Installation Sequence Considerations, Velocity

The "Velocity" installation program must edit the cluster configuration settings during the installation. If your cluster configuration settings are stored in a shared network folder, there is the possibility of contention on the ClusterConfig.sdf file during parallel cache server installations. For this reason, we recommend that you sequence your cache server installations one at a time when using a shared network folder for cluster configuration settings. For more information, see Shared Folder-Based Cluster Configuration (Velocity).

SQL Server excels at concurrent connections, and the possibility of contention on the cluster configuration settings is much less when storing your cluster configuration settings in a SQL Server database. If you plan on performing parallel installations of cache servers, we recommend that you use SQL Server for your cluster configuration storage location. For more information, see SQL Server-Based Cluster Configuration (Velocity).

Automated Installation Commands

To invoke the automated installation, call the "Velocity" installation program from the command prompt with the desired command-line parameters, as appropriate for your deployment. The command-line parameters for automated installation are similar to the options available when using the GUI.

Note

On Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 operating systems, you must right-click the Command Prompt shortcut and select Run as administrator in order for the automated installation to work correctly.

Installation Parameters

The installation program uses the /i switch to signify an installation and the /quiet switch to signify that it should be done in an automated fashion. There are several required and optional parameters for the installation command, as shown in the table following the example. The command is used the same way for both versions of the installation program (for 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems).

Installing Cache Client Assemblies (Velocity)

In order to use the cache cluster, a cache-enabled application server or a Visual Studio development environment workstation must have a local copy of the Microsoft project code named "Velocity" assemblies. These assemblies are installed on the cache server by the "Velocity" installation program. Copy these assemblies from the cache server's installation folder to a single folder on your application server or development workstation:

• CacheBaseLibrary.dll

• ClientLibrary.dll

• FabricCommon.dll

• CASBase.dll

Preparing the Cache-enabled Application Server
In order for your application server to use the "Velocity" assemblies, you have to install the cache-enabled application that uses them. As long as that application's installation program gets the "Velocity" assemblies copied to an accessible location on the application server, that application can employ traditional .NET application installation techniques.

Preparing the Development Workstation
When developing a cache-enabled application, you only program with the public members of CacheBaseLibrary.dll and ClienLibrary.dll. Because these assemblies reference the other two, they should all be copied to the same folder on your development workstation. For more information, see How to: Prepare the Development Environment (Velocity).

Installation Program Tasks, Velocity

The installation program performs the following tasks during the installation process (not necessarily in this order):

• Confirms access to the cluster configuration storage location.

• Grants domain computer account of cache server logon, read, and write permissions on the cluster configuration storage location, as necessary.

• Creates or edits the cluster configuration settings in the cluster configuration storage location. For more information about settings, see Cluster Configuration Settings (Velocity).

• Installs the PowerShell-based cache administration tool and all cache-related cmdlets on the cache server.

• Installs the cache host Windows service on the cache server (just one instance of the service). Assigns the service to run under the Network Service identity.

• Applies security permissions on the installation folders used by the cache host service and the PowerShell-based cache administration tool.

• Configures the necessary firewall exceptions for the cache host service. For more information, see TCP/IP Communications (Velocity).

Preparing a shared folder to store the cache cluster configuration settings in Velocity