CCH Central Suite 2024.2 Update Guide

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8

CCH Central Suite 2021.3 and above requires Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 on all servers and computers that host or run the software. The CSI will check for the presence of Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 when it is started and if it is not found will offer to install it.

• Further information on installing the framework, including preparation and how to install it directly from Microsoft,  is available in our knowledge article CCH Central : .NET – Updating to Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8. Current Microsoft Operating Systems either ship with Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 enabled as part of their core feature set or as a feature that can be enabled as part of the Core OS's feature set.

Microsoft .NET Framework 6.0

CCH OneClick Onboarding Application 

If you are performing the on-premises-to-cloud activation process using the OneClick Onboading Application (ConnectCCHCentralData.exe) then you will require the Microsoft .NET 6.0 runtime on the computer on which the onboarding process is performed.

CCH iFirm Anti-Money Laundering (AML)

If you are using the CCH iFirm AML module within the CCH Central suite then you will require Microsoft .NET 6.0 runtime to be installed on all computers where AML functionality within the CCH Central suite is to be utilised.

Installation process

From the Tools Install section of the CSI install the Microsoft .NET Framework 6.0 runtime (named .Net 6.0 Installation).  

The screenshot below shows the Microsoft Framework .NET 6 runtime installation option in question:

Microsoft .NET Framework 6.0 runtime installation

SQL Server Native Client 2012

Microsoft Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 not supported

The following Windows Server versions are end of life:

• Windows Server 2012/2012 R2: 10th October 2023
  • The official Microsoft end of life date for both Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 is 10th October 2023 but the Central Suite Installer (CSI) for the release of the CCH Central 2023.3 suite, released end of September 2023, includes end of life for these two platforms at a slightly earlier juncture.

Before installing this update you should ensure that the version of Microsoft Windows Server you are running is a supported version.

Further information is available here:

• Retirement of Microsoft Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2

Microsoft SQL Server 2008/2008 R2/2012/2012 R2/2014 not supported

The following SQL Server versions are end of life:

• Microsoft SQL Server 2008/2008 R2: 9^th July 2019
• Microsoft SQL Server 2012: 10^th Oct 2022
• Microsoft SQL Server 2014: 9^th Jul 2024

Before installing this update, you should ensure that the version of Microsoft SQL Server you are running is a supported version.

Further information is available here:

• Retirement of Microsoft SQL Server 2012 FAQs
• Retirement of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and 2008 r2 FAQs
• Check the version of Microsoft SQL Server installed
• Upgrade SQL Server Using the Installation Wizard

Microsoft SQL Server 2017/2019/2022 & CLR Strict Security

SQL Server 2019/2022

From the release of 2022.2 Service Pack 1 and onwards the process for installing the CCH Central security certificate for CLR signing has changed and is now prompted for when installing the update via the Update tab of the CSI. If you are using SQL Server 2019/2022 and have previously installed the certificate for CCH Central CLR assembly signing via the Database Install tab of the CSI then the option to install the certificate has now moved to the Tools Install tab of the CSI.

SQL Server 2017

We are not currently supporting the CLR Strict Security feature within the CSI. Please view the link above in Useful Information for more details.

SQL Server 2014  

If you are still using SQL Server 2014, you will see the End of Support warning message at the update point:

This is a warning that CCH Central 2024.1 is the last release of the CCH Central suite to support SQL Server 2014.

Failure to upgrade SQL Server 2014 beyond its end of life date of 9th July 2024 will result in the inability to install the next version, and subsequent versions, of the CCH Central suite. From CCH Central 2024.2 and later, use of SQL Server 2014 will be detected and the update will be blocked at this juncture. For business continuity and security purposes, we recommend you maintain compliance with Microsoft's Lifecycle for their platforms and products.

If you are currently using SQL Server 2014 we recommend you consult your IT Team to plan for the upgrade of the data platform. The CSI does not contain any functionality to facilitate the upgrade of SQL Server to a later version. Our knowledgebase does contain articles the cover the impending end of life of this version of the Microsoft data platform.

Database Upgrade

As usual, a database upgrade will be required when starting the software for the first time. For 2024.1, the nature of the upgrade means it will take a reasonable amount of time to complete. Please allow for this and do not interrupt the process once it has started. For customers upgrading from 2023.3 SP, plan for the database upgrade phase to take approximately anywhere from 5 minutes to 40 minutes. Time taken is based on raw environment performance and for customers taking the update when currently running as far back as 2023.1 (the largest supported period for 2024.1), the time taken may be multiples of the time quoted and therefore plan accordingly.

Checking your CCH Central suite version

The CSI can update any version of the Central Suite from version 2023.1xx and above. To confirm the version of your Central Suite proceed as follows:

• Start the CCH Central Suite
• From the Home page click the File > Help > About

• The About CCH Central windows will appear with the version number shown at the top. The image shows version 2023.100.10404 as an example

Ensuring the CCH Central suite is not in use

• Ensure all users are logged out of the CCH Central Suite
• If you make use of the CCH Microsoft Office plug-ins, you must close all Microsoft Office suite products (such as MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook etc.) on computers that use the CCH Central Suite, before proceeding with this update
• Ensure you allow enough time for carrying out the update including the CCH Central database upgrade, which depending on the size of your database, may take a significant amount of time

Securing Database Backups 

• CCH Central and CCH Document SQL Server databases

  Note:  It is essential that these backups be time synchronized, with the Document database (active only in environments where multiple Document databases reside) backup taken immediately after the Central database backup and whilst CCH Central and any related CCH plugins are not in use, and therefore no data is being added to the system.

Where to Run the Central Suite Installer (CSI)

The CSI MUST always be run on the server / computer that holds your CCH Central program folder (by convention named Deploy). If you do have more than one CCH Central program folder then each one must be updated in turn, before moving on to the database upgrade.

In addition to program folders, the CCH Central Suite includes a series of components referred to as services. If the CCH Central Windows services are on a server / computer that is different to the on hosting the program files, you will need to run the CSI a second time on that computer / server, and on any other server hosting a CCH Central Windows service(s). Typically, these services will be on the computer / server that holds your SQL Server Central database, so if you have a separate dedicated SQL Server it is likely that the services will reside there.

Customer Code and Registration Code

In order to download the latest Central Suite Installer you will need to know the Customer Code and Registration Code of the account that you are registered for. These details should be known by your system administrator(s) and were supplied in your Welcome Pack when the software was first purchased. In the unlikely event that you do not know what these are and they cannot be located in your practice, you may log a case and ask Support.

Connecting to the CSI

1. Login to our Support Portal 
2. Click on the Software Releases tile
   
3. You will see
   
   
   then Click on the CCH Central Suite Installer (CSI) tile

• The Latest Central Suite Releases page will appear ( note: version number will be different)
  
• Click the Latest version and the CCH Central Suite Installer (CSI) page will appear.
• After reading the page information, Click on the 'Go to the Central Suite Installer  > ' button in the bottom right-hand corner  of the screen
  
  • The setup.exe file will be downloaded
    
• Launch the setup.exe
  • > The main CCH Central Suite Installer welcome screen will appear:

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• Enter your Customer Code (previously 'Client Code' ) and Registration Code (also know as  'Password') and click Next to Login to the CSI
  • > The CSI will start and the Update tab will be presented:

Updating the CCH Central Suite Programs

The CCH Central Programs update must be carried out on the server / computer that holds your CCH Central Suite program folder, by convention usually referred to as the Deploy folder.

• From the Update tab, click Check for Updates
  • > A list of the new updates will be presented:

Products for which you are licensed but are not currently installed will show at the top of the window under the heading of New Licensed Products. If you have any products in this category, it is recommended that you complete the update and then follow the CCH Central Suite guide that describes how to add a new product.

• Ensure any New Licensed Products are not ticked / selected for installation
• Click Install Updates
• If the question 'Are you sure you want to skip the installation of these products?' is presented, answer Yes
  • > The install will now begin. The window changes to display progress information
• When the update is complete the progress information will be replaced by the Success window:

• Click Exit, and then Yes when asked ‘Are you sure you want to exit?’
• Finally, close the web browser session that is still displaying the home page of the CSI

Updating the CCH Central Suite Windows Services  

The CCH Central Suite Services update must be carried out on the server / computer that holds your CCH Central Suite database(s) and, if CCH Scan is present, the computer that holds your OCR Service, and any dedicated application server whose sole purpose is for the hosting of the CCH Central Suite Windows Services. In some cases, this will be multiple computers.

Start the CSI as described in section Connecting to the CSI

• From the Update Tab, click Check for Updates
  • > A list of the new updates will be presented
• Click Install Updates
  • > The installation will now begin. The window changes to display progress information

• When the update is complete progress information will be replaced by the Success window:

• Click Exit, and then Yes when asked ‘Are you sure you want to exit?’
• Finally close the web browser session that is still displaying the home page of the CSI

CCH Central Database Upgrade

An automatic database upgrade is required by the 2024.2 update. This upgrade runs as a result of the first CCH Central login following the CCH Central Suite update. Follow the process outlined below:

1. Start CCH Central and login as a superuser
2. Click Yes to continue with the automatic database upgrade
3. Click Yes to accept the recommended database backup that will take a backup of the Central database only. If you have already secured a set of database backups (if you have a Document database then a Central only backup will not represent a set of database backups) by following the section Before you Begin > Securing Database Backups then Click No. A restore point is ESSENTIAL to ensure recovery of the system in the event of a failure during the database upgrade
4. Click Yes to continue with the database upgrade
   

During the upgrade, the application that is being upgraded is displayed with a  and a progress percentage, once the application has reached 100% one of the following symbols is returned:

• Upgrade was successful 
• Upgrade failed 
• Upgrade  has script errors 

Where no errors are detected, the success icon is returned.

Office Plugin Update

The plugins are installed locally and therefore this section must be carried out on each end-user device/computer where the CCH Central application is run from:

1. Logon to the workstation using an account that has local administrator rights
2. Ensure that all programs, including Microsoft Office, are closed
3. Using the desktop icon start the CCH Central Suite

> The following window will briefly appear:

The update will complete in around 30-60 seconds before displaying the the CCH Central Login or Home page.

Traveling Laptops Update

Laptops that use the CCH Accounts Production/CCH Audit Automation Travel feature maintain a local copy of the CCH Central Suite. Providing the Windows Desktop shortcut is correctly configured to use the CentralLoader executable, updating this local copy of the CCH Central Suite is carried out automatically the first time that the application is used following an update to the CCH Central Suite program files on the server hosting them.

The automatic update can only take place if no jobs are currently Travelled Out to the laptop. If Travelled Out job(s) are detected when starting the CCH Central Suite, the message shown below will appear indicating that the update will not take place until such time as all jobs are Travelled back:

With Traveled Out jobs detected, click OK  and the existing version of CCH Central Suite will then start.

To resolve this issue, proceed as follows:

1. Travel all jobs back into the main system
2. Exit the CCH Central Suite
3. Restart the CCH Central Suite to begin the update

CCH OneClick

The following steps must be performed in the order prescribed below:

1. Database upgrade performed by the administrator
2. Ensure all "Deploy" folders are updated with the latest version (applies to customers using additional local Deploy folders outside of the master Deploy folder).
3. A Full Synchronisation from File > Maintenance > OneClick > SyncWorker Console > SyncWorker Management Console (as depicted below) is performed by the administrator.

CCH Practice Management

CCH Practice Management 2021.1 or above required two specific configuration keys to be present. This section explains how to check for the presence of these keys and, if they are not present, how to add them.

1. Whilst logged in as a superuser, Click File
2. From From the left menu bar select Maintenance > User Defined Configuration

> The Maintenance window will appear

• Use the Search name box to look for the two keys: BillingDefaultFont & BillingDefaultFontSize

If the keys are found, no further action is necessary, and the Configuration tab can be closed.

Otherwise, proceed to the next step:

1. In the first row, denoted by '*', the data entry row, enter BillingDefaultFont in the Key Name Field and Arial in the Key Value field, then press Return to add the new configuration key
2. Repeat this process for the second key, entering BillingDefaultFontSize in the Key Name field and 10 in the corresponding Key Value field, then press Return to add the configuration key
3. Click OK to close the Configuration tab and save the changes

Installing Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8

To install Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 using the CSI proceed as described below.

• Start the CSI
• Click the large blue Run button

If Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 is not installed on the particular computer or server the CSI will offer to install this:

• Click Accept.

The ClickOnceInstaller Setup for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 progress bar will appear:

Followed by a request to reboot:

• Click Yes.

The computer will reboot and after login after which the CSI login will reappear.

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 is now installed and the CCH Central Suite update will now proceed as usual.

Troubleshooting