete Workflow.

Added a Formula Field to Advanced Data Tables

On the Advanced Data Table custom fields, you can now enter a field formula that will run on Save and Clear of the Advanced Data Table. Fields referenced in the field formula of the Advanced Data Table custom field will have their field values refreshed. For example, you could use the field formula to update the values on the underlying record pages, and those values would get updated right away so the user would not have to click save to see the updated values. To see this field, go to the desired custom field of the type Special - Advanced Data Table. Note: formulas need to be based on SQL syntax.

Added Color Settings to the Gantt Chart Type

Added new settings to the Gantt chart type to specify color codes by subject, status, type, and more. To see this setting, go to the desired custom field of type Special - Chart > Set Data Type to Records related to object > Set Chart Type to Gantt. The two new settings are Color Code By and Colors.

You can now pick custom colors for charts of the Gantt type based on the values in fields like Subject, Status and Type.

Added Ability to Create Copy Profiles

To see this new feature that allows you to set up predefined profiles for copying records, go to UTA Configuration Settings > Level 1/2/3 tab > Copy Profiles. Additionally, you can also set up the ability to copy a Level 1/2/3 object through a workflow on a status change by using a new Task Type of Trigger Copy Profile.

Minor Updates

Added Ability to Generate PDFs from Workflow Tasks Using a Specific Role

Added the ability for workflow tasks to generate PDFs as a specific role. For example, you could generate a PDF using the external applicant role and the fields included in the PDF would be only the fields users with that role have permission to see. To see this new setting, go to Menu Icon > Workflows > Tasks tab > Edit a task of type Generate PDF File or Generate PDF File Asynchronously > The new setting is called Generate PDF File for.

PDFs can now be generated via a workflow task as a specific role.

Added Ability to Add Attachments from Configuration Folders in Email Templates

Global Administrators editing email templates can now add default attachment files from a configuration folder. To see this new feature, go to Menu Icon > Email > Templates tab > Edit a template > Default Attachments (Configuration Folder).

A new field allows Global Administrators to add default attachments from Configuration Folders to Email Templates.

Added New Date Option

Added a new date option to render dates with the month name fully spelled out to avoid confusion. Example: January 03, 2022 (mmmm dd yyyy). To view dates in this new format, change your settings located at User Menu > Personal Settings > Regional tab.

Added Standard Field for Pronouns

Added a new user standard field called Pronouns where users can specify their personal pronouns. To enable this field, go to Global Settings > Users tab > Standard Fields > Pronouns.

Users can specify their personal pronouns on their profile by using the new standard field

Added the Ability to Use an Email Template as the Message Template in Workflow Tasks

Previously, you could use an email template to populate the message template in a workflow email task. Once the message template was populated from the email template, there was no longer a connection between the two. If the email template was updated, the message template in the workflow task did not update. We have added an option to use the email template as the message template. This way you can use the same email template in multiple workflows and you can update the template in a single location and all workflows will get updated for easier maintenance. To see this new setting, go to Menu Icon > Workflows > Tasks tab > Edit a task of the Type of Acknowledgement > Message Template tab > Set the Message Type to Email and choose Email Template for Email Type.

New option to use an email template as the message template in workflow tasks

Added Ability to Autosave New Records

Added a new setting to automatically save the record when opening up a new record page. To enable this setting, go to Global Settings > System tab > Toggle on Automatically Save New Records on Creation. This setting applies to new records of the following types: UTA Level 1/2/3, Users, Organizations, and Transactions.

Added Ability to Update Custom Fields across Versions without Updating the Display Order

When copying custom field changes to other versions, we added a new option to skip updating display order in case you wanted to update a field but you do not want to update the display order of that field in all versions. To see this setting, go to UTA Configuration Settings > Level 1/2/3 > Custom Fields > Select desired fields > Click Copy to Other Versions. Select Update for If field already exists to see the new toggle called Update Display Order.

Users can skip updating the display order when copying custom fields across different versions

Added Ability to Download All Attachments in a Record from the Record

Added ability to download all attached files from a record with a single click from inside the record. This feature collects the files from upload fields, creates a single zip file and then downloads that zip file just like the Enable File Download feature on list views. To set this feature, go to Global Settings > Security tab > System Feature Permission > Features tab > Enable File Download from Record. Once this feature is set, you can go to the desired UTA, Organization, or User record and click the Actions menu and select Download Files.

Users can download all attached files from a record with a single click

Added Integration for UK Companies House API for Organization Signup Pages

Added support for users who need to lookup organizations using the United Kingdom’s registrar Companies House. To see this option, go to Global Settings > Organization tab > Signup Pages > Create or edit a signup page > General tab > Verification Service. There is now a new option called United Kingdom Companies House (CH). You must set up an integration key in order to use this feature by going to Global Settings > Integrations tab > Integration Key Management > Create a key for Companies House.

Added Default Settings for Custom Field Translation Service

Added new translation options for text box single and multiple line custom fields. Users who utilize the translation service feature can now set a default language to translate from and to. To see the new settings, navigate to the desired text box custom field and toggle on Enable Translation Service. Enable Field Translation Service must also be toggled on, which is located under Global Settings > System tab.

Added Ability to Add Discussion Board Threads to SmartCards

Added the ability to add a discussion board thread to SmartCards. To see this feature, go to Menu Icon > Discussion Board > Click on a Topic. You will now see a list view of existing threads within that topic. Beside each thread, there is now a button with a star icon called Add to SmartCard.

Discussion board threads can be added to SmartCards

Beta Previews

No features are available for beta preview this upgrade.

Notes for Admins

Added Export Functionality for Failed Logins, Locked and Expired Accounts

Added ability to export the Failed Login, Locked Accounts, and Expired Accounts. To see this, go to Global Settings > Security > Password and Activation Policies. In the left-hand navigation, click on the desired tab. There will now be an Export button at the top of the list that will export the logs as an Excel file. You can select specific records to export or export the entire list by not selecting anything. 

Failed logins, locked accounts, and expired accounts can now be exported as an Excel file

Added Export Functionality for Message Queue

Added ability to export Message Queue list. This will export the following fields: To, From, Subject and Dates. The export will not include the body of the message or its attachments. To see the new export, go to Menu Icon > Message Queue > click the desired tab and then click the Export button at the top of the list view.

The metadata within the message queue can now be exported

Added Indicator Icon to Message Queue for Email Attachments

Added a paperclip icon to the list view of emails in the Message Queue to indicate whether the email contains an attachment.

The paperclip icon indicates the email contains an attachment

SmartConnect API changes

Modified the text options under Action Types for improved clarity.

Updated Autoloader to Apply Multiple Roles/Categories for New Records

Added ability to add multiple user roles or multiple company categories when importing new records via the autoloader. This eliminates the need to apply multiple roles or categories by using additional workflows. To see this setting, go to Menu Icon > Autoloaders > Edit an autoloader > Process tab. Depending on the Create/Update Behavior option chosen, you will see the Role/Category field now accepts multiple role/category options.

Added Link to Profile for Standard Fields

Added a link beside the Created By and Updated By standard fields that open up the corresponding user profile in a new modal window. This setting is applied to UTA Level 1/2/3 records, User records, and Organization records. If you navigate to the standard field you can hide this link using the Restrict Profile Link setting.

A new link was added to the Created By and Updated By standard fields to open the corresponding user profile

Updated Login Pages

Added the ability to specify a Logout Redirect URL for alternate login pages. Additionally, the ability to include an "origin" URL parameter has been removed.

Added Patch for Document Generation Tools

Added additional validation to document generation tools, such as PDFWriter and DOCXWriter.

Added Security Settings to Autoloader Ad Hoc Upload Page

Added additional role security to autoloader where the ad hoc upload page will check if you are a Global Administrator or if you have any of the roles permitted to use the URL. If no roles are configured, only the Global Administrator will have access. To see this setting, go to Menu Icon > Autoloaders > Edit an autoloader > Process tab. There will be a new Role setting under the Ad Hoc Upload section.

Updated State/Province Options for Cayman Islands

Updated the list of districts (State/Province standard field) for the Cayman Islands

Added Validation to Virtual Folder and Alias Names for Login Pages

Added validation to virtual folder names and alias names within login pages to prevent illegal characters and duplicate names.

Added Role-Based Permission Access the Data Exchange History Log

Added a new role-based permission settings for the exchange history log, for the New Data Exchange. To see the setting go to Global Settings > Integrations tab > (you must be using the New Exchange Type) Import Settings or Export Settings > Edit Import/Export Setting > The new setting is called Exchange History Access.

Added SmartField Options for Chart Custom Fields

Added SmartField settings options to the custom field type Special - Chart to easily control if charts will be included in SmartFields or not .

Security Improvements

Updates to Apache, JavaScript, and Google Maps API. Removed the X-XSS-Protection header from being served by the platform.

Header Text Template Field for Portals

The header text template in portals was deprecated in a previous upgrade. Any content entered into the Header Text Template options will no longer be visible after this upgrade.

Deprecate Running Associated Workflow after Change Status Workflow Task Executed on Related Objects

On new workflow tasks of the type of "Change Status" if there is a workflow associated with the target status it will not be triggered. On existing tasks of this type, you will see a toggle Run Associated Workflow on Target Objects under the target status drop down when the target object has Related Objects option selected. This toggle will only appear on existing tasks to avoid disruption. The toggle will not appear for new tasks and if it is toggled off, it will no longer be available.

Service Packs

August 11th 2022 (202208.01)

Fixes

• Fixed an issue with custom report search where the search criteria would not automatically minimize when a query was performed

• Fixed an issue with the Lookup - Autocomplete Options custom field where the field would lose focus when a search was performed.

• Fixed an issue where running the T2P tool would overwrite the access tokens for Docusign when the integration links option is not selected.

Other Changes

• Added a new option to hide the Publications tab in the left hand navigation on a level 1 record view. To see this setting, go to UTA Configuration Settings > Level 1 tab > Disable Publications Tab.

• Added archived standard field and custom field audit tables to the Report Builder.

• Updated the pie chart for reports so that the x-axis information is also displayed.

• Fixed an issue with attached PDF previews where portfolio PDFs were displaying icons instead of content. Additionally, any file generation errors would be appended to the last page of the PDF.

• Updated the translation files for Danish.

August 4th 2022 (202207.03)

Fixes

• Fixed an issue with the French Canadian translation file that prevented web page views from displaying.

• Fixed an issue with the sorting of rows by Last Modified date in the custom fields list view.

July 28th 2022 (202207.02)

Fixes

• Fixed an issue with time-based one-time password (TOTP) where the field for entering the code was not visible on the session timeout screen.

• Added a server-wide setting to set a maximum API record limit per call, up to a maximum of 25,000 records per call. To set this limit, go to Global Settings > System tab > Gort Agent > Server Details tab > API Record Limit Per Call.

• Fixed an issue with the display of the thousands separator for currency fields in the Advanced Data Table using a language setting of Spanish.

• Added ability to display User Type and Login Access fields in User Lookup List Views. To see these new options, go to Global Settings > Users tab > Lookup List Views > Edit a list view > Columns tab.

Other Changes

• Updated the Catalan, Danish, Spanish, and French (Canada) translation files