Auto Upgrade
The Auto Upgrade feature allows a site to initiate a complete software upgrade without requiring the presence or expertise of a Verifone Authorized Service Contractor (VASC).
Revision History
08/09/2015
Changes include the enhancements introduce.
04/25/2016
Auto Upgrade Feature Reference Update.
05/18/2016
Review Updates.
09/15/2016
Format Update.
09/22/2016
Enhancement Update on Site Controller.
02/10/2017
2017/format updates. Added TLS 1.2 Backoffice consideration. Added note that Commander SMS applications may need updates along with controller/POS software upgrades.
02/28/2017
Added Auto-Applied Upgrade. Expanded glossary terms.
05/17/2019
Updated with feedback from training team.
07/04/2019
Updated information about why new features are not enabled by default for roles.
07/03/2026
Software Auto-Upgrade Failed Due to Open Reports in Period
Day Close Requirement
Minimum 8GB RAM Requirement
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
The following terms and definitions will assist the reader with understanding the content of the Feature Reference.
ASM
Annual Support Maintenance
Auto Upgrade
This feature allows a site to initiate a complete software upgrade without requiring the presence or expertise of a VASC, or intervention from Verifone Technical Support Center.
DCR
Dispenser Card Reader
EPS
Electronic Payment Server
HASP
Hardware Against Software Piracy. A HASP Hardware Key, also called a "dongle", is a software copy protection device that plugs into the USB port of the computer. Upon startup, the application looks for the key and will run only if the key contains the appropriate code.
LAN
Local Area Network
POS
Point of Sale
POS System
Includes the POS terminals, site controller and the electronic payment server.
TLS
Transport Layer Security is a cryptographic protocol providing communications security over a computer network.
USB
Universal Serial Bus
VASC
Verifone Authorized Service Contractor
VRSD
Verifone Remote Software Download is Verifone's automated remote software download solution.
WFTPD
Windows FTP Daemon is a stand-alone FTP server for Windows.
Overview
Feature Description
The Auto Upgrade feature allows a site to initiate a complete software upgrade without requiring the presence or expertise of a Verifone Authorized Service Contractor (VASC), or intervention from the Verifone Technical Support Center. Verifone Remote Software Download (VRSD) is Verifone's automated remote software download solution. All available datasets within the site controller are backed up during the Auto Upgrade process along with Transaction logs, reporting data (including totalizers), and card holder data. Closing the daily report prior to performing the Auto Upgrade is crucial to prevent loss of batch settlement details should the upgrade have any issues.
Auto Upgrade preserves the complete Commander configuration. It also runs initialization commands, including Fuel and DCR, so the system is ready for normal business use immediately after the upgrade. No additional end-user steps are required.
Software Auto-Upgrade Failed Due to Open Reports in Period
Some sites have experienced upgrade durations exceeding two hours, causing the process to time out and fail. The root cause is an excessive accumulation of unprocessed data in an open reporting period (Period 3 or 4), which forces the Auto Upgrade engine to restore a disproportionately large dataset before it can proceed. This is generally caused by sites failing to close reports for those periods.
Sites may encounter one of the following errors when attempting an Auto Upgrade:
“E9092 Software auto-upgrade failed due to open reports in Period-4”
“E9093 Software auto-upgrade failed due to open reports in Period-3”
The most likely cause is that the Roll Up DB Reports setting (found under Report > Report Configuration in the Configuration Client) defaults to YES for both Month and Year. This means that the Database (DB) from the Daily report rolls up into the Monthly report. The DB from the Monthly report rolls up to the Yearly report. Sites that do not use monthly (31-day) or yearly (365-day) reports may be unaware that these reports must be closed. Not closing these reports allows data to accumulate into large volumes.
Solution
Option A — Site Does Not Use Monthly or Yearly Period Reports (Recommended)
If the site does not use the affected period reports, perform the following steps:
Log in to Config Client, hover over the Reporting menu, and select Report Configuration.
Select 3 – Month from the Period Configuration pull-down menu.
Set “Roll Up DB Reports” to NO.
Select 4 – Year from the Period Configuration pull-down menu.
Set “Roll Up DB Reports” to NO.
Save the configuration.
From the Point of Sale (POS), navigate to CSR Func, Maintenance Menu, and select Check For VRSD to re-stage the download.
Select Apply Upgrade to start the upgrade process again.
The Verifone Helpdesk may have to delete the existing download from the Commander and re-stage the upgrade on the server.
After the upgrade completes, the site will not be able to recover the deleted period data.
Option B — Site Uses Period Reports
If the site does use the affected period’s reports and wants to preserve the data, follow these steps:
From the POS, navigate to CSR Functions > Reporting Menu.
Select the Close YEARLY Report. This will start to close all period reports in sequence (Shift, Day, Month, Year).
After the Year closes, navigate to CSR Func, Maintenance Menu, and select Check For VRSD to re-stage the download.
Select Apply Upgrade to start the upgrade process again.
Requirements
Commander Site Controller or RubyCi •Broadband Internet Connection
Supported Hardware Configurations
Commander Site Controller with C18
Commander Site Controller with Topaz
Commander Site Controller with Ruby2
RubyCi with Topaz
RubyCi with Ruby2
Related topics
Release 53 & Higher UI Reference — Review UI changes that can appear after an upgrade.
App Selector — See how C18 application defaults are retained across upgrades.
Self Checkout — Check role updates and behavior that may change after upgrading to a SCO-capable base.
Configuring Auto Upgrade
The following information is critical to the Auto Upgrade process. Review this entire chapter prior to beginning. Perform and follow the steps outlined in this document according to store policies and procedures.
Advanced Preparation
Stop all store operations prior to and during the Auto Upgrade process:
All Cashiers must be logged out.
All fuel dispensing must be completed. If necessary, cover all pump handles with paper bags.
All POS Terminals must remain idle.
No merchandise or fuel is to be sold.
Prior to initiating Auto Upgrade:
Ensure all Point of Sales Systems devices are connected and functioning without any communication errors.
The payment host must be online for the upgrade to be applied. For example, the site should be processing credit/debit.
The POS receipt printer must be functioning in order to print Auto Upgrade messages and instructions.
Perform a Period Close from the POS terminal: CSR Functions > Reporting Menu. Close the Period (Shift/Day) and trigger a Network Batch close.
Print Period Close Reports from the POS terminal: CSR Functions > Reporting Menu. Print all period reports, network reports, cashier reports, payroll reports, etc., typically printed as part of Close or reconciliation process.
Yearly reports can be disabled to speed up the installation process. See the Reporting section for steps to disable and enable yearly reports.
Confirm that all available reports for network totals have been saved or printed. Print or save each of the network reports before proceeding.
Transmit all report information from the POS terminal to the back office system, ifapplicable to the site configuration.
Optional: while the Auto Upgrade will preserve data sets in the site controller, you may also perform a secondary backup with SMS Import/Export prior to applying the upgrade.
Due to enhanced security requirements, Backoffice software systems must now use TLS 1.2 security protocol. Please check with your Backoffice provider for system compatibility prior to applying upgrades.
Day Close Requirement
Released
Base057.01.00 · Base057.00.02 · Base056.03.02 · Base055.02.10
Applies to
All Commander sites running Auto Upgrade
Action required
Perform a Day Close or Shift Close from the POS before every Auto Upgrade
What Changed and Why
This update resolves two issues with Auto Upgrade that could cause unexpected failures or allow an upgrade to run when it should not. Both issues are now fixed across all upgrade types.
Fix 1 — False Upgrade Failure After Quiet Days
Previously, if a Day Close had been performed correctly but no transactions occurred for one or more days afterward, the Auto Upgrade could fail with a false error claiming the day was not closed. The site had done everything right — the system was wrong. This false failure is now corrected.
Fix 2 — Day Close Now Required for Partial Upgrades
Upgrades can run as a Full Upgrade (all modules installed) or a Partial Upgrade (only selected modules installed, no OS reinstall). Full Upgrades already required a Day Close or Shift Close before proceeding. Partial Upgrades did not — this gap is now closed.
Both upgrade types now consistently require a period close before the upgrade can proceed. If this is not done, the upgrade will be blocked with a clear error message.
What to Do Before Every Auto Upgrade
Before initiating any Auto Upgrade, perform a Day Close or Shift Close from the POS. This closes any open network batches and puts the Commander in a clean state for the upgrade.
If you are unsure whether your site uses Day Close or Shift Close, check with your manager or your Verifone support contact.
This step is required even if your site has not had any transactions recently.
Error Messages
If a Day Close or Shift Close has not been performed before an Auto Upgrade, the upgrade will be blocked and one of the following messages will appear:
E9095
"Software auto-upgrade failed due to open reports in Period-2. Perform Period-2 close and initiate auto-upgrade."
Action: Perform your Day Close or Shift Close from the POS, then re-stage and retry the upgrade.
E9096
"Software auto-upgrade failed due to open reports in Period-1. Perform Period-1 close and initiate auto-upgrade."
Action: Perform your Day Close or Shift Close from the POS, then re-stage and retry the upgrade.
Period-1 and Period-2 are internal system names. Depending on your site configuration, they correspond to either Shift Close or Day Close. The action is the same in both cases: close the open period from your POS.
Steps to Resolve E9095 or E9096
Perform a Day Close or Shift Close from the POS:
Use the same procedure your site follows for a regular end-of-day or end-of-shift close.
Re-stage the software upgrade:
Stage the upgrade again as you normally would.
Retry Auto Upgrade:
The upgrade will proceed normally once all open periods are closed.
Frequently Asked Questions
My site has not had any transactions in a few days. Do I still need to perform a Day Close?
Yes. Perform a Day Close (or Shift Close) from the POS before initiating Auto Upgrade, regardless of whether any transactions occurred. This is required even on quiet days.
Does this apply to both Full Upgrades and Partial Upgrades?
Yes. The Day Close requirement now applies consistently to all upgrade types — both Full Upgrades and Partial Upgrades.
Which Commander software versions include this fix?
Version
Includes This Fix
Base055.02.10
Yes
Base056.03.02
Yes
Base057.00.02
Yes
Base057.01.00
Yes
The upgrade still fails after I performed a Day Close. What should I do?
Contact Verifone support and provide the error code (E9095 or E9096). You can also visit the Commander Help Center and search for "Auto Upgrade Failed Due to Open Reports" for additional guidance.
Minimum 8GB RAM Requirement
What site operators need to know before upgrading to Base 057.01.00 or higher
Released
Base 057.01.00
Applies to
All Commander sites running Auto Upgrade
Action required
Verify your Commander has at least 8GB of RAM before upgrading
Overview
Starting with Base 057.01.00, the Commander requires a minimum of 8GB of RAM to operate. This is a new minimum hardware requirement introduced to support the performance and stability improvements in Release 57.
If Auto Upgrade (AU) is initiated on a Commander that does not have enough memory, the upgrade will be automatically blocked before any changes are made to the system. Your site data is fully preserved in all cases.
Supported Memory Configurations
The table below shows which memory configurations are supported for upgrading to Base 057.01.00 or higher.
One 8GB module
8 GB
✓ Supported
Two 4GB modules
8 GB
✓ Supported
One 16GB module
16 GB
✓ Supported
Two 8GB modules
16 GB
✓ Supported
One 4GB module only
4 GB
✗ Not Supported
Two 16GB modules
32 GB
Not Supported
Note: 32GB (two 16GB modules) is not a supported configuration.
Error Messages
When Auto Upgrade is blocked, one of the following messages will appear on screen. The message depends on the reason for the block.
Error E9080 — Insufficient Memory
“The upgrade is aborted because the system does not meet the minimum memory requirement. Please contact a VASC Technician to ensure the minimum of 8GB RAM memory is installed.”
Error E9078 — Incompatible Device Detected
“The upgrade is aborted due to detection of a device that is EOL. Please contact a VASC Technician to remove any incompatible devices before proceeding with a software upgrade.”
Both types of failures are logged automatically and are available to Verifone support for diagnostics.
What to Do If Your Upgrade Is Blocked
Important: Do not attempt to replace or upgrade the Commander RAM yourself. Memory changes on the Commander require a trained VASC Technician.
Note the error code displayed on screen — E9080 (memory) or E9078 (incompatible device).
Contact a VASC Technician : • For E9080: The technician will upgrade the Commander RAM to at least 8GB. • For E9078: The technician will remove the incompatible End-of-Life device(s) from the network
Once the hardware issue is resolved, the VASC Technician will retry the Auto Upgrade.
Auto Upgrade will complete normally once the requirements are met.
Your site data is safe. The upgrade block happens before any changes are applied to the Commander, so no data is lost or changed regardless of the outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my site stop working if the Commander has less than 8GB today?
No. This requirement only applies when upgrading to Base 057.01.00 or higher. A Commander already running an earlier software version continues to work normally. The RAM check only runs during the Auto Upgrade process.
Can I retry Auto Upgrade after the technician fixes the hardware?
Yes. Once the VASC Technician has confirmed the Commander meets the 8GB minimum — either by upgrading the RAM or removing incompatible devices — you can initiate Auto Upgrade again and it will proceed normally.
Does this apply to all Commander sites, or only certain networks?
This requirement applies to all Commander installations regardless of the payment network (Buypass, Chase, Chevron, NTS, WorldPay, etc.).
What if my Commander shows both error E9078 and E9080?
The upgrade will block on whichever condition is detected first. The VASC Technician should resolve both issues — remove any incompatible devices and ensure 8GB of RAM is installed — before retrying the upgrade. This prevents the upgrade from failing again for a different reason on the second attempt.
How do I know how much RAM my Commander currently has?
Your VASC Technician can check the installed memory on the Commander. You can also contact Verifone support for assistance identifying your hardware configuration before scheduling an upgrade.
Real Time
Allow up to one hour for the Auto Upgrade process to complete. Length of the upgrade process depends on the scope of the upgrade and the amount of data being backed-up and restored. Contact the VeriFone Technical Support Center if any extended delays or issues occur.
During the Auto Upgrade:
Do not manually turn off or reboot the system at any time during the process.
The system will reboot several times during the upgrade process.
Ensure there are no power disruptions during the upgrade process.
Using Auto Upgrade
Transferring Update Package
The following methods are used to transfer an Auto Upgrade package to the system:
Using a USB Flash Drive on the POS Terminal
Connect the USB drive containing the Auto Upgrade package (Overlay.sig and Overlay.Zip) from the application folder to the POS terminal. NOTE: These files must be in the root directory of the USB Drive.
From the POS terminal, go to: CSR Func > Maintenance menu.
Click [Check for USB Updates].
Follow the instructions on the POS terminal.
Using the Package Sender
1.From the software application folder, double click [Auto_Upgrade.jar] to select and run the file.
2.Confirm the Package Type: Package Archive
3.Click [Browse] to choose the Package File to send.
4.Click to select the overlay.zip file from the CD image files.
5.Click [Open].
6.Click [Install].
The Auto-Upgrade Software installer progress window is displayed.
Using Verifone Remote Software Download (VRSD)
Merchants with an active Annual Support Maintenance (ASM) contract are eligible to receive software updates through the Verifone Remote Software Delivery (VRSD) service.
For Verifone Remote Software Download detailed information, see Commander VRSD Implementation Guide
Using the RCI Client Utility
If directed by Verifone, request a copy of the RCI Client Utility manual for further instructions.
Manual Applied Upgrade
Prior to initiating the auto upgrade process, confirm all POS terminals are logged out of sales and all fuel pumps are idle. Do not start the auto upgrade process if the Advanced Preparation section has not been reviewed.
After the software upgrade download has been transferred by one of the above methods:
1.The Commander Site Controller will display an alarm message on all POS terminals: “ X.XX.XX Available”.
2.From a POS terminal, go to: CSR Func > Maintenance.
The Register Maintenance Function Menu will display.
3.Click [Apply Upgrade]. When applying the upgrade package, the error message "PMC Not Ready" indicates that the site controller is not communicating with the payment network.
The system will initiate the Auto Upgrade process and begin “Checking for upgrades.”
4.When prompted to “Print Instructions?”, select [Yes] to print the Auto Upgrade Instructions.
Sample of Printed Auto Upgrade Instructions:
5.Select [Yes] when prompted to “Apply Upgrade Now?” and begin the Auto Upgrade process.
Auto Applied Upgrade
Once the software upgrade download is completed, a message is shown on the POS terminals that an update is available to be applied. The upgrade may be initiated manually, or the system may be configured to automatically initiate the upgrade if it is not manually run within a set number of days. Systems configured to auto apply upgrades have reduced problems associated with the timely update of new software, or with updates not being applied at all.
For systems configured for auto applied upgrade:
Upgrades will be applied after a set number of days from the date the upgrade package is received locally by the Commander System Auto Upgrade engine. Days remaining for the upgrade will be counted based on a change in calendar date.
A daily notification reminds the site about the pending upgrade. This action is only implemented on Verifone POS terminals, and at this time does not support third party POS terminals.
A daily notification reminds the site to print upgrade instructions. The final notification on execution date will provide basic prerequisite upgrade instructions.
Before the automatic upgrade is triggered, the latest day close report will be printed.
Once triggered, messages displayed on the POS registers and a Fuel Site Pause will prevent further activity or sale(s) before applying the upgrade automatically.
The system will apply upgrades automatically only when the period close is complete on all registers. The Auto Upgrade framework checks the readiness of all client POS terminals prior to initiating the software upgrade.
The upgrade process will not begin if any unsettled post pay fuel transactions exist in the system. The upgrade process will be on hold until such transactions are cleared, and an the alarm ‘Upgrade Cannot Proceed’ will display on the POS terminals while printing the daily report prior to the scheduled upgrade
Upgrades will not be automatically applied if there are pending transactions or unsettled post pay fuel transactions open in the system.
Requirements
Sites must already be on Base 44+ for this functionality.
System properties must be set to enable the Auto-Applied Upgrade. Software upgrades would then be auto-applied on the next downloaded base-level upgrade.
Enabling Auto Applied Upgrade
To enable the feature, the logged in use must have permissions to edit System Permissions.
1.Navigate to Initial Setup>System Properties.
The system parameter apply.upgrade.forcefully is the controlling variable. By default the parameter value is set to ‘no’.
2.Locate and select the apply.upgrade.forcefully parameter.
3.Edit the parameter value and set the value to ‘yes’.
4.Click [Save].
Ready Enabled Auto-Applied Upgrade
Some major oil brands have chosen for their corporate and affiliate sites to have this feature enabled in their software download packages. In these instances, the apply.upgrade.forcefully value is already set within the application to ‘yes’, and cannot be edited or changed. In those software packages, the apply.upgrade.forcefully System Property is hidden and not accessible when viewing the systems Properties list.
Auto Applied Upgrade Process
The System Property apply.upgrade.forcefully is set to ‘yes’. This is either included in the current software package, or can be enabled manually.
During daily operations, once the software upgrade has been received by the POS system, cashiers are notified there is an Upgrade Pending.
On the day of the software download, an alert message states the software upgrade will be automatically applied when the daily counter has reached the execution date. The site may manually initiate the software upgrade at the end of the day close at any time prior to the counter expiration.
On the day the software upgrade is received by the POS system, when the user initiates the period close by accessing the POS Reporting Functions Menu >Close Day/Month/Year Report, an Auto Upgrade message is displayed. The notification states that the software upgrade will be automatically applied when the daily countdown has reached the execution date, although the upgrade may be applied manually if the site chooses to do so.
If the software upgrade is not applied manually, the system is then set to automatically apply the upgrade at the end of the business day when the daily counter reaches the execution date. An alert message states the software upgrade will be automatically applied at the end of that day close.
When the daily counter has expired and reached the execution date, and the user initiates the period close by accessing the POS Reporting Functions Menu >Close Day/ Month/Year Report, an Auto Upgrade message is displayed. The notification states that the software upgrade will be automatically applied as part of the period close.
Upgrade Status Window
If the site is running Commander Site Controller feature set 37 or above, the Auto Upgrade process is split into two phases:
•Phase One: System Upgrade
•Phase Two: Historic Data Restore
After all Phase One tasks are complete, the site is fully functional to perform sales and other operations.
Phase Two tasks will run in the background and do not interrupt any site operations. A typical phase two task is restoring previously closed totals data.
The POS terminal displays the Upgrade Status Window with progress bars indicating the status of the executing task and overall installation progress.
Along with the current task information, the status window also includes the status of previously executed tasks. The message, “Please wait, server reboot in progress...” appears in the progress bar area during stages of the Commander Site Controller reboot.
After all Phase One tasks show “Completed”, the overall status shows 100% completed and the status message “Auto Upgrade Phase 1 Completed” is displayed.
When the system message displays “Auto Upgrade Phase 1 Completed. Phase 2 in progress (restoring previously closed totals)”, do one of the following:
•Click [OK] to dismiss the overlay message and continue with Sales or other site operations.
•Perform no action until upgrade phase two is complete; the upgrade status window will continue to be displayed on the POS terminal.
During Phase Two, a “Restore (Stage 2)” status message is displayed on the POS terminal.
At any point during Phase Two, tasks can be monitored on any POS terminal by selecting CSR Func > Maintenance > Show Upgrade Status.
If the site is running Commander Site Controller feature set 38.15 or above, the Auto Upgrade Phase Two activity, restore historic totals, will have a timeout of 2 hours 30 minutes.
Historic data for reporting is restored in reverse chronological order. That is, the latest period’s data is restored first followed by the previous period’s data and so on; this process repeats until the oldest available period data is restored.
If the time taken to restore historic data exceeds the specified timeout, the restore process terminates. In case of termination due to timeout, the Upgrade Summary Report will include details about the range of restored report periods.
After the upgrade is complete, a message window displays confirming the “Upgrade Completed Successfully.”
Click [OK] to close the window.
During the Auto Upgrade process, the following succession of messages are displayed in the Upgrade Status window of the POS terminal:
•Preparing for Upgrade
•File Download (Stage1)
•Comm Check (Stage1)
•Software version check
•Upgrade of upgrade engine
•Upgrade of upgrade engine Completed
•Update Upgrade Status
•Backup (Stage1-12)
•SC Application Installation
•Application Installation (Stage2)
•Restore (Stage1-11)
•Payload Update
•Site Initialization
•Clean up
•Client Restart / Lookup (Stage1)
•Restore (Stage2)
•Clean up
Post Upgrade Steps
Wait until all Pumps and Dispenser Card Readers (DCRs) are fully loaded prior to logging back onto the system, even if the POS terminal screens show “Upgrade Completed.”
•Print the Upgrade Summary Report and verify the status of each task is listed as Completed.
•If Yearly Reports were disabled, enable the reports (see Appendix).
•Contact Verifone Technical Support if:
–If Failed or Completed with Errors status are found.
–If any error messages were printed at the POS receipt printer during the upgrade.
–If a registration prompt screen is encountered, call the Verifone Help Desk at 1-800-519-7225 opt 2 to request a new registration key. VASCs may re-register systems on the Verifone Premier Portal.
After completing the software updates, applications within the Commander Site Management Suite may need to be re-installed. This includes the Site Report Navigator, Site Transaction Manager, and the Commander Import export utility.
These programs can be downloaded from Support.Verifone.Com under their respected SMS Installers folder.
After completing the software updates, all the new functions are not enabled by default for the existing users of the system. A Manger would need to assign the new functions to the required roles.
This commonly affects features such as Self Checkout and App Selector.
Initialize DCRs
If the DCRs fail to update during the upgrade process:
1.Initialize the DCRs via the Config Client: Forecourt > Initialization > DCR.
2.Select [All DCRS] > click [OK].
3.Confirm the initialization > click [OK].
Reporting
Upgrade Summary Report
The Upgrade Summary Report provides a summary of the Auto Upgrade which can be printed.
To access the Upgrade Summary Report from the POS terminal, go to: CSR Func > Maintenance > Print Upgrade Summary.
Report Details
The Upgrade Summary Report provides the following details:
•software version before and after upgrade
•overall upgrade status
•upgrade begin and end times
•task details
–task name
–target device
–time taken for task execution
–task status
• Completed
• Completed with Errors
• Failed
Yearly Reports
Disable Yearly Reports
1.From the Configuration Client, go to: > Reporting > Report Configuration.
2.Select [Yearly] from Period Configuration.
3.Select [No] for Roll Up DB Reports > click [Save].
Enable Yearly Reports
1.From the Configuration Client, go to: > Reporting > Report Configuration.
2.Select [Yearly] from Period Configuration.
3.Select [Yes] for Roll Up DB Reports > click [Save].
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