Manual Installation (ZIP)

The ZIP package holds the same application files as the EXE installer. The difference is that the EXE automates Node.js installation, service registration and the firewall rule. With the ZIP you do those steps yourself.

Use the ZIP when you want to control each step, or when you deploy behind IIS without running a wizard.

Prerequisites

• Windows Server 2016 or later. Windows 10 and 11 also work.
• Node.js v18 or later from nodejs.org. Check it with node --version.
• SQL Server 2016 or later — see Install SQL Server.
• A database and service account — see Create Database & Service Account.
• Administrator rights on the server.

Steps

1. Extract Primentra-vX.X.X.zip to your install folder, for example C:\Program Files\Primentra.
2. Open a command prompt as Administrator in that folder.
3. Register the Windows service with the nssm commands below. Replace the paths with your own.
4. Add a firewall rule if users connect from other machines.
5. Start the service and check that it runs.
6. Open http://localhost:3001 and complete the first-run setup wizard.

Register the service

Run where node first to find the Node.js path. Replace PORT=3001 with your own port if needed.

nssm.exe install Primentra "C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.exe"
nssm.exe set Primentra AppParameters server.js
nssm.exe set Primentra AppDirectory "C:\Program Files\Primentra"
nssm.exe set Primentra Description "Primentra Master Data Management"
nssm.exe set Primentra Start SERVICE_AUTO_START
nssm.exe set Primentra AppEnvironmentExtra "PORT=3001"
nssm.exe set Primentra AppStdout "C:\Program Files\Primentra\logs\service.log"
nssm.exe set Primentra AppStderr "C:\Program Files\Primentra\logs\service.err.log"
nssm.exe set Primentra AppRotateFiles 1
nssm.exe set Primentra AppRotateBytes 10485760

Open the firewall

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Primentra" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=3001

Skip this when IIS handles the traffic on port 80 or 443.

Start and verify

net start Primentra
sc query Primentra

Open http://localhost:3001. You should see the Primentra setup screen. From here the steps are the same as for the EXE installer — connect to the database, deploy the schema, create the administrator account. See Install Primentra.

Upgrade from the ZIP

You can unpack a newer ZIP over an existing installation.

1. Back up the database. On a virtual machine, take a snapshot as well.
2. Stop the service: net stop Primentra. A running service locks files, and the copy stops halfway.
3. Extract the new ZIP into the install folder. Replace all existing files.
4. Start the service: net start Primentra.
5. Open Primentra. If the database schema is older than the application, click Upgrade Database.

The ZIP does not contain mds-config.json or the logs folder. Your database connection, licence key, email settings and logs stay as they are.

Files that a newer version no longer uses stay in the folder. They do no harm.

Manage the service

net start Primentra
net stop Primentra
sc query Primentra

You can also manage it in services.msc, under the name Primentra.

Change the port

Run this from the install folder as Administrator. It updates the service environment variable and restarts Primentra.

scripts\change-port.bat 3002

Related

• Install Primentra — the first-run setup wizard in detail
• Production Deployment (IIS) — put IIS in front of the service
• Health & Monitoring — check the service answers
• Troubleshooting — the service will not start