Administration release notes
Find out what's new and changed in each version of Administration. This page lists all the releases in the last year, with the most recent release items at the top.
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Find out what's new and changed in each version of Administration. This page lists all the releases in the last year, with the most recent release items at the top.
Last updated
Was this helpful?
We released the , which allows you to impersonate (act as) another Phocas user in your organization. This feature is very useful when you need to check the settings or troubleshoot issues in a user account.
We changed the application so that from today the only available version for download is the new self-updating version. The next time you open Sync, you'll get a message to update to this version, but after that, you'll never need to install another version again. We also made some small changes to the installation process:
You no longer need to select which version (32-bit or 64-bit) of the installer file you want to download. Now, there's only one installer file, and when you run the install wizard, you can select the required version. We also introduced backend checks to ensure you can't install the 64-bit onto a 32-bit operating system, and on 64-bit systems, 64-bit is selected by default.
The Terms and Conditions section was removed from the install wizard, as it isn't required.
Previously, when installing the application, some anti-virus or malware software would warn you that it might be risky. As it isn't risky software, we now ensure the new version is signed, so you no longer get the warning message.
A new Windows scheduled task is now created during the installation process. This task runs hourly and wakes up to check if Sync needs to be updated. This task is required to ensure Sync automatically updates itself. If you remove the task, Sync will no longer update, but you can fix this by reinstalling Sync updater manually. This is different from the scheduled task you create to run the sync on your files.
We're delighted to announce two exciting items...
Upgrades and services form
A new form, available in the side navigation in Phocas, makes it easy for you to request upgrades and services from within your Phocas site. Your email address is automatically inserted into the form, and you can select from a list of common requests. For example, you might need additional user licenses or databases, or service work, such as ERP migration or training. If you don't see the request you need, simply select the Other option. Then give us some brief information and submit the form. We'll get back to you within a few days with a quote, and then we can get started on your upgrade or service!
New user documentation site
If you're reading this note, you're looking at our new user documentation site! We've moved our user documentation to this new platform and given it a fresh look with enhanced content display and search functionality, along with an easy-to-remember URL: docs.phocassoftware.com
Note for Phocas On-Premise users: End of support for SQL Server 2014
In July 2024, Microsoft announced that SQL Server 2014 is no longer a supported product. In November 2024, Phocas also stopped supporting it.
You can continue to use Phocas; however, you won't be able to upgrade to newer versions. Some features and functionality may no longer function as expected.
Following the last release, we made another enhancement to the Configuration page. When you try to save changes that include a validation error, the setting with the error is highlighted in red, so you can quickly identify where the problem is.
It is now not possible for a user with a Viewer license to have a non-viewer profile.
We now apply a password policy to new user accounts. Passwords must be at least length eight characters long and cannot be the same as the username.
We changed the password validation; you can no longer set your password to something that contains your username.
You will now receive an email if your account is timed-out following the number of incorrect password attempts specified in your organization’s password policy. The email informs you that your account might be under attack if it wasn’t you trying to sign in. The email includes the option to reset your password, if you want to unlock your account sooner, and remove the timeout on your account if you want to keep your password.
This authentication option behaves similarly to the existing LDAP authenticated? options in that it disables the Autogenerate password and Force password change options in the Password section of the maintenance form.
You can only select either the SAML authenticated? or LDAP authenticated? checkboxes, in other words, you can only use one authentication method. If neither checkboxes are selected, the user’s password is automatically generated and the sign in details are sent via email.
We added new options to the SSO configuration settings that allow Phocas to take action on your behalf:
User details sync - Syncs (updates) a Phocas user account with the user’s details from the third-party identity provider (IdP) each time the user signs in to Phocas.
User account creation - Creates a Phocas account for an IdP authorized user who does NOT currently have a Phocas account when they try to sign in to Phocas.
Template - Applies a template when creating the new user account (used with the above option).
In the case of a locked or disabled organization, or one with an expired trial period, if users try to sign in to the organization’s Phocas site, they now get to a landing page with a descriptive message.
Users whose accounts have been locked individually (via the user maintenance form or Users page) are now forced to sign out of their accounts. In the next release, this change will also apply to user accounts that have been locked using the bulk user update tool.
The Phocas sign in screen looks different - it promotes the SAML authentication method.
SAML users will only be able to sign in to Phocas using SAML.
SAML user passwords will not be resettable in Phocas.
Non-SAML users can still sign in to Phocas via the link below the Sign in button.
We made two improvements to user security:
Coming soon is the ability to quickly (or in bulk) lock accounts from the Users page.
We launched a new side menu to help you get around Phocas more easily and find all your important tools and data in a sleek, collapsible menu. We made some other navigation changes to simplify your screen and bring common actions closer to where you need them.
Side menu
Access your Phocas modules and open recents, favorites and dashboards.
Access the Administration menu.
Filter the items in each module, or in recents, favorites and dashboards. This option replaces the Navigate to search box that was in the top bar.
Launch the Resource Centre to access help and learning resources directly in Phocas.
Quick access to common actions
In a database, perform common actions from a new position near the database name. Simply click the arrow to view your options.
We’ve made it simpler to make bulk updates to database restrictions across multiple users. While you access the database restrictions screen in the usual way, you’ll notice it looks different. Its new tab-based interface makes it quicker and easier to move between dimensions, streams and measures to apply restrictions, and a new Data Filters tab gives you more granular control over data visibility within dimensions.
It’s also now easier to review and revise changes, and with a more detailed confirmation screen at the end of the bulk update process, so you can be sure you’re updating the right details for the right users. We hope you enjoy the new version of the database restrictions screen in the Bulk Update feature - we welcome your feedback.
We resolved several issues.
Please update any bookmarks you have to the , which will be retiring soon.
Phocas encourages users to upgrade to a supported version of Microsoft SQL Server (2016 at least) or to to learn about the benefits of moving to Phocas cloud to automatically access to new features and functionality.
We updated the with a fresh design that aligns with the pages in our other modules. The settings are now organized into tabs, making it easier to find the ones you need to configure. We also enhanced the data validation behind the settings to prevent you from entering invalid details and introduced more messaging to help you resolve such validation errors.
You can now create SAML-only users directly from the .
If you have enabled for your organization, an additional checkbox is available on the (below the Username box). When selected, the user is authenticated by a third-party identity provider (IdP).
See and for more information on these new options.
We implemented an Enhanced SAML Security option in the . When you select this option:
You can now .
When you , the user is now signed out from all their sessions. As soon as they move to another page or try to perform an action, they will either be returned to the sign in screen or get the following message:
You can now from the Users page. Simply select the users you want to sign out, then click More > Force Sign Out.
For more details, see .
We spent the last few months fine-turning the feature and we are delighted to release those changes today.
Homepage enhancements
In addition:
We introduced a Clear filters option to simultaneously clear all the filters you've applied.
We changed the filtering behavior, so fewer clicks are required to get the results you're looking for. Now if no options are selected, this is equivalent to all options being selected.
We changed the style of the tab filter buttons above the grid to make them easier to see.
We now display the description of items in the grid, where available, so you can quickly determine their contents.
New navigation now turned on for all users
Easier movement between the different Phocas products and sections.
Resource Centre: Easy access to in-product help and news, new user documentation site, and other learning resources. The old navigation pointed to the old user documentation site, which is no longer being updated.
Upgrades and service request form: Quick way to contact us about making additions to your site.
Product feedback form: Tell the development team what you like about Phocas.
Now when you apply one or more filters and sort orders to the grid on your , your selections are retained. This means the next time you view your homepage, it'll look exactly as you left it. This effectively lets you set up your homepage to always display only the items you're interested in.
In September 2023, we launched a new on the left side of Phocas. Recently, we identified that some users were still using the old navigation method, so we migrated them to the new navigation today. If you’re one of those users, you’ll notice the visual difference. The new navigation brings the following benefits:
