Distributing the Software To a Client Using the RCMD Command

This task explains an alternative to the previous scenario: how to use the RCMD command, which is part of the Resource Kit for your Windows platform, for distributing the software from a source computer to a client computer inside the same domain.

Note that the default installation path can be:

C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B18 (Windows XP Pro)
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B18 (64-bit code on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Dassault Systemes\B18 (32-bit code on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition)
The Resource Kit must be installed on both the source computer ("ravel" in our example) and the client computer ("chopin" in our example).

Furthermore, for the RCMD command to operate, the RCMDSVC service must be started beforehand on the client computer. This involves installing a Remote Command server on each client computer, then starting the Remote Command server. For more information, refer to the following Windows online help topic: RCMD.EXE: Remote Command Service.
  When setting up the server you can:
  • copy all the software into the same folder (as illustrated above)
  • or, given that the software is distributed on several CDs ( 1, 2 ...), copy the contents of each CD into a separate folder for each CD, making sure that the name of each folder corresponds to the CD number ( 1, 2 ...) etc.
  With Windows XP Professional 32-bit operating systems, if LUM is already installed on your machine, and the LUM license server has been started, you will be prompted to stop the LUM server before proceeding. If you choose not to stop the LUM server, the installation will be stopped.
The software supplied by Microsoft in the Windows Workstation Resource Kit is not officially supported. Microsoft (and Dassault Systemes) do not guarantee the performance of the Windows Workstation Resource Kit tools, response times for answering questions, or bug fixes to the tools. The software (including instructions for its use and printed and online documentation) is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind.
1. Log onto the source computer using an account with Domain Administrator privileges.
  2. Copy the Version 5 software into a folder on the source computer, and share the folder.

For example, the folder name could be My_CATIAV5_Folder ,and you could share the folder using the name "CATIA".
  3. Select Start->Programs->Windows XP Professional Resource Kit->Tools.
  4. Double-click the Network Management Tools control, then the Remote Command Service control.

A Command Prompt window is opened and you are now located in the directory, for example on 32-bit Windows XP:

C:\Program Files\Resource Pro Kit\rcmd
  5. Connect to the remote client computer using the command:

rcmd \\remote_computer

where "remote_computer" is the name of the remote computer.

In our example, the command would be:

rcmd \\chopin
  6. Once you are connected to the remote computer, map a drive on the remote computer to the shared folder on the source computer.

To do so, enter the command:

net use drive: \\Source_computer\SharedDirName DomainAdminPwd /user:DomainName\DomainAdminUserName

where:

  • drive is the drive letter used to map to the shared folder
  • Source_computer is the source computer from which you are performing the installation, and on which the shared folder containing the Version 5 software is located
  • SharedDirName is the share name of the folder containing the Version 5 software
  • DomainAdminPwd is the domain administrator password
  • DomainName is the domain name
  • DomainAdminUserName is the domain administrator username.

In our example, the command would be for example:

net use M: \\ravel\CATIA admin /user:MyDomain\root

This command maps the M: device (the device must be available) on the remote computer "chopin" to the shared folder "CATIA" on the source computer "ravel", using the domain administrator password "admin". Note that the domain name is "MyDomain" and the domain administrator username is "root".

To check that the map has been successfully performed, enter the command:

net use

which will list the mapped resources like this:

Status   Local   Remote           Network

OK       M:      \\ravel\CATIA    Microsoft Windows Network
  For more information about the net use command, refer to the Windows online help system.
  7. To check that the installation folder and the StartB batch command are accessible, enter the command:

M:\INTEL\StartB -h

to access the command help, or:

M:\INTEL\StartB -list

to list the configurations/products you can install.

Note: Replace INTEL by WIN64 on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.
  8. Install the Version 5 software.

For example, running the following command will install the DP2 and MD2 configurations (and the corresponding nodelock licenses) for the CATIA product line into the following location, for example on 32-bit Windows XP Pro:

StartB -u "C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B18" -newdir -l "DP2.slt MD2.slt" -lic E:\CATIAV5_Licenses\MYCONFIG.LIC

into the following location on the remote computer:

C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B18
  9. Unmap the drive on the remote computer by running the command:

net use M: /delete

  For detailed information about the StartB command, refer to Installing in Batch Mode.

Note that appending the "-exe" option to the StartB command does not launch a session at the end of the installation on the remote computer.
You can also use the System Management Server (SMS), part of the Windows BackOffice suite. SMS includes desktop management and software distribution that significantly automates the task of upgrading software on client computers.