Introduction to Installing and Configuring iServer Express on Windows


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The fist step is to download iServer Express and install it on your machine. The steps differ for Windows and Linux users. The steps also differ when you are ready to upgrade, or to install a production server.

Contents

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Introduction

This introduction walks through the steps to install iServer Express on your Windows machine using default options. The steps here work well for your initial install when evaluating and learning the product. See the next section if you need the Linux version.

The fist step is to download iServer Express and install it on your machine. The steps differ for Windows and Linux users. The steps also differ when you are ready to upgrade, or to install a production server.

iServer Express comes in two versions: one for BIRT users, the other for Spreadsheet Automation users. (Not to worry, though, both versions can run both kinds of reports.) The install steps are the same for the two versions.

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Install for Linux Users

Actuate iServer Express is also available for Linux. If you need the Linux version, then follow the steps here. The steps vary slightly depending on whether you need the BIRT or Spreadsheet Automation version of iServer Express.

For BIRT users:

  1. Download the Linux Version for BIRT.
  2. Follow the install instructions in the iServer Express for Linux Install Guide on the Product Documentation page: BIRT Deployment → iServer Express Report Server → Installing Actuate iServer Express for Linux.

For Spreadsheet Automation users:

  1. Download the Linux Version for Spreadsheet Automation.
  2. Follow the install instructions in the iServer Express for Linux Install Guide on the Product Documentation page: Spreadsheet Automation → iServer Express Report Server → Installing Actuate iServer Express for Linux.

In either case, once you're done, skip ahead to the next topic.

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Other Windows Install Options

Some of the install screens do not appear when you install a new version of iServer Express on top of an existing version. Also, some of the choices may be different when you are ready to install a production server. In either case, consult the complete iServer Express Install Guide on the Product Documentation page.

  • For BIRT users: BIRT Deployment → iServer Express Report Server → Installing Actuate iServer Express for Windows.
  • For Spreadsheet Automation users: Spreadsheet Automation → iServer Express Report Server → Installing Actuate iServer Express for Windows.
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Download

iServer Express requires no software other than Windows itself. You can download iServer Express from the download page:

  • You must register before you can download iServer Express if you have not already done so. Be sure to follow the instructions in the confirmation e-mail.
  • Login to the site.
  • Download the version of iServer Express depending on your needs, and save it to a temporary location:
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Start the Install

  • Run ActuateiServerExpress-9sp3xx.exe from the location to which you downloaded the software. (The file exact file name varies depending on the version available when you download.)

The following screen appears.

First screen of Windows install
  • Click NEXT >.

The following licensing screen appears:

Windows install licensing screen
  • Review the license agreement. If you accept the license agreement, select the radio button for “I accept the terms of the license agreement” and click NEXT >.
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Install Location

The next screen specifies the installed location of the product:

Windows install location screen
  • Select the install location. The default location should be fine. If you have already installed other Actuate 9 products then install iServer Express within the same Actuate9 parent directory as those other products. Using the default location for all your Actuate installs will ensure this occurs.
  • Click NEXT >.

If you are installing a new version on top of an existing install, a dialog will ask you if you want to overwrite or backup the old version. See the Install Documentation for details about doing a reinstall.

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License File

The next screen asks for a a license file:

Windows install license file screen
  • If you are just trying out iServer Express and have not yet purchased it, select the radio button “Try out the product using the included evaluation software license” (this is the default).
  • If you purchased iServer Express from Actuate you should have received a license key file via e-mail. Save the license key file somewhere on the local file system. Select the radio button “Use the license you have purchased” and enter the location where you saved the license file.
  • Click NEXT >.
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Language and Time Zone

The next screen selects langage and time zone:

Windows install language and time zone screen
  • Select the default language for the system. Actuate iServer is fully multi-lingual: a single server can serve a worldwide user population. Each user can choose a language when logging in. In general, set the default language and locale for the majority of the users of the system.
  • Select the time zone where the machine running iServer is located. This will be the default for all users, but each user can override it when logging in. Ensure this selection is correct as it controls the time at which scheduled jobs run.
  • Click NEXT >.
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Server Windows Account

Actuate iServer Express runs as a Windows service. Each Windows service runs under a Windows user. Specify that user here. The next step is to specify the Windows user account that should be used to run the iServer Express service. It is most convenient, and most safe, to run iServer Express under a dedicated Windows user account. If you have administrator privileges on your machine and are able to create new users, we recommend you create a new Windows user named “iServer”. The “iServer” user should belong to the Windows Administrators group. It should also have a strong password.

If you don’t have the privileges to create new Windows users, you can run iServer in your own personal login account, by entering your personal login ID and password.

Note that Windows requires that the selected user have a password. If the account you want to use does not have a password, you should add one now.

You can also use the Local System account, but we do not recommend this option. With this account you might not be able to access system resources like ODBC driver.

The following screen appears:

Windows install user account selection
  • Select the appropriate radio button. We recommend “Use this account” for a Windows user account.
  • If you will be using a Windows user login account, enter your username and password.
  • If you will be using a special, dedicated user account for iServer, enter the username and password of that account.
  • Check the box if you want iServer Express to automatically start whenever Windows boots up. (We recommend you choose the automatic start option. If you do not select this option, you must start iServer Express manually using the Services dialog under Control Panel → Administrative Tools under Windows XP.)
  • Click NEXT >.
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Network Settings

Production installs of iServer Express may require you to choose a custom server machine or network port numbers. However, since this is an evalation install, you can simply choose the default values.

The network settings screen appears:

Network settings screen
  • Click NEXT >.
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Finishing Up

The following summary screen appears:

Install summary screen
  • Click NEXT >.

iServer Express will take several minutes to copy files and install the product. Once all files are copied and installation is complete, you will be prompted to display the iServer Getting Started Guide. You are currently reading this guide so can select the no button.

If you entered a Local System Account in the Server Windows Account step, install will ask you to reboot the machine. Otherwise, you can proceed to the next lesson immediately and start using iServer Express.

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