Remote Installation

Remote Installation

Remote installation allows you to install and update Robility Designer and Robility Runner on multiple remote machines by executing the Designer.msi and Runner.msi installers from a central admin machine. This method is useful when you need to manage installations across many systems without manually visiting each machine.

Below are the detailed steps and parameters involved in setting up a remote installation for both Robility Designer and Robility Runner.

Key Points to Note

1. Admin Machine: This is the machine used by the administrator to perform the installation. The admin machine will download the MSI files, create the necessary batch files for installation, and trigger the installation process remotely.
2. Remote Machine: These are the systems where the MSI files will be installed. It’s essential that these machines are prepared to receive and install the MSI files from the admin machine.
3. Authorized Users: Only authorized users of Robility Manager are permitted to download the latest versions of the Designer and Runner MSI files.
4. Administrator Rights: Both the admin machine and the remote machines require administrator rights to execute the installation commands. Ensure that you have the necessary permissions before proceeding.
5. Machine List: Prepare a list of remote machines on which the MSI needs to be installed. You will need the names or IP addresses of these machines to run the commands remotely.
6. PowerShell Access: The admin machine must have access to PowerShell to execute the batch file remotely. Ensure that PowerShell is enabled and that you have the necessary privileges to run scripts.
7. PsExec Requirement: The admin machine must have PsExec v2.43(or later) installed to allow for remote execution. PsExec is part of Sysinternals by Microsoft, and it facilitates remote command execution.
You can download PsExec from the official Microsoft Sysinternals page:(https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/psexec)
8. Silent Installation: You can run the installer in silent mode, which ensures the installation happens without user intervention. This is particularly useful when updating from older versions of Robility Designer or Runner.

Installation Process

1. Download the MSI Files: Log into Robility Manager and download the latest versions of Robility Designer and Robility Runner MSI files. Ensure that these MSI files are compatible with your system.
2. Place the MSI Files in a Shared Folder: Store the MSI files in a shared folder that is accessible to both the admin machine and the remote machines. Example: “\\admin_machine\myfiles\RobilityRunner2x.x.x.msi”.
3. Share the Folder: Share the folder where the MSI files are stored with **read access** for the remote machines. This allows the remote systems to access and copy the MSI files needed for installation.

Batch File Creation Steps

The installation process on remote machines is facilitated by creating a batch file on the admin machine. This batch file will contain commands for copying the MSI file to the remote machine and executing the installation.

1. Create a Folder on the Remote Machine: The batch file must first create a folder on the remote machine to store the MSI file. This folder will be used to copy the MSI from the admin machine. Use the following command: “MD C:\Robility_MSI”. This command ensures that the folder `C:\Robility_MSI` exists on the remote machine.
2. Copy the MSI File from the Admin Machine to the Remote Machine: After creating the folder on the remote machine, the next step is to copy the MSI file from the shared folder on the admin machine to the remote machine. This can be done using the `xcopy`command: xcopy\\admin_machine\myfiles\RobilityRunner2x.x.x.msi C:\Robility_MSI\RobilityRunner2x.x.x.msi”.
This command will copy the RobilityRunner2x.x.x.msi file from the shared folder on the admin machine to the “C:\Robility_MSI” directory on the remote machine.
3. Run the MSI Installation on the Remote Machine: Once the MSI file is copied to the remote machine, the batch file will trigger the installation using msiexec, the Windows Installer. The command for silent installation is as follows:
“msiexec/i C:\Robility_MSI\RobilityRunner2x.x.x.msi/qn/l*v”C:\Robility_MSI\RunnerInstallationLog.txt”
4. Sample Batch File: The batch file (`install.bat`) will include the above commands. Example:
MDC:\Robility_MSIxcopy\\admin_machine\myfiles\RobilityRunner2x.x.x.msi C:\Robility_MSI\RobilityRunner2x.x.x.msi
msiexec/iC:\Robility_MSI\RobilityRunner2x.x.x.msi/qn/l*v”C:\Robility_MSI\RunnerInstallationLog.txt”

Batch File Execution 

Once the batch file is created, you can execute it remotely on the target machines using PowerShell. Ensure that PowerShell is running as Administrator on the admin machine.

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator: Right-click the PowerShell icon and select Run as Administrator to open an elevated PowerShell window.
2. Execute Command for a Single Remote Machine: To execute the installation on a single remote machine, use the following PsExec command in the PowerShell window:
“psexec.exe@remote_computer_name-s-udomain\user_id-ppassword\\admin_machine\myfiles\install.bat”.

– `@remote_computer_name`: The name of the remote computer where the MSI is to be installed.
– `-s`: Run the command with system-level privileges.
– `-u domain\user_id -p password`: Provide the credentials of the user with administrator rights on the remote machine.
– `\\admin_machine\myfiles\install.bat`: The path to the batch file on the admin machine.

3. Execute Command for Multiple Remote Machines: To execute the installation on multiple remote machines simultaneously, use the following command:
psexec \\pc1,pc2,pc3-s-udomain\user_id -ppassword\\admin_machine\myfiles\install.bat”.

– `\\pc1,pc2,pc3`: A comma-separated list of remote machine names or IP addresses.
– The batch file will be executed on all the specified remote machines, initiating the MSI installation on each.