Blueprint Enterprise upgrade to version 5.3 fails due to missing .NET Core version error

Problem:

Blueprint Enterprise upgrade to version 5.3 fails due to missing .NET Core version error.

Resolution:

In the Blueprint Installation Guide on page 29, the prerequisite for "ASP .NET Core Shared Framework" indicates that any 2.1 revision greater than v2.1.12916 will work. While this is true of the overall operation of the product, it is not true of the initial installation. Due to a change in how Microsoft exposes the version in the 2.1.x version of .NET Core, if you begin with an installed version higher than 2.1.0, Setup.exe will not allow you to get past the designation of the server type (Analyst or Collector) because "the version must be greater than 2.1.12916."
 
When the installation performs its check for prerequisites, it queries the base key of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Updates\.NET Core for a PackageVersion that exceeds 2.1.12916. .NET Core version 2.1.0 installs as 2.1.12922 (which passes validation, since "12922" is greater than "12916"). However, when Microsoft released .NET Core version 2.1.7, the PackageVersion was changed from a 2.1.xxxxx build to  2.1.7.0, and was preserved in subsequent releases. This means that 2.1.16, the latest (as of March 2, 2020) version, records in the Registry as PackageVersion 2.1.16.0. Comparing versions after 2.1.7 fails, because "7" (and higher, through 12916) will always be less than or equal to 12916, and so the prerequisite check fails.
 
 We understand that running a supported version of the .NET Core libraries is important to your operational safety, so Pharos proposes the following implementation plan:

1. Download .NET Core version 2.1.0 from Download .NET Core 2.1 (Linux, macOS, and Windows).

2. Install on the target server.

3. Install Blueprint 5.3 and, if desired, Update 1.

4. Download .NET Core version 2.1.16 from the same location as in Step 1.

5. Install on the target server. You may be prompted for a reboot.

6. Using Windows' "Programs and Features" control panel, remove the .NET Core version 2.1.0 Windows Server Hosting software, as well as the Runtime versions for both x64 and x86 systems.

7. Reboot the server.

At this point, the components of Blueprint Enterprise 5.3 that require the .NET Core libraries will be using the latest supported version of the version 2.1 software.