• Before adding a new Compute Server, one must know,
  1. how will the EASA Server and Compute Server communicate?
     • rsh, ssh, WSCS, via an Excel Server, etc…
  2. what software application(s) will run on the new Compute Server?

• Answers to these two questions determine
  1. which object is set in COMPUTE SERVER→Server Processing:
  2. additions to the EASAP→Tree objects below,
     • SOFTWARE LIST
     • ENVIRONMENT LIST
     • LICENSING
     • COMPUTE SERVER
       • Software:
       • Environment:

• A Windows Compute Server may communicate via,
  • Web Service Server Processing
    • EASA Remote Server software with Compute Server service must be installed and running.
      • to install an EASA Remote Server, see Remote Compute Server Software

• ssh server processing
  • Requires ssh server to be installed and running on compute server.
    • to install ssh see Remote Compute Server Software.

• an Excel Server machine must,
  • run Windows
  • have Microsoft Excel installed with updates disabled
  • have the EASA Remote Server software with Excel Server service installed and running
    • see Remote Compute Server Software

The EXCEL SERVER PROCESSING object, configures an Excel Server and its communication with the EASA Server, for details see Configure a Compute Server.

Tip: When configuring an Excel Server, you can usually use the existing default EXCEL SERVER PROCESSING object under DEFAULT SERVER PROCESSING. Exceptions include use of a 'Port Number' within the Remote Server software other than 80 or a change in the 'Username' and 'Password' for authenticating communications with Remote Servers.

Excel Add-ins are disabled by default in EASA Excel processes for performance reasons.

In most cases full functionality is available without Add-ins.

• If Excel Add-ins need to be enabled, add the line below, to the file,
  • <SERVERDATA>\excel\admin\config\context.properties
    • easa.excel.server.use.pi.addins.reregister=true

To add permissions for the tomcat service to a new user see DCOM settings for an Excel Server.

Full Excel functionality must be available by default and without any user prompts or popups.

1→ open Excel

2→ select File→Options→Trust Center→Trust Center Settings

3→ under ActiveX Settings

• tick
  • Enable all controls without restrictions and without prompting….

4→ under Macro Settings

• tick
  • Enable all macros….
  • Trust access to the VBA project object model

Excel 2016 requires an interactive user to close a popup that appears at the first invocation, yet by default an Excel Server runs as the non-interactive user, SYSTEM.

• To fix this Excel 2016 specific problem,
  • create a new second user (EASA-user in this example) who will,
    • log in
    • close the initial popup
  • run the Excel Server as EASA-user

• Follow the detailed steps below,
  • install Excel Server with default configuration
  • stop the EASA Tomcat service
  • create new Windows user, called EASA-user (in this example)
    • log in in as EASA-user
      • find and open Excel manually
        • close the pop up which appears when Excel 2016 is opened for first time for that user
    • log out of Windows
  • log in with the first user that was created when Windows was installed
  • [continue with EASA installation, if not already completed, then…]
  • go to services,
    • right-click on the EASA Tomcat service
      • click properties
        • go to Log On Tab,
          • select Log on as:→'This account:'
            • enter EASA-user's credentials
  • start the EASA Tomcat service

• When configuring a UNIX or a Linux Compute Server, choose from the three following communication technologies,
  • Web Service Server Processing (Linux Only)
    • EASA Remote Server software with Compute Server service must be installed and running.
      • to install EASA Remote Server, see Remote Compute Server Software
  • SSH Server Processing
    • ssh server must be installed and running on Compute Server.
      • to install an ssh service, see Remote Compute Server Software
  • Standard Server Processing
    • uses Remote Shell or rsh by default, so rsh needs to be installed and running

If the third choice is selected, you can select from existing SERVER PROCESSING objects under DEFAULT SERVER PROCESSING. The table below provides guidance on the selection of the existing SERVER PROCESSING objects.

• With the third choice above and the use of rsh, there are a few important issues to be aware of,
  • an .rhosts file containing the hostname or IP address of the EASA Server and the username used to run it must be present on the Compute Server in the home directory of the User ID on the UNIX computer (See 2. below).

• The settings for the owner, group and file permissions on the .rhosts file are also important,
  • set the owner to the User ID being used
  • set the group to same group that the User ID belongs to
  • use file permissions of 600 or rw- --- ---

1. a valid User ID on the Compute Server must be specified in the COMPUTE SERVER object for the server processing to function properly.
2. using a directory on a mounted network hard drive for the Working Directory Path: parameter for multiple UNIX or Linux Compute Servers will reduce the number of SERVER PROCESSING objects required in the Compute Server configuration.

• With Linux computers, one issue for concern is that rsh may not be activated and available for use by default in Linux.
  • check whether rsh has been turned on by typing the following command in a shell window,
    • chkconfig –list
  • in the list of available services and their status, look for the line corresponding to rsh.
    • if rsh: off is displayed
    • turn rsh on,
      • chkconfig rsh on

This is a flow diagram of the Compute Server configuration process.