QEST Platform Installation Checklists
- Mark Elkomos
QEST Platform 4.92 and 4.93
Applies to All
This article lists, by product, the processes that must be completed to successfully install and configure the QEST Platform.
Contents
Overview
The installation process for the QEST Platform will vary depending on:
- Whether the process underway is an update of the QEST Platform or a fresh installation, and
- Which products have been purchased and need to be installed,
- The infrastructure in place.
This page acts as a starting point for the necessary steps for installation and configuration of QEST Platform products.
The Technical Overview presents the various components of the different products and how they communicate between one another while Product Architecture articles make clearer the infrastructure required. These checklists outline only the bare minimum that must be undertaken in order to install and configure a working instance of the QEST Platform. Optional configuration and processes are excluded but details can be found on the linked pages.
For each product, steps are provided for installation and configuration followed by verification steps that should be carried out immediately following installation. If any of the verification steps fail, please contact Spectra QEST for assistance.
All Products
The first steps will be determined by whether the process underway is an update or a fresh installation. Follow the links below to the appropriate checklist for the process then return here for following steps by product.
QESTLab
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Install QESTLab | On each application server that users will access the QESTLab product suite from, install QESTLab. |
| QESTLab Configuration - config.ini is correctly configured | Ensure that the config.ini file in the installation directory is correctly structured to allow connection to the QEST Platform database. |
| Install updated license file if necessary due to version change | If the version of QEST Platform is being updated, install the updated the license file via the QEST Administrator Console to the appropriate version. |
Verification
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Launch QESTLab and log in | Launch QESTLab and log in as a normal (non-administrative) user. Ensure that QESTLab is launched using the same process as regular users will use (e.g. Citrix published app or RemoteApp) |
QESTField (Tests, Concrete, Forms and/or Scheduler)
| Step | Complete if Using | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Install QESTNet | Any QESTField product, QEST Web App, license tracking for QESTLab | Install the QESTNet service on the appropriate server. |
| QESTNet Configuration - Set running user | The QESTNet service should be run under the appropriate service account. This step only needs to be completed if this is a fresh installation of QESTNet rather than an update. | |
| Install the QEST Web API | QESTField Forms, QESTField App or QEST Web App | Install the QEST Web API on the appropriate web server. |
| Make QEST Web API available externally | QESTField Forms or QESTField App | Make the QEST Web API (under the QEST Platform site) available externally, this may involve firewall configuration depending on network topology. |
| Install the QEST Web App | Any QESTField product or QEST Web App | Install the QEST Web App on the QEST Platform Web server and point it to the QEST Web API |
| Install QESTField | QESTField Tests or QESTFIeld Forms | Install the QESTField web site on the appropriate web server. |
| QESTField Configuration - Point to QESTNet | Ensure that the QESTField web site can reach the QESTNet service. | |
| Make available externally | Make the QESTField website (under the QEST Platform site) available externally, this may involve firewall configuration depending on network topology. | |
| Install QESTField Scheduler | QESTField Scheduler | Install the QESTField web site on the appropriate web server. |
| QESTField Scheduler Configuration - Point to QESTNet | Ensure that the QESTField web site can reach the QESTNet service. | |
| Make available externally | Make the QESTField Scheduler website (under the QEST Platform site) available externally, this may involve firewall configuration depending on network topology. | |
| Start QESTNet Service | Any QESTField product or QEST Web App | Start the QESTNet service using the Windows Services Manager and ensure it starts with no errors. |
| Set QEST Platform database connection | Any QESTField product or QEST Web App | Navigate to the QEST Web App URL in a browser and configure QEST Platform database access for the QESTNet service. This step only needs to be completed if this is a fresh installation of QESTNet rather than an update. |
| Firewall settings: allow incoming connections on port 52525 | Any QESTField product or QEST Web App | For QESTNet installations supporting QESTField products, configure any firewall on the machine to accept incoming TCP on port 52525. This step only needs to be completed if this is a fresh installation of QESTNet rather than an update. |
| Log into QEST Web App | Any QESTField product, QEST Web App, license tracking for QESTLab | Navigate to the QEST Web app using a browser and log in, ensuring the log in process is successful. |
| Set Client URIs for QEST Web App and QESTField | Any QESTField product, QEST Web App, license tracking for QESTLab |
|
| QESTNet Configuration - Set Hive database connection | Construction Hive Publishing | In order to publish forms and reports from QESTField to Construction Hive, QESTNet requires a connection to the Hive Publish database. The HivePublish_Data database connection should be set to the appropriate SQL instance and database name using the QEST Web App. |
| QESTNet Configuration - Configure License Logging and monitoring emails | Any QESTField product, QEST Web App, license tracking for QESTLab | Default logging settings that are provided in the QESTNet.exe.config file are generally acceptable for most installations but the location of the log file should be verified and modified if there is a more appropriate location such as a network folder. Recipients for license threshold warning emails should be defined. This step only needs to be completed if this is a fresh installation of QESTNet rather than an update. |
| Create license logging directories | The directories specified in the Log File Path as well as the Archive File Path for licensing logging must be created manually. | |
| QESTNet Configuration - Configure Logging | Any QESTField product or QEST Web App | Default logging settings that are provided in the QESTNet.exe.config file are generally acceptable for most installations but the location of the log file should be verified and modified if there is a more appropriate location such as a network folder. This step only needs to be completed if this is a fresh installation of QESTNet rather than an update. |
| Create logging directories | The directories specified in the Log File Path for the troubleshooting log must be created manually. | |
Ensure service user has access to log file locations | Any QESTField product, QEST Web App, license tracking for QESTLab | Ensure the file paths values configured for the logging and license logging file are set to paths to which the service user account has full read/write access. This step only needs to be completed if this is a fresh installation of QESTNet rather than an update. |
| QESTNet Configuration - Configure SMTP server for emails | Any QESTField product | Emails are sent for licensing warnings, publishing Forms as well as reports or summaries for specific QESTField Tests workflows. This configuration is required for emails to send correctly. This step only needs to be completed if this is a fresh installation of QESTNet rather than an update or if the SMTP server is moved. |
| QESTLab QIntegrator Configuration - point to QESTNet | QESTField Tests, QESTField Forms | The QESTLab QIntegrator must be configured to point to QESTNet such that actions on Forms and QESTNet reports can be taken from QESTLab. This task must be completed on every QESTLab application server. |
Verification
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Review QESTNet log file | Ensure the QESTNet log file is being generated correctly. Open the log file and ensure no errors have been logged. |
| Log into QESTField | Navigate to the QESTField URL using a browser and log in, ensuring the log in process is successful. |
| Log into QESTField Scheduler | Navigate to the QESTField Scheduler URL using a browser and log in, ensuring the log in process is successful. |
| Connect to the Web API from outside the network using the QESTField Mobile App | (Only if the QESTField App is being used) Using the QESTField mobile app, connect to the QEST Web API URL and ensure that the connection is successful. |
| Log into QESTField mobile app | (Only if the QESTField App is being used) Log into the QESTField mobile app while connected to the QEST Web API and ensure the Work Orders page loads successfully. |
Construction Hive Publishing
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Install Construction Hive publishing service | Install the Construction Hive publishing service on the appropriate server. |
| Ensure server time will always be accurate | Ensure that windows is configured to regularly synchronise its clock with a trusted time server. Don't assume that because it's syncing with another computer on the domain that it can be trusted. Ensure that at some point a reliable external time server is being used. This is necessary for certificate validation and successful publishing. |
| Construction Hive publishing service config - Hive publish database | Ensure that the publishing service is configured to connect to the Hive Publish database. |
| Construction Hive publishing service config - point to correct CH environment | Ensure that the service is configured to point to the correct Construction Hive instance for the environment it is being installed on (i.e. test or production). |
Verification
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Start the Construction Hive Publishing Service | Start the service and ensure it starts successfully. |
| Check Windows Event Viewer | Check the Construction Hive-QESTLab Service log under Application and Service Logs in the Windows Event Viewer. Ensure that:
|
Interfaces
If there is an interface in place sharing data between QEST Platform and third party applications, controlled by QEST Platform products, additional configuration may be necessary. The Spectra QEST Service desk will provide the necessary details if this case is applicable.
Products described on these pages, including but not limited to QESTLab®, QESTNet, QESTField, Construction Hive, and associated products are Trademarks (™) of Spectra QEST Australia Pty Ltd and/or related companies. The content of this page is confidential. Do not share, duplicate or distribute without permission. © 2020 Spectra QEST® Australia Pty Ltd and/or related companies. Terms of Use and Privacy Statement
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