Verify and Enable the GMS Platform.XML File

The Instructions folder, if present, can contain one or more GMS Platform.txt configuration files, located at the path ..\InstallFiles\Instructions. This file contains the pre-configured installation options for silent or semi-automatic installation.

NOTE:
The instruction file (GMS Platform.txt file) is typically modified by the librarian / distribution manager.
For information on configuring, editing the GMS Platform.txt file for silent/semi-automatic installation contact your local distribution manager.

The Installer only refers to the GMS Platform.xml file during the silent and semi-automatic installation mode when you change the extension from .txt to .xml (GMS Platform.xml) and enable the GMS Platform.xml file.

If the Instructions folder is not available or the GMS Platform.xml file is invalid, the semi-automatic installation does not work. However, the Welcome to the Install Wizard dialog box displays and you can proceed with the installation using the custom installation mode.

Following are some important considerations that you must verify before proceeding with the semi-automatic or silent installation.

  • You must configure the installation options that you want to install in the GMS Platform.xml file, you must specify. This includes the setup type, extensions, installation language, and so on.
    For example, you must modify the default value Server of the tag <SetupType> to Client/FEP install the Setup type - Client/FEP. You can then also rename these files in order to easily identify them with names such as Server.xml, FEP.xml, or FEP_WithoutEMs.xml and so on.
  • Even if multiple valid files for various setup types are present in the Instructions folder, for semi-automatic installation, only the default set up type, Server, is selected by default.
  • Even if you do not configure mandatory extensions and its parent extension (mandatory or non-mandatory) in the GMS Platform.xml file, the Installer ensures that they are installed/upgraded during installation/upgrade.
  • Even if you do not explicitly mention the parent extensions of the extensions that you have configured in the GMS Platform.xml file, the Installer ensures that all parent extension modules of the configured extension modules are installed during the semi-automatic and silent installation.
  • You can also use this file for silently executing the post-installation steps of platform as well as of the extensions. For this, you need to first configure them in the <PostInstallationSteps> section of platform (GMS section) as well as of the extension in (EMs section).
  • Ensure that the post-installation steps for the platform (for example, the post-installation step of License Activation) or for the configured extension (for example, Project Setup for the extension SMC) are configured in the GMS and/or EM section with Execute = True for the configured <Step Name>.
    Note that during the semi-automatic or silent installation only those post-installation steps are listed in the Post-Installation Selection dialog box which you have enabled (changed the extension from .txt to .xml) for execution.
  • In the GMS Platform.xml file, the duplicate entries for some tags are not allowed. If they are found in the GMS Platform.xml file, the file becomes invalid. For a semi-automatic installation, such a file becomes unavailable for selection in the Installation Selection dialog box. For more information see, Consistency Check Scenarios.
  • Incorrect entries in the GMS Platform.xml file can cause installation failures. To determine the cause of a failure, view the installation log file with the extension _SILENT for silent installation and _SEMI for semi-automatic installation, located at the path
    [System drive]:\ProgramData\[company name]\GMS\InstallerFramework\GMS_Installer_Log.

NOTE 1:
Silent installation and semi-automatic installation are only for new installations. Both these installation modes do not support upgrading to Desigo CC.
However, you can install additional extension modules or language packs, or reinstall the failed prerequisites or extension modules. For more information, see Additional Installer Procedures.
NOTE 2:
Installing service releases using the silent or semi-automatic installation (for all setup types - Server, Client and FEP) is only supported for Desigo CC Version 3.0 and later.

Additional Consideration For Silent Installation

  • To provide the valid parameters in the command, you must know the
    • Full path of the file Gms.InstallerSetup.exe
    • Full path of the silent installation XML (GMS Platform.xml) file
  • You can run the GMS Platform.xml file from anywhere on the disk. You can do this when you pass the parameters to the Installer exe through the command line interface: <Installer exe path> /q <instruction file path>
  • Once started, you cannot cancel the silent installation.
  • During silent installation, to handle the restart automatically without the user intervention, change the default value (No) for the attribute <AutoRestart> to Yes.
    For example, before installing the Microsoft SQL Server 2019 - Express Edition, a restart is required. Then in the GMS Platform.xml file, you need to configure the <AutoRestart>Yes</AutoRestart> settings so that the computer is restarted automatically. However, after the restart, you must provide the login details to continue the installation.
  • Refer to the Consistency Check Scenarios for more information on inconsistencies such as
    • Any invalid/inconsistent entries in the GMS Platform.xml file makes the file invalid, eventually aborting the silent installation.
    • Any inconsistencies between the GMS Platform.xml file and the software distribution aborts the silent installation.
    • Any inconsistencies in the EM folder regarding the extension itself or the post-installation steps of extension, skis the installation of that extension or the extension post-installation steps.
  • You can re-start the silent installation to install the additional extensions, language packs or any prerequisite. For this you must make sure that the required extensions and/or language packs are available in the software distribution and configured in the GMS Platform.xml file, and Desigo CC Installed Client and SMC are closed.