Dispatcher Paragon Management Server cluster deployment

Multiple Management nodes can form a cluster. This document describes procedure how to add a clustered Management Server to an existing environment with First Server.

Make sure to use an external high-available SQL server during installation of First Server - embedded database is deployed on one Management Server only and thus there is no failure resiliency and recovery procedures may take long time to finish.

Installation of additional Management Server

Mandatory subsystems: Dispatcher Paragon Management Service, Dispatcher Paragon Spooler Controller, Dispatcher Paragon Workflow Processing System, Dispatcher Paragon FlexiSpooler.

Optional subsystems: Dispatcher Paragon Mobile print Server, Dispatcher Paragon Payment System.

Select a language

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  • Installer uses selected language to communicate with the user with the exception of text coming directly from the OS which is dependent on the OS language. Typically YES, NO and OK buttons.

  • A number of languages depend on the localization scope for each installer.

  • Default language is English.

Welcome page

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  • The user is notified that a wizard-like setup will guide him through the installation process.

Server environment

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  • Management server cluster is formed by connecting one or more Management servers to an existing Management server.

Server environment

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  • Select Additional Management server option and provide the network address of an existing Management Server.

  • All Management server in a cluster share the same data and configuration.

  • Provide network address of any other Management server in order to form a connection.

  • Management servers share configuration like database backend.

  • Database related configuration is not required as it will be reused from Management servers already installed.

  • It is highly recommended to install or update one Management node at a time. Installation or update of multiple nodes at the same time could result in installation or update failure.

Optional features

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  • Select which optional features shall be installed.

  • Spooling features - print jobs will be spooled directly on this server.

Installation folder

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  • Provide a path to the installation folder

  • Each subsystem will be installed to its dedicated folder

  • Minimum required disk space is 2.5 GB.

Pre-installation check

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  • Pre-installation check performs a series test in order to verify if the server environment is suitable for installation. Currently, only basic tests are not being performed, but the list will grow in the future.

  • Installer process has Administrator rights.

  • Server OS is intended for servers (no Windows 7,8,10 etc).

  • .Net framework availability - If not found installer will deploy .Net framework 4.5.2 automatically.

Other properties

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  • The Management server is being identified by automatically generated GUID, however, you can also provide GUID manually.

  • A drop-down list of all available IPv4 network interfaces.

  • The user can choose one network interface to which will SafeQ services bind.

MobilePrint mailbox

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  • Setup connection to an incoming mailbox.

  • This configuration is required for MobilePrint feature to work properly.

  • Configuration is required only when MobilePrint features were selected.

Additional reconfiguration on all Dispatcher Paragon Management servers

IMS Servers (responsible for update of hardware devices such as Terminal Pro 4) require a shared storage for all its uploaded packages and related resources. It is used when uploading new hardware packages via Management Server web interface.

  1. Edit <SafeQ6>\Management\ims\application.properties and add the following parameter:

    • # path to repository directory. Example: repository.path = //clusteredstorage/imsrepo
      repository.path = <dir shared all for IMSes>

  2. Change owner of the "Dispatcher Paragon Infrastructure Service" to the service account that has full administrative rights on the local server and to the shared directory.

Reconfiguration of Dispatcher Paragon Site Servers to connect to all Dispatcher Paragon Management Servers

All Dispatcher Paragon Spooler Controllers must be always aware of all Dispatcher Paragon Management Servers, else the various failures in the environment will occur.

Thus it is necessary to inform all Dispatcher Paragon Spooler Controllers that a new Dispatcher Paragon Management Server is available. Make sure to perform this task on all Dispatcher Paragon Site Servers and Dispatcher Paragon Management Servers where Dispatcher Paragon Spooler Controller is present.

  1. Find out IP address and GUID of newly installed Dispatcher Paragon Management Server.

    • Management Server GUID can be obtained from the web interface of a newly installed node > Dashboard > System info widget.

  2. Edit <DispatcherParagon_HOME>\SPOC\conf\modules\spoc.conf and add information about newly installed Dispatcher Paragon Management Server to the bottom of the file into Connections to CML server nodes: GUID, IP and PORT section. If you added second Dispatcher Paragon Management Server, each parameter will have suffix 2, third server will have suffix 3 and fourth server will have suffix 4. Example of added configuration:

    serverGUID2=GUID_of_second_Management_Server
    serverPORT2=6010
    serverIP2=10.0.20.30

  3. Restart Dispatcher Paragon Spooler Controller service to apply the changes

  4. Edit <DispatcherParagon_HOME>\SPOC\ims\application.properties and add address of every management server to the parameter infrastructureServiceAddresses (coma separated list)

  5. Restart Dispatcher Paragon Infrastructure Service Proxy service to apply the changes