For information about system requirements for the current release, see System Requirements. If your system does not conform to them, you should upgrade before installing or upgrading Ektron.
IMPORTANT: Each deployment has unique requirements. Ektron recommends that you engage with a Certified Ektron Partner when making decisions about the needs of your production environment.
IMPORTANT: Read the Ektron Perpetual License Agreement before installing Ektron software.
Ektron controls the usage through a license key, a unique code assigned to your domain. Your license key is included in the email that is sent when you request or purchase Ektron.
When you login to a website that contains Ektron, it checks the license key(s) against the domain.
If the URL of a valid license key matches the URL of the site being accessed, the Workarea appears.
If no valid license key is found for the URL of the site being accessed, Ektron is disabled and you must log in the with Builtin account to change the License Key.
If you have a broken license key or a license key with an incorrect base URL, an error message appears in the Ektron Login window. The message states, “Error: A license violation has occurred and the application is presently locked. Please see your administrator.” If this message appears, login with the Builtin account and reenter your license key. If the message continues to appear and you are sure you have a valid key, contact Ektron Support.
The license key is assigned to a base URL, typically your domain name. For example, if your domain name is www.mycompany.com
, the license key follows this pattern: www.mycompany.com(expdate)(Modifiers)?1234567890
.
Each domain requires its own license key. For example, to support the domains, www.mycompany.com
, sales.mycompany.com
and support.mycompany.com
, you need 3 license keys.
When you purchase a license key, be sure to register a domain name, not an IP address. Although Ektron supports IP addresses, the domain that you license becomes the required URL in the browser address. For example, if you register 192.168.0.1
, you would need to access the site as http://192.168.0.1/somedirectory/myloginpage.aspx.
Because users would typically not identify a Web page by its IP address, register a domain name instead.
For evaluation purposes, when you install Ektron, you do not need a license key. During the installation process, leave the License Key field blank and click Next on the License screen. This lets you use Ektron as localhost.
You are prompted to enter a license key during installation. If you do not, enter it by choosing Workarea > Settings > Setup > Edit and completing the License Key(s) field.
When cutting and pasting license keys, keep the full license key intact without adding or deleting characters. License keys that are changed in any way render Ektron inoperable.
If you upgrade Ektron and want to replace the old license key with a new one, choose Workarea > Settings > Setup > Edit. Next, add the license key to the License Key(s) field. If you want to add new keys in addition to old keys, create a comma-delimited list of keys in the License Key(s) field.
By default, the installation places files in 2 server locations:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Ektron\CMS400vXX
. sample and minimal databases, documentation, utilities, setup files for creating additional sites.C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\site root
. bin folder, Web services Ektron Windows Service uses Windows Web Services to perform these activities:
• Schedules the future publication and removal of content.
• Transmits notifications that a sync should be started between the staging and production servers.
• In the 3-Tier feature, transfers data between servers., scripts, supporting files, uploaded files and images, graphics used in Ektron, CustomAPI, and so on.NOTE: The bin folder stores Ektron’s binary executable files. .NET automatically searches this folder for .dll files.
During installation, the ASPNET or IIS_WPG and IUSR users are given permission to create folders in these directories:
C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\site root
\uploadedfiles
C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\site root
\uploadedimages
IMPORTANT: Ektron does not support the installation of nested sites, each having its own web.config file. Nested sites can disrupt features, such as Aliasing, Menus, and eSync.
Also, do not install the site under another application’s folder within Web root, nor to an IIS Application under another site.
C:\Program Files
folder. IMPORTANT: After completing the installation, further configure your permissions based on your network security model before using Ektron.
IMPORTANT: If this dialog appears, do not run the site setup until the system reboots.
After you install Ektron, the web.config
file is updated as follows.
See also: Managing web.config
NOTE: Continue with these steps after completing Installing the Ektron base.
The installation copies the following folders from C:\Program Files(x86)\Ektron\CMS400vxx
to the Web root folder you specify:
cms400sitesetup.exe
file located in C:\Program Files(x86)\Ektron\CMS400vxx\Utilities\SiteSetup
or by choosing Start > Programs > Ektron > CMS400vXX Utilities > CMS400 Site Setup. The Setup Type screen appears.If you're using Windows 8 or 2012, press the Windows key ()/Q then enter CMS400 Site Setup. Right click and choose Run as Administrator.
WARNING! Do not install under another application’s folder within the Web root.
IMPORTANT: Ektron does not support the installation of nested sites, each having its own web.config
file. Nested sites can disrupt Ektron features, such as Aliasing, Menus, and eSync.
IMPORTANT: If you plan to load balance several servers, make sure this path is the same for all servers in the cluster. See also: Balancing the load on your servers.
NOTE: Be sure the drive to which you install the asset library has sufficient storage space plus room for growth.
Click Yes if you want the installation to
/workarea/webservices
and /workarea/services
folders and the /workarea/ServerControlWS.asmx
file, so they are only accessible from localhost.If you click No, the site installation is terminated.
For more information, see https://portal.ektron.com/kb/10234/.
If you click Yes and complete the installation, you may have to grant permission to other servers that need to access the restricted folders and file. To do this:
/workarea/webservices
folder./workarea/webservices
folder./workarea/services
folder and the /workarea/ServerControlWS.asmx
file.NOTE: You should generate a security certificate because it lets the Ektron Windows Service register Ektron sites with Search. Certificates also allow content scheduling and are required for eSync.
See also:
NOTE: eSync is only available if the eSync modifier is in your license key.
web.config
settings are configuredPrerequisite
If you are using a separate database server, you need the following information:
NOTE: Continue with these steps after completing Installing a site.
Your database contains information such as users and content blocks. The database setup program:
web.config
file with information about your database connection, based on your responsesAfter completing the installation, Ektron administrators may edit these values in the Ektron Workarea > Settings > Users screen.
The Ektron administrator user is a member of the Administrators group. Group members have access to all Ektron Workarea screens.
NOTE: If you want to use NT authentication, leave the username and password blank. This will set up a trusted connection.
After you complete the screen, the setup verifies the database connection information. If the database name already exists, you are asked to assign a different name. When a connection is made and the name is available, the installation program creates a database using the provided information.
The setup verifies the database connection information. If the database name already exists, you are asked to assign a different name. If the name does not already exist and a connection is made, the installation program creates a database using the provided information.
To learn about eSync security certificates, see Part 2: Generate and copy security certificates.
Error: Failed to Create Directory
The possible cause and solutions are as follows:
http://localhost/iishelp/iis/htm/core/iidfpsc.htm
Error: Configuration error
If Ektron requires .NET 4.0, but you server has a previous version of the Microsoft .NET framework, Install the .NET 4.0 framework.
Perform these steps on the development server.
CMS400Basevversionnumber.exe
. c:/cmsdev
).C:\cmsdev
folder.If you're using Windows 8 or 2012, press the Windows key ()/Q then enter CMS400 Site Setup. Right click and choose Run as Administrator.
http://your web site/login.aspx
to test the site.Using the steps, install sites to your staging and production servers.
Uninstalling removes all Ektron files from your server. You might want to do this if you installed Ektron, experimented with it, and now want to remove that version and install a clean, new version.
IMPORTANT: Do not use the Windows Add/Remove programs utility to uninstall Ektron. Use the uninstall utility instead.
To uninstall Ektron:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Ektron\CMS400vxx\Utilities
. When you uninstall a website, the following happens.
If you check the Remove Websites Database box, the site database is removed.
If you check the Remove Ektron Application directory box, the following items are removed.
If you check the Remove Ektron Search Server Files and Services box, the services and files that Ektron uses for Microsoft Search Server are removed. (This action does not remove Microsoft Search Server 2010).
If you check the Remove All Sites and Application Directory box, all Ektron files are removed.
NOTE: After you complete the uninstall, you may need to manually remove the AssetLibrary, EktronSearchData directories.
To remove all third-party applications required to run Ektron, go to Windows Control Panel > Uninstall a Program and remove these programs.
NOTE: Some applications may have been installed before you installed Ektron.
Beginning with Ektron Version 8.5, Ektron online help files reside in an Ektron-hosted Web server instead of a folder on your Web server. If you block your users' workstation access to the Internet, help files are not available, and users see an error when they click the help button. To remedy this issue, either change the firewall to allow access to the internet, or install help files locally.
Prerequisite
inetpub/wwwroot/your-website/Workarea/
.inetpub/wwwroot
/your-website/Workarea/help
. (You can install help to any website folder.)NOTE: If you installed help to another folder, replace the web.config
default value with the complete URL to that folder. For example: <add key="ek_helpDomainPrefix" value="http://www.example.com/help" />
web.config
file.ek_helpDomainPrefix
.<add key="ek_helpDomainPrefix" value=""/>
If you installed help to another folder, replace the default value
with the complete URL to that folder.