Install Bp Premier silently

Bp Premier server and client installations support silent or unattended installations for users and IT services that require this functionality. This feature is most applicable for multiple client installations to be deployed in parallel across a large network, substantially reducing the rollout time.

IMPORTANT  Silent installations are a non-standard installation. Users of this feature should be familiar with Windows batch files and command line usage. Access to the C:\ folder is required.

Silent installation types

New installation

1. Ensure the server or client meets all prerequisites according to the most recent System Requirements for your version of Bp Premier before you run a silent installation.
2. Mount the new installation .ISO file to a shared network location that the server and each client is able to access on your practice network.
3. Copy the contents of the mounted ISO to a known folder on the shared network location, such as 'BPSaffron'.

The setup file BP_SQLEx_Setup.exe can now be called on by UNC path or a mapped drive in the batch file, however your network is configured. By using a shared network, you do not have to copy the ISO contents to each server and workstation.

4. Create the silent configuration file BPconfig.ini using the guidelines in this article. Copy the configuration file to the root C:\ drive of the server and each client you are installing or upgrading Bp Premier.

The silent install will automatically find the configuration file.

5. Create an install.bat text file which runs the BP_SQLEx_Setup.exe command with the '/s' option in the subfolder Install that you just copied. The following example runs the setup file from a shared computer using a UNC path:

\\<Computername>\BPSaffron\Install\BP_SQLEx_Setup.exe /s

Where 'BPSaffron' is the name of the folder you copied the mounted file to, in this example.

If the path to the setup file contains spaces, you will need to surround the entire path in double quotes:

"\\<Computername>\BP Premier Saffron\Install\BP_SQLEx_Setup.exe" /s
6. Run the install.bat file as a Windows Administrator or elevated mode. The installation process requires some administrator-level permissions.
7. The new installation will proceed silently.

Prompts during silent installation

If you have set up the configuration file correctly, the installer will not prompt for any usernames, passwords, or any details from the user at all after the installer begins. If you are prompted to enter a username or password, check the config file is set up correctly and the command line parameters are correct.

Third-party integrations

The silent install option does not configure third-party integrations. If you are running a silent upgrade and you need to enable any third-party integrations, you will need to go to Setup > Configuration > Database > Setup Third-party Integrations and tick the integrations you want to enable.

See Partner Network for more information.

Program update

Before you start a silent program update:

1. Review the known issues to see if any issues may affect your practice, and any workarounds you can apply.
2. Back up your existing database before upgrading and test that the backup restores successfully. Store the backup file in a known location that is not the server.
3. If any laptops have a database downloaded for remote use, upload all remote data to the Bp Premier server.
4. Log out all users of Bp Premier and close all instances of the application before you start the upgrade of the server or workstation.
5. Upgrade the Bp Premier server first and then ALL workstations at the same time. Workstations that are not upgraded will be unable to access new features following the upgrade of the server.

Data update

To install the comprehensive data update, the silent command-line option would look like:

To install the incremental data update, the silent command-line option would look like:

Creating the configuration file

The configuration file is called BPconfig.ini and must be placed in the C:\ folder.

A sample configuration file can be found on the Bp Premier installation DVD at X:\Install\BPConfig\BPconfig.ini, where X is your computer's DVD drive letter.

BPconfig.ini is a plain text file and looks like:

The file must contain at least the following entries:

Options

Options represents the options a user would select if stepping through the installation wizard.

IMPORTANT  The silent install options for selecting the SQL Server version have changed for Saffron. You will need to update any configuration file that has previously been used to upgrade Bp Premier.

Options must be listed in the order above, and all options must have a value. For example, 'Options=3,2,1,,,' is not a valid entry.

'Options=3,2,1,1,1,1 ' would install with the following options: SQL Sever Express 2017, 64-bit platform, Client, Install MAOL, agree to EULA, unattended.

IMPORTANT  Setting the LicenceAgreement value to '1' indicates acceptance of the terms and conditions of the Best Practice Software End User Licence Agreement , as if you clicked Yes in the installation wizard. Run the installation in non-silent mode to view the EULA.

ProgPath

ProgPath indicates the folder to install the Bp Premier server or client. Best Practice Software recommend setting this to the default install location: 

DataPath

DataPath indicates the folder to install the database. Best Practice Software recommend leaving this entry blank to install to the default location: 

Last updated 26 January 2021