Does Creo 4 require server admin permissions (for network installation)?

[jeffreyrwalker]

It seems that I cannot get around the requirement to "have the Microsoft Universal C Runtime in Windows installed on the ... network computer where [I] want to install Creo software."  As quoted from page 13 of the "Preparing to Install Your PTC Software" document.  Unfortunately that is a significant change for me from Creo 2 & Creo 3.

With Creo 2 & 3, I was able to take a local installation, copy it to a (server) shared network location, and simply modify the PSF file(s) to make Creo 2 & 3 available to a large number of people.

With the introduction of the CREO_AGENT_LDP_LIST and the genlwsc.exe process with Creo 4, I can't get Creo 4 creoagent.exe to properly initialize (since genlwsc.exe won't start).  I believe this must be due to the prerequisite to have Universal C Runtime installed on the "network computer where [I] want to install Creo software."  Now I need either server admin privileges to install the C Runtime on the server, or I need desktop admin privileges to install creosvcs_64.exe on 40 workstations (which defeats the purpose of network installs).

USERS:

Is anyone else's experience different? 

Am I wrong about needing the Universal C Runtime installed on the server? 

Is there a simple way to "sell" this to a server admin?

Just thought I'd float the question while I start the task of educating IT of the benefits of installing Creo on the network and waiting for someone to be assigned to help me.

PTC:

Again, am I wrong about needing the Universal C Runtime installed on the server? 

It has been extremely favorable to have Creo (ProE) unencumbered by the operating system (Windows, Unix, etc.) all these years (decades, really). Any chance you can reverse this requirement?

[TomU]

You don't need anything special installed on the file server.  I have all versions of Creo running from read only mapped network drive to a file server.  Nothing Creo related runs on the server.  You may need the runtime installed on the local user's computers.  Make sure you are copying the Creo Agent to the file server as well...

[jeffreyrwalker]

Thank you @TomU for the reply.

I have the runtime installed locally on my machine.  Do you install Creo on your server or do you install it on a workstation, then copy to the server?  I can only copy from my workstation to the server.

If I use a local path for CREO_AGENT_LDP_LIST and keep a server path for CREO_AGENT_EXE_PATH, it works fine.  The genlwsc.exe process shows in task manager as a local image path, while creoagent.exe shows as a network image path. Any other combination, including the preferred method of installing nothing on the local workstation, does not work. It's a shame because that method has worked for a very long time.

I may have to resort to a silent install of the Creo Platform Services (creosvcs_64.exe) on all the workstsations.

[TomU · Accepted solution]

I install it locally on my workstation and then copy it to the server.  I used to install with the default path (C:\Program Files\PTC\...) but then I was forever using Notepad++ to change paths in all the different .bat files to match the mapped drive letter and the server's folder structure.  Now I just disconnect my mapped drive and recreate a new temporary mapped drive to a folder on my local computer that has the same folder structure and drive letter as the server.   I install the program, configure everything, and then copy this folder to the server.  I then uninstall everything from my local computer, remove the locally mapped drive, and remap the drive to the server.

One of the benefits of setting these path variables is that I can adjust their positions in the folder structure to my liking.  I keep a separate copy of the Creo agent for each build code of Creo.

[BrianToussaint]

@TomU Do you need to do anything special when mapping the local folder to the same letter?  I am trying this with CREO4 m100 and it does not allow installation to the mapped drive.

[TomU]

Disconnect the mapped drive to the server.

Map a drive to the locally shared folder.

• Still need to map by computer name:  \\<local computer name>\<local share name>
• You did share your local folder, right???
• Did you set the share permissions to full control for everyone?
• Do you have write access to this local folder?

Open up Windows Explorer, browse to the \\<computer name>.  Is the share visible?  Is it writable?

[MartinHanak]

---

@BrianToussaint wrote:

@TomU Do you need to do anything special when mapping the local folder to the same letter?  I am trying this with CREO4 m100 and it does not allow installation to the mapped drive.

---

Hi,

to simulate network path on local disk, you can:

• unmap network drive
• create local drive using subst Command prompt command

[BrianToussaint]

@TomU @MartinHanak I was able to map my drive and I had permission to it.  My issue was in the installer itself, it would not recognize any mapped drive.  It didn't matter if it was local or if it was network.  In the path information for the installation the drop down only shows the local C: and 😧 drive and when you type in the mapped drive letter and path it unchecks the selections and says access denied.  So I ended up installing it locally and copying it over to the network and it started up.  As long as you copy it to the same directory structure it is supposed to work.  I'm wondering if something changed with m100 install?  Here is what I found in the installation guide I pulled off yesterday...

If a Creo installation on a custom location (For Example, D:\PTC), is relocated to
a network drive (For Example, D:\PTC is exported as \\SERVER\CREO4_
Share\), then Creo automatically finds the creoagent executable file relative to
the install location.
Creo does not require the environmental variable CREO_AGENT_EXE_PATH to
find the path of creoagent.exe.
However, if the Creo installation structure in the network location is different
from the default one, then the environmental variable CREO_AGENT_EXE_PATH
must point to the file creoagent.exe.
The environment variable, CREO_AGENT_LDP_LIST must also be set and must
point to the manifests folder on the Platform location. (For Example,
\\SERVER\CREO4_Share\Creo\Platform\4\manifests).
For local installation, the above environmental variables are not used.

[MartinHanak]

Hi,

you mentioned that Creo installer do not see mapped drive. It seems to me that you run installer as different user.

Example:

• you are logged as Johny
• you map network drive
• you launch setup.exe as Administrator
• installer will not see network drive because it runs under Administrator account (only Johny can see mapped network drive !!!)

[BrianToussaint]

Hello,

No, I logged in as myself, mapped as myself and launched as myself.  I have admin rights.  The installation guide is actually for 4m110.  Have you gotten it to work with m100?  For now I'm just going to go with the way the guide says to install locally and copy it to the server and keep the file structure.

[MartinHanak]

---

@BrianToussaint wrote:

Hello,

No, I logged in as myself, mapped as myself and launched as myself.  I have admin rights.  The installation guide is actually for 4m110.  Have you gotten it to work with m100?  For now I'm just going to go with the way the guide says to install locally and copy it to the server and keep the file structure.

---

Hi,

you are right, if you click small triangle at the beginning of install path then installer offers only local physical drive names. I never noticed it, because I always create install path in Windows Explorer and then copy&paste the path from Windows Explorer into Creo installer. This procedure works for mapped network drive and also for simulated local drive created by subst command.

[TomU]

I've installed every version of Creo 4, 5, and 6 using this approach without issue.  Yes, this includes Creo 4.0 M100.  I'm also not using the command Martin is referring to.  You may need to manually run the Creo Agent installer.  I'll try to make a video later today to demonstrate...