7.7 Installation Instructions

1. If you haven't yet downloaded the Catapult install files to your PC, do that now. Then return to this page.

2. When the downloads finish double-click the IBM i install executable file catapult7xx-iseries.exe [the version may vary]. This will unpack the files and begin transferring them to your IBM i.

3. When the window below appears, enter your IBM i IP address or domain and user profile/password:

4. Click the Upload button. When the upload finishes the activity log displays the message ‘File upload complete’. You can then close the BCD Upload Express window shown above.

1. After closing the upload utility, log on to an IBM i session and execute the command XL_CATINST/BCDINSTALL.

The IBM i install will prompt you for a library to install to:

3. For your first install accept the default option of XL_CATAPLT.

As the last step in the install you can enter the license key provided to you by BCD. If you have not yet received your license key, phone BCD at (630) 986-0800 or email sales@bcdsoftware.com.

You can also enter your license key after finishing the install by adding XL_CATAPLT to our library list and running the UNLOCK command.

Catapult uses a subsystem named EXODUS51 to manage transferring data between the PC and IBM i components.

1. When the server side installation finishes run the WRKACTJOB command to check if the EXODUS51 subsystem is running. If this is a new install, it should be started automatically.

2. If this is a second install, or you already have another BCD tool installed on your system that uses EXODUS51, the install will not start the subsystem automatically. You can start the subsystem at this point using this command:

STRSBS XL_EX51/EXODUS51

3. Once the subsystem has started continue to the next step.

Double-click the PC install file that you downloaded in Step 1. Follow the on-screen instructions.

1. The first window confirms the release level to be installed, and recommends you close all other applications. Click the Next> button when you are ready to continue.

2. During the install, you are prompted to select the components you need:

You must install at least one instance of each component. Use the following guidelines in selecting the components to install:

• While evaluating the software, the simples option is to initially install both components on your PC.
• If you are setting up a dedicated PC on which to run the Catapult Poller, make sure you select the Poller (as shown above).
• If you have already installed the Catapult Poller on another machine then you probably only need the Console.

3. During this part of the installation you may be prompted to install the .NET Framework 3.5. If so, follow the instructions from the prompt.

4. When the installation is complete, you may be prompted to either reboot your PC (if you had to install the .NET Framework) or to run the software (if your PC already had the .NET Framework).

5. If you are prompted to reboot, after rebooting launch Catapult 7 from Start/All Programs/Catapult 7/Console/Console.

Then continue with the instructions in the next step.

1. After installing any Catapult PC component you need to configure communications between the PC and IBM i components. On completion of the steps on the previous page, when you attempt to run Catapult for the first time, the software will display this message:

If you don't see this window, launch the Catapult Console, at Programs/Catapult 7/Catapult Console/. The Console checks whether you have a valid connection, and if not, you are prompted to add one, at a window similar to this one:

2. Enter values as follows:

3. When you finish, you can click the Test button to confirm your settings, then OK to present your list of connections:

4. Security and Messaging Options. Click the Remember Session Password option (shown above) so that Catapult does not prompt you to sign in every time it establishes a connection to the iSeries. Click the Apply button afterward.

5. Log in to Catapult. Click OK once more from Communications Configuration to present the Catapult Console login (this will depend on how you set up your connection):

Enter your IBM i profile and password to launch the console. If you successfully log in, it means your license key was current and valid.

Now you’re ready to continue with the next section, to set up the Catapult Poller.

This step is only required on the PC where you have installed the Catapult Poller.

The Catapult Poller is the PC-based application you use to control the distribution of your downloaded IBM i spool files. You need to configure and start the Poller before Catapult can distribute any spool files. Below are instructions for configuring the basic options, but you can refer to the Catapult User Guide for more detailed instructions on all the options available.

1. Launch the Poller Configuration
To launch the Poller configuration go to the Start menu and navigate to Programs > Catapult 7 > Poller> Poller Configuration. If you have the Catapult Launchpad running, you can also right-click the icon and select Configuration > Poller.

When prompted, log in to your iSeries. Then confirm or set the options shown below.

When you first install it, the Catapult Poller is configured as follows:

• To be started and ended manually. You may later elect to have the poller launched on PC startup, or automatically start and end at specific times each day.
• To poll periodically, every 10 minutes. You may adjust your polling cycle intervals according to your PC and IBM i resource usage.

If you are installing Catapult for the first time, and have only a few simple rules, you can set it to poll every minute or two. If you have many, complex rules processing hundreds or thousands of reports, you may want to poll less frequently.

For most applications, the default options here should work for you.

Network Acquisition Default Profile
You will need to fill out these options if you plan to create grab rules to retrieve network files from a location that the main Windows profile running the poller doesn’t have access to. For example, the main profile might not have access to financial information on a network share, but a superuser who has created rules to grab that file may enter their login information either here or in an individual grab rule.

The setting that most affects Catapult’s performance is the queues to poll. When you first install the software, Catapult is not set to poll any queues. You can verify this from the poller Configuration menu entry named ‘Queues’:

When you first install the software, the list on the left will be empty. Select and move over (using the arrows between the lists) any queues containing spool files that you will process and distribute with Catapult.

When you are first getting started make double sure you are polling all the necessary queues. In our experience in Technical Support, over-enthusiastic queue culling is one of the main reasons for otherwise correct grab rules not producing any results. But if you do have queues with thousands of old, archived spool files, you can leave those in the list of omitted queues.

One of Catapult's primary functions is to distribute spool files by email. To do this you must provide Catapult with the IP address for your organization's email server. You also need to specify the email server information so you can be notified of any errors encountered when processing your spool files.

To configure the email server information, click on the Server menu entry and type a valid Name and From Address. Note that most email servers will not accept mail from an invalid address within your domain. Then type your email server's port and IP address:

You should keep this setting until you have overcome any initial distribution difficulties.

If your IBM i is configured for any language other than English, you should set up the translation options accordingly, in the Advanced Configuration options:

You can find the necessary CCSID values on your IBM i using the command DSPSYSVAL (QCHRID).

The Catapult Poller has many other configuration options, but these should get you up and running. Once you have used Catapult to successfully send yourself at least one IBM i spool file, you can come back to the Poller Configuration screens and use the Help Text or Catapult User Guide to assist you in fine-tuning the Poller's performance.

These steps are required to avoid problems with the following types of grab rules:

• Grab rules configured to automatically print reports.
• Grab rules designed to access network resources, such as files to attach to emails, or graphical overlays.
• Grab rules designed to archive reports to network directories.

Click the OK button.

In the list of services running on the PC, find the service named ‘Catapult 7 Service’. When you find the entry shown above, double-click it.

In the Catapult 7 Service Properties window, go to the Log On tab and enter your network ID and password (this is for your network, NOT the iSeries):

The account name needs to be entered according to the following criteria:

• If you are using a non-domain machine with an operating system such as XP Home, enter the account in the format “.\PROFILE” (for example, .\jsmith).
• If you are using a machine (such as a Windows 2003 or XP Pro box) that is part of an existing domain and you wish to use a domain profile for authority use this format: “DOMAIN\PROFILE” (e.g. ALPHA\jsmith).

Use a network profile that will have authority to all the folders and printers Catapult would normally need to access, including authority to create and delete files and directories.

When you finish this step, click Apply, then OK.

When you click OK above, you should return to your list of services, where the profile you entered above should be shown in the ‘Log On As’ column.

Then close the Services window.

After you configure the Catapult Poller, we recommend you continue by working through the tutorial chapters of the Catapult 7 User Guide, which describe how to create new grab rules, and then start the Catapult Poller afterwards.

You can also follow the suggestions in our 5 Steps to Success with Catapult.

If at any point in this process you would like to have an informal chat with someone to get some suggestions on how to address your particular needs, then by all means get in touch with our Sales or Technical Support teams.

We will look forward to hearing from you soon.