Question: Where can I find more detailed information about HP Web Jetadmin setup and installation?

Answer:

A downloadable install and setup guide can be found here: ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/printers/software/wja/docs/hpwja_installguide_en.pdf

Question: Is HP Web Jetadmin a client application or a server application?

Answer:

It is both. When you install HP Web Jetadmin, you only need to install it on one hardware platform that meets the recommended minimum requirements (See the HP Web Jetadmin Installation and User Guide for the latest support requirements and details) and is centrally accessible on the network. You may then access the software from any supported Windows desktop on the network and manage all supported network-connected peripherals.

Question: How do I install the HP Web Jetadmin client software?

Answer:

The client software is downloaded automatically via .NET Framework Click Once functionality from Microsoft. All you need to do is browse to the server URL and HP Web Jetadmin along with Click Once does the rest. No administrator credentials are needed on the client host.

Question: What testing and preparations should I take before installing the HP Web Jetadmin solution in my environment?

Answer:

HP recommends that you fully test HP Web Jetadmin in environments where earlier releases have been integrated into critical business operations. HP Web Jetadmin device management, alerting, and other features have been greatly improved with the introduction of newer versions of HP Web Jetadmin and, prior to implementing this software into full production, HP recommends that you fully test and qualify the application.

Please read all support materials when implementing HP Web Jetadmin. For current information regarding HP Web Jetadmin software, see the documents on http://www.hp.com/go/webjetadmin titled Late Breaking News, Supported Devices on HP Web Jetadmin, and Differences Between HP Web Jetadmin 10 and HP Web Jetadmin 8.1.

Question: What are the minimum system requirements needed to run this application?

Answer:

Minimum system requirements for both the server and client portions of HP Web Jetadmin can be found in the Installation and Setup guide. This guide changes frequently and gives many details on implementing the software. To obtain the latest version of this guide and other important HP Web Jetadmin documents, please visit: http://www.hp.com/go/webjetadmin

Question: What Web site do I use to download the application? And, are there other sources of important information for HP Web Jetadmin software?

Answer:

A download link is provided at this site: http://www.hp.com/go/webjetadmin . HP uses this site to disclose solutions based documents as well as detailed information about the product. White Paper details, support documents including issues based documentation can also be found by visiting the HP Web Jetadmin download page at: http://www.hp.com/go/webjetadmin_software

Question: What about .NET Framework? Why do I need .NET Framework and is HP Web Jetadmin supported with one or more versions of this?

Answer:

HP Web Jetadmin utilizes sets of libraries and infrastructure provided by .NET Framework. It will not install or run without the Framework being in place on either the server host or the client hosts. HP Web Jetadmin is supported with several versions of .NET Framework and administrators and users should reference the Installation and Setup Guide (URL Above) in order to understand requirements.

Question: Is HP Web Jetadmin supported on 64 bit or 32 bit operating systems? Is it supported on the newer 64 bit hardware platforms?

Answer:

Currently HP Web Jetadmin is only supported on 32 bit operating systems. HP is investigating 64 bit Windows and may or may not make a corresponding announcement in the future. HP Web Jetadmin will run on 32 bit Windows that is hosted on 64 bit hardware platforms.

Question: What versions of Windows does HP Web Jetadmin support? And, are the supported versions of Windows the same for the client application as for the server application?

Answer:

HP Web Jetadmin is supported on a variety of popular Windows platforms. Administrators and users should reference the Installation and Setup Guide (URL Above) in order to understand requirements. Client and Server platform support is typically the same but can change from version to version. Full administrator rights are required when installing the server application. A system reboot may be required in some cases.

Question: Is HP Web Jetadmin supported on VMWare platforms?

Answer:

Yes, HP Web Jetadmin software is supported on both VMWare Server and VMWare ESX versions. System requirements on the ‘virtual’ Windows platforms are the same as on discrete Windows installations. More specific details can be found in the Installation and Setup Guide at: ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/printers/software/wja/docs/hpwja_installguide_en.pdf

Question: What about the processor on my hardware platform? Is dual better than single? Do I need to worry about processor speed? How does the processor impact HP Web Jetadmin performance overall?

Answer:

System processor is a very important aspect of HP Web Jetadmin software. Depending on how the application is being used, HP Web Jetadmin can drive the Windows system and the hardware platform quite rigorously. Lets start with the basics: yes, dual processor is better. HP Web Jetadmin can take advantage of a multi-processor system or multi-core hardware. In large scale installations where thousands of devices are being managed and where features like Reporting, Alerting, etc. are in use and tend to process information constantly, multi-processor or multi-core hardware is a must. As HP Web Jetadmin evolves, the system specification for both processor and processor speed will change and even increase. Watch for news on these specifications changes in the Installation and Setup guide. You can find this document and other important information at: http://www.hp.com/go/webjetadmin .

Question: What about system RAM? How much RAM is needed for my installation of HP Web Jetadmin software?

Answer:

RAM is another very important topic with respect to this application. The bottom line with Web Jetadmin, the more RAM the better. This is especially true with scaled up installations that are managing thousands of devices and using features like Reporting, Alerting, etc. that tend to drive the operating system resources. Users should follow the HP recommended RAM specification and only use the minimum required RAM specification on systems that are not scaled or required to perform optimally.

Question: Does HP Web Jetadmin require much disk space? What about disk/storage performance?

Answer:

A minimum specification for disk space can be found in the Installation and Setup guide but this is really more of a getting-started requirement. The application and the SQL instance used by the application both use disk space to store data. So, administrators should consider disk space carefully depending on how the application is used. If no Reports historic data is gathered through Data Collections, the SQL instance may not have the storage requirements than would be needed if these features are being used. In cases where thousands of devices are added to Data Collections features, storage performance and disk space considerations should be key to any implementation plan.

Question: What considerations should I make regarding SQL when planning an HP Web Jetadmin implementation?

Answer:

HP Web Jetadmin implements SQL Server 2005 Express Edition as part of its native install process. Core SQL components are not required to be installed on the host prior to the HP Web Jetadmin installations, HP Web Jetadmin will take care of this. HP Web Jetadmin can be installed where SQL Server 2005 editions (non-Express) already exist. However, certain SQL and Windows security settings may inhibit the HP Web Jetadmin installation. Consult both the HP Web Jetadmin Installation and Setup Guide (URL above) as well as all Microsoft SQL installation documentation when planning installations where SQL Server editions are already installed on the HP Web Jetadmin host.

Question: Can the HP Web Jetadmin SQL 2005 Server instance co-exist with other SQL 2005 Server instances?

Answer:

Yes, but for HP Web Jetadmin installations that are scaled to meet large enterprise requirements, this is not suggested without first considering off-host SQL Server options.

Question: What gains will I realize by implementing HP Web Jetadmin with SQL 2005 Server editions (non-Express)?

Answer:

Microsoft has documentation that discloses all the differences between Express and non-Express editions of SQL Server 2005. The primary difference has to do with performance. SQL Server 2005 Express is limited to 4 gigabytes of storage, can only have 1 gigabyte of RAM allocated to each instance and can only utilize one processor on multi-processor systems. On scaled implementations of HP Web Jetadmin where thousands of devices are being managed and where data intensive features such as Reports, Alerting, etc. are being used, SQL Server 2005 editions (non-Express) can help the administrator realize significant performance gains.

Question: Does HP Web Jetadmin and SQL Server 2005 have to reside on the same host?

Answer:

As of this writing, yes. Future editions of HP Web Jetadmin will support off-host SQL connections. Watch for more information as newer software releases become available.

Question: How do I configure HP Web Jetadmin to work with a non-Express edition of SQL Server 2005 on the same host?

Answer:

HP Web Jetadmin Help and the HP Web Jetadmin Install and Setup Guide contain details to help you make this happen. Essentially, a configuration file is used to point Web Jetadmin way from the SQL Server 2005 Express Edition that was implemented as part of the installation. This configuration file enables connecting to the non-Express edition that you have created using SQL Server Management Studio (available from Microsoft in Express and non-Express editions). The procedure also shows how to migrate data from one to the other.

Question: What about security? Do the clients need to have any special access to the HP Web Jetadmin 10 server in order to connect?

Answer:

HP Web Jetadmin security uses local and/or domain user credentials. These are added to HP Web Jetadmin security settings to allow user access. The users do not need any special access to the HP Web Jetadmin server. The Admin or members of the administrators group on the HP Web Jetadmin server always have full access to HP Web Jetadmin. See FAQs relating to security. Also see the HP Web Jetadmin Security White paper at http://www.hp.com/go/webjetadmin . HP Web Jetadmin Help content also discloses much in the way of security details.

Question: What about network ports on the HP Web Jetadmin server and client platforms? What do I need to know about these when planning an HP Web Jetadmin implementation?

Answer:

The HP Web Jetadmin Installation and Setup Guide (download from http://www.hp.com/go/webjetadmin ) contains a full listing of all the ports in use on the server host. Some or all of these may need to be opened in cases where a firewall is in place on the server host. See your firewall software’s documentation for applicable settings. The client does not implement any static “listen�? ports. Firewall settings normally don’t need to be considered on the client hosts.

Question: What are the basic installation steps for HP Web Jetadmin software?

Answer:

HP provides a friendly installer application that is used to implement a native installation of HP Web Jetadmin or upgrade existing installations of HP Web Jetadmin when newer versions release. The install executable launches a wizard that asks you questions in order to implement to your specification then it runs processes to install the HP Web Jetadmin application, plug-ins, client software infrastructure as well as the SQL components. SQL install includes the HP Web Jetadmin SQL 2005 Server Express Edition instance that is used by the application. See the HP Web Jetadmin Installation and Setup Guide (URL above) for detailed steps regarding the install process.

Question: How do I install HP Web Jetadmin in a language other than English?

Answer:

HP Web Jetadmin does not run on the server in any specific language. The software, when installed, is localized to English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. The localization takes place on the client as the application detects the OS language that is installed here. However, the installer application itself does allow you to pick the language that is displayed as the installer is run. Watch for more information about localization as newer versions of the application release.

Question: Can I run the installer via script or command line? Why would I want to do this?

Answer:

Yes, the HP Web Jetadmin installer is capable of running at a command line or from within a script. See the HP Web Jetadmin Installation and Setup Guide (URL above) for detailed steps regarding installer commands. Customers sometimes run the software installer in a script in order to facilitate software distribution infrastructures within the enterprise.

Question: Do I need a license to install and run HP Web Jetadmin software?

Answer:

The base installation of HP Web Jetadmin is free and comes with an end user license agreement or EULA. Be sure to read and understand this EULA before implementing HP Web Jetadmin. Newer versions of HP Web Jetadmin will have additional features that will require special licenses obtainable from Hewlett-Packard. More information will be available as these versions release. Watch for details along with future HP Web Jetadmin releases.

Question: How can I migrate settings from older HP Web Jetadmin installations? Can I upgrade using the installer when I want to bring an older HP Web Jetadmin up to date?

Answer:

HP Web Jetadmin has added a utility named Migration Tool to facilitate migrating from older HP Web Jetadmin 7.8/8.x systems to newer HP Web Jetadmin 10.x systems on different hosts. See the Migration FAQ and the Migration Guide for more details. These documents can be obtained from www.hp.com/go/webjetamin . Upgrades on the same host can be performed by simply running the install executable. Please review all relevant HP Web Jetadmin documentation regarding upgrades and migrations.

Question: Does the application generate installer logs? Where are these located?

Answer:

Yes, there are several. These are:

• Basic installation log files:
  • DRIVE:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Temp\hp\wja\Installer\
  • DRIVE:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Temp\hp\wja\Uninstaller\
  • DRIVE:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Temp\hp\wja\WjaSetup\
• Logs that track migration and upgrade:
  • DRIVE:\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\Application Data\Hewlett-Packard\HPWebJetadmin\WjaService\tracing\HPWJAService.upgrade.log
  • DRIVE:\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\Application Data\Hewlett-Packard\HPWebJetadmin\WjaService\tracing\HPWJAService.migration.log

Question: Once HP Web Jetadmin is installed, what features and/or components exist on the HP Web Jetadmin server?

Answer:

HP Web Jetadmin runs as a service HPWJA Service that is run under the low privilege user account Network Service. HP Web Jetadmin also installs a small upgrade service named HPWJA Update Service that is used during upgrades only. HP Web Jetadmin installs SQL Server 2005 Express Edition instance that also runs as a service on the Web Jetadmin install host. This service is named SQL Server (HPWJA). HP Web Jetadmin also creates directories and files in the following paths:

• DRIVE:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Hewlett-Packard\WJAUpdateService
• DRIVE:\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\Application Data\Hewlett-Packard\HPWebJetadmin
• DRIVE:\Program Files\Common Files\Hewlett-Packard\WJA Update Service
• DRIVE:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Web Jetadmin 10 DRIVE:\ Y:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.X

Question: Where, on the Windows desktop hosting the HP Web Jetadmin client application, do the client files and directories reside? How can I remove them if I no longer need them?

Answer:

HP Web Jetadmin runs the client under the Windows user who is accessing the application weather they are on a remote desktop or on the actual HP Web Jetadmin server itself. Client files are downloaded onto the Windows user directory structure into a .NET Framework space reserved for applications that are installed via Microsoft Click Once. These files reside at the following directories:

• DRIVE:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Apps\2.0\ (path to the general .NET Apps directory on a client system)
• DRIVE:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Apps\2.0\Data\ (path to HP Web Jetadmin client application data files and working application files stored to and then used by the local client application)
• DRIVE:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Apps\2.0\ ------.---\ (path to bootstrap portion of the ClickOnce application. Contains all the files used to start the HP Web Jetadmin client and none of the working client data.)

The client or clients run as uiexec.exe on the Windows desktop host. When the client is stopped, the client files, also known as a Click Once file cache, can be removed by simply removing the ~Apps\2.0\ directory. NOTE: Be sure it is safe to remove the entire 2.0 directory. Other Click Once applications may be in use on the workstation.

Question: What about backup and restore? How do I keep the HP Web Jetadmin data “safe�??

Answer:

HP Web Jetadmin data and settings can be backed up onto a storage facility for the purpose of reclaiming data in the event of a failure or just retaining or transporting data. HP Web Jetadmin provides a few example scripts and a set of detailed notes to help the administrator understand and implement these scripts. These scripts and notes are kept together in the HP Web Jetadmin installation directory where they can be tested and then implemented as part of a backup/restore process developed specifically to the environment where HP Web Jetadmin is implemented. Here is the path to the HP Web Jetadmin backup/restore files:

• DRIVE:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Web Jetadmin 10\WJABackupRestore

Remember, these scripts are provided as examples only and should be fully tested and qualified and tested in the environment before being put into production.