Installing the Server in a Distributed Environment

After you have installed all the prerequisites, created the service accounts, you are ready to install the product Server.

It is important to copy the installation files local to the server before installing. Do not install from a network share or UNC path.
Installing all product components using the Service Account is recommended. Log on to the server as the product Service Account before installing.

When installing and using the product with a Developer license, the account used to run the product service is always the currently logged-in user. When using a Developer license, the product server runs in console mode as the currently logged-in user, and not as a Windows service. The product uses the currently logged-in user's credentials to connect to the product database (when using integrated authentication), and uses the current user’s credentials for certificates, registry keys, and folders required by the product service to run. See the topic Accounts used in a Nintex Automation Installation for more information.

When updating an expired Developer license, use the information in the article: How to Obtain and Manage License Keys.

Installation steps

  1. Launch the Setup Manager.
  2. On the Welcome page, click Next.
  3. On the Checking for Latest Version page, the installation will verify the version, click Next.
  4. On the End User License Agreement page, read through the EULA. You must select the I agree to the terms and conditions of the license option before you can continue with the installation. You can print out the EULA for your records. Once you have read the EULA, click Next.
  5. On the Installation Type page, select the Custom Installation option and type in an Installation Folder, and click Next.
  6. On the Select Components page, uncheck everything except the K2 Server and K2 Database, then click Next to continue. You cannot install the K2 Server and K2 Database separately.
  7. On the License Configuration page, provide product licensing information.
  8. On the Server Configuration page, select the appropriate option for this installation (one of the Farm options if this is a Farm deployment, or the standalone server option if this is a single K2 application server in a distributed environment).
  9. On the Pass-Through Authentication page, if Kerberos is installed select Kerberos. If not, select Windows and click Next to continue.
  10. On the second Server Configuration page (server port configuration), take note of the ports that are used for communication. It is strongly recommended to leave the default ports as is.
  11. On the Site Configuration page, type in the URL to the product Site (even though we have not configured the product Site yet, enter the URL which you will use to access it). If this is a clustered product Site, be sure to enter the URL used to access the cluster. Using the fully qualified URL to your product Site is preferable.
  12. On the Database Configuration page, provide the details for the Database
  13. On the Service Accounts Configuration page, enter in the user account details for the Administrator and K2 Service, and click Next to continue.
  14. Use the Exchange Server Configuration page to configure the Exchange Server if you are using one.
  15. If Exchange is being used, integration is configured on the Exchange Integration page.
  16. On the SmartActions Configuration page, SmartActions are enabled by default.
    The SMTP Settings page is displayed in place of SmartActions setup if the Use Exchange for mail integration option was not selected on the Exchange Server Configuration page.
  17. On the Configuration Summary page, validate the settings. You can go back to make any necessary changes, and you can print this page for reference later or copy it to the Clipboard. Once satisfied with your settings, click Next.
  18. The Additional Actions page shows if there are additional actions to perform as part of the installation. Click Next to continue.
  19. The Setup Manager will update and show you the progress of the component installation on the Components page.
  20. Once the installation is done, the Configuration Analysis tool will be available to help troubleshoot any errors detected during the installation.
  21. When the installation has completed, you will see a Finished page. There will also be a link to the created configuration log file.
When the product Server is run in console mode make sure to be logged in as the correct user and make use of the “Run as Administrator” option to ensure that the correct elevated privileges are used.