Upgrading from ComCap v4 to v5 COMM1

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Major New Features in ComCap5

 

The main benefits of upgrading from ComCap v4 to v5 are as follows:

 

•Single channel will accept hundreds of simultaneous remote clients with 'TCP Multi Server', simplifies set-up and operation.

 

•Zip compression of capture logs during rotation to save disk space.
 
•Improved data Filtering including 'Required Phrases', one of which must exist for record to be captured.
 
•Capture alerts to different email addresses or SMS numbers for differing phrases.
 
•Capture of XML and Json data formats, more flexible CSV formats.
 
•Capture of HTTP protocol POST and PUT requests.
 
•Reformat captured data, for instance from Fixed Width Columns to CSV, saving in new format.
 
•New SMS bureau, The SMS Works.
 
•Automatic free SSL/TLS certificate acquisition and installation from Let's Encrypt.
 
•Improved SSL/TLS certificate support, more flexible configuration.
 
•Capture time format can now be UTC or local time without summer time.
 
•Hexadecimal capture data converted to ASCII.
 
•Manually close a remote TCP connection if stalled.
 
•Windows Defender Firewall support.
 

Please note that ComCap v5 is effectively a new application (COMCAP5.EXE), and may be installed in the same directory as ComCap v4 (COMCAP4.EXE) and run in parallel, although only one version will be able to access the same serial ports or network addresses and ports at the time.  ComCap v4 license keys will run for 24 hours in v5, for trial purposes.  Once ComCap v5 is installed and working correctly, ComCap v4 may be uninstalled.  On the Start menus, ComCap v5 is installed as ComCap5.

 

Note there is only a single edition of ComCap5  ComCap4 Unlimited is no longer available for new licenses, replaced by ComCap5, but ComCap4 Standard may still be licensed for those needing only minimal capture features with up to three channels.

 

Differences from Comap4 - Upgrading Guide

 

A few settings have moved around to make it easier to configure ComCap5.

 

•Configuring a channel for SSL/TLS capture has moved from Capture Settings, Network to Common Settings, Network Channels as a SSL tick box in the network grid.
 
•Configuring a channel for GPS Data Processing has moved from Capture Settings, General to Common Settings, Network Channels as a new Service GPS in the network grid and a tick box in Common Settings, Serial Channels.
 
•The Capture Settings, Network tab has been split into Capture Settings, Network Options and Capture Settings, Echo.  Separate SSL/TLS server certificates may now be specified for TCP Server capture and TCP Server echo.  'Idle TCP Server Close Session Timeout' has moved from the General to Network Options tab.
 
•ComCap5 settings are in new directories and files to allow ComCap4 to co-exist.  Configuration settings are now in: C:\Users\All Users\Magenta-Systems\ComCap5  The actual files are comcap5.config and comcap5.current.
 
•Migrating settings from ComCap4 to ComCap5 may be done by manually, only while ComCap5 is not running. Copy the old C:\Users\All Users\Magenta-Systems\ComCap4\comcap.config file to become C:\Users\All Users\Magenta-Systems\ComCap5\comcap5.config, but check the Network Channel and Serial Port Channel grids carefully since these have changed, see above. Also check SSL/TLS certificate settings carefully.  Although the old TCP Server channel type is still supported, ComCap4 needed one channel for each remote source so your configuration may have needed dozens of similar channels.  If capturing to a single log file is acceptable, change the first channel to 'TCP Multi Server' and delete the remaining duplicate channels.
 
•ComGen5 settings needed to be specified new, there is no upgrade from ComGen4, sorry.