ReadMe File

This readme.txt file contains known issues or problems in Express Software Manager Version 9.6. See the Online Help (Express.chm) and QuickStart Guide (QuickStart.chm) for details about installing and using Express Software Manager 9.6.

Express Metrix Technical Support Web Site

Visit the Express Metrix Technical Support web site for additional documentation and technical notes related to Express.

Evaluating Express Software Manager?

Please visit the Express Metrix Evaluation web site for useful information on evaluating.

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.

Important — Only Run Setup From a Local Drive

You should not run setup directly off a share, rather, copy the files to a local disk first. Attempting to run setup from a share may not allow you access to setup help files and certain setup utilities designed to evaluate where components should be installed may not work properly.

Additional Information and Recommendations

Windows Installer

Express Software Manager 9.6 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 Microsoft Windows Installer version 2.0 or higher. Go to the Microsoft Download Center (www.microsoft.com/downloads), search for "MSI", and select the appropriate download.

Microsoft SQL Server

Express Software Manager 9.6 uses Microsoft SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, MSDE 2000, or SQL Server Express (2005 or 2008) 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 be a SQL Server administrator (a Windows account with SQL Server sysadmin privilege) 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 are a SQL Server administrator. 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.

IIS on Windows 2003 Server 64-bit

Express web functionality requires use of 32-bit ASP.NET. If you are installing to Windows 2003 Server 64-bit, setup will automatically set the 32-bit compatibility mode setting in IIS and register 32-bit ASP.NET. (On Windows Vista 64-bit and Windows 2008 Server 64-bit, IIS can run both 32- and 64-bit applications simultaneously so no settings change is necessary.)

Note: this impacts your entire IIS installation - it is not possible to set this for only a part of the web site.

If you have any other .NET applications which rely on 64-bit ASP.NET, they will no longer work properly. If you have already run setup and want to re-enable 64-bit ASP.NET, you should do the following:

1. Uninstall any Express Software Manager web components (Access Point and Reports Web Site) - they can be installed on another machine, such as a VM, where running IIS in 32-bit compatibility mode is not a problem.
2. Execute the following commands: cscript %SYSTEMDRIVE%\inetpub\adminscripts\adsutil.vbs SET W3SVC/AppPools/Enable32bitAppOnWin64 0 %SYSTEMROOT%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727\aspnet_regiis.exe -i

This will disable 32-bit compatibility and re-register the 64-bit version of ASP.NET.

Enabling ASP and ASP.NET on IIS7

To enable ASP, ASP.NET and Static Content on IIS7 (Vista/2008 Server and above), do the following:

1. From the Control Panel, click Programs (or, in some versions of Vista, Programs and Features).
2. Click Turn Windows features on or off.
3. In the Windows Features dialog box, click Internet Information Services.
4. Expand the Internet Information Services folder, and then expand the World Wide Web Services folder. Expand the Application Development Features folder, and make sure ASP and ASP.NET are both marked.
5. Under the World Wide Web Services folder, expand the Common HTTP Features folder and make sure Static Content is marked.
6. Click OK.

Application Names/Versions

Express Software Manager 8.0 and above change 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 9.6 from version 7.6 or earlier, such applications will revert back to the original name/versions they were originally configured with.

License allocations for license units with Per User license type

If you have any Per User license units with licenses allocated to machine groups, those allocations will be deleted during the upgrade process. As of version 9.5, licenses for Per User license units can only be allocated to user groups.

Specifying the SQL Server Machine and SQL Server Instance Names

The SQL Server dropdown list in the Express Administrative Console's Tools/Connection/Express Database dialog 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.

Installing the Express Database on a machine running SQL Server 2008

Microsoft added enhanced security in SQL Server 2008. To successfully install the database component of Express Software Manager on SQL Server 2008, you must run setup under an account which has been granted the "sysadmin" role in SQL Server. (You are given the option of the current user being granted the "sysadmin" role during SQL Server 2008 setup, however, that setting is not enabled by default.) If you did not add your account to that role during SQL Server 2008 installation, you must do so prior to running Express Software Manager setup.

See http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc280562.aspx for more information about SQL Server 2008 security changes.

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 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 (http://www.expressmetrix.com/techdocs/tn.asp?number=2018) for more information.

Express Software Manager Updated License Key

As of version 9.5, Express Software Manager uses a new license key format; you will need to apply a new license key when you upgrade from version 9.0 and earlier. The new key was emailed to existing customers when 9.5 shipped (May 2010). If you are unable to locate it, please contact Express Metrix sales at ( or support at (). Once you have completed the 9.6 upgrade, simply start the Administrative Console which will prompt you for the new key.

Uninstalling on Windows Server 2008

If you uninstall an ESM installation that includes the Express Server component, you may receive a message indicating that setup could not stop the Express Server and that you should do so before continuing. If this message appears, it can be ignored and you can simply click OK to continue. If another dialog appears saying setup could not terminate the Express Server, click OK again to complete the uninstall.

Later installation of SQL Server 2008

Express Software Manager 9.6 setup includes several small SQL 2008 components for situations where server pieces will be connecting to a SQL 2008 Server. One of these components, the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Native Client, can cause problems with subsequent installation of SQL Server 2008 itself. If you install SQL Server 2008 sometime after installing ESM 9.6 and the installation fails, try uninstalling the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Native Client component, then rerun SQL Server 2008 setup.

Installing .NET 3.5 sp1

The server-side components of Express Software Manager 9.6 require Microsoft .NET 3.5 sp1. Esmsetup.exe will check for this and launch .NET setup, if required. .NET 3.5 sp1 requires version 3.1 of the Windows Installer. If you need to upgrade Windows Installer to install .NET, you can find the 3.1 installation kit in the WindowsInstaller31 folder of the distribution.

Office 2010 and Access database engine 2007

The server-side components of Express Software Manager 9.6 require Microsoft Office Access database engine 2007 for data import support. If you try to install the 64-bit version of Office 2010 after installing Express Software Manager, you will get an error message from Office 2010. The error message, in part, is: "You cannot install the 64-bit version of Office 2010 because you have 32-bit Office products installed."

If you need both 64-bit Office 2010 and any Express Software Manager server-side component installed on the same machine, first make sure the machine meets the requirements for 64-bit Office 2010. If it does, proceed with these steps:

• Uninstall Microsoft Office Access database engine 2007.
• Install 64-bit Office 2010.
• Reinstall Microsoft Office Access database engine 2007. The installer is called AceRedist.msi. It is located in the 3rd Party\AccessDatabaseEngine folder. For example, if you extracted the Express Software Manager 9.6 files to C:\esm960, the database engine installer will be located here: C:\esm960\3rd Party\AccessDatabaseEngine\AceRedist.msi AceRedist.msi is also available on the Express Metrix website: http://www.expressmetrix.com/support/downloads/

New Functionality in the Express Software Identification Database (ESID)

Express Software Manager version 9.6 includes support for new data in the ESID that enables better grouping of applications with the same versions but differing executables, such as often occurs when an application has had patches applied without a version number change. (Previously you'd see each of these as a version with a bracketed number, for example, 10.0 [3]; with any applications discovered running 9.6, these "variants" will be automatically grouped into a single application instead of being shown separately.)

Note: If you are upgrading from a version prior to 9.0, you will also get application category functionality with this version.

The ESID is updated during setup only if the ESID in the 9.6 installation package is newer than the one in your current Express Database. If the ESID in your pre-9.6 Express Database is newer than that supplied with version 9.6, you will see the following message during upgrade: "The Express Database you have upgraded includes an ESID that is newer than that provided in the upgrade package."

Version 9.6 also includes functionality to simplify the ESID update process. If, after you upgrade, the ESID is not current, you will see an update link on the Express Today page. Click the link to install the most recent version of the ESID. You can also click the Automatic Updates tab to automate the update process in the future.

If the ESID in your Express Database is already current, you will *not* see the update link. In this case, we recommend simply waiting until the next ESID release (the end of every month) at which time the update link will appear and you can update to the newer ESID version.

Pre-9.0 Crystal Reports

As of version 9.5, the older Crystal-based reports are no longer supported. If you are running version 9.0 and have installed the reports console component from version 8.0, you should uninstall it prior to upgrading to 9.6.

If you installed the 8.0 reports by running the 8.0 setup, and the 8.0 reports are installed on the same machine as any 9.0 components, you will see two entries for Express Software Manager in Add/Remove Programs (or Programs and Features on Vista and above). To ensure you uninstall the correct program, check the version number:

On Windows 2003 Server and earlier, from Add/Remove Programs, click on the "Click here for support information" link to see the version number.

On Windows Vista and above, from Programs and Features, right-click on the list title bar and add the Version column to see the version number.

Once you determine which entry is ESM 8.0, select it and uninstall. After you have upgraded, if there are reports you need that were provided under the older Crystal-based model that are not in 9.6, please contact Technical Support.

ANSI_NULLS Setting Bug in SQL 2005 and SQL 2008

There is a known bug in some versions of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and 2008 that can cause unexpected results when searching in the Express Purchasing Console. A fix for this problem was initially released in:

• SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 3, Cumulative Update 3
• SQL Server 2008, Cumulative Update 5
• SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1, Cumulative Update 2

For more information, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967983/.

Exporting to Excel From Within the Purchasing Console

Express Purchasing allows you to export purchasing data to an Excel spreadsheet. The data is written in HTML/CSS format and saved with a .XLS extension. Excel 2007 (and above) expects the data in a .XLS file to be in Excel binary format and will display a warning when you attempt to open the file. You can safely answer "Yes" to the warning dialog and the file will open as expected.

Multiple Express Web Sites on a Single Machine

The ESM setup and upgrade process assumes all ESM web components are installed to the same web site root folder. If you installed one component to one site then added another (using setup/modify) to a different site on the same machine, the normal upgrade process might not work as expected. Following an upgrade, all installed web components will be upgraded into a single web site (that to which the Express Access Point was originally installed) and any other Express web sites will not be completely cleaned up. Additionally some saved information (such as Express Reports analysis grid and dashboard configurations) will not be migrated.

All components should still work properly, however, if you want to clean up the previous installation's other web site or get your report configuration data back, please contact technical support for instructions.

Location of Reports and Purchasing Web Sites

The new Express Purchasing module utilizes Express Reports to display some of its status panel. To allow the Purchasing Console to automatically log into Express Reports to obtain this data, you should install Express Purchasing into the same web site as that hosting Express Reports. If you install these components on different machines, Express Purchasing may have difficulty providing login access to Express Reports.

FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) Compliance and Express Web Components

If the Windows server running Express Purchasing or Express Reporting has FIPS compliance enabled, you will receive a the following error:

"This implementation is not part of the Windows Platform FIPS validated cryptographic algorithms."

This is because ASP.NET (Microsoft functionality on which these ESM components are based) is not FIPS compliant. You can eliminate this error by adding an entry to the web.config file for the appropriate ESM web component. Each component's web.config file includes the required entry commented out. To enable this entry:

1. Open the component's web.config file (see below)
2. Search for "FIPS"
3. Uncomment the "<machineKey>" tag per instructions in the file
4. Save the modified web.config file

Each component's web.config file is located in the component's top level installation folder:

• Reports Console - <website-physical-path>\esmweb\ESMReports\ReportsConsole
• Reports - <website-physical-path>\esmweb\ESMReports\Reports
• Purchasing - <website-physical-path>\esmweb\ESMPurchasing

For example, if the web site into which Express Purchasing was installed has a physical path of C:\inetpub\wwwroot, the Express Purchasing configuration file is: C:\inetpub\wwwroot\esmweb\ESMPurchasing\web.config

For more information, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911722.

Last updated: 28-Nov-2010