[OBSOLETE] Setting up Archie-M 2.5.1

These instructions are for version 2.5.1, which is now superseded. As of September 2023 we are rolling out 2.6 to users. If you need to install Archie-M now and have not received details of version 2.6, please email support@obvis.com.

Introduction

Most Archie-M licenses are per physical office with a limit on the number of simultaneous concurrent users. Working from home is allowed, of course, but a license for one office does not allow use in another.

It is the responsibility of customer IT to ensure that access is restricted to users associated with licensed offices.

Archie-M uses a software protection system. Installation and activation is a simple process, but it is important to follow the steps given below carefully for a successful activation.

Two installation and activation options are available.

Floating network. This should be used unless the licence is node locked/fixed term, or there is another particular reason to do otherwise. Users require VPN access to the office network. A number of concurrent users is allowed, and the number of users with access to Archie-M can exceed the number able to use it at one time.
Standalone. Use this for node locked/fixed term licenses, including trials. This also allows a user to work with Archie-M while not connected to the office network, but the number of installations must not exceed the number of concurrent users allowed, and the activations are locked to particular machines.

Floating network activation

This section applies if you wish to make Archie-M available on a network to multiple users. The software will be hosted on a shared drive. No licence server is needed.

There are two further options here. These are identical from the users point of view. Which to use depends on the nature of the installation target.

If installing to the local disk of a server, which is then made available to users as a shared drive, you can use the full installer (first section, "Installation on a server"). This will install the software and ensure the correct permissions are applied.
If installing to NAS, SAN, or otherwise to a shared drive where you can't run an installer on a server hosting the drive, use the alternative method in the second section, "Installation to network storage". You will then need to follow the additional instructions for manually setting permissions.

Installation on a server

This section applies if you wish to make Archie-M available on a network to multiple users, and the installation target is a local drive on the server running the installer. If you need to install to network storage (NAS, SAN, or a drive hosted on a server you don't have access to) use the next section.

Download the floating network version installer.

The installer is run on one machine only (referred to here as the "server", though it can be any machine on the network), and a shortcut added to each machine on which Archie-M will be run. The installation target must be a physical drive in the server.

Run the installer on the server, and install to a local drive in a location that is or can be shared with users of the software.
Share the installation folder with users if it isn't already shared. The share must provide "read" and "change" permissions to all users of the software.
Move to a workstation.
Browse to the shared folder.
Set up a shortcut to ArchieM.exe and run it.
The activation dialog should appear. Choose "Activate Archie-M".
The dialog should give you two codes. Please highlight the codes in turn and copy and paste them into an email to support@obvis.com. Please also state the company and office for which the activation is required, and that a network activation is needed.
We will return two activation codes by email. Paste these into the activation code boxes and press enter.
Create a copy of the workstation shortcut to Archie-M on each workstation where Archie-M is needed.

Please note that the shortcut must be identical on all workstations. If the drive is mapped by IP address on the first computer and by name on the second, an activation will only work on one machine.

Installation to network attached storage

This section applies if you wish to make Archie-M available on a network to multiple users, and need to install to a drive hosted on NAS, SAN, or a server to which you don't have access. In this case the Windows installer system can't be used so some additional manual steps are needed.

Download the floating network version zip archive.

Unpack the zip archive onto the shared drive.
Ensure the share is accessible to users with "read" and "change" permissions (note - these are share level permissions, not file/folder level).
Fix the file/folder level permissions:
- Ensure the root folder (containing ArchieM.exe) is read only.
- Set the "sema" folder within the root to give users write permission (this folder is used to control concurrent usage).
Set up a shortcut to ArchieM.exe - all users must start ArchieM.exe with the same UNC path.
Run ArchieM.exe using this shortcut as a user with administrator permissions to the share (this is only required once, the elevated permissions are used to ensure write permission to the license file).
The activation dialog should appear. Choose "Activate Archie-M".
The dialog should give you two codes. Please highlight the codes in turn and copy and paste them into an email to support@obvis.com. Please also state the company and office for which the activation is required, and that a network activation is needed.
We will return two activation codes by email. Paste these into the activation code boxes and press enter.
Create a copy of the workstation shortcut to Archie-M on each workstation where Archie-M is needed.

Standalone activation

This section applies if you wish to activate Archie-M to run on a specific machine with no access from other machines. The software will be locally available and will not require network access to run once activated. If you wish to make Archie-M available for multiple users on a network, look at the next section.

Download the standalone version installer.

Run the installer to install Archie-M.
Run Archie-M from the start menu or desktop icon.
The activation dialog should appear. Choose "Activate Archie-M".
The dialog should give you two codes. Please highlight the codes in turn and copy and paste them into an email to support@obvis.com. Please also state the company and office for which the activation is required, and that a standalone activation is needed.
We will return one or two activation codes by email depending on the license type. Copy/paste the code or codes into the activation code boxes 1 (leave box 2 empty if only code code provided) and press enter to activate.