So we left off last time with the new ‘Configuration Analyzer’ tool (part of the K2 blackpearl 090x installation) telling me that I am an idiot – I tried to install the product without installing or configuring any of the server dependencies. I see this nice, shiny ‘Repair All’ button sitting prominently on the wizard results. Just how much can this actually repair for me? Sadly, at least in this beta phase, it did nothing to satisfy my lazy ways. Another downside (again, perhaps due to a beta) is that clicking the ‘help’ link for any of the configuration errors gives only Windows Server 2003 help on how to address the issue – not very helpful to me since I am on Windows Server 2008 and not bright enough to figure it out for myself. As always, though, the k2undeground came to my rescue (thank you, Vernon):
tbyrne Posted: 10-27-2009 1:57 PM
I am trying to install the 090x beta on a new farm running windows server 2008 and SQL Server 2008. The installation seemed to be successful, but the configuration analysis has a few issues that I can't figure out how to address (likely due to my inexperience with windows server 2008 and the fact that the help is specifically for windows server 2003)
First off, is 090x supposed to support windows server 2008?
Some of the issues I get are around Message Queuing not being enabled (it is, but I'm not sure if I did it right as the instructions within the installer do not match windows server 2008) and MSDTC Network Access which doesn't seem to have the configuration options available that the help is pointing me to. Finally, there is a big nasty error when I select the 'Set Site Negotiation' node under the K2 workspace analysis.
Does anybody have any insight into these issues?
Tim Byrne Clarity Consulting http://claritycon.com
Vernon replied on 10-27-2009 6:27 PM
Yes Server 2008 is supported in 090x. As for the setting up of the DTC. In the administrator tools > Component Services > expand till you see the DTC Folder and in it the Local DTC. Right click > Properties and then under security you will find the settings you need.
For MSMQ you can check under Service if the service is running. To install it please see the following link: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa967729.aspx
What is the big nasty error for the Set site Negotiation?
Vernon
tbyrne replied on 10-28-2009 9:26 AM
Thank you, Vernon, your tips pointed me into the right direction in regards to DTC and MSMQ. As for the big nasty error (what, that isn't descriptive enough for you?) it seems to have resolved itself once I had the other components set up. Thanks!
Tim Byrne Clarity Consulting http://claritycon.com
After following the helpful advice given to me in this thread, I was able to eliminate all of the analyzer errors save for one – it was telling me that my workspace web site was set up to use NTLM authentication and it needed to be negotiate for Kerberos. On a whim, I clicked this error node and then clicked the ‘Repair’ button and just like that, my problem was solved!
So it appears as if I have successfully stumbled through my first installation of K2 blackpearl 090x, and I have to say it went far more smoothly than any installation of their previous versions, due mostly to the new configuration analyzer. While it didn’t simply resolve all of my issues without my involvement, it did manage to address one and at least provide feedback on what else needs my attention. This is much better than in the previous versions of the product where you didn’t know something wasn’t configured correctly until you tried to build/deploy/run your first workflow, and then it was off to the forums or K2 support to figure out what exactly is wrong.
Things are going far too well with this, I haven’t muttered a single curse or thrown anything through my monitor yet. Will things continue to go on this way? We’ll see, as I start digging in to the details of some of the new features that 090x is bringing to the table. They all looked good on paper and in the limited demos I’ve seen, but my next few posts will prove if things really are as rosy as they seem.
Wow, it has been a while since I've posted anything. That isn't to say that I haven't been stumbling through things, quite the contrary, but I haven't been doing anything lately that hasn't been covered pretty extensively elsewhere... until now.
K2 has recently released a beta for its next major revision to the blackpearl product line, currently codenamed '090x'. This release adds tons of new features, many which will completely revolutionize the way that I have been designing workflows with the product.
One new feature that has already had a profound impact on my blackpearl experience is the ‘Configuration Analyzer’. This little tool runs after installing the product and looks for common configuration issues and even has an option to automatically repair the issue. The reason that this tool is so helpful is because there are a lot of other components involved with a complete K2 blackpearl installation, and each of these components has a boatload of configuration options that you, as the K2 installer, may not have configured yourself. It makes it very difficult at times to determine why a feature of the product isn’t working without going through reams of documentation and retracing all of your steps. Why not have the product itself tell you why it isn’t working? Sounds good in theory, let’s take a look at it in practice.
So in my particular scenario, I was taking advantage of the fact that K2 blackpearl 090x now supports Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008, two products that I have had no previous experience with. Many of the items that K2 depends on weren’t in the same places I was used to finding them in Windows Server 2003 so I just installed K2 blackpearl 090x without setting up any dependencies and let it tell me what was wrong:
Ouch, that is a lot of big red ‘X’s, and there are a couple more when I scroll down. That can’t be good for any installation, though what can I expect without doing any of the leg work up front? So, how will I fix them? Will this analyzer fix them form me? We’ll tackle that in part II.