Updating content & settings through the Remote Management Server

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This article describes how to update Kiosk Pro's settings and/or locally stored content through the Remote Management Server.  

Content and/or a settings file are uploaded to the server as a part of a content revision.  That content revision is then assigned to a specific kiosk or set of kiosks and a server command is issued to tell the app the next time it checks in with the server that new content is pending.  Once the app picks up that server command, it downloads the files defined in the content revision.  The app creates event logs that track the progress of the update, and once complete, updates the server interface.

Updating App Settings

To update app settings through the Remote Management Server, you must include an .xml file that defines these settings as a part of a content revision as described below. 

This XML file uses the same format as a standard Remote Settings Control update and, as such, can be exported from that section of app settings - more information is available here.

When downloading a new content revision, Kiosk Pro compares all filenames to the current Settings XML Filename setting (by default, this is set to 'settings.xml'). When a match is found, the app will read that file and apply the new app settings. The app will also create an event log noting when the settings were updated or any errors that prevented the update. 

Creating & Assigning a New Content Revision

Content revisions can be created and associated to an individual kiosk, a group of kiosks, or your entire site: 

  1. Select Utilities in the top navigation.
  2. Click Content Management.
  3. Click New Package at the top right of the page.
  4. Give the package a name and optional description, then click Create.
  5. Click Associate Items to link the revision to one or more kiosks.
  6. Click the blue button next to Items: 
  7. Select your full site, a group of kiosks, or a specific kiosk, then click Confirm. 
  8. Click Add Item to add it to the list of associated kiosks shown.  Multiple kiosks or groups can be added to a single content revision by repeating this process.  
  9. Once all desired kiosks have been associated with the revision and are shown on the list, click Back to Package. 
  10. Click Add File to select files to upload to the revision.  Multiple files can be selected in a single upload. 
  11. If needed, folder structure can be added through the New Folder button. 
  12. Once all files and folders have been added, click Publish to make the revision available for download.  
  13. If you are not finished adding files, you can stage a draft of the revision by clicking 'Close'.  Content revisions in draft status are reflected on the Content Packages list with a green check in the 'Has Draft' column and cannot be picked up by a kiosk until published.
  14. After publishing a revision, you must send a server command to the kiosk(s) to notify them that a new revision is available - see below. 

Issuing a Server Command to Download the Content Revision

After creating or editing a content revision, you must issue a server command to tell Kiosk Pro to check for new content. Separating this step allows you to trigger a content update the next time Kiosk Pro checks in with the server or schedule the content update for a future time, typically during off-hours:

  1. Select Utilities in the top navigation.
  2. Click Server Commands.
  3. Click New Server Command in the top right of the page.
  4. IMPORTANT! Click the dropdown under Type on the right of the screen and select Initiate Content Update:Other commands in this list are not supported on iOS/iPadOS and will be ignored by Kiosk Pro.  
  5. Click the blue button next to Item and select the site, group or kiosk to issue the server command to. 
  6. By default, the server command will be issued immediately.  This can be modified by unchecking the box next to 'Run Immediately' and entering a date and time. 
  7. Issue the command by clicking Add to Queue. 
  8. If you are not ready to issue the command, it can be saved in draft status by clicking 'Save'.  Server commands in 

How often the app checks in to see if a server command is pending is set through the server.  By default, the server command interval is 600 seconds (or 10 minutes); this is configurable under 'Site Management' > 'Site Settings' > 'Server Command Interval'.  

The app will create an event log when it receives the server command from KioWare to initiate a content download. This event log contains a list of the files to be updated so you can see exactly what KioWare has indicated should be included in the update.

If a download of a specific file fails, the app makes an additional two attempts at downloading that file before declaring failure. Failed downloads will be sent as a separate event log and will now include the URL of the failing file and the specific reason for failure. With this information, you can check the status of the file manually and decide whether to initiate the same content update with all files again (just pushing a new server command for that same revision) or to create/push a new update revision containing just the failing file.

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