Teamcenter Silent Installation

Teamcenter has several methods of deployment and when users need a way to deploy a pre-configured installation package of Teamcenter to a group, there is an option Create Custom Distribution from the Environment Manager (TEM). This blog will cover how to create and deploy one of these installations for a client workstation.

Overview

This distribution package will use Tc13.1.0_patch_1_wntx64 as the installation media and Tc13.0.0.0_wntx64 as the base media. The media downloads can be found on Support Center under Teamcenter downloads. This example will create a distribution package that will install the Rich Application Client, NX Integration, and the Teamcenter Visualization – Embedded for Rich Client.

Create Custom Distribution Package

Begin with the stagging of the media files in a “common” installation directory. Keep in mind, the directory needs to match any client installation that will be performed using the distribution package. In this example my directory is C:\tcinstall

Also, its good know you know need to have your version of compatible Java or OpenJDK installed and defined in your environment variables, and any other prerequisite for the installation of Teamcenter applied to the workstation being used to create the deployment package and any client machine it will be run on.

Establishing Location

1. With the tcinstall directory established, begin with starting tem.bat from the Tc13.1.0_patch_1_wntx64\wntx64 folder as the administrator. Next, Click OK on the English dialog and Select Teamcenter as your deployment option

2.  Check the Create custom distribution check box and click Install

3.  Set the location of your base media location Tc13.0.00_wntx64

4.  Here you need to establish the location where the silent.xml file will be created. This file will be created and used for the package development. This particular folder needs to be created before you enter the location in this field.

Deployment

5.  Then you will begin by defining the configuration and deployment options like you would do in a normal TEM deployment, but this time your selections will be recorded into the silent.xml file at the end of this process. Here I chose:

• The 4-tier Rich Application Client

•  Teamcenter Visualization – Embedded for Rich Client

•  NX Rich Client Integration

•  Set the install location

6.  Complete the configuration steps with:

• New Location for the FCC

• Set the FCC Parent

• 4-tier server configuration

• Rich Client Help URL

• Teamcenter Visualization – Embedded for Rich Client install and media locations

• NX installation directory

7.    Review the Confirmation dialog box and click Start

8.    It will complete very quickly and create the silent.xml file

9.    Now you can copy this silent.xml file over to the tcinstall folder and prep your media distribution kit. For the xml file to work you will need these folders (and the xml file) copied to the client workstations

Deploy Custom Distribution Package

On the client machine, ensure that the common installation directory has been prepped and has all the correct media in place. Once the prep is completed make sure you have deployed all the prerequisites needed to deploy Teamcenter. In my example I have already installed my version of Java and NX in the same install directory that I called out in the previous steps.

1.    Open an elevated command prompt as an administrator and navigate over to the c:\tcinstall directory

2.    Then you will need to navigate to the Tc13.1.0_patch_1_wntx64\wntx64 folder

3.   Run the following command:

a.    Abat -s c:\tcinstall\silent.xml

b.    Note: If you encounter a Java error, check that you have JAVA_HOME and JRE64_HOME defined.

4.    The installation will begin

5.    When complete the script will exit

6.    The new Teamcenter 13 icon is added to the desktop and the deployment can be validated by logging into Teamcenter.

XML FILE

You can take the silent.xml file and open it in Notepad++ and make small edits and not have to go through the TEM process. For example:

• Edit the source or media location for the installations

• Configuration ID and descriptions

• Server URLs

• NX install locations

I hope this helps you with your future Teamcenter deployments