Unattended Installation Introduction
Once the Primary, or first installation of Print Manager Plus has been performed, you may need one or more tracking and client components installed on other Server and Workstation components.
Any combination of the following components can be installed silently using a command line configuration allowing for push out, or ease of bulk installation.
- Print Client: Optional End user client providing balance information, job notification, authentication prompts and billing selection.
- Print & Tracking Services: Extends tracking and printing services to locally installed and direct IP printers on the server or workstation.
- Remote Administration Console: Allows editing of print costs, settings, rules and other administrative functions.
These features correlate to the following options within the Installation dialog:
Version Support: These features are only supported in 9.0.16.X and later versions of Print Manager Plus.
Creating an Unattended Configuration
Command line installations are best performed by using the installation to create an unattended configuration script, or batch file that will install the product for you.
In our example, we will run the install on the first server or workstation, and save the configuration file, which will allow us to easily install with the same options again on other servers or workstations.
- Launch your Installation on a new server or workstation, and accept the License Agreement:
- Choose your Installation Type:
In our example, we are choosing Additional Print Server, and checking the [Show Advanced Installation Options] check box to allow us full control over options.
Both [Additional Print Server] and [Workstation] setup types support unattended installation.
- Choose Install Features:
On this dialog we choose which install features we want to install on this system, as well as will be installed in our command line configuration.
In this example we are choosing all options for an additional server, [Administration Interface], [Tracking and Printing Services] and [Print Client].
- Database Location:
You will next be prompted for the location of your database since Administration, and Printing and Tracking feature require database interaction. In this case our primary installation was done on a server name "TARDIS"
Print Client Only installations will not require this step.
- Authentication Method:
Next you will need to choose and authentication method and logon credentials. Typically Windows Authentication is used, and the Service Account and password require the following:
Local Administrative Rights on the System(s) being install on
Read and Write Database Permissions
Database Test: Clicking [Next] will test the database connection, and supplied credentials. It is vital that these are correct before being used for a large scale deployment. - Save Configuration:
The install is now ready to run on this server. At this point you can save this configuration for use on other servers or workstations by clicking the [Save Configuration] button.
This will open a save as dialog, allowing you to create a batch installation file that matches the exact installation configuration.
- The Saved Configuration File:
The saved batch file will contain a single command line that can be used at the Command Prompt, via Powershell, Push Install software and so on to install Print Manager Plus.
- Validating the Silent and Unattended Configuration:
It is strongly recommended to run the install script manually at least one time to ensure the desired features and configurations are installed successfully before deploying to a large number of servers or workstations.
Advanced Command Line Options:
In the event you want to customize your command line options, or need finer control, the following lists each available option and it's use.
Minimally at least one feature must be selected, otherwise the installation will quit and nothing will be installed.
- Quiet Options:
These options control how silent the installation will run. In either case the installation will run without the need for input. At least one of these options must be specified for Print Manager Plus to run in unattended mode.
/qn: Runs quiet with no MSI dialogs or messages.
/qb: Runs quiet with basic dialogs that will show installation progress. - Hide MSI Extraction:
This optional option will hide the msi extraction dialog shown by the setup executable.
/exenoui - Install the Print Client Feature:
This option sets the Print Client feature to be installed.
INSTALL_CLIENT="1"
Example installing Print Client Only completely Silent:
PrintManagerPlus_9.x.x.x.exe /exenoui /qn INSTALL_CLIENT="1" - Install the Administration Feature:
This option sets the Administration feature to be installed.
INSTALL_ADMIN="1"
Required Options: The following parameters must also be set when installing this feature.
INSTALL_DB_INSTANCE
INSTALL_DB_NAME
Example installing Administrator Only, fully silent:
PrintManagerPlus_9.x.x.x.exe /exenoui /qn INSTALL_ADMIN="1" INSTALL_DB_INSTANCE="TARDIS\PMP" INSTALL_DB_NAME="PrintManager90" - Install the Tracking and Printing Services:
This option sets the Tracking and Printing feature to be installed.
INSTALL_TRACKING="1"
Required Options: The following parameters must also be set when installing this feature.
INSTALL_DB_INSTANCE
INSTALL_DB_NAME
INSTALL_SERVICE_USER*
INSTALL_SERVICE_PASS*
*SQL Authentication parameters can be used in place of these values. See information below on SQL Authentication later in this article.
Example installing Tracking Feature, fully silent:
PrintManagerPlus_9.x.x.x.exe /exenoui /qn INSTALL_TRACKING="1" INSTALL_DB_INSTANCE="(local)\PMP" INSTALL_DB_NAME="PrintManager90" INSTALL_SERVICE_USER="Administrator" INSTALL_SERVICE_PASS="Pass1234" - Database Connection Parameters:
These options specify where the database is location are required whenever the INSTALL_TRACKING or INSTALL_ADMIN are enabled.
INSTALL_DB_INSTANCE="SqlServerName\SqlInstanceName"
INSTALL_DB_NAME="PrintManager90"
If left out when required, the installation will not run. - Windows Service Account:
These options specify the account the service will run under, and are required whenever the INSTALL_TRACKING feature is enabled.
INSTALL_SERVICE_USER="DomainName\UserName"
INSTALL_SERVICE_PASS="Pass1234"
The account requires the following rights:
-Local Admin Rights on the System
-Full Control over the Print Manager Plus database
If left out when required, the installation will not run.
It is strongly recommended to allow the installation to create an unattended configuration file. This will encrypt the password rather than specifying it as plain text. See previous section: "Creating an Unattended Configuration" - SQL Authentication Account (Account ):
If you are using a SQL Database server that supports SQL Authentication and an account exists with full database access then these options can be enabled in place of INSTALL_SERVICE_USER and INSTALL_SERVICE_PASS when the INSTALL_TRACKING feature has been enabled.
INSTALL_SQLAUTH_ENABLE="1"
INSTALL_SQLAUTH_USER="sa"
INSTALL_SQLAUTH_PASS="Pass1234"
Example using SQL Authentication in place of Windows Authentication:
PrintManagerPlus_9.x.x.x.exe /exenoui /qn INSTALL_TRACKING="1" INSTALL_DB_INSTANCE="(local)\PMP" INSTALL_DB_NAME="PrintManager90" INSTALL_SQLAUTH_ENABLE="1"
INSTALL_SQLAUTH_USER="sa"
INSTALL_SQLAUTH_PASS="Pass1234"
It is strongly recommended to allow the installation to create an unattended configuration file. This will encrypt the password rather than specifying it as plain text. See previous section: "Creating an Unattended Configuration"
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