Confirm currently installed release?

This community thread discusses Confirm currently installed release? — a topic related to setting up and configuring APG vNext on your server.

Overview

Getting APG vNext running correctly requires proper IIS configuration, a SQL Server database, and correct settings in your web.config file. Common setup issues are typically related to one of these areas.

Common Configuration Checklist

IIS Application Pool: Set to .NET 4.0 Integrated Pipeline. APG vNext is not compatible with Classic mode.
Database Connection String: Verify the server name, database name, username, and password in web.config.
File Permissions: The IIS app pool identity must have read/write access to the upfiles folder.
URL Rewriting: Install the IIS URL Rewrite module for SEO-friendly URLs.
Full-Text Search: Enable Full-Text Indexing in SQL Server for the search feature to work.

Get Help

If you are experiencing an issue not covered here, post in the support forum with your error message and server configuration details. See also: Installation Guide | FAQ

Confirming the Currently Installed APG vNext Release

Before submitting a support request or applying an upgrade, you need to confirm the exact version of APG vNext currently running. There are three ways to check: the admin panel, a direct assembly version check, or a SQL query on the settings table.

Method 1 - Admin Panel

Admin Panel -> System -> About APG vNext. Shows: Version number, build date, .NET runtime version, SQL Server version, and licence status.

Method 2 - Assembly Version

-- In a test .aspx page or LinqPad:
System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Version.ToString()
// Returns e.g. "5.5.1.0"

Method 3 - SQL Settings Table

SELECT SettingKey, SettingValue
FROM   apg_Settings
WHERE  SettingKey IN ('AppVersion','SchemaVersion','LastUpgradeDate');

Checking via HTTP Header

# curl check for X-APG-Version header:
curl -I https://yourforum.com/community/ | grep -i "x-apg"
# Returns: X-APG-Version: 5.5.1

Note: you can disable the version header in production for security reasons:

<add key="APG.HideVersionHeader" value="true" />

Related Resources

Confirming the Currently Installed APG vNext Release

Knowing the exact version of APG vNext you are running is essential for troubleshooting, applying patches, and determining upgrade eligibility. APG vNext exposes its version in several places, allowing you to confirm the installed release even when the Admin Panel is inaccessible.

Method 1 — Admin Panel Version Display

Admin Panel → Help → About APG vNext
Displays: "APG vNext 5.1.2 (Build 20250315)"
This is the most reliable source for the complete version including build number.

Method 2 — Database Query

-- Get version from the database:
SELECT SettingKey, SettingValue, ModifiedDate
FROM   apg_Settings
WHERE  SettingKey IN ('Version','BuildNumber','InstallDate','LastUpgradeDate')
ORDER  BY SettingKey;

Method 3 — HTTP Response Header

# Check the X-APG-Version response header:
curl -I https://yourforum.com/community/ | grep -i "x-apg"
# Response: X-APG-Version: 5.1.2

<!-- Enable version header in web.config (disabled by default for security): -->
<add key="APG.Response.ExposeVersionHeader" value="true" />

Method 4 — DLL File Version

# Check the APG vNext DLL version on the server:
Get-Item "C:\path\to\wwwroot\bin\APGvNext.dll" | Select-Object -ExpandProperty VersionInfo

Understanding APG vNext Version Numbers

APG vNext uses semantic versioning: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH. Major versions (4.x → 5.x) include significant database schema changes and require a full upgrade procedure. Minor versions (5.0 → 5.1) add new features and may include minor schema changes covered by the standard upgrade script. Patch versions (5.1.0 → 5.1.2) are bug fixes only — no schema changes — and can be applied by replacing the application DLLs and ASPX files without running database scripts. Always verify which category an upgrade falls into before starting the upgrade procedure.

Keeping Track of Installed Versions

Maintain a version history log for your APG vNext installation, recording the version number, upgrade date, and any custom changes made. This simplifies troubleshooting when issues appear after an upgrade — you can immediately identify whether the issue started after a specific version change. Store this log in a shared team document alongside your database backup schedule and server configuration notes.

Automating Version Monitoring

For administrators managing multiple APG vNext installations (e.g., a production instance and a staging instance), automated version monitoring prevents version drift where staging falls behind production or vice versa. Set up a simple monitoring script that queries the database version from each installation daily and alerts if versions diverge or if a new patch is available. APG vNext exposes version information via its API, enabling this monitoring without direct database access:

// Check version via API (no auth required for this endpoint):
const res = await fetch('https://yourforum.com/api/v1/status');
const { version, buildDate } = await res.json();
console.log(`APG vNext ${version} (${buildDate})`);
// Compare against expected version and alert if different

Release Notes Archive

APG vNext maintains a release notes archive in the official blog and in the Admin Panel's Help section. When verifying your installed version, cross-reference the version number with the release notes archive to understand exactly which features and bug fixes are included in your installation. This is especially important before reporting a bug — confirming that the bug hasn't already been fixed in a later patch prevents unnecessary support tickets and helps the development team focus on unfixed issues. The release notes archive also serves as a useful reference when planning upgrades, allowing you to review all changes between your current version and the target version before committing to the upgrade timeline.

Related Resources

Looking for more help? Browse the support forum or check the Knowledge Base.