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on-site-related topic Installing Redwood Platform

This section tells you how to install and configure the central Redwood Server system on Windows and UNIX on the Redwood Platform Application Server. You need direct access to the system where the Redwood Platform is to be installed to perform the installation procedure described below. Redwood Platform has been designed to be used in clusters; if you want to use Redwood Platform in a cluster, simply follow the installation instructions and install licenses for all nodes, as long as all nodes share the same database connection settings, they will form a cluster.

Upgrading from Version 9.0.22 or Lower

When you upgrade from version 9.0.22 or lower, you must take the following into account:

  • You need to install version 9.1.5 prior to installing version 9.2.8.
  • Redwood Platform version 2023.2.0 is based on Apache Tomcat 9.
    • The application server requires Java 11 or 17 (recommended); you might still be running version 1.8 or earlier.
    • Ensure your settings are supported by the chosen JVM version. For example, as of Java 11 PermGen space is obsolete, PermGen-related JVM properties will be ignored by the JVM.
    • The server.xml file needs to be updated; the startup will fail if an outdated or modified server.xml file is detected. In this case, you will have to merge your modifications (a different port, for example) into server.xml.master and rename it to server.xml. Always make a backup of your server.xml file.
note

It is highly recommended to keep your JVM up-to-date with the latest release that is supported by your application server.

Setting Environment Variables and JVM Properties

warning

Do not edit platform.sh or platform.bat directly, these files will be overwritten when you update to a newer version of Redwood Platform.

Environment variables can be set in setvars.sh or setvars.bat files in the bin directories of Redwood Platform. These files are not overwritten when you upgrade, however, the example files ( setvars.bat.example and setvars.sh.example ) will be overwritten by an upgrade.

You can also create a setvars.sh for a unix based system, or setvars.bat for a Windows based system, in <install_dir>/..; You use this to specify a central JAVA_HOME for all underlying installations, for example. Note that the files are not created by the installer. Note that the Windows version of Redwood Platform comes with an embedded JAVA_HOME, which will be used unless you set RW_NO_EMBEDDED_JAVA_HOME in the appropriate setvars.bat files.

The following is the contents of the setvars.sh.example file.

#!/bin/sh
#
# Template for customizing environment variables for tomcat execution.
# platform.sh should not be edited, rename this file (setvars.sh.example) to setvars.sh instead
#
# This script will be called twice once at the beginning of platform.sh and once at the end.
# To distinguish between the calls the environment variable P_STAGE will be set to 'pre' and 'post'
# respectively. It is important to distinguish between the stages otherwise the values will be duplicated
# as the setvars.sh script is called twice during startup and shutdown.
#
# Additionally the environment variable P_ACTION will be either 'start' or 'stop' depending on whether
# the platform is being started, or stopped.
# NOTE: if platform.sh is being invoked without a command then P_ACTION will default to 'run'.
#
# For 'stop' action JAVA_OPTS will always be cleared and cannot be set via this script.
#
# $ID$
#

# Uncomment the following to define a P_STAGE pre only action
#if [ $P_STAGE = "pre" ]
#then
# Customize JAVA_HOME - this should only be set in the pre stage
#  JAVA_HOME=
#fi # [ $P_STAGE = "pre" ]

# Uncomment the following to define a P_STAGE post only action (and the closing fi below)
#if [ $P_STAGE = "post" ]
#then
# To customize java system properties.
# NOTE: this should only be set in the post stage
#  JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS "

# The following define the memory settings for the JVM. These values are appended to the JAVA_OPTS parameter
# after the post stage is called, so they should be defined via the following variables and not in the JAVA_OPTS.
#  JAVA_OPT_MAXMEM=-Xmx512m

# If for example you only wanted to set the a JAVA_OPTS on startup/run
#  if [ "$P_ACTION" != 'stop' ]
#  then
#    JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS -Dsome.special.startup=true"
#  fi

# To customize the working directory - this should only be set in the post stage
#SERVER_LOGDIR=

#fi # [ $P_STAGE = "post" ]

# To customize the LD_LIBRARY_PATH - this will be called in both pre/post stages
#LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$LD_LIBRARY_PATH: "
note

The JAVA_HOME must be identical for the adminserver and the central Redwood Server.

warning

The contents of this file is ignored when you install Redwood Platform as a Windows Service. You control JVM parameters in the Java Options field of the Java tab of the Service configuration screen.

Auto Upgrade

You can enable Redwood Server to update the database automatically. This setting is in the Bootstrap section of the adminserver. This setting allows you to upgrade Redwood Platform by simply executing <install_dir>/j2ee/cluster/server1/bin/redeploy.sh, or <install_dir>/j2ee/cluster/server1/bin/redeploy.cmd on Windows, without starting the adminserver, after updating to a new version of Redwood Platform.

Support for NAS File Systems

When you want to use Redwood Server in a networked environment there are occasions when you want to use networked file systems in your infrastructure. The term networked file system in this context designates NAS systems, also known as SMB X/NFS/SSHFS file shares; note that SAN file systems, for example mounted via iSCSI, are considered local storage.

This statement outlines the support of the different installable components for using networked file systems:

Redwood Platform is the web hosting environment that Redwood delivers explicitly for hosting Redwood RunMyJobs and Finance Automation.

Redwood Platform is supported on UNIX when installed on a networked file share.

Note, that when Redwood Platform is installed on a networked drive you increase the risk that the system will be unavailable due to infrastructure outages.

Redwood Platform is not supported on a networked drive on Windows. The main issue here is ensuring that the shared drives are available before the service starts.

Performance on a network file system will be substantially lower, due to the additional networking overhead when accessing files over the network.

Process Flow

  1. Install the Database and configure a node.
    1. You choose a DataRootDirectory where process output will be stored, outside of the redwood-platform directory. By default, it is set to <install_dire>/j2ee/cluster/server1/log.
  2. Add additional nodes (optional).
  3. Configure Security.
  4. You request and install a license for Redwood Server.
  5. Submit System_SetSystemDataRootDirectory, specifying the full path to the DataRootDirectory.
  6. Create and manage users.

Deliverables

File Description
redwood-platform-2023.2.0.0.zip Redwood Platform

Prerequisites

  • Installed and configured Java 11 or 17 (recommended) Development Kit (JDK), which should ideally be the latest version shipped by the platform vendor (it must be supported). For GNU/Linux and Microsoft Windows the latest 11 or 17 JDK from:
    • Oracle
    • Eclipse Adoptium Temurin
    • IBM Semeru
  • Downloading and extracting redwood-platform.zip.
  • Database credentials for a user with permission to create, modify tables and create, delete indexes.
note

Unlike other third-party application servers, Redwood Platform ships with database drivers pre-installed.

note

Redwood does support the product running under JVM's from other vendors, however, they are not tested by Redwood. If JVM-specific issues occur that are not reproducible on the tested JVM's, then you will need to contact your JVM vendor for support.

Procedure

Install the Database and Configure a Node

Start up Redwood Server admin tool by running the start command.

Windows:

%install_dir%/j2ee/cluster/adminserver1/bin/start.cmd

UNIX:

${install_dir}/j2ee/cluster/adminserver1/bin/start.sh
  1. Connect to Redwood Server admin tool with a web browser by going to the /scheduler-admin path on the server (for example http://server.example.com:10185/scheduler-admin/) and login with the user admin. The default password is admin.
  2. On the Database Connection Configuration page select the appropriate Template for your database and fill in database connection details.
  3. Choose Update and Connect to save the configuration to the file.
  4. On the Database Installation/Upgrade page choose Install to install the database.

Add Additional Nodes

Start up Redwood Server admin tool by running the start command.

Windows:

%install_dir%/j2ee/cluster/adminserver1/bin/start.cmd

UNIX:

${install_dir}/j2ee/cluster/adminserver1/bin/start.sh
  1. Connect to Redwood Server admin tool with a web browser by going to the /scheduler-admin path on the server (for example http://server.example.com:10185/scheduler-admin/) and login with the user admin. The default password is admin.
  2. On the Database Connection Configuration page select the appropriate Template for your database and fill in same database connection details as for the first node.
  3. Choose Update and Connect to save the configuration to the file.

Configure Security

Enable Database security for the product

  1. Go to Authentication Configuration.
  2. Choose Database from the Select Authentication drop-down and choose Update.
  3. Go to Bootstrap Configuration.
  4. Enter a Username, Password and Password (Confirm) and choose Update to create a new user with scheduler-isolation-administrator privileges.
note

If you get an HTTP error 403 - Access Denied after logging in, your user may be lacking the scheduler-user or redwood-login role.

(Alternative) Enable LDAP security for the product

  1. Go to LDAP Configuration.
  2. Choose New Profile from the Select Profile drop-down and choose Submit.
  3. Choose the appropriate LDAP type from the Select Type drop-down and choose Submit.
  4. Enter the LDAP server configuration details and choose Submit.
  5. Choose Test to test the LDAP profile.
  6. Go to Authentication Configuration.
  7. Choose the matching LDAP profile from the Select Authentication drop-down and choose Update.
note

To configure Redwood Server a user within the group scheduler-administrator must exist.

The Scheduler admin tool can now be shutdown, run the stop command.

Windows:

%install_dir%/j2ee/cluster/adminserver1/bin/stop.cmd

UNIX:

${install_dir}/j2ee/cluster/adminserver1/bin/stop.sh

Start Scheduler software

Start up Redwood Server by running the start command.

Windows:

%install_dir%/j2ee/cluster/server1/bin/start.cmd

UNIX:

${install_dir}/j2ee/cluster/server1/bin/start.sh
  1. Connect to Redwood Server with a web browser by going to http[s]://<server>:<port>/redwood, default protocol is http, default port is 10180, (for example http://server.example.com:10180/redwood/) and login with the user created in Configure Security.

Configure Users and Roles (Database Authentication only)

  1. Connect to Redwood Server with a web browser by going to the /redwood/ui/react/?Page=DatabaseUserAdminPage path on the server (for example http://server.example.com:10180/redwood/ui/react/?Page=DatabaseUserAdminPage).
  2. Choose the Roles tab.
  3. Choose Create Default Roles.
  4. Create any custom roles as required.
  5. Choose the New link.
  6. Enter a Name and Description and choose Create.
  7. Choose the Users tab.
  8. Create users and assign roles by.
  9. Choose the New link.
  10. Enter Username, Password, Password (Confirm) and check the desired roles and choose Create.

The following standard roles are provided with Redwood Server and are created by the Create Default Roles command:

  • scheduler-administrator - can perform all actions.
  • scheduler-event-operator - can raise and clear events, as well as all privileges assigned to scheduler-viewer.
  • scheduler-isolation-administrator - can import and modify users.
  • scheduler-job-administrator - can create/edit/delete event definitions, process definitions, and chain definitions and modify both processes, and chains, as well as all privileges assigned to scheduler-event-operator.
  • scheduler-screen-reader - indicates that you are using a screen reader.
  • scheduler-user - has access to Redwood Server only, cannot see any objects (always required, even for administrators).
  • scheduler-viewer - read only access to all objects.
note

The role scheduler-user is required to access to Redwood Server, so every Redwood Server user must have it.

Generate a license request and install the license

  1. Log in to Redwood Server.
  2. If the licensing page does not appear, or you want to install a new license, go to http[s]://<server>:<port>/redwood/ui/licence/request1.jsp.
  3. Fill in a company name and proceed to the following screen.
  4. To request a license, create a support ticket in the Support Portal and paste the complete license request into the ticket.
  5. Once you have received the license, you can paste it into the following window.
  6. If you closed the window, you may proceed to http[s]://<server>:<port>/redwood/ui/licence/request3.jsp.

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