Description

To run Futurama Server jobs from the Futurama Vision Management Site, the module Futurama Server has to be installed. To install the module both the Futurama Service code and the Futurama Batch code has to be downloaded and installed. Futurama Service is a Windows Service. After installing the Futurama Service will be available in the Services console (to be opened via the control panel or the CMD command services.msc). The Futurama Service is controlled by the Futurama Vision Management Site. For the communication between the Management Site and the Futurama Services webservices are used. The default endpoint address of the Futurama Service is http://localhost:8080/FuturamaService. This location has to be configured in the configuration file of the Management Site. See the Futurama Server section of the 'Configuration' chapter of the installation of the Management Site for this configuration. 

For the installation of Futurama Service and Futurama Batch consult this installation page. 

Download

Visit the Futurama website www.futurama.eu to download the Futurama Server code:

• Go to www.futurama.eu
  • Go to the download section of the Support menu
  • Log in with user name and password
  • Click the most recent Futurama release
  • Extract the zip-file

Installation Futurama Service

Release folder

Use the release code from the folder 'server'

Installation initial version

If this is the first installation of Futurama Service follow the steps in this paragraph. If you already have a Futurama Service installation, and want to upgrade this to a new version consult the next paragraph 'Upgrading existing version'. Follow the next steps to do the initial installation:

• Create at the Windows webserver a new folder in which the code from the release folder can be installed
• Copy the code from the release folder to this new folder
• Copy the license file to this folder
• Start a command prompt with full administrator permissions
• Navigate in the command prompt to the directory where the Futurama Service code is installed
• Execute the next command: C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\installutil futuramaserver.exe (for a 32 bit server this command has to be C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\installutil futuramaserver.exe). Start the service within the services window (run -> services.msc). Look for the Futurama Service and right click on it and select 'start'.
• Rename the default.config to FuturamaServer.exe.config (see the description in the chapter 'Configuration' for the way the FuturamaServer.exe.config can be configured)
• Allow Windows permissions for the Futurama Service to listen on the required port by issuing the following command:

  netsh http add urlacl http://+:8080/ user=domain\user listen=yes delegate=no

Upgrading existing version

If you already have a Futurama Service installation, and want to upgrade this to a new version follow the steps in this paragraph. If this is the first installation follow the steps in the preceding paragraph 'Installation initial version'. Follow the next steps to upgrade an existing version of the Futurama Service:

• Stop the existing Futurama Service (via services console, Futurama Service)
• Open the folder at the Windows webserver where you have installed the Futurama Service code
• Copy the code from the release folder to this new folder
• Convert existing Futurama documents used for the Futurama Server processes to the new Futurama version. See the chapter 'Converting Futurama Documents' at the page 'Installation Futurama Editor' for more information regarding the conversion of Futurama documents
• Start the Futurama Service

Configuration Futurama Service

Description

After installing the Futurama Service some configuration has to done. See below for this configuration.

Configuration File

In the release folder we provided a default.config. In the Installation steps mentioned above this default.config is renamed to FuturamaServer.exe.config. In this configuration section the sections within this configuration file are explained.

configSections and futuramaSettings

Within the section 'configSections' you find a sectionGroup named futuramaSettings. This sectionGroup futuramaSettings is also a separate section in the config under the configSections section. Each section name within the sectionGroup futuramaSettings is also contained within the futuramaSettings section. Below a brief explanation of these futuramaSettings sections.

Configuration Log

It is possible to log errors, warnings, information messages and developers messages with Futurama. In the chapter 'Configuration Log' you can find information how to configure the configuration file to log this information.

Configuration Server

In the chapter 'Configuration Server' you can find information about configuring the settings for running a Futurama Server job.

Bindings and endpoint

Within the section of the configuration file the binding 'NetTcpBinding_Batch' is defined. This binding default has the endpoint address net.tcp://localhost:8081/FuturamaBatch. With this address the connection between Futurama Service and Futurama Batch is defined. It is possible to change this address of Futurama Batch to another port the 8081. For example when this port is already used by another process. If another port is chosen for this process both change the endpoint address and the chosen port in the server section.

Configuration file Futurama Vision Management Site

To start Futurama Server jobs from the Futurama Vision Management Site, in the configuration file of this Management Site some settings has to be done. See the Futurama Server section of the Configuration chapter of Installation Futurama Vision Management Site for these settings.

Authorization on claiming ports

The FuturamaService is ‘in the lead’ when creating a process. It creates a process and thereby 'claims' a HTTP-port. In order to claim a port the account under which the FuturamaService runs has to be authorized to do so. Make sure the account has the proper rights.

Read and write permissions

A commonly used application of the Futurama Server is to start jobs in order to create documents and save these documents to a specific location. In this process a Word-template is used to create these documents. This means that Futurama Service has to get read permissions (for reading the Word-template) and write permissions (for saving the documents). To configure these permissions go to FuturamaService within the Services console and select of create an identity with the read and write permissions to the locations.

Start the Futurama Service

The Futurama Service has to be started in order to perform Futurama Server tasks. Open the Services console and select FuturamaService. Then the Futurama Service can be started.

Restart the Futurama Service

If the configuration file of the Futurama Service is changed, the Futurama Service has to be restarted in order to use the new configuration file. To do this, open the Services console, navigate to FuturamaService, right click and select ‘restart’. After the restart a log will be created. This can also be used to check whether the log files are written in the correct folder.

Installation Futurama Batch

Release folder

Use the release code from the folder 'batch'

Installation initial version

If this is the first installation of Futurama Batch follow the steps in this paragraph. If you already have a Futurama Batch installation, and want to upgrade this to a new version consult the next paragraph 'Upgrading existing version'. Follow the next steps to do the initial installation:

• Create at the Windows webserver a new folder in which the code from the release folder can be installed
• Copy the code from the release folder to this new folder
• Copy the license file to this folder
• Rename the default.config to FuturamaBatch.exe.config (see the description in the chapter 'Configuration' for the way the FuturamaBatch.exe.config can be configured)

Upgrading existing version

If you already have a Futurama Batch installation, and want to upgrade this to a new version follow the steps in this paragraph. If this is the first installation the preceding paragraph 'Installation initial version'. Follow the next steps to upgrade an existing version of the Futurama Batch:

• Open the folder at the Windows webserver where you have installed the Futurama Batch code
• Copy the code from the release folder to this new folder

Configuration Futurama Batch

Description

After installing the Futurama Batch some configuration has to done. See below for this configuration.

Configuration File

In the release folder we provided a default.config. In the Installation steps mentioned above this default.config is renamed to FuturamaBatch.exe.config. In this configuration section the sections within this configuration file are explained.

configSections and futuramaSettings

Within the section 'configSections' you find a sectionGroup named futuramaSettings. This sectionGroup futuramaSettings is also a separate section in the config under the configSections section. Each section name within the sectionGroup futuramaSettings is also contained within the futuramaSettings section. Below a brief explanation of these futuramaSettings sections.

Configuration Log

It is possible to log errors, warnings, information messages and developers messages with Futurama. In the chapter 'Configuration Log' you can find information how to configure the configuration file to log this information.

Configuration Format

The format settings of for example dates and numbers are described in the chapter 'Configuration Format'.

Configuration Mapping

In the chapter 'Configuration Mapping' you can find information about configuring default locations of your Futurama applications. The attribute 'rootPath' can be used to indicate the location of the Futurama documents to be used while performing a Futurama Server job.  

appSettings

The appSettings section of the configuration file is a place to store connection strings, server names, file paths and other miscellaneous settings that can be used by a Futurama application. The items inside the appSettings are items that need to be configurable depending upon environment. For instance, any database connection strings will change as you move your application from a testing server into production. With the Futurama formula 'ReadConfigKey' the value of any of these keys can be read and used within the modelling of your application.

Defining a Futurama Server job

To perform Futurama Server jobs, these jobs have to be defined. See this page for the settings in these jobs.

Testing

The installation and the configuration can be tested. See below how to test. If you encounter problems, check the chapter 'Troubleshooting'.

Futurama Service in Services console

Open the services console (via the control panel or the CMD command services.msc). Check whether Futurama Service is one of the services in the list.

Futurama Service is running

Open the services console (via the control panel or the CMD command services.msc). Select FuturamaService and check whether this service is started.

WSDL Futurama Service is available

Browse to the url http://localhost:8080/?WSDL to check whether the WSDL is available.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter problems with the installation check the sections below.

Logging information

In the web.config the log section is configured. First step in troubleshooting is checking the information in the different log files. Make sure that the log information is actually created. If you don't see any log information consult the chapter 'Configuration Log' for the settings to get this information.

Futurama Services not in Services console

If the Futurama Services is not a service in the Services console, something went wrong with the installatin of Futurama Services. Make sure that the command prompt is opened with administrator permissions, and no errors occured while executing the install command in this prompt.

Futurama Service can not be started

Open the services console (via the control panel or the CMD command services.msc). Select FuturamaService and check whether this service is started. If this service is not started, then start the service. If the Futurama Service immediately after starting stops again, then the port 8080 (the port Futurama Service uses) is already used by another process on the server. See the next troubleshoot for more information.

Port Futurama Service is used by another process

Futurama Service default uses the 8080 port. It is possible that at the same server another process already uses this port. In that situation it is not possible to perform Futurama Server tasks. See the steps mentioned below to detect which process allreay uses the 8080 port:

In order to start the Futurama Service the process found in step 6 has to be stopped.

Changes in config of Futurama Service seems not to be applied

If changes have to made in FuturamaServer.exe.config, make sure to restart the Futurama Service via the services console. After restarting the Futurama Service the changes will be applied.

Port Futurama Batch is used by another process

Futurama Batch default uses the 8081 port. It is possible that at the same server another process already uses this port. See the preceding troubleshoot how to detect which process uses this port. It is possible to choose another port for Futurama Batch. See for explanation the chapter 'Configuration Futurama Service', paragraph 'Configuration File'. Make sure that both the endpoint address and the port at the server section is changed to the same port.

No endpoint listening error message in log Futurama Service

The error message 'There was no endpoint listening at http://localhost:8081/FuturamaBatch that could accept the message' (where http://localhost:8081/FuturamaBatch is the endpoint address of Futurama Batch defined in the configuration file of Futurama Service) in the log of Futurama Service implies that Futurama batch is not listening at this configured address. This error can be given in the situation the configuration file of Futurama Batch does not exist, or is not valid. Check in an XML editor whether this file is valid.

Futurama Batch can not be started

It is possible that Futurama Batch can not be started. This can have various reasons. For example the the lack of the license file or anti virus software preventing to start Futurama Batch. It is possible to check whether Futurama Batch can be started and what potentially is the reason if Futurama Batch can not be started. Follow the next steps:

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