DataCollection Version Mismatch

If you've recently noticed that DataCollection is acting up, or that your scanners are not functioning as expected, you may be dealing with a version mismatch. Luckily, the fix should not take very long at all!

Overview

Let's start with what causes a version mismatch (if you'd prefer to get straight to the fix Click Here). DataCollection consists of two parts; DataCollection Console (the software on your computer) and a handheld device running the DataCollection application. Both of these devices need to communicate with each other, and in order to do so effectively, they both need to be running the same version of DataCollection.

Considering that the DataCollection Console is installed on a computer, the software will not update unless someone manually updates it. Unfortunately, this does not apply to most modern-day handheld devices (iOS or Android). A lot of handheld devices have a setting that causes them to automatically search their respective app store, and install any updates that it can find for any applications that are currently installed. This is where the problem lies.

Say you left the office for the weekend, and all of the handheld devices/scanners are sitting in their charging docks. If any of those devices are connected to a network, and they are set to "auto-update", the handheld device will automatically update everything that it can. Meaning your handheld device will be running the latest version of the DataCollection application, however, your computer will be running a different version of the DataCollection Console software. 

Now, the next time that someone tries to use a scanner, it won't be able to connect to the DataCollection Console, as it won't recognize that version of the software. To most people, this is going to look like a broken scanner, however, this documentation is going to go over how you can identify this situation, as well as exactly what you need to do in order to solve this issue!

Before proceeding, SalesPad strongly recommends that you disable any 'auto-updating' functionality on all of your handheld devices, as that will help prevent this issue from happening again in the future. Disabling this functionality is going to be device-specific, if you are using an iOS device please refer to this Apple article for instructions.

Identifying the Issue

If you are experiencing strange behavior with SalesPad DataCollection, there are two reliable ways to identify if the issues are due to a version mismatch:

Checking the Error Message

One of the first things you'll notice on your handheld devices is an error message. The error message will typically look something like this:

Keep in mind, this is not the only error that may appear when your devices have mismatched versions, this error is just one of the most common. If you are seeing errors like this, the next step is to check the version numbers on both devices.

Comparing the Version Numbers

This may seem pretty straightforward, but if you're suspicious that your devices have mismatched versions of DataCollection, the next thing you'll want to check is the version numbers themselves.

First, you'll want to grab the scanner(s) that is (are) acting up, and when you first open the application, you should see the version number displayed on the login screen.

Next, you'll want to go to the computer that is running the DataCollection Console software. Open the DataCollection Console, and you should see the version number on the top-right corner of the screen.

If the version number on your handheld device does not match the version number on the DataCollection Console, then you know that there is a version mismatch, and you can begin correcting the issue!

If you see the same version number on both the SalesPad Mobile Server and the SalesPad Mobile application, you may have a version mismatch with the service that you are using (IIS or Windows Service). If this is the case, please reach out to SalesPad Support for assistance.

Correcting the Issue

Once you have verified that there is a version mismatch between your DataCollection handhelds and your DataCollection Console, please feel free to reach out to SalesPad Support for immediate assistance.

If you are unable to contact SalePad Support, or if you'd prefer to correct the issue on your own, follow the steps listed below to get everything back up and running (please follow these steps in the order that they are listed):

• Install the latest version of DataCollection Console
• Login to the DataCollection Console application and run the Database Update
• Install the latest version of the hosting service using the .msi file
  • This is system dependent (you will be running either IIS or the Windows service). If you are unfamiliar with these services, or this process, please reach out to SalesPad Support
• Recycle the app pool and restart the service

The DataCollection Console, and the IIS service update, can be attained from SalesPad's FTP server (this can be found under General\DataCollection).

_{Note: If you do not have access to the SalesPad FTP server, please reach out to SalesPad Support}

For information on installing the DataCollection Console update, please refer to our DataCollection Configuration page. 

For information on installing the IIS service update, please refer to our IIS Configuration and Web Service Setup page.

For information on installing the Windows service update, please refer to our DataCollection Server Module page.

If you do not understand any of the instructions listed above, please feel free to reach out to SalesPad Support for any questions/assistance with correcting this issue!