Install Nintex RPA Central and activate license key

Administrator A user who can use all functionality in both Nintex RPA Central and Nintex Bot. role required.

This topic describes how to install and activate Nintex RPA Central.

Important: 

  • If you are installing Nintex RPA Central for someone other than yourself (such as an IT department installation for an employee), ensure that you add the intended person as a user as described in Add a user in Nintex RPA Central so that the user can access Nintex RPA Central.

  • If you are installing or upgrading to Nintex RPA Central 2.0 or above, you must also upgrade all Nintex Bots to version 17.0 or above.

  • The Nintex RPA Central 2.0 release does not include support for processing datasets in Nintex RPA Central. However, you can still process datasets with Nintex Bots. If you have a job with a dataset that was configured in Nintex RPA Central, and you are upgrading to Nintex RPA Central 2.0, the botflow will stop working. You can let the dataset job complete first before upgrading to Nintex RPA Central 2.0 or you can upgrade to Nintex RPA Central 2.1 or above (recommended).

(Optional) Set up a test environment

Follow the instructions in this section if you want to set up a test or trial environment to become familiar with new Nintex RPA LE features prior to upgrading your production server to a version that includes them. A test environment also allows you to verify that your systems meet the software requirements, minimize the risk for production downtime when upgrading, import existing botflows into a new environment for testing, and change the license configuration setup (for example, if you are setting up a local license to share or merging a split license).

  1. Review the pre-installation checklist to ensure that the test environment meets the Nintex RPA LE system requirements.

    Note: If the test environment is on non-Windows domain (for example, an Apple Mac), download a Microsoft Windows Server trial on a virtual machine and then install and configure Active Directory domain services to make the server a domain controller. Nintex does not support this environment, so work with your IT staff to set this up properly.

  2. Back up the botflows that you want to test in the new Nintex RPA LE version.

    Note: In Nintex Bot 16.0 and above, you can export botflows on the Menu Bar to back them up. In Nintex Bot 15.0 and below, your botflows are saved on the local machine and can be backed up from there.

  3. Follow the instructions below on the test server:

    1. Download the latest release of Nintex RPA Central and Nintex Bot.

    2. Install Nintex RPA Central. Since you’ll be running Nintex Bot on the test server, you won’t need to access Nintex RPA Central with a URL and you can use localhost without a security certificate.

  4. Request a trial license key online via email or through your Account Manager. If you are using Nintex Bot 16.0 or above, you will receive the main license key. If you are using Nintex Bot 15.0 or below, you may receive a trial license key that is converted to an Enterprise license key.

    Note: You can view your new license keys in the Nintex Customer Portal on the left side of the page under Licenses.

  5. Follow the instructions below on the test server: 

    1. Install and configure a Nintex Bot.

    2. Open and save botflows in Nintex Bot to add them to Nintex RPA Central and test them.

      Note: You can open botflows in Nintex Bot that end with an .rpa file extension without converting them.

  6. If you are using Nintex Bot 15.0 or below, remove the license key from your production server and then switch the trial license key to a production license key.

 

Install Nintex RPA Central

  1. Log into the computer with a Windows account that has local administrator rights.
  2. Download the Nintex RPA Central installation file from the Product Releases page.
  3. Launch the Nintex RPA Central installation file from your computer's Downloads folder.
  4. (Optional) Click Options and Browse to an alternate installation directory.
  5. Click Install.

    6. Note: If they are not already installed, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2, Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Express, and Windows PowerShell 3.0 are installed on the machine. These prerequisites are required for Nintex RPA Central.

  6. Click Close when the installation completes.

    Nintex RPA Central displays in your default web browser.

  7. Restart the computer. If you encounter issues immediately after installation, be sure to complete this step and restart the computer.

Select your SQL database setup

Note: You must be installing Nintex RPA Central 2.6.0 or above to select your SQL database setup.

  1. Log into the computer with the same Windows account that has local administrator rights and that installed Nintex RPA Central. If it is not the same administrative user, you will see error 403.
  2. Select where you want to store your Nintex RPA LE data:
    • Microsoft SQL Express (default). Select this option if your database is stored locally on this machine.
    • Microsoft SQL Server. Select this option to control the connection strings and database locations and manage data in the same way that you manage other data in your line of business systems using standard SQL technology. You can use any licensed edition of Microsoft SQL Server that is version 2012 or above (Standard, Enterprise, Developer, or Web).
      Important: 

      • If you select to store your Nintex RPA LE data in Microsoft SQL Server, you cannot change SQL database storage options and use Microsoft SQL Express in the future.

      • If you select to store your Nintex RPA LE data in Microsoft SQL Server, you cannot downgrade Nintex RPA Central to any version lower than 2.6.0.

      • Nintex RPA LE does not support the use of Microsoft Azure SQL Database.

      • If you are reinstalling Nintex RPA Central and have saved botflows, first back up your botflow files, schedules, and the botflows in your Nintex RPA Central database. Then, select the same SQL database setup option that you had before or you will not have access to your botflows. If, after reinstalling, you want to migrate your Nintex RPA LE data from Microsoft SQL Express to Microsoft SQL Server, go to Migrate SQL Server database.

  3. Click Next.
  4. If you selected to store your Nintex RPA LE data in Microsoft SQL Server, follow the instructions below:
    1. In Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), create an RPACentralWeb database and an RPACentralKeys database on the same SQL Server and ensure that they have proper access permissions. After you create these databases, close them so that Nintex RPA Central can access them during the installation process. Nintex RPA LE will populate the RPACentralWeb database with botflows and users, while the RPACentralKeys database will remain relatively small with encryption keys and log files.

      Note: You cannot change the name of the RPACentralWeb and RPACentralKeys databases.

    2. In Nintex RPA Central, select how you want to set up your Microsoft SQL Server:

      Note: If you decide that you want to switch from a simple setup to an advanced setup after completing the installation, go to Edit the SQL Server connection. You cannot, however, switch from an advanced setup to a simple setup after you complete the installation process.

      • By username and password (simple)
      • By connection string (advanced). Select this option if you need to set up connection values that a default connection may not contain. The advanced option provides you with full control over the connection string.
    3. Click Next.
    4. If you selected to set up your Microsoft SQL Server by username and password, follow the instructions below:
      1. Type the SQL Server name, Username, and Password for the RPACentralWeb and RPACentralKeys databases.
      2. Click Test connection to test the connection to the databases with the username and password.
      3. Click Next when the connection is successful.
    5. If you selected to set up your Microsoft SQL Server by connection string, follow the instructions below:
      1. In Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), create a new SQL user that is not a Windows user (for example, RPACentralService) and ensure that the new SQL user has proper access permissions (create tables, create and access schemas, select, references, insert, update, alter, and delete). This new SQL user will be specified in the connection strings used to connect to your Microsoft SQL Server. You must create this new SQL user because the Nintex RPA Central service uses a local system account.
      2. Copy the connection strings for your RPACentralWeb database and RPACentralKeys database and paste them into Nintex RPA Central.
        Tip: 

        • The correct connection string format for the RPACentralWeb database is: Server=ServerName;Database=RPACentralWeb;User ID=userid;Password=password

        • The correct connection string format for the RPACentralKeys database is: Server=ServerName;Database=RPACentralKeys;User ID=userid;Password=password

      3. Click Test connection to test the connection to the databases with the strings.
      4. Click Next when the connection is successful.

Activate your Nintex RPA Central license key

  1. If you are not already logged into the computer with the same Windows account that has local administrator rights and that installed Nintex RPA Central, log in now. If it is not the same administrative user, you will see error 403.

  2. Type your license key that you received in your welcome email in the Nintex RPA Central screen and click Complete installation. The license key is emailed to you after you purchase Nintex RPA Central and is in the following format: XXXXX- XXXXX- XXXXX- XXXXX- XXXXX

    The Nintex RPA Central service restarts and then the Nintex RPA Central Dashboard displays.

    Note: 

    • If Nintex RPA Central did not display after the initial installation, you can launch it manually from the Nintex RPA Central shortcut on your desktop or from Nintex RPA Central in the Windows Start menu.

    • If you are unable to activate Nintex RPA Central and a blank page appears, it may be because Microsoft Windows updated your browser communications to TLS 1.3. Currently, the Nintex RPA LE API does not support TLS 1.3. To resolve this issue and activate Nintex RPA Central, disable TLS 1.3:

      1. Create a new registry key at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.3\Client.

      2. Set the DWORD (DisabledByDefault) key to 1.

      3. Reboot the computer.

 

Set your Nintex RPA Central URL and security certificate

Hosting Nintex RPA Central on a server allows you and other users on your domain to create botflows and assign them to one Nintex Bot (Standard edition) or an unlimited number of Nintex Bots (Enterprise edition). To host Nintex RPA Central, you need to assign it to a URL, add a port number, and select a security certificate.

Important: Nintex RPA Central can use a security certificate specifically generated for this server that is trusted by your domain. Check with your IT administrator to ensure selecting this solution is appropriate for your implementation in a production environment. If it's not, you can specify your own certificate provided by your IT administrator. A digital signature from a Certificate Authority (CA) attests that a particular public key certificate is valid. Applications can then perform certificate revocation checks against that CA to determine if the certificate is valid. If a certificate has been compromised, the CA can revoke it and it will no longer show up as valid in applications.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Settings.

  2. Click License and subscription in the side navigation menu.
  3. In the About section, to the right of the Nintex RPA Central field, click > Edit.

    The Host Nintex RPA Central panel is displayed on the right.

  4. Click Add Port.
  5. Type the Port number.
  6. Select a security certificate from the Security certificate drop-down list. Your IT administrator must provide a security certificate that specifies the URL to use for Nintex RPA Central. The first entry in the Subject Alternative Names (SAN) of the certificate is automatically selected as the URL; contact Support if you need to select another SAN entry. The certificate must be on the local machine and meet the Nintex RPA Central certificate requirements described below:

    7. Note: If you need help verifying your certificate requirements, contact your IT department.

    On the machine where you want to install Nintex RPA Central, open the Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools > Manage computer certificates window, and complete the following steps:

    1. Verify that the machine is configured appropriately to host an intranet site.
    2. Confirm that a user with local administrative rights has installed a valid web server certificate with:
      • A valid date range that is not expired.
      • A valid signing algorithm matching current cryptography standards.
      • An "Intended Purpose" including "Server Authentication."
      • Auto renewal (if available).
      • Issuance by the internal CA.
      • A private key.

      • A signature hash algorithm with a minimum size of 256 bits (SHA-256).

      • An installation location in the machine's Personal Certificates location at Certificates > Local Computer > Personal > Certificates.
      • A common name (Issued To) on the certificate matching the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the machine where Nintex RPA Central is installed.

      3. Example: MYCOMPANYRPAC.acme.com

      Note: If Nintex RPA Central is not on the same machine as your Nintex Bot, install the certificate in the Trusted Root section.

    3. Verify that a Subject Alternative Name (SAN) for the FQDN name of the machine exists.
      Note: 

      When binding the Nintex RPA Central URL, be sure to list the DNS Name value for the SAN in the certificate with MachineName.DomainName.com. The first DNS Name entry for the SAN will determine the Nintex RPA Central URL.

      For example, if the first entry for DNS Name=MyMachine1, then the Nintex RPA Central URL will be https://MyMachine1. If the first entry for DNS Name=MyMachine1.DomainName.com, then the Nintex RPA Central URL will be https://MyMachine1.DomainName.com.

  7. Select a security certificate from the Security certificate drop-down list.
  8. Click Set URL.

    The Nintex RPA Central URL is configured and displayed.

Tip: If Nintex Bot is installed on a different computer and cannot connect to Nintex RPA Central after you have set your security certificate in Nintex RPA Central and set the URL in Nintex Bot, check to see if you can browse to Nintex RPA Central in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. The security certificate should download automatically and allow you to connect to Nintex RPA Central securely. The same mechanism is used in web browsers as in Nintex Bot.

Note: 

If you are using Windows 10, you must update the server firewall settings to allow access from any machine on the domain.

  1. Navigate to System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall > Advanced settings.
  2. Click Inbound Rules on the left pane.
  3. Click New Rule on the right pane.
  4. Click Port and then click Next.
  5. Select TCP and, based on the format of your Nintex RPA Central URL, type the following number in the Specific local ports field.

    6. Note: The port number can be different depending on your machine and network environment. Consult with your Network Administrator.

    • If your Nintex RPA Central URL ends in a number, such as 8080, type that number.
    • If your Nintex RPA Central URL does not end in a number, type 443.
  6. Click Next.
  7. Select Allow the connection and click Next.
  8. Select Domain.
  9. Ensure Private and Public are not selected.
  10. Click Next.
  11. Type a rule Name, and optionally, type a rule description.
  12. Click Finish.
  13. Click Outbound Rules on the left pane.
  14. Complete steps 4-13 again.

Install and configure a Nintex Bot

Follow these steps to add a Nintex Bot in Nintex RPA Central. This Nintex Bot can then be assigned for running botflows from the Botflows page.

Note: 

  • You cannot add and enable Nintex Bots in excess of your licensed bot entitlement. For more information, see License and subscription.

  • If you need to distribute the Nintex Bot installation to individual machines automatically across your organization, Nintex Bot users do not have local full administrator rights for security reasons, or you want to use a program like AdminStudio or a mobile distribution manager (MDM) to distribute product installations, download and use the Nintex Bot MSI package in the latest Nintex RPA LE release notes.

1. (Optional) Download the Nintex Bot setup file from Nintex RPA Central

Administrator A user who can use all functionality in both Nintex RPA Central and Nintex Bot. role required.

Note: If you already downloaded Nintex Bot from the from the Product Releases page, or if it was automatically deployed to your system, you do not need to complete the instructions in this step.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Dashboard.
  2. Click Bots in the side navigation menu.
  3. Click Add Nintex Bot.
  4. Click Nintex Bot.

    The NintexRPABotSetup<version>.exe setup file is downloaded. The setup file version that is downloaded is dependent on your Nintex RPA Central version. This setup file can be installed on any machine in your domain.

  5. Click Copy URL to copy the Nintex RPA Central URL.
  6. Paste the URL in a text file so that later you can copy and paste it in the Nintex Bot to request access to Nintex RPA Central.

2. Install Nintex Bot on other machines

Note: If you need to distribute the Nintex Bot installation to individual machines automatically across your organization, Nintex Bot users do not have local full administrator rights for security reasons, or you want to use a program like AdminStudio or a mobile distribution manager (MDM) to distribute product installations, download and use the Nintex Bot MSI package in the latest Nintex RPA LE release notes.

  1. Request a Nintex RPA Central URL from your Administrator. For more information, see User management.

  2. Click on the URL that you received from the Nintex RPA Central Administrator.

  3. Click Nintex Bot.
  4. Click Copy URL to copy the Nintex RPA Central URL.
  5. Paste the URL in a text file so that later you can copy and paste it in the Nintex Bot to request access to Nintex RPA Central.
  6. Accept the default settings and click Next until you complete all of the installation steps.
  7. Restart the computer. If you encounter issues immediately after installation, be sure to complete this step and restart the computer.

3. Request access to Nintex RPA Central in Nintex Bot

  1. From the Windows Start menu, open Nintex Bot. Click OK if the Warning screen displays.

    2. Note: To return to the Request access to Nintex RPA Central screen at any time, click Settings (gear icon) in the bottom right corner of the Nintex RPA LE Home screen.

  1. Type a Bot name to identify this Nintex Bot in Nintex RPA Central.
  2. Paste the Nintex RPA Central URL that you copied into the text file.
  3. Click Request access.

    The Nintex Bot access requested details are displayed on the Bots page in Nintex RPA Central. An administrator must grant access to the Nintex Bot as described in Install Nintex RPA Central and activate license key.

4. Grant access to Nintex Bot in Nintex RPA Central

Administrator A user who can use all functionality in both Nintex RPA Central and Nintex Bot. role required.

  1. On the top navigation bar, click Dashboard.
  2. Click Bots in the side navigation menu.
  3. For the Nintex Bot you want to grant access, click > Grant access.

    You can now assign this Nintex Bot to the botflows that you have created on the Botflows page.

Next step:

Post-installation fixes