Network Deployment Installation

A network deployment provides an efficient way to install and license CivilGEO software on multiple computers. Many commercial and open-source software utilities are available that can be used as deployment solutions across one or many computers (simultaneously) on the network.

Prerequisites

Before creating the deployment, make sure that the following items are available:

• The software installer file.
• Local administrator rights on each target computer.
• A shared network location that all target computers can access.
• The license information required for the deployment, such as the floating license server IP address and port, or the cloud license server ID.

Software Deployment Best Practices

Use the following best practices when creating a software deployment across multiple computers on the network:

1. Create the deployment from a workstation rather than a server
   This helps to eliminate the need for the same computer to run the installation, read the media, and write the files. The combination of these tasks can greatly increase the amount of time necessary to complete the software deployment and can even cause corruption in the process. It is better to create the deployment on a shared network location from an administrative workstation.

2. Do not create deployments over a WAN or VPN
   Network connections using a WAN or VPN are generally slow and can cause file I/O errors during the deployment creation. Running the deployment over a WAN or VPN can also result in missing or corrupt files.

3. Temporarily disable antivirus software (optional)
   Running antivirus software while creating the software deployment may cause issues. If allowed by your organization’s IT/security policy, consider temporarily disabling antivirus software during deployment creation. Real-time scanning can slow the process and may block or modify required files, resulting in an incomplete or corrupted deployment. Re-enable antivirus protection after the deployment has been created. This step is optionaln.

4. Use a shared directory
   Before creating the software deployment, create a shared directory on either the server or on a workstation. Keep the share name short and simple. Do not include spaces in the share name. Do not nest the shared directory too deeply on the drive.

5. Use a separate folder for each deployment image
   Creating multiple software deployments within the same shared directory can cause corrupt installations and other problems.

6. Create and store deployments on NTFS file systems only
   Other file systems, such as LINUX, UNIX, DFS, NFS, AIX, and others, can cause unforeseen issues with software deployments, including file systems used on network attached storage (NAS) devices.

7. Users should have full read/write access
   Users creating the software deployments should have full read/write access to the network share where the software deployments are to be stored.

8. Use UNC (Uniform Naming Convention) for network paths
   When specifying network paths, use a uniform naming convention (UNC) rather than mapped drive letters. For example, use \servernamesharefolder instead of S:folder. Not all networked computers share the same mapped drive letters, and the use of UNC network paths eliminates these types of problems.

9. Avoid modifying a deployment once it has been created
   Instead of modifying the existing software deployment, it is better to create a new deployment for each modification that you make.

10. Avoid moving deployments between servers
    It is not recommended to move software deployments between servers. If you must do this, you may need to modify the deployment to insert its current location into the deployment structure.

Creating a Silent Installation

Our software products use InstallShield software for installation. Using the installation software provided, you can easily create a silent install that allows deployment of the software to multiple computers on your network. This makes it much easier to install the software without having to babysit the installation for each computer.

To manually perform a silent installation, the following steps can be placed in a batch file or script file to automate the installation operation:

1. Launch the Command Prompt using the Run as Administrator option.
2. Change to the directory where the SETUP.EXE product installation program resides.
3. Execute the below command to install the product in silent mode (on one line):

   SETUP.EXE -silent

Silent Install Example

The installation program options shown above are detailed as follows:

Automated Software Installation and License Deployment

When deploying software on an enterprise network that has a floating network license, manually installing the software and entering license server details on each workstation can be time-consuming. For each computer, CivilGEO software requires that the License Server IP Address and Port be manually specified.

Fortunately, the CivilGEO software and network licensing process can be deployed using a command line. This can save time and effort when using automation deployment software, such as PDQ Deploy.

Launch the Command Prompt with the Run as Administrator option in the directory where the SETUP.EXE product installation program resides.

Note: Cloud and Floating network license deployment does not apply to GeoSTORM because this software requires login authentication. To sign in to the GeoSTORM software, refer to this article in our knowledge base.

Floating Network License Deployment

Execute the below command to install the product in silent mode (on one line):

SETUP.EXE -silent FLOATING_SERVER_IP=[Server_IP] FLOATING_SERVER_PORT=[Server_Port]

Silent Install Example

The installation program options shown above are detailed as follows:

Cloud License Deployment

Execute the below command to install the product in silent mode (on one line):

SETUP.EXE -silent CLOUD_SERVER_ID=[Server_ID]

Silent Install Example

The installation program options shown above are detailed as follows:

Additional Installation Options

The following additional options control the display of the installation process:

If you have difficulty getting the deployment command to work, contact CivilGEO Technical Support. They will be glad to assist you.