Pilot Data Server Administrator Guide

Version PDS-8.3 | Published October 17, 2018 ©

Installation

This section will cover:

Pilot Data Server Requirements

Pilot Data Server

The Pilot Data Server is installed as an application layer on top of the Viz Pilot database. It acts as an application server for accessing the Viz Pilot database and other services. The Pilot Data Server may be asked to handle requests from scripts to provide information on data elements, or to provide Preview Servers the information needed to resolve which scene and data is to be rendered by the Preview Server.

The Script Runner Service comes packaged with the Pilot Data Server. Thumbnail Generator is an optional component, which can be selected during the Pilot Data Server installation.

Script Runner Service

The Script Runner Service provides users with a simple way to use the Update Service without needing to create their own service. See Update Script Editor in the Viz Pilot User Guide.

Thumbnail Generator

The Thumbnail Generator is a Windows service. As data elements are created or changed, it automatically generates thumbnails of them. The thumbnails are stored in the Viz Pilot database.

Thumbnail Generator requires a Preview Server, which is used to serve the thumbnails in the data element feed.

Pilot Data Server specifications

Component

Requirement

Software

Pilot Data Server

Service(s)

Vizrt Pilot Data Server

Vizrt Script Runner

Vizrt Thumbnail Generator

Operating system

Refer to the Viz Pilot Release Notes

To install the Pilot Data Server

  1. Click the Data Server installer file (*.msi) to start the Data Server Setup Wizard.

  2. In the Welcome panel, click Next.

  3. In the Destination Folder panel, define the location of the Data Server program files, and then click Next.

    Note: The default location is %ProgramFiles%\Vizrt\Pilot Data Server\

  4. In the Setup Database Connection panel, define the following settings:

    • Connect string: Connection string (<host name>/<service name>) to the Viz Pilot database.

      Note: When installing the Data Server on a new system, the default database configuration setting points to localhost/vizrtdb.

    • Username: Viz Pilot database username.

    • Password: Viz Pilot database password.

      Note: This will allow you to edit all database settings for all clients connected to the same database.

  5. Click Next.

  6. In the Ready to install panel, click Install.

  7. In the Completed Setup Wizard panel, click Finish.

Silent Installation

Using silent installation the Data Server can be installed without using the installer GUI.

In a command shell, run the following command:

msiexec /i VizrtPilotDataServer-x64-x.x.x.x-Release.msi /quiet

To install the Thumbnail Generator

The Thumbnail Generator (see the Viz Pilot User Guide) can be installed as an optional component during the Pilot Data Server installation. The option for Thumbnail Generator installation will be disabled by default. To install it select the Thumbnail Generator manually during the Pilot Data Server installation.

Silent Installation

Since the Thumbnail Generator will not be installed by default, the INSATLLLEVEL =2 needs to be added to the command string for the Thumbnail Generator to be included during a silent Data Server installation:

msiexec /i VizrtPilotDataServer-x64-x.x.x.x-Release.msi INSTALLLEVEL=2 /quiet

If a user wants to upgrade an existing Data Server to include the Thumbnail Generator without uninstalling it, the following command needs to be run:

msiexec /i VizrtPilotDataServer-x64-x.x.x.x-Release.msi ADDLOCAL=ThumbnailGeneratorService /quiet

Notes

  • If Crop Service Installation is required (see the relevant section in the Installation chapter in the Viz Pilot User Guide), it must be installed separately, after the Pilot Data Server.

  • If support for multiple Viz Pilot database schemas is required, separate Data Servers must be installed on separate machines.

Firewall Exceptions

In order for the Pilot Data Server to be accessible from other machines, Windows firewall exceptions are required.

The Pilot Data Server adds the following inbound rules to the Windows firewall during installation: allow connections on port 8177, 7373, and 9876. These are removed when the Pilot Data Server is uninstalled.