Links to Exo Business Program files for 2019.2.2 and 2021.5 versions

Will_H

As 2019 draws to a close, I'm highlighting the following 2 versions for Developer partners.

 

2019.2 - The last version pre Unicode conversion.

2021.5 - The current version post Unicode conversion.

(Next scheduled release will be 2022.1)

 

Install links, and further information on these releases, below.

 

I'd recommend doing testing with whatever version your client is using personally (if they have a version), however for general test environments, I'd use either:

 

2019.2.2 - Has SQL Security Changes embedded, but no Unicode changes

2019.2 Release notes (Includes Service Packs 1&2)

Installer FAQ's - relating to 2018.4 and above

 

 Client Upgrade Installer

 

Executables

Clarity Report Masters

Components

Databases

DLLs

Documentation

EXO Business DVD Image

EXO Business Installer

Local Helpfiles

Quick Insert Templates

ExoOemlib.dll

 

 

Or the latest 2021.5 release:

This version brings significant changes to databases - please familiarise yourself with the whitepaper Converting Database Text Fields to Unicode especially if you have dependencies on integrated third party or customized applications. 

 

We also encourage you to read the whitepaper on Improvements to security when calling out to external applications from an Exo Business Menu.

 

Note : API services - ClarityRT.exe  components. The current API services (version 1.6.1) are compatible with 2019.4.  No upgrade of the API services is necessary to support 2019.4, however, there are some changes in Clarity in this version - you should replace the ClarityRT.EXE and ExoEmailService.exe in your Exo Business Services folder. This should be backward compatible with versions 2018.4 and above (security encryption change). 

 

Quick client only Installer!

Release Notes

 

Executables

Clarity Report Masters

Components

Databases

DLLs

Documentation

EXO Business DVD Image

EXO Business Installer

Local Helpfiles

Quick Insert Templates

 

Notes on 2019.4/2021.2 changes

The Unicode conversion whitepaper may be of some interest to Developers, as might the 3rd party application calls using SecureLogin whitepaper. 

While it hopefully won't affect developers directly, you should be aware that:
Prior to 2019.4, almost all fields in Exo which held text were of the type VARCHAR

After 2019.4, almost all fields in Exo which hold text are now of the type NVARCHAR.

 

NVARCHAR, which holds Unicode characters, allows users/developers more freedom with input to fields for foreign language characters.

Will_H

General advice for installing:
I find it easiest to install by:

1) Download and run the CLIENT INSTALLER.

2020.3 Client installer for example 

2) Set up a local SQL Server instance if I haven't already got one. (For development purposes, any Microsoft SQL Server version will work, but I usually just get the very latest version that's in general release.)

Note: for Exo to work, you need to have a ProcessAdmin level user set up via Mixed Mode Authentication. (Not the Windows User/Domain User authentication.)

 

3) Download the Databases zip, and install the Australian or New Zealand motopartz Demo database in my SQL Server.

2020.3 Databases.zip 

 

4) Download Clarity Report Masters and unzip them into a Clarity folder in my ExoBusiness Install folder.

Clarity Masters 

This lets reports be run, as long as I configure the Clarity folders to point to the right places.

 

5) Run ExoConfig.exe using the RIGHT CLICK > RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR option or from an elevated command line and configure a connection to the SQL Server. 

Reason: Connections are stored against windows user-specific registry keys.  The API service takes can't access the current user keys for your logged-in user (as it will be run as a service), and therefore you need to use the elevated access rights to force ExoConfig to write registry keys for all users instead. (These connections will show as READ ONLY if you later run the connection editor as your normal Windows user).

 

6) Download and Install Business Services.

 

 

As an alternative to the above, you can't un the full Exo Business Installer, just be aware that it will want to install a SQL Server 2008 Express instance for you. (The basic server installer hasn't been updated in some time).  You'll still need to do steps 5 & 6 if you go with this method.