Unattended Installation
SMS (System Management Server) is a Microsoft product that allows for software to be distributed across a network from a single computer. Unattended installations can be performed using SMS to save the network administrator the time and effort required to walk around to each individual workstation.
Note: Documentation on installing products using SMS can be found in the MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) Library (http://msdn.microsoft.com).
Formatting a Command-Line or Unattended Installation String
"InstallerPath/SetupLF.exe" SetupParameters INSTALLLEVEL=InstallLevel Properties
InstallerPath is the path to the folder that contains the SetupLF.exe file for the installation you want to perform. (The Laserfiche Server and Windows client and have separate installations and separate SetupLF.exe files, but components within the installation--for instance, the Scanning component of the Windows client--are included within their installs.) For instance, if the Server installation SetupLF.exe file is currently in a "Server 10" folder on the D drive, the full path would be "D:\Server 10\SetupLF.exe". This part of the installation string is required. (If you are running the installation from the command line, you can instead navigate to the folder that contains the SetupLF.exe file. In this case, only SetupLF.exe needs to be typed manually into the command line.)
Note: The arrangement of the installation package must remain the same for an installation to continue. Do not attempt to copy the Laserfiche Server or Windows client folder out of the main installation passage, or the installation will fail.
SetupParameters is the collection of parameters that should be passed directly to SetupLF.exe. The available parameters are listed in the Setup Command Line Arguments section. These parameters are not required, but most command-line or unattended installation will use at least one.
The INSTALLLEVEL parameter is a special parameter that determines what components will be installed. See Install Levels for more information. Either this parameter or the ADDLOCAL property is required, and we strongly recommend using INSTALLLEVEL to determine what components to install.
Properties is the collection of MSI properties that will be used in the installation. The available properties are listed in the Properties section. Some properties may be required for your installation, depending on the components you are installing.
For examples of complete command-line strings, see Examples. You should also review the Additional Considerations page for suggestions and for pitfalls to avoid.
Setup Command Line Parameters
The settings used during an unattended installation are determined by command line parameters. One or more command line parameters can be appended to the path to the installation executable (SetupLF.exe) in the command prompt.
The below parameter are passed to directly to the installation executable (SetupLF.exe) and apply to the entire installation. These parameters are applicable to both the Laserfiche Server and Windows client installations.
Note: If you enter a value (such as a path to a folder) that contains spaces or special characters, the value must be enclosed in quotes.
| SetupLF.exe Parameters | Definition | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| -log logpath | Specifies the directory in which the installation logs will be stored. If this parameter is not specified, no log file will be saved. | -log "C:\Logs" | |
| -silent |
The installation will proceed without displaying any dialogs to the user. Note: Microsoft Installer 4.5 must already be installed on the computer for a silent install to complete successfully. |
Not currently supported for Directory Server | |
| -noui | The installation will prompt the user to accept the license agreement but will not prompt them for any other information. The user will see the installation progress and any error messages. | Not currently supported for Directory Server | |
| -iacceptlicenseagreement | This parameter allows you to indicate your acceptance of the license agreement within the command line string itself. This parameter is meant to be used in tandem with -noui, in which case -noui will display progress bars and error messages but will not prompt the user to accept the license agreement. | ||
| -lang LanguageCode | Specifies the language to be used by the installer. The language will use a two- or three-letter language code. If you do not specify a language code, the installation will prompt you to select the language that the installation will run in. This does not affect the language of the final installed product. See Language Codes, below, for the available languages and their corresponding language codes. | -lang es | |
| LANGPACK="LanguageCodeList" | Specifies the language pack or packs to install, using two-letter language codes.This option determines the language of the final installed product. If you specify more than one language pack, you can separate them with commas or spaces. See Language Codes, below, for the available languages and their corresponding language codes. | LANGPACK="es ar it" |
Language Codes
| Language | Language Code |
|---|---|
| Arabic | ar |
| Chinese Simplified |
zh-Hans |
| Chinese Traditional | zh-Hant |
| French | fr |
| Italian | it |
| Portuguese (Brazilian) | pt-BR |
| Spanish | es |
Install Levels
When configuring a command-line or unattended installation, you must specify which components you want the setup process to install for you. The install level is the recommended way to tell setup which components to install.
The install level is determined by the INSTALLLEVEL property. INSTALLLEVEL is a property passed to the entire installer. It should be set to one of the integer values below. Be sure to select from the table relevant to the installation you're performing, either Laserfiche Server or Windows client.
Important: INSTALLLEVEL values are cumulative. In other words, if you choose INSTALLLEVEL 50, it will also include the components in INSTALLLEVEL 1; if you select INSTALLLEVEL 300, it will include the components in 1, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250. Accordingly, the highest supported INSTALLLEVEL value includes all components.
Valid values for the INSTALLLEVEL property for Laserfiche Windows client installations:
Valid values for the INSTALLLEVEL property for Server installations:
| InstallLevel | Definition |
|---|---|
| 1 | Laserfiche Server, all Server utilities, and local help files |
| 50 | Laserfiche Full-Text Indexing and Search and all Full-Text Search Utilities (Corresponds to the default installation selections in the installation UI) |
Valid values for the INSTALLLEVEL property for Web Administration Console installations:
| InstallLevel | Definition |
|---|---|
| 100 | Laserfiche Web Administration Console |
You can use the ADDLOCAL property if the INSTALLLEVEL property does not provide you with enough control over which specific components to install. Note that you cannot use both INSTALLLEVEL and ADDLOCAL, and if INSTALLLEVEL is sufficient for your purposes, we strongly recommend using it. ADDLOCAL should be used only if you want to install a component without also installing components with a lower install level. (For instance, you could use ADDLOCAL to install the Administration Console without the Windows client, or the Snapshot printer drivers without any other components). ADDLOCAL is only supported for components that have their own prefixes; in other words, it can be used to install Snapshot independently, but not the Link Group Conversion Utility, since the Link Group Conversion Utility does not have an MSI and prefix of its own. See Properties for more information about ADDLOCAL.
Additional Considerations for Unattended Installations
- You must provide either a license file or an activation key when installing the Laserfiche Server. (No licensing information is required for the Windows client installation, or for other Server components such as Full-Text Search.) If no license file or activation key is provided, the installation will succeed, but the Laserfiche Server will not be able to start until it is activated or a license is provided.
- If you specify a license file, the path to the license file must include the license file itself. For instance, if your license file is an lf.licx and is stored in a Licenses folder on the D drive, the path would be "D:\Licenses\lf.licx". If the "lf.licx" segment is not included, installation will fail.
Note: As long as the license file has the correct extension (.lic or .licx) and the correct contents, it can have any name. It does not need to be named "lf.lic" or "lf.licx".
- If you specify an activation key, you must the dashes in the activation key intact. You can do so by copying the activation key directly from the Laserfiche Support Site.
- If you enter a value (such as a path to a folder) that contains spaces or special characters, the value must be enclosed in quotes.
- You can remove all components installed on this computer by calling SetupLF.exe with the property REMOVE=ALL.
Unattended Installation Examples
The following section provides examples of different possible configurations of the command-line or unattended installation, and the specific values you would use to implement that configuration.
"D:\Install\SetupLF.exe" -silent -log "C:\Logs\ServerInstall" INSTALLLEVEL=150 LFSACTIVATIONKEY="US081-555-55555-55555-55555" LFSSVCACCOUNTNAME="DOMAIN\ServiceUser" LFSSVCACCOUNTPASSWORD="MyPassword" LFFTSSVCACCOUNTNAME="DOMAIN\ServiceUser" LFFTSSVCACCOUNTPASSWORD="MyPassword"
In the following example, the Laserfiche Windows client, Scanning, OCR, and the Office Plug-in (but no other client components) will be installed to the default installation directory. The Arabic language pack will also be installed. The user will see a progress bar, but will not be prompted for any input. The Windows client SetupLF.exe file is in the Install\Client folder on the D drive for this example. The installation will be logged.
"D:\Install\Client\SetupLF.exe" -noui -iacceptlicenseagreement -log "C:\Logs\ClientInstall" INSTALLLEVEL=200 LANGPACK="ar"
In the following example, only Laserfiche Snapshot will be installed, and will be forced to install as an NT shared printer. The installation will be silent. The Windows client SetupLF.exe file is in the Install\Client folder on the D drive for this example. The installation will be logged.
"D:\Install\Client\SetupLF.exe" -silent -log "C:\Logs\SnapshotInstall" LFSSADDLOCAL=ALL LFSSFORCENT=1
Unattended Installation Properties
Properties allow for specific installation settings to be passed through command line arguments. They are set by specifying a value after the appropriate property in the command line. The following list describes the various properties that can be configured when performing an unattended installation.
(Because INSTALLLEVEL is a special property that is required in most cases, it has its own page. See Install Levels for more information.)
If you want to set a property for only a certain component of the installation, you can do so by prefacing it with one of the following values:
For example, to specify a logon account name for the Laserfiche Server, you would use the LFSSVCACCOUNTNAME property; to specify a logon account name for the Full-Text Search Service, you would instead use LFFTSSVCACCOUNTNAME.
Some properties require a prefix, while others do not. If you do not provide a prefix, the setting will apply to the entire installation. For instance, if you set LFSSINSTALLDIR="C:\My Programs\Folder" when running the Windows client setup, only Snapshot will be installed at that location; if you set INSTALLDIR="C:\My Programs\Folder" when running the Windows client setup, all client components will be installed at that location.
Note: If you enter a value (such as a path to a folder) that contains spaces or special characters, the value must be enclosed in quotes.
| Property | Installers | Definition | Default | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INSTALLDIR | Server, Windows client, Web Administration Console, and Laserfiche Connector |
Sets the location where the program files will be installed. If the path contains spaces, the path should be surrounded by quotes. This property does not require a prefix. Providing a prefix will specify a custom location for the component associated with the prefix. |
Varies by product. | INSTALLDIR="C:\My Programs\Laserfiche" |
| FIREWALL | Server and Audit Trail |
Specifies whether a Windows firewall exception should be created. Set to 1 to create the exception, to 0 to not create the exception. This property requires a prefix. If you set it, it should be set for LFS (Server), LFFTS (Full-Text Search), LFAT (Audit Trail). If you do not set it, you will need to configure your firewall manually after installation. Note: If Windows Firewall is disabled at your site, be sure to set this value to 0. Attempting to create a firewall exception when the firewall is turned off will cause the installation to fail. |
1 (exception created) | LFSFIREWALL=0 |
| ACTIVATIONKEY | Server, Laserfiche Connector |
Specifies the activation key for the installation. Either this property or the LICENSEPATH property are required, depending on how you will be activating your Laserfiche installation. For the Laserfiche Server, this property requires a prefix, which will always be LFS. For Laserfiche Connector, no prefix is needed. |
N/A | LFSACTIVATIONKEY="US081-555-55555-55555-55555" |
| LICENSEPATH | Server, Laserfiche Connector |
Specifies the location the Laserfiche license file to be used by the installation. Either this property or the ACTIVATIONKEY property are required, depending on how you will be activating your Laserfiche installation. If the path contains spaces, the path should be surrounded by quotes. The name of the license file (including its extension) must be specified in the path. This property does not require a prefix, although the Laserfiche Server prefix can be used with it. |
N/A | LICENSEPATH="D:\My Licenses\lf.licx" |
| SVCACCOUNTNAME | Server only |
The Windows user that the specified service will use to log on. If this property is not set, the Local System account will be used. This property requires a prefix: LFS, LFFTS or LFAT. |
N/A | LFFTSSVCACCOUNTNAME="DOMAIN\UserName" |
| SVCACCOUNTPASSWORD | Server only |
The password for the Windows user specified in the SVCACCOUNTNAME property. This property requires a prefix: LFS, LFFTS or LFAT. Note: This property should only be used if you are also setting the SVCACCOUNTNAME property. |
N/A | LFFTSSVCACCOUNTPASSWORD="MyPassword" |
| ADDLOCAL | Server, Windows client, and Web Administration Console |
Adds the component specified by the prefix. This property is not compatible with the INSTALLLEVEL property. In general, we recommend using INSTALLLEVEL to determine what components to install. See Install Levels for more information. This property requires a prefix, and will usually use that prefix in conjunction with the value ALL. For example, to install Snapshot, you would use the string LFSSADDLOCAL=ALL. To install the local help files, you would use the string LFDADDLOCAL=ALL. |
N/A | LFCADDLOCAL=ALL |
| DESKTOPSHORTCUTS | Windows client only |
Determines whether the desktop shortcuts for the Windows client and Administration Console will be created when the installation finishes. Shortcuts will only be included for products that are being installed. Valid values are 1, which will create shortcuts, and 0, which will not. This property requires a prefix, which should be either LFC (for a Windows client shortcut) or LFA (for a Laserfiche Administration Console shortcut). |
1 (shortcuts included) | LFCDESKTOPSHORTCUTS=0 |
| FORCENT | Windows client only |
Specifies whether an NT shared installation of Snapshot will be forced. Valid values are 1, which will force the NT installation, and 0, which will not. This property requires a prefix, which will always be LFSS. |
0 (no NT installation forced) | LFSSFORCENT=1 |
| INSTALLOCR | Windows client only | Specifies whether the OCR component should be installed with the Laserfiche Windows client. By default, whether OCR is installed is based on your install level, but this property can be used to override that. Valid values are 1, which will force OCR to be installed regardless of install level, or 0, which will prevent it from being installed. | N/A | INSTALLOCR=1 |
Unattended Installation Procedure
An unattended installation can be performed by manually typing commands into the command prompt, however the optimal method of performing this type of installation is to run a batch file. Different batch files can be created for various types of installations and can be run as needed without manually typing the commands. Batch files can be created in the following manner.
To create a batch file
- Create a new text file.
- Include in it the path to the appropriate setup file followed by the desired command line arguments. A sample installation path for a complete, silent Windows client install (including logging and language packs) is provided below. See Formatting a Command-Line or Unattended Installation String for more information on creating the command line argument.
- Save the batch file as “AdminClient.bat” or some other name that corresponds with the type of installation that it will perform.
-
"C:\Install\Client\SetupLF.exe" -silent -log "C:\Logs\ClientInstall" INSTALLLEVEL=500 LANGPACK="en es ar"