Send a patch

After releasing a new version of an app, use this option to send updates to a small subset of an app's entities to any or all clients on a previous version. This is similar to Push updates, but reduces the surface area, bringing only selected changes rather than upgrading clients to an entirely new app version.

To send a patch of the app:

  1. On the Manage Apps screen details pane menu, select the version that is the source of the updated content — the parent version — and then click Send patch.

    Restriction: Send patch is disabled for the oldest version of an app because the goal is to create patches from a version to impact on previous installed versions.

    Screen capture showing the Manage Apps screen with the highlighted Send patch option

  2. On the Patch Details section, enter a Patch name, and optionally, a description. Click Save and continue.

    Screen capture showing the Patch Details tab

  3. On the Items section, make a selection from the Category selected and then the Entity selected dropdown. Select the Add Checkbox icon for each configuration entity to add to the app. As you add entities, they appear in the Items tab.

    Screen capture showing the Items tab

    Restriction: Patches only have the content of their parent version. Explicit and implicit entities are allowed. Patches can only update up to 5 items and their dependencies.
  4. Open the Dependencies tab to calculate the additional configuration entities that are included in your app. These additional entities are required by the entities that you selected.

    Screen capture showing dependencies for selected items

    If adding new entities while the Dependencies section is already open, click Update Dependencies to recalculate the list.

  5. If you have completed language Translations for any of the entities you selected, use the Advanced tab to select the translated languages to include in the patch.

    Screen capture showing the Advanced tab and all translated languages to include in the patch

  6. When you are done working in the patch, click Save and continue. This automatically sends you to the Destination section.

  7. The Destination section shows all the instances that have a version installed that is prior to the parent version. Select which of the instances to which you want to push this patch, then click Continue.

    Screen capture showing the Destination tab

  8. Confirm the patch by clicking Continue.

    Screen capture showing Send Patch confirmation dialog

    Preparing the update takes a few minutes. You are redirected to the Manage Apps screen.

  9. On the Manage apps screen, the Patches tab of the app details pane shows the status of the update for each client as well as details about previous attempts, if any occurred. While the update status is Pending or In Progress, you may select the client and click Stop update to cancel the update.

    Screen capture showing patch status on Patches section of the details pane

  10. When the status is ReadyUpgrade, click Apply patch.

  11. Confirm the patch by clicking Apply patch. The patching process may take a few minutes.

    Screen capture showing apply patch confirmation dialog

To see all patches that for a released version, select the release version and click the Patches tab on the app details pane.

Screen capture showing the Patches section of the details pane

Click View details to see additional information about completed patches. Click Installation details for more information about the installation process.

Screen capture showing patch details