Silent Install - Workstation Backup Agent

Click on a link below to go to a specific section of the software installation:

Install Requirements

A silent install consists of two distinct phases. In the recording phase, an install is recorded, saving your install options to an .ini file. In the playback phase, the .ini file is played back by the install program, which installs the software with the recorded options without any prompting. Through this method, the deployment of the software can be automated.

Record Requirements

To record an install, the install program is started from the command line with the parameters described below. When recording an install, note the following:

  • The install program only records your choices, it does not execute the install.

  • No license is consumed when recording an install.

  • All Agents are selectable when recording an install.

  • Review the System Requirements and the Installation procedures for each component you are installing.

  • Close all applications and disable any programs that run automatically, including antivirus, screen savers and system utilities. Some of the programs, including antivirus software, may be running as a service. Stop and disable such services before you begin. You can re-enable them after recording the install.

  • If you intend to play back this recorded install on multiple computers, choose options that are applicable to all those computers. For example when specifying an installation folder, be sure it exists on all target computers.

  • If your network does not have DNS lookup or some other name resolution facility, you may be asked to enter the IP address of the server computer.

Playback Requirements

Playing back a recorded installation installs the software with the options saved in the .ini file you created during the record procedures. Note the following when playing back a recorded install:
  • A license is consumed on the server for each licensed component you install.
  • You will not be prompted for any information, but note that the install program (QInstaller.exe) will appear in the Windows Task Manager.
  • Review the System Requirements and the Installation procedures for each component you are installing.
  • If your network does not have DNS lookup or some other name resolution facility, you may be asked to enter the IP address of the server computer.

Install Checklist
Collect the following information before installing the software. Use the space provided to record the information, and retain this information in your Disaster Recovery binder.
1. Install folder location:________________________________________________________________

See Select Components for Installation for more information.
2. If the CommServe Server and the client computer communicate across a firewall:

Firewall ports: ______________________________________________________________________

Hostnames and/or IP Addresses and corresponding GxCVD port numbers of computers on the other side of the firewall:______________

Keep Alive Interval minutes:____________________________________________________________

Hostname for outgoing tunnel connections:_________________________________________________

Tunnel Initialization Interval seconds:_____________________________________________________

See Firewall Configuration for more information.
3. CommServe Host Name or the CommServe IP address:______________________________________

See Configuration of Other Installation Options for more information.
4. Client Group to which this Client will be associated:_____________________________________________

See Client Group Selection for more information.
5. Replication Policy based on which the Replication Set/Replication Pair(s) must be created: _____________________

See Replication Policy Selection for more information.

Before You Begin
  • Log on to the client as local Administrator or as a member of the Administrators group on that computer.

Install Procedure

Getting Started
1. Place the software installation disc for the Windows platform into the disc drive. After a few seconds, the installation program is launched.

Click Exit to close the install program.

  
2. Click the Windows Start button, point to Programs, point to Accessories, then click Command Prompt.  
3.

To start the recording of the install, type the following command:

QInstaller.exe /record path\workstation.ini

For example, if you type QInstaller.exe /record c:\silent\exmpl.ini, the install options will be recorded to a file called exmpl.ini which will be located in the c:\silent folder.

NOTES

Your screen may look different from the example shown.
4. Click Yes to begin your recorded install.
5. Read the Welcome screen.

Click Next to continue, if no other applications are running.

  
6. Read the virus scanning software warning.

Click OK to continue, if virus scanning software is disabled.

  
7. Read the license agreement, then select I accept the terms in the license agreement.

Click Next to continue.

 

Select Components for Installation
8. Select the component(s) to install.

NOTES

  • Your screen may look different from the example shown.
  • Components that either have already been installed, or which cannot be installed, will be dimmed. Hover over the component for additional details.
  • The Special Registry Keys In Use field will be enabled when GalaxyInstallerFlags registry keys have been enabled on this computer. Hover over the field to see which keys have been set, as well as their values. For more information, see Registry Keys.

Click Next to continue.
9. Specify the location where you want to install the software.

NOTES

  • Do not install the software to a mapped network drive.
  • Do not use the following characters when specifying the destination path:
     / : * ? " < > |
    It is recommended that you use alphanumeric characters only.
  • If you intend to install other components on this computer, the selected installation directory will be automatically used for that software as well.
  • If a component has already been installed, this screen may not be displayed if the installer can use the same install location as previously used.

  • If you intend to use the SnapProtect™  feature for Windows File System iDataAgent, the agent should be installed on a non-system drive and not a filer volume.

Click Browse to change directories.

Click Next to continue.

Firewall Configuration
10. Select from the following:
  • If this Client communicates with the CommServe Server and/or MediaAgent across a firewall, select Yes, configure firewall services, and then click Next to continue. Proceed to the next Step.
  • If firewall configuration is not required, click No, do not configure firewall services and then click Next to continue. Proceed to the next section.

NOTES

  • Operating systems, such as Windows 2008 and Windows Vista, may have more than one profile present. When you select No to configure firewall services, verify that firewall settings are not enabled in the profile(s).
  • If the system detects firewall settings are present in the profile(s), you must select from the following:
    • Disable firewall for ALL profiles: Employ caution when choosing this option; firewall settings will be disabled in all profiles. This requires a system reboot; installation automatically resumes after reboot.
    • No, Firewall is not enabled: Select this option if your firewall settings allow communication with the CommServe computer.
      Click Back to configure firewall services.
11. Click the Specify list of restricted open ports option and then specify the port range. Add the starting and ending port range and then click Add to place it in the Open Port List. Repeat as needed.

If firewall separating this computer from others allows incoming connections, but these connections can be made only on a limited set of ports, then configure the appropriate port range here. For all other scenarios, skip this step.

Note that if you do not specify hostname(s) as well as port number(s), then the firewall services will not be configured.

NOTES

  • Typically in a two-way firewall, the open ports must be indicated for all computers. In a one-way firewall, the ports must be specified on computers in the open side, if they are open in a restricted way. Note that the port ranges are not required for computers that are fully closed in the one-way firewall. For example, laptops which are configured as clients in the Workstation Backup Agent.
  • In a clustered environment, make sure the firewall ports specified here are open for communication on all the physical nodes as well as the virtual nodes.

Click Next to continue.
12. Click the Specify list of machine across the firewall option and then specify the list of hosts separated from this computer by a firewall. Make sure you correctly describe whether the firewall allows two-way communication (but on a limited range of ports), or one-way communication (with either only remote host being able to make connections to this computer, or vice versa).

For all one-way firewalls allowing incoming connections and those one-way firewalls allowing outgoing connections without additional port filtering, skip this step.

Click Next to continue.

NOTES

  • Consider the following:
    • On the CommServe Server, this list should include all the MediaAgents and Clients that are on the other side of the firewall.
    • On the MediaAgents/Clients this should include the CommServe computer, and any other Clients/MediaAgents on the other side of the firewall with which communications will be established.
  • For each machine on the other side of the firewall that you want to configure, choose the type of firewall configuration based on the firewall setup in your environment. Choose from the following options:
    • Click on 2-way firewall if you can open certain ports as bi-directional ports.
    • Click 1-way firewall; host is reachable from this machine on the machine that is on the secure side of the firewall. Use this option if the client communicates using VPN.
    • Click 1-way firewall; host is NOT reachable from this machine on the machine that is on the public / DMZ side of the firewall.
  • If you wish to communicate with computers in a clustered environment, ensure that you add the Host Name/IP Address of all physical nodes in the cluster (even if no CommCell components are installed) and all the virtual nodes in which CommCell components are installed.
  • Type the host name or the IP address and the GxCVD port number of the host name, and click Add to place it in the Host Name/IP Address List.
13. If desired, modify the Keep Alive interval.

Click Next to continue.
14. Optionally, select Advanced Firewall Configuration and specify a local host name interface to use for outgoing tunnel connections through the firewall. Otherwise, the interface and port is automatically selected for you by the OS.

Click Next to continue.
15. If desired, modify the Tunnel Initialization interval.

Click Next to continue.

Configuration of Other Installation Options
16. Enter the fully qualified domain name of the CommServe computer. (TCP/IP network name. e.g., computer.company.com)

NOTES

  • Do not use spaces when specifying a new name for the CommServe Host Name.
  • If a component has already been installed, this screen will not be displayed; instead, the installer will use the same Server Name as previously specified.

Click Next to continue.

Client Group Selection
17. Select a Client Group from the list.

Click Next to continue.

NOTES

  • This screen will be displayed only if Client Groups are configured in the CommCell Console. For more information, see Client Computer Groups.

Replication Policy Selection
18. Select the replication policy with which you want to create the Replication Set/Replication Pair(s) for data replication. Replication Policies applicable for your agent will be available for selection.

Click Next to continue.
19. Select Download Pack(s) and Install to download and install the latest service packs and post packs from the software provider.

NOTES

  • Internet connectivity is required to download updates.
  • This step is applicable when installing on the first instance.
  • Updates are downloaded to the following directory: 
    <software installation>/Base/Temp/DownloadedPacks    .
    They are launched silently and installed automatically for the first instance.

Click Next to continue.

Verify Summary of Install Options
20. Verify the summary of selected options.

NOTES

  • The Summary on your screen should reflect the components you selected for install, and may look different from the example shown.

Click Next to continue or Back to change any of the options.

The install program now starts copying the software to the computer. This step may take several minutes to complete.
21. The System Reboot message may be displayed. If so, select one of the following:
  • Skip Reboot
    This option will be displayed if the install program finds any files belonging to other applications, that need to be replaced. As these files are not critical for this installation, you may skip the reboot and continue the installation and reboot the computer at a later time.
  • Reboot Now
    If this option is displayed without the Skip Reboot option, the install program has found files required by the software that are in use and need to be replaced. If Reboot Now is displayed without the Skip Reboot option, reboot the computer at this point. The install program will automatically continue after the reboot.
  • Exit Setup
    If you want to exit the install program, click Exit Setup.

Setup Complete
22. Click OK.

This completes the recording.

Playback Procedure
1. Log on to the client as local Administrator or as a member of the Administrators group on that computer.  
2. Place the software software installation disc for the Windows platform into the disc drive. After a few seconds, the installation program is launched.

Click Exit to close the install program.

  
3. Click the Windows Start button, point to Programs, point to Accessories, then click Command Prompt.  
 

To start the installation, type the following command:

QInstaller.exe /play path\workstation.ini

For example, if you type QInstaller.exe /play c:\silent\exmpl.ini, the file called exmpl.ini located in the c:\silent folder will be played back, installing the software with all the recorded options to the local computer.

NOTES

Your screen may look from the example shown.
4. The installation proceeds silently, with no indication on the screen. Any errors generated are written to the GalaxyInstallerErrors.txt file. For more information on the installation, see GalaxyInstallerLog.txt.

When the QInstaller.exe application is no longer shown in the Windows Task Manager, the install is complete.

  

Post-Install Considerations

Agent Specific

  • All Workstation Backup Client computer names must locally resolved. If such an entry is not automatically made for a remote client, then you will have to manually add a dummy entry on local host file to resolve the client, both on the CommServe and the Destination computers.

Silent Install

  • The remote interface is identified automatically during Qinstaller.exe playback. However, you can edit the answer file created by the record operation to add your own parameters and values for the remote interface.

For example, if you recorded a new installation of the Workstation Backup Agent, the answer file would look similar to the following:

[SOFTWARE\CommVault Systems\GalaxyInstaller\Data]

szInstallMode=New Install

szTargetDir=C:\Program Files\<software installation path>\

bShowFirewallConfigDialogs=1

multiszFirewallPeers0=[<CommServe Host Name> <CommServe Host Name> 8600]

multiszFirewallPeers1=[<Destination Host Name> <Destination Host Name> 8600]

multiszFirewallHosts0=[CommServe Host Name]

multiszFirewallHosts1=[Destination Host Name]

multiszFirewallPorts0=8604-8612

nKEEP_ALIVE=300

bBIND_BEFORE_CONNECT_INTERFACE=0

nTUNNEL_INIT_INTERVAL=5

szCommServeMachineName=[Fully qualified name of your CommServe computer]

szCommServeIPHostName=[Preferred interface name for the CommServe computer]

szAuthenUserName=[Username]

szAuthenDomainName=[Domain name for the user]

szAuthenUserPwd=[Password]

szClientGroupName=[Client Group Name]

szRepSetPolicyName=[Replication Policy Name]

Instance=Instancexxx

nCVDPort=8500

nEvMGRCPort=8502

bEnableGlobalFilters=0

szDownloadServicePackPath=C:\Program Files\<software installation path>\Temp\DownloadedPacks

[SOFTWARE\CommVault Systems\GalaxyInstaller\Data\Windows\Server\BaseClient]

bSelected=1

[SOFTWARE\CommVault Systems\GalaxyInstaller\Data\Windows\Server\WorkStationBackup]

bSelected=1

where:

Parameter Name

Description

[SOFTWARE\Bull\GalaxyInstaller\Data\Windows\Server]
bVirtualMachineSelected=0

This value indicates whether the computer is virtual or physical (Applies only in the Clustered Environment).
szGalaxyIPHostName=[remote client]

This value indicates the local (NetBIOS) name of the client computer.
szGalaxyMachineName=[remote client name]

This value indicates TCP/IP host name of the NIC that the client computer will use to communicate with the CommServe.

[SOFTWARE\Bull\GalaxyInstaller\Data]

szInstallMode=New Install

This value indicates that this is a new install; the value for this parameter can also be Upgrade.

szTargetDir=C:\Program Files\<software installation path>

This value indicated the software installation path.

bShowFirewallConfigDialogs=1

This value indicates that the firewall dialog screens will not be displayed during the remote install; a value of 1 means they will be displayed. For more information about firewalls, see Firewall Considerations.
bBIND_BEFORE_CONNECT_INTERFACE=0 A value of 1 specifies that, the interface uses the local host name specified by szGalaxyIPHostName for outgoing tunnel connections through the firewall. By default value 0, the interface is automatically selected.

szCommServeMachineName=[your CommServe computer name]

This value is optional and is the same as szCommServeIPHostName

szCommServeIPHostName=[Preferred interface name for the CommServe computer]

This value indicates the name of the CommServe computer.

szAuthenUserName=[Username]

This value is the username for an external domain user account or a Commcell user account. This authorizes the installation of an agent on the CommCell. This is required only when the Require Authentication for Agent Installation option is selected in the CommCell Properties.

szAuthenDomainName=[Domain name for the user]

The domain name of the above user.
szAuthenUserPwd=[Password] The password for the above user will appear as encrypted

szClientGroupName=Client Group Name

This value is the unique name of the Client Group to which the client belongs. For more information, see Client Computer Groups.

Instance=Instancexxx

This value is the Instance number to which the software will be installed.

nCVDPort=8500

This value is the Network TCP Port Number used by the Communications Service (GxCVD) for the specified instance. For more information, see Network TCP Port Requirements.

nEvMGRCPort=8502

This value is the Network TCP Port Number used by the Client Event Manager (GxEvMgrC) for the specified instance. For more information, see Network TCP Port Requirements.

bEnableGlobalFilters=0

This value indicates the Global Filters options for the default subclient; a value of 0 to disable global filters for the default subclient, 1 to enable global filters for the default subclient and 2 to enable Cell level policy for global filters.

szDownloadServicePackPath=C:\Program Files\Temp\DownloadedPacks

This value indicates the location to which the service pack must be downloaded.

[SOFTWARE\CommVault Systems\GalaxyInstaller\Data\Windows\Server\BaseClient]

This value indicates the location to which the the base client must be installed.

bSelected=1

This value indicates the base client is selected for installation.

[SOFTWARE\CommVault Systems\GalaxyInstaller\Data\Windows\Server\WorkstationBackup]

 This value indicates the location to which the Workstation Backup Agent must be installed.

bSelected=1

 This value indicates the Workstation Backup Agent is selected for installation.