This web page contains known issues or problems in Express Software Manager version 8.0. See the Online Help (Express.chm) and QuickStart Guide (QuickStart.chm) for details about installing and using Express Software Manager 8.0.

Important -- Restarting your system

The Express Setup program may prompt you to restart your computer after you have installed Express. If you are prompted but do not restart your computer Express may not run properly.

Additional Information and Recommendations

Windows Installer

Express Software Manager 8.0 provides functionality that allows installation of the Express Client from the Express Administrative Console. This feature requires that the workstations to which you are installing be running a version 2.0 or higher of the Microsoft Windows Installer. Go to the Microsoft Download Center (www.microsoft.com/downloads), search for "MSI", and select the appropriate download.

Microsoft SQL Server

Express Software Manager 8.0 uses Microsoft SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 2005, MSDE 2000, or SQL Server Express for data storage. Express Software Manager requires that SQL Server 2000 or MSDE 2000 installations be at the SP3 level or above. The Requirements Check utility will alert you if your installation of SQL Server needs to be upgraded.

Express Software Manager setup creates an Express user in the database server for use by Express Software Manager components. You must have access to a privileged administrative account (typically "sa") on the database server during database setup to create this user and the Express Database. Once created, the Express user is used by all Express Software Manager components for subsequent database access.

Installing the Express Database Remotely or Without Administrative Privileges

Initialization of the Express Database requires that Express Software Manager setup be run on the database server machine and that you have access to the SQL Server administrative account (normally "sa"). Setup provides instructions on how to set up your Express Database when one or both of these requirements cannot be met. In either case you should:

1. Run Express Software Manager setup on another workstation and select the Remote Database Install option. The tools required to initialize the Express Database will be installed but not run. Installation is to the Express Metrix\Database Tools folder in the machine's Program Files directory.
2. Read the information in RemoteExpressDatabase.txt which presents a number of scenarios of how to perform database initialization when the above requirements cannot be met.

Installing .NET from CD-ROM

Express Software Manager is built using Microsoft's .NET Framework technology. All non-client components require that the .NET Framework be installed. The .NET installation package is included with Express Software Manager and can be installed as a part of Express Software Manager setup. The .NET Framework cannot be installed directly from CD-ROM. If you are installing Express Software Manager from CD-ROM, you must copy the DOTNET folder from the CD to a temporary location on your hard drive and run .NET setup from there. (After .NET setup completes, you can safely delete the DOTNET folder.)

Windows 2003 Server Installation Issues

If you are installing the client or any of the server portions of Express Software Manager on Windows 2003 Server, please read this section for information about what configuration settings you need to verify.

Installing the Express Access Point on a SUS or WSUS Server

The Express Access Point should not be installed on a server that hosts Software Update Services (SUS) server, or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).

Microsoft recommends that a IIS server hosting SUS or WSUS host no other applications. See Microsoft's KB Article 322365 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com for additional information about this configuration.

Use of Registry Setting to Modify Discovery Behavior

If you are upgrading from version 7.0 and are using a registry entry on the machine running the Express Server to force discovery to look at an Active Directory other than the one your Express Server machine is a part of, please contact Technical Support at support@expressmetrix.com.

Application Names/Versions

Express Software Manager 8.0 changes the way application names and version information are displayed and stored. The difference will be evident with Windows Operating System license units, as well as other applications that can be automatically configured from the Express Software Identification Database based on both their executable signature and their product GUID (for example, Microsoft Project Standard and Microsoft Project Professional). You may also see this behavior if you have modified the name or version information for an automatically-configured application. When you upgrade to 8.0, such applications will revert back to the original name/versions they were originally configured with.

Specifying the SQL Server Machine and SQL Server Instance Names

There are two places in the user interface where you may be asked to specify the name of the SQL Server machine on which the Express Database resides:

1. From the Reports Console
2. From the Administrative Console's Tools/Connection/Express Database dialog

In each case, the dropdown list shows server names only. If you are using a non- default instance of SQL Server on your server machine, you must append a "\" and the instance name to the server name. For example, if your database server is MYSERVER and you are running on an ESM SQL Server instance, you must specify MYSERVER\ESM as the server name.

Permanently Deleting Machines from the Administrative Console

Normally when a machine is deleted from within the Express Administrative Console, the Express Client is uninstalled and the machine is moved into the Deleted folder. Deleted machines can be permanently deleted, however, this is most commonly done when a machine has been physically removed from the network. If you permanently delete a machine (via shift-delete) while the machine is connected to the network and the client is still installed, it will be deleted and removed from the Express Database before the client can be uninstalled. When the client next checks in, the machine will be readded to the Express Database. For machines on the network which have the client installed, you should always delete (vs. permanently delete) them first and allow the uninstall to complete successfully.

Using SSL on the Express Access Point

Express Software Manager may now be configured to use an SSL connection for secure communications between the Express Client and the Express Access Point. Using SSL requires that you have obtained and installed a server certificate in IIS and specify the associated IIS web site and port number during access point installation. Setup normally registers an installed access point as the final step of access point installation, however, this is not done in the SSL case as the exact format of the server name specified in the SSL certificate is not known. If you are using SSL, you must manually register the Express Access Point once setup completes. Please refer to "Registering the Access Point" in Technical Note 2018 for more information.

Express Software Manager Updated License Key

If you are upgrading from Express Software Manager version 7.0 or 7.5, you will need to apply a new license key for certain functionality to be available. The new key format was first introduced with version 7.6 and an updated key was emailed to you when 7.6 shipped (March/April, 2006). If you are unable to locate it, please contact Express Metrix sales at 1.888.611.2288 (sales@expressmetrix.com) or support at 1.888.826.2288 (support@expressmetrix.com). Once you have completed the 8.0 upgrade, click on the Change link in the Licensed Features section of the Express Today page in the Administrative Console to apply the new key.