Overview
Version Locking allows an organization to pin its Softdrive environment to a specific supported client and server version. This gives administrators control over when new Softdrive releases are deployed and provides time to test new versions before rolling them out to the entire organization.
Version Locking is disabled by default. Organizations that do not enable Version Locking will continue receiving Softdrive updates automatically.
Version Locking applies to the entire organization. Individual virtual machines cannot be locked to different Softdrive versions.
The Softdrive client and server are always updated or downgraded together and must run the exact same version.
Applies To
- Softdrive organizations using Version Locking
- Softdrive Launcher
- Windows-based Softdrive servers and virtual machines
- Administrators planning Softdrive version upgrades or rollbacks
Prerequisites
- Administrative access to your Softdrive organization.
- A supported Softdrive version available for locking.
- A planned maintenance window if applying or changing a Version Lock.
What Is Version Locking?
Version Locking lets you pin your entire Softdrive organization to a specific client and server version so updates only apply when you choose to apply them. This gives your team time to validate a release before deploying it throughout your production environment.
Important Considerations
- Organization-wide: Version Locking applies to the entire organization. Different VMs within the same organization cannot use different locked versions.
- Client and server together: The Softdrive Launcher and server must run the same version and are upgraded or downgraded as a pair.
- Upgrade or rollback: An organization can move forward to a newer supported version or roll back to an earlier supported version.
- Exact-version locking: Locking to a version such as 4.8.0 does not automatically move the organization to a later patch such as 4.8.1. The Version Lock must be updated manually.
Version States
Softdrive releases move through the following Version Locking states:
| State | Description |
|---|---|
| Draft | The version has not yet been released and is not available for Version Locking. |
| Active | The version is currently supported and can be selected for Version Locking. |
| Deprecated | The version may still function but is scheduled for removal. Deprecated versions cannot be selected for new Version Locks. Once an organization moves away from a deprecated version, it cannot return to it. |
Softdrive supports the three most recent Active versions at any given time: the current production version and the two Active versions immediately preceding it.
With a typical release cadence, this provides approximately six months of coverage before an older version becomes deprecated.
What Happens When You Apply or Change a Version Lock?
Applying or changing a Version Lock causes the Softdrive servers associated with the organization to update or roll back to match the selected version.
During this process, users should expect approximately 5–10 minutes of connection unavailability.
Affected
- Connections to the Softdrive organization.
- Users attempting to establish or restore a Softdrive session during the update window.
Not Affected
- Running virtual machines.
- Applications and workloads already running inside the VM.
- Data stored on the VM.
- The state of the operating system inside the VM.
Because applying or changing a Version Lock temporarily interrupts connections, we recommend performing the change outside of your organization's active working hours whenever possible.
Notify users in advance that connections may be unavailable for approximately 5–10 minutes.
Why Does the Connection Interruption Occur?
Softdrive requires the client and server to run the exact same version. Mixed-version connections are not supported.
When a Version Lock is applied or changed, the server must update or roll back to match the selected version. This process briefly interrupts user connections while the new version is applied.
Recommended Procedure
- Choose a maintenance window outside of your team's normal working hours whenever possible.
- Notify users that Softdrive connections may be unavailable for approximately 5–10 minutes.
- Apply or change the Version Lock from your organization's settings.
- Allow the environment approximately 5–10 minutes to complete the version update or rollback.
- Reconnect to the organization after the update completes.
- Verify the Version Lock status from the Softdrive Launcher settings panel.
Checking Your Current Version Lock Status
The Softdrive Launcher settings panel displays the current Version Lock status for your organization.
- Dash (-): No Version Lock is configured. The organization follows the latest production release automatically.
- Version number: The organization is locked to that specific Softdrive version.
Softdrive Launcher Update Behavior
Without a Version Lock
When Version Locking is not enabled, the Softdrive Launcher checks for available updates automatically approximately every five minutes and whenever the application is brought into focus.
These checks can occur even when no user is currently logged into Softdrive.
With a Version Lock
When an organization has an active Version Lock, the Softdrive Launcher stops checking for version changes after a user logs out.
The Launcher checks the organization's required version again during the next login. This helps prevent unnecessary upgrade and downgrade loops, particularly on shared computers.
Testing a New Version Before Production Deployment
Because Version Locking applies to an entire organization, individual VMs within the same organization cannot be used to test a different Softdrive version.
If your team wants to validate a new release before adopting it in production, the recommended approach is to use a separate User Acceptance Testing (UAT) organization.
For example:
- Production Organization: Your Company
- Testing Organization: Your Company UAT
UAT Prerequisites
- The UAT organization must be created by Softdrive Support. Organization creation is not currently a self-service action.
- Test users should have separate accounts for the production and UAT organizations.
Recommended UAT Workflow
- Contact Softdrive Support and request a dedicated UAT organization.
- Once the UAT organization is created, configure it to use the new Softdrive version you want to evaluate.
- Keep your production organization locked to its current trusted version while testing takes place.
- Have designated users log into the UAT organization using their UAT accounts.
- Perform your acceptance testing and confirm the new version works as expected with your workflows and applications.
- When testing is complete, update the Version Lock on your production organization during an appropriate maintenance window.
A user cannot remain logged into two organizations using different Softdrive versions from the same Launcher at the same time.
If a tester needs access to both the production and UAT organizations, use separate usernames and access each environment separately.
When connecting to another organization, the Softdrive Launcher may need to upgrade or downgrade itself to match that organization's required version.
Platform Support
At launch, Version Locking is supported for Windows-based Softdrive servers and virtual machines.
Linux, macOS, and iOS are not currently supported for Version Locking. Support for additional platforms is planned, but there is currently no confirmed release timeline.
If your organization's Softdrive servers or VMs run on a platform other than Windows, we recommend leaving Version Locking disabled.
Enabling Version Locking on an unsupported platform could leave the environment without a reliable automated recovery path if an upgrade or downgrade problem occurs.
Unofficial or case-specific workarounds may exist for certain platforms such as macOS; however, these are not supported or documented Version Locking procedures, and Softdrive Support cannot guarantee recovery when using them.
What Non-Windows Organizations Can Do
- Continue receiving standard Softdrive automatic updates.
- Leave Version Locking disabled until support for your platform becomes available.
- Contact Softdrive Support or your account team about using a Windows-based UAT organization if pre-production release testing is required.
Expected Result
After a Version Lock is successfully applied:
- The organization remains on the selected Softdrive version.
- The Softdrive client and server use the same version.
- Automatic deployment of newer versions is prevented until the organization changes or removes the Version Lock.
- The selected version appears in the Softdrive Launcher settings panel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I lock different versions for different VMs?
No. Version Locking is configured at the organization level and applies to all applicable systems within that organization.
What happens if I try to lock to a deprecated version?
Deprecated versions are not available for new Version Locks. Once an organization moves away from a deprecated version, it cannot lock back to that version.
Will my organization automatically receive patch updates after I lock a version?
No. Version Locking pins the organization to an exact version. For example, an organization locked to 4.8.0 will not automatically move to 4.8.1. An administrator must update the Version Lock to receive the newer patch.
Does changing a Version Lock shut down my VMs?
No. Running VMs and workloads continue operating. Only the connection to the environment is temporarily interrupted while the version change is applied.
How long will users be unable to connect?
Plan for approximately 5–10 minutes of connection unavailability when applying or changing a Version Lock.
What happens if my Softdrive installation becomes corrupted while my organization is locked to an older version?
Install the latest production version of the Softdrive Launcher and log into your organization. The Launcher will detect the organization's configured Version Lock and automatically adjust to the required version.
Can I test a new version on only a few VMs?
Not within the same organization. For controlled testing, request a separate UAT organization from Softdrive Support.
Troubleshooting
If users cannot reconnect after the expected Version Lock maintenance period:
- Confirm that the organization has finished applying the Version Lock.
- Confirm the version displayed in the Softdrive Launcher settings panel.
- Close and reopen the Softdrive Launcher.
- Attempt to log into the organization again.
- If the Launcher installation appears corrupted, install the latest production Softdrive Launcher and sign in again so it can automatically adjust to the organization's locked version.
Need Help?
If you experience unexpected behavior while configuring or using Version Locking, contact Softdrive Support.
When contacting Support, please provide:
- Your organization name.
- The currently configured Version Lock.
- The version you are attempting to upgrade or downgrade to.
- Any error messages displayed by the Softdrive Launcher.