Installation and configuration
The Spotfire Server deployment requires that the preparation, installation, database configuration, and server configuration happen in a specific order. Make sure that you follow the steps as described.
See Basic installation process for Spotfire for the required sequence.
- Preparation
Prepare to install the Spotfire environment by downloading the required software from the TIBCO eDelivery website (both server and deployment software), and any available hotfixes from the TIBCO Support website. You must also collect the required system properties, and set up the Spotfire database on your database server. - Installation
There are several different options available to install Spotfire Server. - Database drivers
Spotfire Server ships with the following database drivers. - Applying hotfixes to the server
Before you begin configuring Spotfire Server, you must install any available hotfix for this version of the server. - Initial configuration
It is recommended that Spotfire administrators configure a successful basic installation of Spotfire Server before configuring more advanced implementations. - Start or stop Spotfire Server
You must start Spotfire Server after completing initial configuration of the server, before deploying client packages. In addition, you must restart Spotfire Server any time that you change its configuration. The restart causes the server to retrieve a fresh copy of the configuration.xml file from the database. - Clustered server deployments
For large companies, clustered server deployments where several Spotfire Servers share a database and work together to carry out the server tasks provide many benefits. - User authentication
Spotfire supports a variety of user authentication protocols for verifying the identities of users logging in to the program. - HTTPS
By default, Spotfire uses the HTTP protocol for communication between clients and Spotfire Server. To achieve a higher level of security, use the HTTPS protocol instead, ensuring encryption between clients and server. - Node manager installation
To deploy Spotfire services (like Spotfire Web Player, Spotfire Automation Services, the TERR service, and Spotfire Service for Python) on a node, you must first install the node manager software to manage the service. - Login behavior configuration
You can configure various aspects of the Spotfire login dialog. - Service installation on a node
After installing and trusting a node manager, you need to deploy specific Spotfire services and service instances on the node. - Spotfire Analyst installation
Spotfire Analyst is a fully-featured client for working with data sources and creating complex analyses. It is installed on a user's local computer. You can install Spotfire Analyst either interactively, by running the setup-shared-computer-<version>.exe file, or silently, either on the command line or by using a software distribution system. - Sites
You can create multiple Spotfire environments that share the same Spotfire database, including the library and user directory. These environments, which are called sites, can be configured to reduce latency for multi-geographic deployments. Sites also enable the use of a variety of authentication methods, along with different user directories, within the same deployment. - Additional configuration
You can add to or change your Spotfire configuration by using the configuration tool or the command line, or by working directly in the configuration file. - Connectors
Spotfire uses connectors to enable end users to connect to and analyze data from a variety of data sources. This section describes how to configure the connectors for use in Spotfire Analyst, TIBCO Spotfire® Business Author, TIBCO Spotfire® Consumer, and TIBCO Spotfire® Automation Services. - Information Services
Information Services is a server-side method for accessing data from JDBC-compliant data sources. The connection to the external data source is done by the Spotfire Server on behalf of the Spotfire client.
- Preparation
Prepare to install the Spotfire environment by downloading the required software from the TIBCO eDelivery website (both server and deployment software), and any available hotfixes from the TIBCO Support website. You must also collect the required system properties, and set up the Spotfire database on your database server. - Installation
There are several different options available to install Spotfire Server. - Database drivers
Spotfire Server ships with the following database drivers. - Applying hotfixes to the server
Before you begin configuring Spotfire Server, you must install any available hotfix for this version of the server. - Initial configuration
It is recommended that Spotfire administrators configure a successful basic installation of Spotfire Server before configuring more advanced implementations. - Start or stop Spotfire Server
You must start Spotfire Server after completing initial configuration of the server, before deploying client packages. In addition, you must restart Spotfire Server any time that you change its configuration. The restart causes the server to retrieve a fresh copy of the configuration.xml file from the database. - Clustered server deployments
For large companies, clustered server deployments where several Spotfire Servers share a database and work together to carry out the server tasks provide many benefits. - User authentication
Spotfire supports a variety of user authentication protocols for verifying the identities of users logging in to the program. - HTTPS
By default, Spotfire uses the HTTP protocol for communication between clients and Spotfire Server. To achieve a higher level of security, use the HTTPS protocol instead, ensuring encryption between clients and server. - Node manager installation
To deploy Spotfire services (like Spotfire Web Player, Spotfire Automation Services, the TERR service, and Spotfire Service for Python) on a node, you must first install the node manager software to manage the service. - Login behavior configuration
You can configure various aspects of the Spotfire login dialog. - Service installation on a node
After installing and trusting a node manager, you need to deploy specific Spotfire services and service instances on the node. - Spotfire Analyst installation
Spotfire Analyst is a fully-featured client for working with data sources and creating complex analyses. It is installed on a user's local computer. You can install Spotfire Analyst either interactively, by running the setup-shared-computer-<version>.exe file, or silently, either on the command line or by using a software distribution system. - Sites
You can create multiple Spotfire environments that share the same Spotfire database, including the library and user directory. These environments, which are called sites, can be configured to reduce latency for multi-geographic deployments. Sites also enable the use of a variety of authentication methods, along with different user directories, within the same deployment. - Additional configuration
You can add to or change your Spotfire configuration by using the configuration tool or the command line, or by working directly in the configuration file. - Connectors
Spotfire uses connectors to enable end users to connect to and analyze data from a variety of data sources. This section describes how to configure the connectors for use in Spotfire Analyst, TIBCO Spotfire® Business Author, TIBCO Spotfire® Consumer, and TIBCO Spotfire® Automation Services. - Information Services
Information Services is a server-side method for accessing data from JDBC-compliant data sources. The connection to the external data source is done by the Spotfire Server on behalf of the Spotfire client.