Summary: describes how to complete the start-up wizard that is displayed the first time you connect to the AIP Console.
Introduction
The start-up wizard is displayed the first time you connect to the AIP Console. The wizard provides a user-friendly method to configure various mandatory settings and options, such as:
- Verify the installation
- Assigning the Administrator role to a user
- Entering a license key
- Configuring access to CAST Extend / use of a proxy caching server
- Configuring access to CAST Imaging
Each step in the wizard is explained in detail below.
Connect to the AIP Console front-end
Browse to the URL of the AIP Console - ensure you specify the correct server (change "server") and port number:
http://<server>:8081/ui/index.html
If the setup has been completed successfully, you will see step one of the wizard, explained below.
Wizard Step 1: Verify the installation
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This initial step in the wizard ensures that AIP Console is securely configured by an "administrator", i.e. someone that has access to the installed location of AIP Console. The wizard requires that a unique code written to a specific text file in the AIP Console installation location (during the front-end installation) is entered. The unique code can be found in the following file:
%PROGRAMDATA%\AipConsole\AipConsole\configurationKey.txt
Paste the unique code into the wizard and click Next. The wizard will check that the code you entered matches the code in the configurationKey.txt file. if it does not, you will need to double check the code and re-enter it. When the code matches, the next step of the wizard will be displayed.
Wizard Step 2: Assign Administrator role
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This step enables you to assign the Administrator role to one user. This user will then have full access to the AIP Console and perform any action required. Enter the name of the user you would like to assign the Administrator role to and then click Next to continue to the next step of the wizard.
- If you are using local authentication, then you can only grant the Administrator role to a user that already exists:
- if you did not change the default local authentication "admin/admin" user when performing the AIP Console package - front-end installation for CAST Imaging, then you should grant the Administrator role to this user.
- if you added your own custom local authentication user when performing the AIP Console package - front-end installation for CAST Imaging, then you should grant the Administrator role to this user.
- If you are using a different authentication mode (LDAP, Active Directory or SAML) you can grant any user available in your authentication server the Administrator role.
- You can add additional local authentication users later as described in Configuring User Authentication and then grant those new users the Administrator role as described in Administration Center - Security - User Roles.
Wizard Step 3: Validate license
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This step enables you to enter your CAST Imaging global license key. This key will be applied automatically to all AIP Nodes that you are managing with AIP Console. Click Next to continue to the next step of the wizard.
You can change the license key settings post-installation as described in Administration Center - Settings - License Key.
Wizard Step 4: Connect to CAST Extend
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This step enables you to manage access to CAST Extend (this allows each AIP Node to automatically download any CAST AIP extension that you may want to use, or that may be required for an analysis) and an optional Proxy Configuration:
CAST Extend options
Choose one option (these settings can be managed post installation in Administration Center - Settings - CAST Extend):
| Extend website | When enabled, this mode configures each AIP Node to connect to CAST's publicly available extension server (https://extend.castsoftware.com/) over the internet on port 443 via TCP. In this mode, the CAST Extend URL field will be automatically populated with the CAST Extend URL (https://extend.castsoftware.com/) in read-only mode (i.e. the URL cannot be changed). You will then need to input your CAST Extend API key (this can be generated in the CAST Extend UI - see CAST Extend. AIP Console will check that it can access Extend when you click Save.
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|---|---|
| Extend local server | When enabled, this mode configures each AIP Node to connect to an on-premises deployment of CAST Extend local server, therefore avoiding a connection to CAST's publicly available extension server over the internet. See Install CAST Extend local server or Offline for CAST Imaging - optional. Enter the URL of your on-premises CAST Extend local server, enter the API Key and then click Next to continue - AIP Console will then check that it can access the on-premises CAST Extend Offline:
API Key The API Key will have been generated during the installation of CAST Extend Proxy and is displayed in the final summary screen of the installer:
Alternatively you can find the API key in the following location on the server on which CAST Extend Proxy is installed: C:\Program Files\CAST\Extend\config.proxy.json The key is located on the line APIKEY: {
"PORT": 8085,
"STORAGE_DIR": "c:/ProgramData/CAST/Extend",
"PACKAGE_DIR": null,
"LOG_DIR": "C:/Program Files/CAST/Extend/logs",
"PUBLIC_URL": "http://WIN10TEST:8085/",
"EXTEND_URL": "https://extend.castsoftware.com",
"APIKEY": "XCGN1-9263B92E143984F6EF357684F7EFD3EE336C6E7A5F2278ADE1352D7BD34147FFC60F94920F90B9095EBDBD11",
"USER": "",
"CREDENTIALS": "CRYPTED2:A65B5035B193DB7B2B59221",
"SYNC_TYPE": "auto"
}
Extension Package Upload When configured, a new section will become visible allowing you to Update CAST Extend local server with new content: Click to enlarge:
Synchronize Extensions The Synchronize Extensions button is displayed when the connection settings are input and saved. This option will force CAST Extend Proxy (when running in online mode) to fetch the extension "manifest" from CAST Extend - i.e. information that AIP Console requires in order to request the correct extension:
This process is also automated (once per day) - see CAST Extend local server.
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| Extend offline service (deprecated) | CAST Extend Offline is deprecated and you should use CAST Extend local server instead. When enabled, this mode configures each AIP Node to connect to an on-premises deployment of CAST Extend Offline, therefore avoiding a connection to CAST's publicly available extension server over the internet. See Install CAST Extend local server or Offline for CAST Imaging - optional. In this mode, the CAST Extend URL field will be empty and the CAST Extend Login (email) and CAST Extend Password fields will be hidden (no authentication is required for the on-premises CAST Extend Offline). Enter the URL of your on-premises CAST Extend Offline and then click Next to continue - AIP Console will then check that it can access the on-premises CAST Extend Offline:
Extension Package Upload When configured, a new section will become visible allowing you to Update CAST Extend Offline with new content: Click to enlarge
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| Allow CAST to automatically collect anonymous statistical data | See Administration Center - Settings - Allow CAST to collect anonymous statistical data automatically for more information about this option. |
Proxy Configuration (optional)
If your organization requires internal systems to use a proxy caching server (such as Squid) for all connections, you can use these options to configure AIP Console/AIP Nodes to use a proxy server for all communication (for example communication on AIP Nodes, CAST Extend, Maven repos, database servers etc.) as follows:
Extension Downloader limitation
At the current time, the Extension Downloader (a tool present on each AIP Node which is used by AIP Console to download extensions) cannot be configured to obey a manual proxy configuration defined in AIP Console. Instead, if your organization uses a proxy, CAST recommends that:
- you define the required proxy configuration at system level (i.e. operating system level) on all AIP Nodes
- define a manual proxy configuration using the settings described below - this ensures that everything else will connect through the proxy
Windows Services
AIP Console and the AIP Nodes packages are configured to run through Windows Services, therefore it is important to ensure that the user login configured to run the Windows Services has permission to access any proxy that you define. If the user running the Windows Services cannot access the proxy, then AIP Console/AIP Nodes will not be able to access the required resources. See the sections regarding the configuration of the Windows Services in:
| No Proxy | Default setting. No proxy required. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use system proxy settings | This option will force AIP Console and all AIP Nodes to use the host machine's system proxy settings for all communication (i.e the proxy settings defined on each host server). | ||||||||
| Manual proxy configuration | This option allows you to configure your own proxy settings specifically for AIP Console and all AIP Node communication (for example if you do not want to use the system proxy settings set on the host or you are using a custom proxy script). These are applied to AIP Console and all AIP Nodes:
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You can change the CAST Extend/Proxy settings post-installation as described in:
Wizard Step 5: Imaging Configuration
Enter the settings for your CAST Imaging instance, installed as described in Install CAST Imaging. Your CAST Imaging instance MUST be up and running when you attempt this step since AIP Console will attempt to connect using the defined settings when the Next button is clicked (these settings can be managed post installation in Administration Center - Settings - Imaging Settings):
AIP Console ≥ 1.26
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| Imaging URL | Enter the URL to your CAST Imaging instance, including the port number if appropriate, for example: http://my_imaging_server:8083/ |
|---|---|
| API Key | Paste in your CAST Imaging API Key. You can find out how to generate one in Admin Center - API key generation and usage. Note that the API Key should be generated for a user that has the CAST Imaging ADMIN role (see Admin Center - Users panel). |
AIP Console ≤ 1.25
| Imaging URL | Enter the URL to your CAST Imaging instance, including the port number if appropriate, for example: http://my_imaging_instance:8083/ |
|---|---|
| Imaging username | Enter a CAST Imaging user name/password that has the CAST Imaging ADMIN role (see Admin Center - Users panel). |
| Imaging password | |
| Imaging ETL Port | Enter the port number of the Imaging ETL service running on your CAST Imaging instance.. By default the Imaging ETL service (which is responsible for the export/impact of data into CAST Imaging) runs on port 9001 (enter this number unless you have customized your internal services). If the instance is remote to the AIP Console host server as recommended, then you may need to configure the firewall on the CAST Imaging instance instance to accept incoming TCP connections on port 9001. |
| Imaging ETL Token | Enter the Imaging ETL token. The token can be found in the following file on the CAST Imaging instance: Microsoft Windows traditional installer: %APPDATA%\CAST\ImagingSystem\login\application.properties Docker Installer extension (located in the folder created when unzipping the extension): login/application.properties For example, the token that should be used is D5ED6A406775FC71B8D2A978883E8ED4 in the example configuration below: proxy.config.token.values=D5ED6A406775FC71B8D2A978883E8ED4,D5ED6A406775FC71B8D2A978883E8ED4,D5ED6A406775FC71B8D2A978883E8ED4,D5ED6A406775FC71B8D2A978883E8ED4 Note that in the vast majority of circumstances, the token provided by default in the AIP Console wizard will match what is required. |
Wizard Step 6: Review
The final step in the wizard enables you to review the selections you have made. If anything requires changing, click the Back button to cycle back through the wizard and make any changes you need. Click Save and Finish when ready. You will then be taken to the login screen where you can start to use AIP Console to perform additional setup actions as described in Initial AIP Console configuration steps for CAST Imaging:
