Created by James Hurrell, last modified on Jan 04, 2023

Summary: this page provides an explanation about how to install an official or custom CAST AIP extension that you have downloaded.

Introduction

Some extensions (whether custom or official) need to be installed in a variety of locations:

  • In the CAST Management, Analysis and Dashboard Service schemas (extensions are not installed to the Measurement Service schema).
  • In the CAST Delivery folder, within the "plugins" sub-folder - this is necessary for all extensions that add an extractor or a discoverer to the CAST Delivery Manager Tool.
  • Into the CAST AIP Assessment Model if the extension includes Quality Rules/Measures/Distributions.

The installation is handled either

  • by CAST Console, which can manage the entire chain from download to installation.
  • by CAST Server Manager (for "legacy" users), which has a built-in interface for managing the installation, upgrade and uninstallation of all CAST AIP official and custom extensions.

The following section is therefore split in to the following chapters:

  • Installing with Console
  • Installing with CAST Server Manager

    • Installing from scratch

    • Installing a new version of an existing extension

Note that some extensions (such as those sharing a configuration file for a specific part of CAST AIP) do not require any installation. Please follow the instructions provided with the extension in all cases!

Prerequisites to an installation

Backup

Before installing an extension to an existing triplet of CAST AIP schemas that contains analysis results/snapshots, CAST recommends that this data is backed up but this is not required. You should backup the following items as a basic minimum so that the existing AIP environment can be restored in case an error occurs during the extension install process:

Item to backup
How to back it up
CAST AIP schemas: Management / Analysis / Dashboard / Measurement (where applicable) Services

Use the CAST Storage Service backup tools (CSSBackup) to backup each CAST AIP schema you intend to install an extension on - please refer to the documentation for the version of CAST AIP you are working with for more information.

CAST Delivery folder

Please ensure that you make a copy of your CAST Delivery folder - simply by copying the folder to another location on disk (unrelated to CAST AIP).

Custom Environment Profiles

If any custom Environment Profiles are in use (not Environment Profiles provided by CAST) please back them up so that you can restore them after the extension is installed. To export your custom Environment Profiles, you need to:

  • Open CAST Management Studio
  • Right click the Analysis Service (to which you will install the extension) in the Services view and select Environment Profile > Export
  • When prompted, select Yes to choose a folder for the export location, or No to choose a single file for export. CAST recommends choosing No.
  • A standard Windows Save As dialog box will be displayed
  • Choose a name and location for the file
  • Click Save to finish
  • All user-defined custom Environment Profiles will then be exported to one single file (with an .aex extension).

Download extension

You must already have the extension available on the machine on which you will perform the installation. See Download an extension.

Installing with Console

CAST Console has been designed to fully automate the management of extensions. You can find out more in Application - Extensions.

Click to enlarge

Installing with CAST Server Manager

Installing from scratch

Step 1: Install with CAST Server Manager

The first step is to use CAST Server Manager to install the extensions in your CAST AIP schemas. This can be done:

  • either when you are installing new CAST AIP schemas from scratch
  • or when you are want to install an extension into an existing set of CAST AIP schemas

This section deals with both situations.

Note that installing an extension in a group (Management/Analysis/Dashboard Services) of CAST AIP schemas will allow you to use that extension with ALL Applications that are managed by these CAST AIP schemas. Therefore, you will need to repeat this step for each "group" of CAST AIP schemas with which you want to use the extension. For example, you have:

  • Schemas 1 used by Application A
  • Schemas 2 used by Application B and Application C

You will need to install the extension in Schemas 1 and 2 for all the Applications to be able to use it.

Installing an extension with new CAST AIP schemas

  • Launch CAST Server Manager from the Windows Start menu and connect to the CAST Storage Service or commercial RDBMS that will host your CAST AIP schemas.
  • Click Schema Installation > Schema Installation or Database Installation > Database Installation on the toolbar
  • Select either Application Analytics platform installation or Additional Analysis platform as per your requirements, then click Next.
  • Extensions that have been downloaded using the Extension Downloader or manually copied to the relevant location on disk will be displayed in the the following screen (if you do not see this screen, then you do not have any extensions on your local machine):

  • You now need to choose the Version of the Extension you would like to install with CAST Server Manager. To do so use the drop down list in the Version column:

  • Any additional extensions that your selected extension requires (i.e. Dependencies) will also be selected for installation automatically:

  • Once all required extensions have been selected for installation, click the Next button to continue.
  • The CAST AIP schema installation options will now now be displayed.
  • The summary screen will show the extensions as part of the proposed installation:

  • Click to Proceed to start the installation.
  • On completion of the CAST AIP schema installation process, your chosen extensions will also have been installed.

Installing an extension with existing CAST AIP schemas

  • Launch CAST Server Manager from the Windows Start menu and connect to the CAST Storage Service or commercial RDBMS that is hosting your existing CAST AIP schemas.
  • Existing CAST AIP schemas are listed in the CAST Server Manager window - if they have been installed as a "combined" installation (i.e. all at the same time) then they will be grouped together. Schemas that have been installed separately, will be listed separately. Find the schemas you need to update (i.e. the schemas in which the target Application is managed), for example, these schemas marked "v82_1258" have been installed at the same time as a combined install:

  • You must install the extensions to all the schemas used by your target Application (i..e Management/Analysis/Dashboard Services (Measurement Services do not require updating)). To so do, simply right click the "combined group" schema (marked "v82_1258" in the above image) and then select Manage Extensions:

  • Extensions that have been downloaded using the Extension Downloader or manually copied to the relevant location on disk will be displayed in the the following screen (if you do not see this screen, then you do not have any extensions on your local machine):

  • You now need to choose the Version you would like to install with CAST Server Manager. To do so use the drop down list in the Version column:

  • Any additional extensions that your selected extension requires (i.e. Dependencies) will also be selected for installation automatically:

  • Once all required extensions have been selected for installation, click the Next button to continue.
  • The summary screen will show the proposed extension installation:

  • Click to Proceed to start the installation.
  • On completion, your chosen extensions will have been installed.

Step 2: Import the Assessment Model

This step does not apply in the following situations:

  • installation of extensions SPECIFICALLY and ONLY for the Delivery Manager Tool which do not include an Assessment Model "fragment"
  • when installing the extension with ≥ CAST AIP 8.3.x in which this step is done automatically

In this case there is no need to action this step.

An additional installation action that cannot be handled by CAST Server Manager in all releases prior to CAST AIP 8.2.x must now be actioned. This action is the import of the Assessment Model:

  • Launch the CAST Management Studio and open the Dashboard Service editor.
  • In the Assessment Model tab, click the Import Assessment Model option as highlighted below:

  • This action will:
    • import the Assessment Model (containing the updates added by the installation of the extension) into the Assessment Models view
    • assign the imported Assessment Model to the Dashboard Service so that it is used when a new snapshot is generated

Step 3: Import custom Environment Profiles - optional

If:

  • You are installing the extension to existing CAST AIP schemas, AND
  • If you are using any custom Environment Profiles

...you will need to import these custom Environment Profiles from file (they should already have been backed up - see Backup above). To import the custom Environment Profiles:

  • Open CAST Management Studio
  • Right click the Analysis Service (to which you have installed the extension) in the Services view and select Environment Profile > Import
  • A standard Windows Open dialog box will be displayed
  • Select the .aex file containing your exported Environment Profiles
  • Click OK to start the import process.

Step 4: Package your source code with the CAST Delivery Manager Tool when you have an existing Version

This section discusses the Force Extraction and Force Scan options in the CAST Delivery Manager Tool.

If...

  • your extension does not include a "discoverer" or "extractor" for the CAST Delivery Manager Tool
  • or you do not have an existing Version

...you can deliver source code as normal and ignore the contents of this step.

If...

  • your extension includes a "discoverer" or "extractor" for the CAST Delivery Manager Tool
  • and you have an existing Version
  • and you want the new extension to be taken into account when you deliver your source code

...you need to proceed as follows.

Note that:

  • Please check the specific documentation for your extension to find out if it includes a "discoverer" or "extractor" for the CAST Delivery Manager Tool.
  • CAST highly recommends that this process is actioned by the CAST administrator using the CAST Delivery Manager Tool accessed direct from the CAST Management Studio.
  • If your Version:
    • has already been accepted: add a new Version in the CAST Management Studio and then choose to "copy" the previous Version
    • has not yet been accepted (Not Delivered): use the Manage Delivery option in the CAST Management Studio to re-open the previous Version
    • has not yet been accepted (Delivery Done): use the Reject Delivery option and then Manage Delivery option in the CAST Management Studio to re-open the previous Version
  • Now use the Package action in the CAST Delivery Manager Tool to re-package the entire Version:
    • If the extension you have installed has a CAST Deliver Manager Tool extractor included, then please ensure that you tick the Force Extraction option when you Package the Version. This will ensure that the source code is re-extracted using the extension:

    • If the extension you have installed has a CAST Deliver Manager Tool discoverer included, then please ensure that you tick the Force Scan option when you Package the Version. This will ensure that the source code is re-discovered using the extension:

  • Deliver your version and run an analysis/snapshot as normal.

Installing a new version of an existing extension

If you have acquired a new version of an extension you are actively using, you can install the new version as follows:

Please note that the new version of an extension must be higher than the existing version.

Step 1: Install with CAST Server Manager

The first step is to use CAST Server Manager to install the new version of the extension in your existing CAST AIP schemas.

  • Launch CAST Server Manager from the Windows Start menu and connect to the CAST Storage Service or commercial RDBMS that is hosting your existing CAST AIP schemas.
  • Existing CAST AIP schemas are listed in the CAST Server Manager window - if they have been installed as a "combined" installation (i.e. all at the same time) then they will be grouped together. Schemas that have been installed separately, will be listed separately. Find the schemas you need to update (i.e. the schemas in which the target Application is managed), for example, these schemas marked "v82_1258" have been installed at the same time as a combined install:

  • You must install the new version of the extension to the same schemas you installed the previous version of the extension to and which are used by your target Application (i..e Management/Analysis/Dashboard Services (Measurement Services do not require updating)). To so do, right click the "combined group" schema (marked "v82_1258" in the above image) or any of its associated schemas and then select Manage Extensions (selecting an individual schema in a combined group will also run the install on all associated schemas):

  • Extensions that have been downloaded using the Extension Downloader or manually copied to the relevant location on disk will be displayed in the the following screen (if you do not see this screen, then you do not have any extensions on your local machine). Extensions that have been installed will have a version number listed in the Version column. In the example below, the AngularJS extension 1.7.6 is installed:

  • Click the 1.7.6 version number and a drop down list box will appear showing the new 1.8.0 version - select this new version:

  • If any of the dependent extensions also have newer versions available (these will have been downloaded automatically), then they will automatically be selected for installation as well:

  • Once all required extensions have been selected for installation, click the Next button to continue.
  • The summary screen will show the proposed extension installation:

  • Click to Proceed to start the installation.
  • On completion, your chosen extensions will have been installed.

Step 2: Import the Assessment Model

This step does not apply in the following situation:

  • installation of extensions SPECIFICALLY and ONLY for the Delivery Manager Tool which do not include an Assessment Model "fragment"
  • when installing the extension with ≥ CAST AIP 8.3.x in which this step is done automatically

In this case there is no need to action this step.

An additional installation action that cannot be handled by CAST Server Manager in all releases prior to CAST AIP 8.2.x must now be actioned. This action is the import of the Assessment Model. Please follow Step 3: Import the Assessment Model above.

Step 3: Import custom Environment Profiles - optional

If:

  • You are installing the extension to existing CAST AIP schemas, AND
  • If you are using any custom Environment Profiles

...you will need to import these custom Environment Profiles from file (they should already have been backed up - see Backup above). To import the custom Environment Profiles:

  • Open CAST Management Studio
  • Right click the Analysis Service (to which you have installed the extension) in the Services view and select Environment Profile > Import
  • A standard Windows Open dialog box will be displayed
  • Select the .aex file containing your exported Environment Profiles
  • Click OK to start the import process.

Step 4: Re-package your source code with the CAST Delivery Manager Tool when you have an existing Version

This section discusses the Force Extraction and Force Scan options in the CAST Delivery Manager Tool.

If...

  • your extension does not include a "discoverer" or "extractor" for the CAST Delivery Manager Tool
  • or you do not have an existing Version

...you can deliver source code as normal and ignore the contents of this step.

If...

  • your extension includes a "discoverer" or "extractor" for the CAST Delivery Manager Tool
  • and you have already used a previous version of the extension to package your source code
  • and you want the new version of the extension to be taken into account when you deliver your source code

...you need to proceed as described in Step 4: Package your source code with the CAST Delivery Manager Tool when you have an existing Version above.

Tip: how to find out if your extension has been successfully installed

For users of CAST AIP 8.x.x it is relatively straightforward to see whether the extension has been installed:

  • In CAST Server Manager right click the "combined group" schema or any of its associated schemas and then select Manage Extensions
  • Extensions that have been correctly installed will have a version number listed in the Version column. In the example below, the AngularJS extension 1.7.6 is installed: