Background Updater and Vocera Clusters

After Vocera Voice Server 4.4 (or a more recent version) has been installed on your Vocera Cluster, you can take advantage of the background update feature to ensure that users experience minimal downtime during subsequent updates to badge properties or firmware.

During a background update, the Badge always downloads firmware and settings from the active server.

To update the background updater, perform the following tasks:

  1. Update the badge.properties file in the \vocera\config directory on the active server. After approximately two minutes, the file will be synchronized with the standby server.
  2. Update the standby nodes:
    1. Shut down the Vconfig by choosing Run > Exit on the standby node.
    2. Update the standby node by installing the latest Vocera Voice Server service pack.
    3. Reboot the standby node.
    4. Wait for the Vocera Voice Server on the standby node to rejoin the cluster and perform a remote restore.
      Important: After the Vocera Voice Server starts, it initially comes up as an active node, and then within a minute it rejoins the cluster and performs a remote restore. With a large database, a remote restore can take several minutes.
    5. On the active node, shut down the Vconfig by choosing Run > Exit.
      A standby node becomes active. Badges connect to it and download new firmware and settings in the background.
    6. Update the remaining Vocera Voice Server nodes.