Release streams are versions of Jiwa 7 we have run through our regression testing and deem to be of commercial quality, and will fully support.
Development streams are versions of Jiwa 7 that we have done no regression testing on, but are the latest build. Once a development stream version is produced, our process is to test each change and verify the change works as intended. If any defects are found, we indicate that on the original bug report as reopened, and it is targeted to the next build. We then fix all the reopened bugs and produce a new development build. Rinse and repeat - until all defects are addressed.
We then regression test the latest development build - we have a suite of test plans to test various aspects of the software and verify the software works as intended. If any problems occur, we log a new bug and it is targeted to the next build. We then fix all the reopened and new bugs and produce a new development build. Rinse and repeat (so we test the logged defects, and run through all the test plans again) - until all defects are addressed and all test plans pass.
Once we have a build with no outstanding known defects, we declare that build a release build and it is moved into the Release Stream. We've performed this process for over a decade with Jiwa, but this is the first time we have made development streams available for general download.
We have introduced into the software a gate to prevent upgrading data without a valid licence for the new version. If you want to try out a Development stream version you will need a valid licence before the upgrade commences. Upon upgrade we prompt for the user to supply a valid licence file - We provide one for the demonstration data in the Jiwa installation folder, but if you want to try out a development build on a real customer database, you will need to set their company name in the system to be "Jiwa Financials Evaluation" and supply the demo data licence when upgrading.
We did this because we did not want inadvertent upgrades to development streams, and also because we want to be involved in the upgrade process to provide :
- A better experience for customers
- A better experience for dealers / resellers
- A method of feedback on how to improve the upgrade process
You can set a databases Company Name to be "Jiwa Financials Evaluation" using the following script :
- Code: Select all
UPDATE SY_SysValues SET Contents = 'Jiwa Financials Evaluation' WHERE IDKey = 'CompanyName'
It should go without saying that a live customer database should not be upgraded to a development stream version. We will not provide a licence for live databases for development stream versions, except in extenuating circumstances. Attempting to run a live customer site on a demo licence will limit the site to 2 concurrent users, and with a licence expiry date set to the near future. It would also contravene the licence agreement for Jiwa 7.
You can see both Development and Release streams available for download on our support page
We've provided this ability to download development streams to be more transparent with our development progress and to assist dealers and customers with gauging the impact of upcoming releases. I think this will be of value to both dealers and customers alike.
Mike