Scripting Automated Solutions for Siemens PLM Software

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Scripting Automated Solutions for Siemens PLM
Software
By Daniel Cortez Jet Propulsion
Laboratory,California Institute of Technology
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Intro

• AUTOMATION noun
• The technique, method, or system of operating or
  controlling a process by highly automatic means,
  as by electronic devices, reducing human
  intervention to a minimum.

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JPL Product Management

• The Mechanical CAE Group at JPL manages
  configuration for 180 workstations with various
  SIEMENS products (NX, Teamcenter Engineering,
  Nastran, Ideas, etc)
• MCAE has automated the installation of all
  SIEMENS products via web links and small
  installation programs.
• Cost Saving with the automated installation was
  90 reduction in installation times, per single
  installation.

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Automating Installations, Why?

• Allow user to download and run installation On
  Demand
• Scripted installation identifies all necessary
  parameters.
• Install only licensed modules
• Standardize workstation installations

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JPL Typical Design Installation Package CAD/CAM
Design Engineers

• installation package for Design Engineering
• NX Base
• NX Translators (pre NX5)
• NX Maintenance Release Update
• NX Maintenance Pack Update
• JPL Custom Configuration Files
• Teamcenter Engineering Base
• Teamcenter Engineering Portal Client
• Teamcenter Engineering Portalviewer (JT, CGM,..)
• Teamcenter Engineering Base Update
• Teamcenter Engineering Portal Client Update
• Teamcenter Engineering Portalviewer Update
• JPL Custom Configuration Files

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Knowledge Required

• This session will require user to be experienced
  and knowledgeable in the following.
• Command Shell / Windows Batch Scripting (.BAT,
  .CMD)
• Windows Registry Editing
• Application Installation
• NX
• Teamcenter Engineering Client
• Nastran
• FEMAP, etc

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Scripting Languages

• Batch Scripting
• Windows Batch file scripting - useful for running
  a sequence of executables automatically
• Scripting Concepts and Technologies
• VBScripting - easy-to-use scripting language that
  enables you to create powerful tools for managing
  computers.
• WSH - is a powerful multi-language scripting
  environment ideal for automating system
  administration tasks
• WMI - primary management technology for Microsoft
  Windows OS. It enables consistent and uniform
  management, control, and monitoring of systems
  throughout your enterprise.

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Identifying Install executables

• Most product installation come packaged in either
  .MSI or .EXE format. Each format has methods
  which can be used to perform silent or unattended
  installations.
• MSI
• The Windows Installer (aka Microsoft Installer)
  is an engine for the installation, maintenance,
  and removal of software on Windows systems. The
  installation information, and often the files
  themselves, are packaged in installation packages
  
• The package files have a .msi extension, and you
  manipulate them using the msiexec utility.
• EXE
• The InstallShield setup.exe allows for a response
  file (.iss) to be used for unattended
  installations (silent installation)
• Note not all installation will are capable of
  using scripted file.

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Example NX

• NX can be deployed in one of two methods
• Setup.exe
• UGS NX 4.0.msi
• SETUP.EXE
• This is Manual installation. The installation
  will run with full windows dialog interaction,
  requires input for all fields.
• UGS NX 4.0.msi
• Allows for manual or scripted installation. If
  parameters are not provided it defaults to manual
  mode installation.

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Automated Installation Options

• Reference NX Installation Guide
• The unattended installation is controlled by the
  Windows system component, msiexec.exe. In order
  to install silently you must pass switches and NX
  specific configurable properties to msiexec.exe
  on the command line. The msiexec.exe program has
  several command line switches. For full
  documentation on these switches, see the
  Microsoft help documentation Help and Support
  for msiexec

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MSIEXEC Line Switches

• /I - specifies the input .msi file to be used
• msiexec.exe /i UGS NX 4.0.msi
• /q - specifies the UI level.
• /qn specifies no dialogs except for the ending
  install done dialog recommended.
• /qn specifies a silent installation with no
  dialogs.
• no indication when the install completes
• /L specifies a log file to be created
• msiexec /Lv logfile
• /x - specifies the msi file use for
  uninstallation.
• msiexec.exe /x UGS NX 4.0.msi

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NX MSI Installation Parameters

• The configurable properties for the NX install
  are
• ADDLOCAL This property selects the features to
  be installed.
• ALL same as a typical installation.
• SETUPTYPE - matches the addlocal parameter
• SETUPTYPEtypical.
• LICENSESERVER
• This property sets the value of the NX license
  server.
• Set the environment variable UGII_LICENSE_FILE
• LANGUAGE
• User interface language for NX.
• INSTALLDIR
• This property sets the directory where NX will be
  installed.

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MSI Example Installation NX 4

• Product NX 4
• Note
• The msiexec.exe examples below may appear on
  multiple lines because of document formatting but
  they must be entered on your computer as one
  line.

msiexec /qn /i "NX 4.msi" ADDLOCAL"all
INSTALLDIRC\UGS\NX30 LICENSESERVER27000_at_hostn
ame
msiexec /qn /i "NX 4.msi" ADDLOCAL"all
INSTALLDIRC\UGS\NX30 LICENSESERVER27000_at_ho
stname
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Example FEMAP

• FEMAP can be deployed in one of two methods
• Setup.exe
• Setup.exe (with response file)
• Reponse file filename.iss
• SETUP.EXE
• This is Manual installation. The installation
  will run with full windows dialog interaction,
  requires input for all fields.
• A response file can be used to pass all the
  parameters. Admin install must be performed first
  to create the response.

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Generate the ISS Response File

• InstallScript Installations (EXE)
• For an InstallScript-based installer, The user
  performs a complete installation inputting all
  the necessary values. Instead of directly passing
  the values of variables to the installer,
• Perform the following steps
• 1. On a test system, run the installation in
  record mode (/r), which generates a response file
  (filename.iss)
• 2. On an end user's system, run the installation
  in silent mode, using the data from the response
  file.

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Example Generate Response File

• To generate the response file, you run the
  InstallScript setup.exe with the /r switch. This
  displays the installer's dialog boxes, and
  additionally records the data you enter in the
  dialog boxes. A response file uses the .iss (for
  "InstallShield silent") file name extension you
  can specify the name and location of the response
  file using the /f1 switch.

setup /r /f1"C\sample\setup.iss"
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InstallShield Example FEMAP 9.3.1

• Product FEMAP 9.3.1
• Note
• The msiexec.exe examples below may appear on
  multiple lines because of document formatting but
  they must be entered on your computer as one
  line.

Setup.exe /s /f1FEMAP931_Setup.iss"
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Batch File Create automatic

• Create a windows batch file .bat to capture all
  the parameters to automate an installation.
• Use notepad to create a new text file with the
  extension .bat
• The first line in the batch file
• _at_ECHO OFF

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Example Batch File FEMAP
FILE SETUP_FEMAP.bat
_at_echo off Setup.exe /s /f1FEMAP931_Setup.iss"
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Example Batch File NX
FILE INSTALL_NX4.bat
_at_echo off msiexec /qn /i "NX 4.msi"
ADDLOCAL"all INSTALLDIRC\UGS\NX30
LICENSESERVER27000_at_hostname
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References

• Online
• Microsoft Scripting Guide
• http//www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/guid
  e
• Microsft Script Center
• http//www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter
• Books
• MSDN Forums
• Free downloads
• Activestate
• Microsoft powershell

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Questions
Daniel Cortez decortez_at_jpl.nasa.gov