Update PHP on the PeopleSync Frontend

📌 Overview

messageconcept provides updated PHP versions bundled with official PeopleSync releases. Using these official releases is the preferred and recommended method for keeping PHP up to date.

However, if needed, PHP can also be updated manually by following the steps in this guide.

It is fully supported to update to the most recent patch version of the PHP version installed (e.g., from PHP 8.1.22 to 8.1.28), as long as the major.minor version remains the same.

✅ Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure the following:

• You are running PeopleSync version 22.7 or later.

• You have administrative access to the PeopleSync Frontend server.

🔐 Backup First

Before making any changes:

1. Create a full backup of the PeopleSync Frontend Server

2. Create a full backup of the existing PHP folder, i.e.:
   C:\Program Files\messageconcept\PeopleSync Server\PHP

3. Ensure the backup includes:

   • php.ini

   • All files in the ext subdirectory that match:

     • php_sqlsrv_*_nts_x64.dll

     • php_pdo_sqlsrv_*_nts_x64.dll

These files are essential for SQL Server connectivity and must be preserved during the update.

🔄 Update Steps

1. Download the New PHP Version

• Visit https://windows.php.net/download/

• Download the most recent x64 Non Thread Safe (NTS) version that matches your currently installed major.minor PHP version. Please see the following version table:

Make sure to select the correct version to avoid compatibility issues.

2. Update the PHP Folder

1. Before updating, stop IIS, by running the following command in an elevated command prompt:
   iisreset /stop

2. Navigate to your PeopleSync Frontend’s PHP folder, e.g.
   C:\Program Files\messageconcept\PeopleSync Server\PHP

3. Delete all contents of this folder except:

   • php.ini

   • Any files in the ext subdirectory matching:

     • php_sqlsrv_*_nts_x64.dll

     • php_pdo_sqlsrv_*_nts_x64.dll

4. Extract the downloaded PHP archive to a temporary location.

5. Copy all files and folders from the extracted archive into the cleaned PHP directory.
   

3. Clean Up ProgramData Cache

1. Navigate to:
   %ProgramData%\PeopleSync

2. Delete all subfolders inside this directory, but do not delete the PeopleSync folder itself.

This step ensures that outdated cached data does not interfere with the updated PHP runtime.

4. Start IIS and verify the Frontend works

1. Run the following command in an elevated command to start IIS:
   iisreset /start

2. Follow the steps in How to know if Frontend is operational to verify the Frontend works.

🧪 Troubleshooting

• Make sure you have restored php.ini in the PHP installation folder, and the following files in the ext subfolder: php_sqlsrv_*_nts_x64.dll php_pdo_sqlsrv_*_nts_x64.dll

• If PHP is not working after the update, ensure that the matching Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015–2022 (x64) is installed.
  You can download it from:
  https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe

• Check logs in C:\Windows\Temp\php_peoplesync_errors.log for PHP-related issues.

• Ensure the PHP directory and ext folder have appropriate read/execute permissions, i.e. IIS_IUSRS need Read permission on these directories.