How to create a deployment image for PLAXIS CONNECT Edition

About Deployment Image

The deployment image is created by the system administrators for installing the application with the same installation configuration on multiple machines. The installation configuration includes the installation location, features, shortcuts, and so on.

Once created, you will be able to double-click Setup.exe available in the deployment image to install the application with the set configuration. The deployment image folder can also be moved to a shared location so that all users of the organization can directly execute the installation from there. The administrator can use this shared location in the Software Distribution System for the installation of the product.

The deployment image can be shared in the network as a UNC path or pushed using SMS/SCCM.

Advantages of Using a Deployment Image

Conceptually, the deployment image can be considered as a pre-configured offline installer. Following are the advantages of using a deployment image:

• Internet connection is not required for installation from a Deployment Image.
• Separate pre-requisite pack or set of packages before installing the product are not required.
• The installation location can be decided and set in the deployment image. Once defined, the product will be installed at the same location on all the machines.
• The components to be installed are preselected at the time of creating the deployment image. This results in all machines having the exact same set of installations.

Contents of Deployment Image

The deployment image contains all the files that are packaged with the product as well as the downloadable files. The image does not analyze the system on which it is created. It simply saves all the components for installation. The deployment image also saves the installation configuration.

Before you start

Using non-root drive:

• If the installation drive set in the deployment image configuration settings is other than the root directory (usually C:\), make sure that the drive exists on the machine on which the application is to be installed.

These are the pre-requisites for creating a deployment image:

• Internet connection - Since the setup is running in /layout mode an internet connection is required for connection with Bentley servers to download all installable components.
• Write access to the location where the deployment image will be created.
• Minimum 2 GB disk space at the location where the deployment image will be created.
• Note that installation on each workstation will require at least twice this as we cache the installation files in "C:\ProgramData\Package Cache" to support install repair/modify operations.

Deployment Image Settings

The deployment settings are displayed when you run the setup in /layout mode. The following deployment image settings are displayed in the PLAXIS Installation Wizard.

• Full UI Mode : Displays all the installer windows when you install using the deployment image. 'Full UI Mode' is not recommended as full user interaction is needed to run the installation. This is only of value in an atypical situation where individual installations require different options.
• Passive UI Mode :- Installs the application in passive mode from the deployment image. In this mode, the installation wizard and the progress dialogue are displayed but the installation takes place automatically. The installer takes the options selected while creating the deployment image and you cannot select any options in this mode. The user has full visibility of the installation process.
• No UI Mode : Installs the application in silent mode. No dialogues will be displayed, and successful completion of the installation can only be confirmed by manual checks. If an error occurs during installation this may not be obvious to the machine user.

Note that the size of the deployment image will vary according to the options chosen. 'Full UI Mode' will be the largest as all available source modules must be downloaded to allow any combination of choices to be made during the installation.

Deployment Image Location

Click on the Change button, next to the deployment image location path to open the Browse For Folder dialogue for selecting the folder path where you want to save the deployment image.

This can be an existing location, or a new folder can be created using the browse dialogue. Typically, this will be in a network location. Create a new appropriately named sub-folder for each Deployment Image, e.g.:

• PLAXISCE_V22_full
• PLAXISCE_V21_Update1

The folder(s) created are portable. For example, if a Deployment Image folder is initially created and tested on a local drive it can be copied to an appropriate network location for production deployments.

What if I do not have Internet access?

In situations where Internet access is not available, for instance in a secure environment, a deployment image can be created outside that environment and the deployment image folder can be transferred via an appropriate route into the secure environment.

To Create a Deployment Image

Follow the steps below:

1. In the command line, go to the folder that contains the PLAXIS setup executable and run the executable with the /layout command
   
   
   
   
   
2. The PLAXIS CONNECT Edition Installation Wizard opens. To read the End-User Licensing Agreement (EULA), click the Licensing Agreement link. The End-User Licensing Agreement opens in a web browser.
   
   
3. After reading the license agreement, turn on the I accept the End User Licensing Agreement checkbox if you understand and agree to the License Agreement Terms and Conditions, and click on Next.
   
   
   
   
4. Select the installation mode, 'Passive UI Mode' is the default that applies to most situations as mentioned above. Browse to and select the Deployment Image Location, creating a separate sub-folder for different deployment images:
   
   
   
   
5. In the Features stage specific options can be modified. The most likely option to consider here will be to omit the PLAXIS Output Viewer where it may not be needed immediately.
   
   
   
   Click on Layout to accept the choices made or Back to review.
   
   
6. Monitor the creation of the deployment image:
   
   
   
   
7. Click Finish to exit the PLAXIS Deployment Installation Wizard.
   
   
   
   The deployment image is created at the selected location.
   
   
8. Run Setup_Plaxis2Dx64_22.00.00.1733.exe to install. This can be done:
   1. Manually on the machine where the CONNECT Edition application will be installed by browsing to the deployment image location.
   2. Using an installation management software