Problems with installing Node on MS Server 2016 Standard

[Jacques B]

All,

We've been running Connect on a MS Server 2016 Standard with no issues. The installation was relatively painless. I've been doing my processing in Pro and then moving the case over to Connect. We procured a second server so that we could use Node (our license includes Node). The second server has the same standard image on it that is on the Connect server.

The install of Node is also straight forward. We confirmed the service is running. But when trying to connect to localhost:9999 (default port, we didn't change anything), it fails. Using the same install file, I installed Node on a laptop (running Win 11 Pro), started the service, and connected to localhost:9999 no problem (got the error it couldn't find the license, but that's to be expected as our license is connected to the Connect server).

Has anyone else had issues trying to get Node up and running on Server 2016? No other installed applications are running on our Node server. IIS is not set up on it. But we can't even get a response from localhost:9999 alerting us that it can't find the license. Without getting that, there is no point trying to get the next part set up - pointing Connect to Node.

 

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

 

Jacques

[Guest Marco de Moulin]

Hello @Jacques B,

The default port for Intella Node is 10000. Can you open the landing page on http://localhost:10000 ?

Kind regards,

Marco

[Jacques B]

Hi Marco,

Actually I was able to open it on 9999 on my Windows laptop. But couldn't get it to work on the server. We re-installed the OS on the server in the event there was an issue with it (new server). I'll be trying it again later next week. I'm currently copying all evidence files over to the server so that it's ready for reprocessing once we get Node installed and upgrade to 2.6.1 (currently on 2.5.1).

Up until now, I wasn't copying the evidence files over after processing the case in Intella Pro. It was more for convenience (reduce the size of the case to faciliate copying it to the server). For new cases, the evidence will be on the server (even if I first process in Pro - although once Node is set up, I'll use the server as it will be much faster than my workstation).

I'll post an update once I try it again.

I do have a question. Is it possible to host both Intella Connect 2.5.1 and 2.6.1 on the same server, but different ports? If yes, I could opt to not upgrade existing cases that have little or no work left to be done on them and create new cases only in 2.6.1.

Thanks.

[Guest Marco de Moulin]

Hello @Jacques B,

It is not possible to run Intella Connect 2.5.1 and Intella Connect 2.6.1 concurrently. Only one license can be active at a time. Since version 2.6.1, we have added the capability to convert cases using IntellaCmd.exe. You do not need a license to use IntellaCmd.exe, so you can run it on a separate machine. See the manual for more details on using IntellaCmd.exe to convert cases without a full Intella Connect license.

Cheers,

Marco

[Jacques B]

I've finally managed to get back to this task. I installed Node 2.5 (will deal with 2.6 later rather than having to upgrade Connect + install Node at the same time).

Because we only had Connect initally, we have that server set up with plenty of storage along with case files and source files. In the admin manual, I see they have it that source files are on the Node server and that you later have to move them to Connect if you want them local (vs over the network). Is it possible to have it that the source files sit on the Connect server where I set up a shared folder, and Node accesses the files from there to process?

I know that would have a performance issue. But otherwise will that work? If not, I'm going to have to hit up the boss to add storage to the Node server and move all my sources to there (and update that in each case after).

Thanks

[Jacques B]

Hi Marco,

I was able to get Node properly installed (2.5.1). Because we had Connect initlally without Node, the case and evidence is on a storaage array connected locally to the Connect server.

I created a network share on the Connect server for the case folder, and one for the evidence. I added both to the Shared File System (one for cases, one for evidence).

When I try to process evidence, it says Node can't access the case on the E: drive (which is the local path on Connect). I stopped sharing a case, removed it from the list, stopped auto discovery and changed it to monitor the network share thinking it would find that case and then work. But it's not finding it. If I disable auto discovery and try to manually add the case on the network share, the option to add it is not clickable. Only if I navigate to it via the local drive option.

I've tried restarting the server once after making the change intially without luck. Is the above correct for configuration given our setup?

• All evidence and cases on the Connect server.
• Share set up for each in both the OS and in Intella Connect under Servers.

It's not auto discovering the a case after changing the path to the network share path. And it's not allowing me to manually import  case (with auto discovery off) if I navigate to the network share on Connect. Only if I navigate to the local drive.  But clearly Connect must be designed to watch a network share if the recommended setup is that both cases and evidence sit locally on Node. And Node must be able to process content on a network share given you can have several Nodes, so it wont' be local to all of them.

The only other thing that comes to mind is that HTTPS is configured on Connect for users connecting to it. But it's not set up on Node (so not enabled). I'll worry about that after I get the above to work unless it's needed to work (which I don't get the impression that's the case).

Based on the above, what is the likely issue I'm encountering?

[Jacques B]

Actually it looks like it might be a permissions issue on the case folder. If I try to create a new case, I get an error. It can't create the folder.

[Jacques B]

Disregard - The issue is one of permission on the share. I just tested it by giving "Everyone" permission and it works. Now I need to remove that and put the proper network user.