Updating

These are instructions for updating an existing installation, not for installing TimeKeeper for the first time (for that, see the section, “Installing TimeKeeper"). You can update TimeKeeper and its license at the same time or update one or the other independently.

Upgrading TimeKeeper

To upgrade (or downgrade) TimeKeeper, run the installer for the new version then restart TimeKeeper. (See the note about downgrading in the “Log rotation” section.) You do not have to stop TimeKeeper or uninstall the old version first. All of your data files are retained. The same license file from before can be used for the new version, so it is not necessary to have a license file in the same directory as the installer.

On Windows, we strongly recommended that you exit all other programs before running the installer. In particular, close those which may be accessing TimeKeeper files or directories, including Windows Explorer.

Updating the TimeKeeper license

To update the TimeKeeper license, replace the existing license file, /opt/timekeeper/release64/timekeeper.lic (on Windows, C:\Program Files\timekeeper\release64\timekeeper.lic), with the new license file. To begin using the new license, restart TimeKeeper then verify in the TimeKeeper log or via the web GUI that the new license is valid and being used.

As of version 8.0.11 when a license file is replaced/updated it is no longer necessary to restart TimeKeeper if the expiration date changed. If the features/options have changed in the license file TimeKeeper will alert that a restart will be automatically performed when the previous license expires.

TimeKeeper previously was sold as a client or a server. As of late 2021 this was simplified so all instances can be a client or server based only on configuration. Client only installations will continue to operate as clients but may also be configured as a server if desired. Users updating an earlier client-only license to one that can operate as a client and server (if configured to do so) will have different features/options as described above. In this case as a one time operation, TimeKeeper should be restarted if a client only license is being replaced with a more capable one, or wait until the client-only license expires fully so that TimeKeeper will restart itself.

Grace period

A license expires on a certain date, but TimeKeeper continues to be available and run normally for some time after that. That extra time is called the grace period.

Up to 30 days before the expiration date, TimeKeeper alerts about the upcoming expiration (see the section, “licenseStateTrap"). After expiration but now in the grace period, TimeKeeper continues to run and can be restarted successfully. During this period, which is typically 30 days, TimeKeeper alerts that it’s in the grace period. Once the grace period is over, the TimeKeeper service stops and cannot be restarted until a valid license is installed.