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Software update information

How to move a Proventory deployment to a newer version, and what to expect.

Before every update

  1. Back up the database. Use your provider's snapshot (Neon: create a branch or snapshot; others: a managed backup). Updates change the database structure, and a backup is the only way to undo that.
  2. Read the Release notes for anything marked "action needed".
  3. Update a staging copy first if you have one.

Updating on Vercel (recommended)

  1. Merge or push the new version to your production branch.
  2. Vercel builds it. When DIRECT_URL is set, the build applies new database migrations and refreshes the restricted database role by itself.
  3. Open the site, sign in, and check the dashboard, a sale and an invoice.
  4. If a build fails, the previous version keeps serving traffic. Read the build log: the failing step is named.

Updating a Docker or server install

git pull          # or unpack the new release
npm ci
npx prisma migrate deploy
npm run db:roles
npm run build
# restart the app (and the worker, if you run one)

Use the same DATABASE_URL (restricted role) and DIRECT_URL (owner) as before.

What to expect

  • Migrations only move forward. Each update may add tables or columns. Existing data is kept.
  • No downtime planning is normally needed, but run the update at a quiet time. Pages that are open during the update may need a refresh.
  • Settings and secrets are not reset. Keep APP_SECRET unchanged: changing it makes stored two-factor seeds and payment keys unreadable.
  • Scheduled jobs (reminders, digests, retries) keep running through Vercel Cron or the worker.

Rolling back

  1. Redeploy the previous version (Vercel: Deployments, choose the old one, Promote).
  2. If the update changed the database, restore the backup you took first. Rolling the code back alone is not always safe after a migration.

How we version

Versions look like 1.2.3. A change in the first number may need extra steps. A change in the second adds features. A change in the third fixes problems. Every release is listed in the Release notes.

Proventory documentation