Cycle 2 Install Guide

Cycle 2 Install Guide

This article covers the process of installing the Cycle Client on your device and the steps required to authenticate using your Cycle Cloud credentials.

The release of Cycle 2.9 kicked off our incremental move toward the cloud, leveraging more modern architecture to improve scalability and performance, and enabling us to seamlessly release product improvements and updates on a more regular basis. Cycle 2.9 and newer versions also include more secure user management by using Cycle Cloud credentials for authentication. 

This install guide covers the installation process for Cycle versions beginning with Cycle 2.9.2 and newer.

1. Go to https://app.cyclelabs.io/signup and sign up for a Cycle Cloud account if you do not already have one. Note your username (email address) and password because you will need to enter them into Cycle after you upgrade.
 
2. If you are upgrading from a Cycle version released prior to Cycle 2.9.2, uninstall the previous version of Cycle from your machine using the Add/Remove Programs function in Windows.
You may experience issues as described here while opening Cycle if you do not uninstall existing pre-2.9 versions first.

3. Log into Cycle Cloud to download and install the latest release of Cycle. You will see a link to the latest release in the upper-right-hand corner of the screen once you log in.

NOTE: The signing certificate has been updated for the latest release of Cycle, so users may get a warning from Windows Defender SmartScreen when installing it. In order to proceed with the installation, click “More info” first, which uncovers the button that allows you to proceed.


Please note that this is normal behavior. Every code signing certificate has a “fingerprint”, or a unique identifier, and Microsoft tracks a reputation score against that fingerprint. The error will go away once reputation is built – that is, after enough people download and install the latest release of Cycle.
4. For Cycle 2.10 and beyond, Cycle is built using a newer version of Java and Cycle now distributes with OpenJDK included in the install package. You may get a message when first opening Cycle after installation that indicates Windows Defender Firewall has blocked some features of this app. Click "Allow Access" to permit Cycle to use the java executable that is distributed with the application.



5. If the machine Cycle is installed on is behind a firewall or proxy, Cycle may not be able to reach the Cycle Labs Azure B2C authentication instance. It is necessary for Cycle to communicate with Azure B2C in order to secure an access token that is required to use the Cycle application.
Certain firewall or proxy configurations may possibly prevent the authentication process from working properly and you may experience issues completing the following steps in this guide.

There are two options for proceeding if a firewall or proxy is preventing Cycle from communicating with Azure B2C:

Option 1: Whitelist URLs, allow SSL traffic, and/or make Cycle proxy aware to enable Cycle authentication.
The authentication process needs to be able to access several URLs in order to secure and validate Cycle access tokens.
Work with your organization's IT team to whitelist the following URLs. Additional information regarding these URLs can be found in the article 
linked here:
  1. https://cyclelabsproduction.b2clogin.com/
  2. https://app.cyclelabs.io/
  3. https://userflow.cyclelabs.io
  4. https://events.cyclelabs.io
  5. https://content.product.cyclelabs.io
  6. https://data.product.cyclelabs.io
  7. https://graph.windows.net
  8. https://graph.microsoft.com/

Network security platforms such as Zscaler can prevent SSL traffic that Cycle requires in order to secure an authorization token. In addition to whitelisting the URLs listed above, please ensure your network security platform is not blocking SSL traffic to the Cycle application. If so, please have your network team create a rule to allow SSL traffic to Cycle or disable SSL inspection on Cycle network traffic.

If the device you are running Cycle on is behind a web proxy, you will need to make Cycle proxy aware so that the authentication process can complete and an access token can be retrieved from the Azure B2C server. Please refer to the article "How to Make Cycle Proxy Aware" for details on completing this setup.
Option 2: Temporarily connect to a different network for Cycle authentication.
Connect your device to an Internet connection that is NOT behind a firewall or proxy, and is more likely to reach the Azure B2C authentication instance. After the authentication process is complete and you are able to use Cycle, you can reconnect to your secure network connection behind the firewall or proxy.

You will be able to use Cycle behind a firewall or proxy for 8 hours before needing to get out from behind your firewall or proxy to reauthenticate. For more information, refer to the FAQ article “How often do I need to re-enter my Cycle Cloud credentials into Cycle and reauthenticate?”
You will need to move forward with one of the two options listed above if you experience any issues due to firewall or proxy settings while completing the authentication process detailed in the steps below.

6. When opening Cycle, click "Continue" in the Profile prompt, which opens a browser displaying the Cycle Cloud Sign Up/Sign In page.


7. Enter your Cycle Cloud username and password into the page to log in.


8. Once credentials have been entered successfully, the browser will display a message indicating it is ok to close it. Close the browser window.


9. When you return to Cycle, it will be available to use.
If the authentication modal is still spinning when you return to Cycle, verify that you are not being restricted by a firewall or proxy (see Step 5). If you have verified you are not being restricted by a firewall or proxy, please verify that you have an active Cycle license by contacting Cycle Customer Care at help@cyclelabs.io.

10. You can see your Cycle Cloud email username in Cycle 2 under Edit > Application Preferences.

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