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Installation Guide

# Running the Installation Program in Silent Mode

The following sections describe how to run the installation program in silent mode:

- What Is Silent-Mode Installation?
- Using Silent-Mode Installation: Main Steps
- Creating a silent.xml File for Silent-Mode Installation
- Sample silent.xml File for Silent-Mode Installation
- Returning Exit Codes to the Console
- What's Next?

# What Is Silent-Mode Installation?

Silent-mode installation is a way of setting installation configurations only once and then using those configurations to duplicate the installation on many machines. During installation in silent mode, the installation program reads the settings for your configuration from an XML file that you create prior to beginning the installation. The installation program does not display any configuration options during the installation process. Silent-mode installation works on both Windows and UNIX systems. Using silent-mode installation implies that you consent to the BEA License Agreement. You neither see a copy of the BEA Software License Agreement nor have any means of accepting the terms of the agreement.

The instructions in this section are based on the assumption that you have already acquired the installation program, either on CD or from the BEA Web site. For more information, see Product Distribution Methods.

# Using Silent-Mode Installation: Main Steps

The silent-mode installation process has two primary steps:

1. Create a `silent.xml` file that defines the configuration settings normally entered by a user during an interactive installation process, such as graphical-mode or console-mode installation. For example, values for the BEA Home directory, the product directory, and the components to be installed are supplied in a `silent.xml` file.

For a detailed procedure, see Creating a silent.xml File for Silent-Mode Installation. For a sample `silent.xml` file, see Sample silent.xml File for Silent-Mode Installation.

2. Start the silent-mode installation process using the values specified in the `silent.xml` file.

For details on starting the installation in silent mode, see Starting the Installation Program.

## Important Considerations for Silent-Mode Installation

When you are performing an installation in silent mode, keep in mind the following considerations:

- Silent-mode installation requires the same amount of temporary disk space and uses the same temporary storage directories as a standard installation. For more information, see Temporary Disk Space Requirements. The installation program does not alert you if there is not enough space in the temporary directory.
- A silent-mode installation takes the same amount of time as a standard installation. At the beginning of a silent-mode installation, an initial installation program window or message is displayed briefly, indicating that the installation has started. No messages are displayed to indicate that the installation is in progress or has completed successfully.
- Incorrect entries in the `silent.xml` file can cause installation failures. To help you determine the cause of a failure, we recommend that you create a log file when you start the installation. For more information, see Generating a Verbose Installation Log.
- The XML definition (`<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>`) must be at the very beginning of the `silent.xml` file. There cannot be any spaces or line breaks before the XML definition.
- You cannot reinstall any BEA product on top of a previously installed version of the same product—in the same BEA Home directory or in the same file location. You can, however, add products and product components to an existing installation. For example, you can install WebLogic Server during one installation, and AquaLogic Service Bus during a separate installation. However, to reinstall the same version of one of the products, you must first uninstall the previously installed instance of it, as described in Uninstalling the Software, or install the new instance in another location.

# Creating a silent.xml File for Silent-Mode Installation

When you install your BEA software in silent mode, the installation program uses an XML file (`silent.xml`) to determine which installation options should be implemented. Therefore, before you can run the installation program in silent mode, you must first create a `silent.xml` file in which you specify the installation options that you want to have invoked.

Note: Incorrect entries in the `silent.xml` file can cause installation failures. To help you determine the cause of a failure, we recommend that you create a log file when you start the installation.

To create a `silent.xml` file for use in the silent-mode installation process, follow these steps:

1. In a supported browser, display the sample `silent.xml` file for silent-mode installation. The sample file is available at `http://e-docs.bea.com/common/docs91/install/scripts/silent.xml`.

This sample `silent.xml` file is also presented later in this chapter. See Sample silent.xml File for Silent-Mode Installation.

2. Save the sample XML file, with the name `silent.xml`, in the same directory that contains the installation program.

Note: The XML definition (`<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>`) must be at the very beginning of the `silent.xml` file. There cannot be any spaces or line breaks before the XML definition.

3. In the `silent.xml` file that you saved on your system, edit the values for the keywords shown in Table 5-1 to reflect your configuration.

Note: You must follow XML guidelines for characters when modifying values. That is, you cannot use characters reserved for use in XML, such as `<`, `>`, `[`, and `]`.

Table 5-1 Values for the silent.xml File

For this data-value name . . . | Enter the following value . . .
--- | ---
`BEAHOME` | The full pathname for the BEA Home directory of your choice. For details about the BEA Home directory, see Choosing a BEA Home Directory.
`USER_INSTALL_DIR` | The full pathname for the directory where you want to install your BEA software. For details, see Choosing a Product Installation Directory.
`INSTALL_NODE_MANAGER_SERVICE` (Windows platforms only) | `yes` to install the WebLogic Server Node Manager as a Windows service. See About Installing Node Manager as a Windows Service. `no` to skip the installation of the WebLogic Server Node Manager as a Windows service. The default is `no`. Note: You must have Administrator privileges to install Node Manager as a Windows service.
`NODEMGR_PORT` | The Node Manager listen port. If you do not specify a port number, the installer uses the default port 5556. If the port number is in use, the installer scans for the next available port and assigns it to the Node Manager. Note: The `INSTALL_NODE_MANAGER_SERVICE` option must be set to `yes.` At the completion of the installation process, the Node Manager is started using the port specified.
INSTALL_MERCURY_PROFILING_TOOLS | `true`, or `yes`, to install the Mercury profiling tools. The default is `true`. `false`, or `no`, to skip the installation of the tools. Selecting `true` or `yes` implies that you consent to the Mercury Tools License Agreement. Note: For more information about the Mercury profiling tools, see BEA JRockit JDK.
`INSTALL_SHORTCUT_IN_ALL_USERS_FOLDER` | `true`, or `yes`, to create the shortcuts in the All Users folder. The default is `true`. `false`, or `no`, to create the shortcuts in the local users folder. The user performing the installation must have Administrator privileges to install the Start menu shortcuts in the All Users folder. For more information, see Administrator Privileges.
`COMPONENT_PATHS` | Specify the components and subcomponents you want to install on your system: To install WebLogic Server, use the following values: `WebLogic Server Server Server Examples Web Server Plug-Ins` Note: The Web Server Plug-Ins subcomponent is not installed by default with WebLogic Server. You must specify the component/subcomponent combination to install them. To install AquaLogic Service Bus, use the following values: `AquaLogic Service Bus Service Bus Server Data Transformation Tools Service Bus Examples` For additional information about entering these values, see Guidelines for Component Selection. Note: If you are using the BEA Products installation program for WebLogic Server, you can specify the WebLogic Server components only.

## Guidelines for Component Selection

Use the following guidelines when you specify values for the `COMPONENT_PATHS` data-value name:

- When you specify a product component to be installed, all subcomponents that are installed by default in a complete installation are also installed. For example, the following entry installs both WebLogic Server and the examples:

>     <data-value name="COMPONENT_PATHS" value="WebLogic Server" />

Note: The Web Server Plug-Ins subcomponent is not installed by default. You must specify the component/subcomponent combination to install them.

- To install multiple components, separate the components with a bar (|). Do not leave a space before or after the bar. For example, to install WebLogic Server, AquaLogic Service Bus, and the subcomponents that are installed by default, enter the following line in the file:

>     <data-value name="COMPONENT_PATHS" value="WebLogic Server|AquaLogic Service Bus" />

- To specify subcomponents, you must specify a component/subcomponent combination for each entry. For example, to install all of the subcomponents of WebLogic Server, including the Web Server Plug-Ins, use the following entry:

>     <data-value name="COMPONENT_PATHS" value="WebLogic Server/Server|
>     WebLogic Server/Server Examples|WebLogic Server/Web Server Plug-Ins" />

- If you do not include the `COMPONENT_PATHS` data-value name in the `silent.xml` file, the complete WebLogic Server and AquaLogic Service Bus products are installed. The Web Server Plug-ins subcomponent of WebLogic Server is not installed by default.

Note: The installation program performs dependency checking to ensure that all components that provide functionality on which other components depend for proper operation are installed. These dependencies are visible during graphical and console mode installations. The same dependencies are enforced during silent installation: components on which other components depend are installed even if they are not explicitly referenced in a silent script.

# Sample silent.xml File for Silent-Mode Installation

>     <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
>     <!-- Silent installer option: -mode=silent -silent_xml=C:\bea\silent.xml -->

>     <!-- Specify values for each data-value name as follows:

>          BEAHOME            Complete pathname to the BEA Home directory that
>                             will contain this installation.

>          USER_INSTALL_DIR   Complete pathname to the product installation
>                             directory in which to install the software.

>          INSTALL_MERCURY_PROFILING_TOOLS
>                             Optionally install Mercury profiling tools.
>                             Possible values are "true","yes","false"
>                             and "no". The default is "true".

>          INSTALL_NODE_MANAGER_SERVICE  Install Node Manager as a Windows
>                                        service. The default is "no".
>                                        Requires Administrator privileges.

>          NODEMGR_PORT       Node Manager listen port number. If none specified,
>                             installer uses default port 5556.
>                             INSTALL_NODE_MANAGER_SERVICE must be set to "yes"

>          COMPONENT_PATHS    Components and subcomponents to be installed.
>                             To install multiple components, separate the components
>                             with a bar (|).
>                             To install subcomponents, specify a
>                             component/subcomponent combination. For example,
>                             to install Web Server Plug-Ins,
>                             use "WebLogic Server/Web Server Plug-Ins".

>          INSTALL_SHORTCUT_IN_ALL_USERS_FOLDER
>                             The Windows Start menu folder in which you want the
>                             Start menu shortcuts created.
>                             The user performing the installation must have
>                             Administrator privileges to install the shortcuts
>                             in the All Users folder.
>                             Possible values:
>                             true/yes  The shortcuts are created in
>                                       the All Users folder (default)
>                             false/no  The shortcuts are created in
>                                       the local user's folder
>          See the Installation Guide for more information.                -->

>     <bea-installer>
>       <input-fields>
>           <data-value name="BEAHOME"                  value="C:\bea" />
>           <data-value name="USER_INSTALL_DIR"         value="C:\bea\weblogic91" />
>           <data-value name="INSTALL_MERCURY_PROFILING_TOOLS" value="true"/>
>           <data-value name="INSTALL_NODE_MANAGER_SERVICE"   value="yes"  />
>           <data-value name="NODEMGR_PORT"                   value="5559" />
>           <data-value name="COMPONENT_PATHS" value="WebLogic Server/Server|WebLogic
>      Server/Server Examples|WebLogic Server/Web Server Plug-Ins|AquaLogic Service Bus" />
>           <data-value name="INSTALL_SHORTCUT_IN_ALL_USERS_FOLDER"   value="yes"/>
>     </input-fields>
>     </bea-installer>

# Returning Exit Codes to the Console

When run in silent mode, the installation program generates exit codes that indicate the success or failure of the installation. These exit codes are shown in the following table.

Code | Description
--- | ---
0 | Installation completed successfully
-1 | Installation failed due to a fatal error
-2 | Installation failed due to an internal XML parsing error

If you are launching the silent-mode installation process from a script, you can choose to have these exit codes displayed on the console. Listing 5-1 provides a sample command file that invokes the installation program in silent mode and echoes the exit codes to the console from which the script is executed.

Listing 5-1 Sample Command File Displaying Silent-Mode Exit Codes

>     rem Execute the installer in silent mode
>     @echo off
>     alsb210_wls910_win32.exe -mode=silent -silent_xml=C:\downloads\silent.xml -log=C:\logs\products_silent.log

>     @rem Return an exit code to indicate success or failure of installation
>     set exit_code=%ERRORLEVEL%

>     @echo.
>     @echo Exitcode=%exit_code%
>     @echo.
>     @echo Exit Code Key
>     @echo ---------------
>     @echo  0=Installation completed successfully
>     @echo -1=Installation failed due to a fatal error
>     @echo -2=Installation failed due to an internal XML parsing error
>     @echo.

# What's Next?

By default, your BEA software uses the development license file installed in the BEA Home directory so that you can start using the product immediately. We recommend that you run the QuickStart application to familiarize yourself with the software and execute the samples provided. For additional information, see Post-Installation Information.

Note: QuickStart is not invoked automatically for console-mode or silent-mode installations. You can launch QuickStart from the Start Menu (Windows), or from the command line (Windows and UNIX). For instructions, see Using QuickStart.

For specific information about your software release, see the appropriate release notes:

- BEA WebLogic Server® and WebLogic ExpressTM Release Notes at `http://e-docs.bea.com/wls/docs91/notes/index.html`
- BEA AquaLogic Service BusTM Release Notes at `http://e-docs.bea.com/alsb/docs21/relnotes/index.html`
- BEA Products Installation and Configuration Release Notes at `http://e-docs.bea.com/common/docs91/relnotes/index.html`