Installation on Microsoft Windows

Overview

This install option is specifically for:

Microsoft Windows
those wanting to perform a clean install

The installation media is provided in com.castsoftware.imaging.console and comprises an installation script (.bat file), various configuration files and the binaries themselves.

The following components are provided:

CAST Imaging Services including:
- CAST Dashboards
CAST Imaging Viewer
CAST Imaging Node Service (does not include CAST Imaging Core ≥ 8.4)

The installation script is completely flexible and allows you to install in whichever way suits your environment:

All components on one machine
Each component distributed across multiple dedicated machines, optionally with multiple CAST Imaging Node Services (i.e. load balancing mode - this is the recommended installation method)

This flexibility is achieved by running the installation script with specific install commands on specific machines:

Install type	Command	Configuration file	Components installed
Single machine	`all`	`config-all.conf`	All components - single machine installation scenario. If you choose this option, you must ensure that your machine has sufficient resources to run all components: see Requirements. Requires: the CAST Imaging Core ≥ 8.4 component, which is not included in the installer and must be downloaded and installed separately on the same machine. access to the database component, which is not included in the installer and must be downloaded and installed separately either on the same or another dedicated machine.
Distributed	`imaging-services`	`config-imaging-services.conf`	CAST Imaging Services CAST Dashboards Should only be installed once (on a single machine) per installation of CAST Imaging. Requires: access to the database component, which is not included in the installer and must be downloaded and installed separately either on the same or another dedicated machine.
Distributed	`imaging-viewer`	`config-imaging-viewer.conf`	CAST Imaging Viewer Should only be installed once (on a single machine) per installation of CAST Imaging. Requires: access to the `imaging-services` component. access to the database component, which is not included in the installer and must be downloaded and installed separately either on the same or another dedicated machine.
Distributed	`analysis-node`	`config-analysis-node.conf`	CAST Imaging Node Service Can be installed multiple times, once per separate dedicated machine to load balance. Requires: access to the `imaging-services` component. the CAST Imaging Core ≥ 8.4 component, which is not included in the installer and must be downloaded and installed separately on the same machine. access to the database component, which is not included in the installer and must be downloaded and installed separately either on the same or another dedicated machine.

Note

The database component is not included but at least one instance is required on your network to complete the deployment and must be installed separately, preferably on a dedicated machine. The instance must be accessible to all components over the internal network. Additional database instances can also be declared post install to load balance.
CAST's on premises Extend Local Server (used where it is not possible to access CAST Extend over the internet) is not included and must be installed separately where required.

Warning

CAST does not support cross-platform installations, i.e. some CAST Imaging components on Linux/Docker and other components on Microsoft Windows, except where a PostgreSQL instance installed on Linux/Docker is being used with CAST Imaging installed on Microsoft Windows.

Requirements

See Requirements.

CAST recommends disabling Quick Edit mode in your command (CMD) window before running the install. This mode (if enabled) will pause the batch script if there is any interaction with the command window (e.g. a mouse click) during the process and will not re-start the script until a key is pressed:

Step 1 - Determine your installation method

If you are installing all components on one machine, connect to the machine and proceed to Step 2. Ensure that your machine has:

sufficient resources to run all components: see Requirements.
access to the database component
an installation of CAST Imaging Core ≥ 8.4

Alternatively, if you want to install the components on multiple machines, you first need to determine which machine will run the CAST Imaging Services (imaging-services) component because this component must be installed first before any others. Connect to this machine and then proceed to Step 2. Ensure the following:

all machines must have access to the database component. This is not included in the installer and must be downloaded and installed separately either on the same or another dedicated machine BEFORE you begin the installation.
machines on which you are installing the analysis-node component require the CAST Imaging Core ≥ 8.4 component, which is not included in the installer and must be downloaded and installed separately on the same machine BEFORE you begin the installation of the analysis-node component.

Step 2 - Download the installation media

Download the latest release of the installer and unzip it anywhere on your local disk. The following files and folders will be visible:

Step 3 - Configure your installation

*.conf files

Locate the *.conf files at the root of the unzipped files. Open the files with a text editor and update the installation variables:

If you want to install all components on a single machine, update only the config-all.conf file.
If you want to install components on separate dedicated machines, update the following files, depending on your installation scenario:
- config-imaging-services.conf
- config-imaging-viewer.conf
- config-analysis-node.conf

Note

All variables must be identical across all *.conf files.

CAST_INSTALLATION_CONF Microsoft Windows system environment variable

By default, the CAST Imaging installer will store information/properties files related to the installation in the following folder on disk:

%PROGRAMDATA%\CAST\CAST\.install

This information is re-used during in-place updates to a new release and during product uninstall. If you would prefer to store this folder in another location, you can set a Microsoft Windows system environment variable called CAST_INSTALLATION_CONF on all machines where you will install CAST Imaging components and point it to a local folder of your choice:

Step 4 - Run the installation

Scenario 1 - Install all components on one machine

Open a CMD window with elevated permissions (right click, Run as administrator) and execute the following command from the root of the unzipped files:

cast-imaging-install.bat package=all

On completion, check the status of the various Microsoft Windows Services, there should be 11:

Scenario 2 - Install components on multiple machines

On each machine on which you want to install a component, ensure that you follow Step 2 and Step 3, i.e.:

download and unzip the installation media on each machine on which you want to install a component
ensure the relevant *.conf file on each machine contains the correct installation variables

Then open a CMD window with elevated permissions (right click, Run as administrator) and execute the appropriate installation command on each machine for the component you would like to install. Ensure that the imaging-services component is always installed first and is completed before any other components on other machines are installed:

cast-imaging-install.bat package=imaging-services
cast-imaging-install.bat package=imaging-viewer
cast-imaging-install.bat package=analysis-node

Note

You can install any number of CAST Imaging Node Services (analysis-node) on dedicated machines to load balance your analysis requirements
You should only install CAST Imaging Services (imaging-services) and CAST Imaging Viewer (imaging-viewer) once in your network

On completion, check the status of the various Microsoft Windows Services:

.conf file	No. of services
`package=imaging-services`	6
`package=imaging-viewer`	5
`package=analysis-node`	1

Step 5 - Post install tasks

Open firewall ports

In a multi-machine installation scenario, to ensure that:

your users can access all CAST Imaging resources in their browser
CAST Imaging components can communicate correctly

…you should ensure that all ports listed in Hardware requirements are opened inbound on the relevant machine.

In a single machine installation scenario, only port 8090 (TCP) is should be opened inbound if you need to access this machine remotely.

Step 6 - Initial start up configuration

When the install is complete, connect to CAST Imaging using your browser via the following URL:

http://localhost:8090 if you are using the machine on which the imaging-services component has been installed
http://PUBLIC_URL:8090 from a remote machine on the network

your licensing strategy. Choose either a Named Application strategy (where each application you onboard requires a dedicated license key entered when you perform the onboarding), or a Contributing Developers strategy (a global license key based on the number of users):

License key

CAST Extend settings / Proxy settings:

CAST Extend settings

As a final check, browse to the URL below and ensure that you have at least one node, the CAST Imaging Viewer and the CAST Dashboard components listed:

http://localhost:8090/console/#/aic/manage/nodes
or
http://PUBLIC_URL:8090/console/#/aic/manage/nodes

Services

Step 7 - Configure authentication

Out-of-the-box, CAST Imaging is configured to use Local Authentication via a simple username/password system. Default login credentials are provided (admin/admin) with the global ADMIN profile so that installation can be set up initially.

CAST recommends configuring CAST Imaging to use your on-premises enterprise authentication system such as LDAP or SAML Single Sign-on instead before you start to onboard applications. See Authentication for more information.

What is installed?

The following Microsoft Windows services, set to start automatically and running with LocalSystem:

CAST Imaging Services

CAST Imaging Authentication
CAST Imaging Console Service
CAST Imaging Control Panel
CAST Imaging Dashboards
CAST Imaging Gateway Service
CAST Imaging SSO Service

CAST Imaging Viewer:

CAST Imaging Viewer Frontend
CAST Imaging Viewer ETL
CAST Imaging Viewer Backend
CAST Imaging Neo4j Graph Database

CAST Imaging Analysis Node

CAST Imaging Analysis Node

Note

All Microsoft Windows services will be set to "Automatic" start. This means that they will automatically start up whenever the host machine is started or rebooted. However, since some Microsoft Windows services are dependent on each other, you may find that when you reboot the host machine, some services will have failed to start because a dependent service has not started quickly enough. See Services startup checker for information about a tool that will ensure your services are all running.
All Microsoft Windows services will be set to use the Local System account unless you have specifically defined a dedicated user via the .conf file using the START_AS_USER, ...START_AS_USER, START_AS_PASSWORD, ...START_AS_PASSWORD, see installation variables and Software requirements.

Uninstall process

The installation media contains a dedicated uninstaller script called cast-imaging-remove.bat. To run the uninstaller, open a CMD window with elevated permissions (right click, Run as administrator) and execute the relevant command from the root of the unzipped files to remove the required component depending on what is installed on the current machine:

cast-imaging-remove.bat package=all
cast-imaging-remove.bat package=imaging-services
cast-imaging-remove.bat package=imaging-viewer
cast-imaging-remove.bat package=analysis-node

The relevant *.conf files should contain the Installation variables that match the components you have installed.

To avoid a prompt during the uninstall process, ensure that the DELETE_ADDITIONAL_DATA_FOLDERS is explicitly set to either true to force the removal of existing analysis data storage folders defined by the SHARED_FOLDER, DELIVERY_FOLDER and DEPLOY_FOLDER variables, or false to retain these folders. If you intend to perform a clean install you should set this option to true.

Do not use the Microsoft Windows Add/Remove Program feature to uninstall CAST Imaging components, always use the cast-imaging-remove.bat file.

The installer will remove all components and related Microsoft Windows Services, including the following database items (the uninstaller will use the *.conf file to obtain details of the target database instance):

keycloak_v3 database
admin_center schema
analysis_node schema

What is not removed?

Any schemas associated with applications stored on your database instance(s), e.g. <app_name>_local, <app_name>_central, <app_name>_mngt.
general_measure schema (or equivalent name).
CAST Imaging Core, wherever this component has been installed. Use the Add or remove programs feature to uninstall.
CAST Storage Service, wherever this component has been installed. Use the Add or remove programs feature to uninstall.