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Pilot Data Server Administrator Guide

Version PDS-8.9 | Published November 17, 2022 ©

Installation

This section covers:

Pilot Data Server Requirements

Pilot Data Server

The Pilot Data Server is installed as an application layer on top of the Viz Pilot database. It acts as an application server for accessing the Viz Pilot database and other services. The Pilot Data Server can be used to handle requests from scripts to provide information on data elements, or to provide Preview Servers the information needed to resolve which scene and data is to be rendered by the Preview Server.

Note: Pilot Data Server can be run in a virtualized environment.

Script Runner Service

The Script Runner Service provides a simple way for users to use Update Service without needing to create their own service. See Update Script Editor in the Viz Pilot User Guide.

Thumbnail Generator

Thumbnail Generator is a Windows service that automatically generates thumbnails of data elements when they are created or changed. The thumbnails are stored in the Viz Pilot database. Thumbnail Generator requires a Preview Server, which is used to serve the thumbnails in the data element feed.

Pilot Data Server Specifications

Component

Requirement

Software

Pilot Data Server

Services

Vizrt Pilot Data Server

Vizrt Script Runner

Vizrt Thumbnail Generator

Operating System

See the Viz Pilot Release Notes

Installation Prerequisites

Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013

Make sure the package is installed on the same server on which the Pilot Data Server will be installed.

Note: If this package is not installed, some software such as Director and Media Sequence may encounter an HTTP 500 issue when connecting to the Pilot Data Server.

The package can be downloaded from the following link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40784.

Installing the Pilot Data Server

  1. Click the Data Server installer file (*.msi) to start the Data Server Setup Wizard.

  2. In the Welcome panel, click Next.

  3. In the Destination Folder panel, define the location of the Data Server program files, then click Next.

    Note: The default location is %ProgramFiles%\Vizrt\Pilot Data Server\.

  4. In the Setup Database Connection panel, define the following settings:

    • Connect string: Connection string (<host name>/<service name>) to the Viz Pilot database.

      Note: When installing the Data Server on a new system, the default database configuration setting points to localhost/vizrtdb.

    • Username: Viz Pilot database username.

    • Password: Viz Pilot database password.

      Note: This allows you to edit all database settings for all clients connected to the same database.

  5. Click Next.

  6. In the Ready to install panel, click Install.

  7. In the Completed Setup Wizard panel, click Finish.

Silent Installation

Using silent installation the Data Server can be installed without using the installer GUI.

In a command shell, run the following command:

msiexec /i VizrtPilotDataServer-x64-x.x.x.x-Release.msi /quiet

If necessary to set properties for the silent installer for the base url, base path and secure port, please use the following parameters:

BASE_URL=
BASE_PATH=
SECURE_PORT=

This is used in the msi installer as:

msiexec <application.msi> /qb BASE_URL=http://vizrt.com BASE_PATH=http://vizrt.com SECURE_PORT=443

Installing the Thumbnail Generator

The Thumbnail Generator (see the Viz Pilot User Guide) can be installed as an optional component during the Pilot Data Server installation. The option for Thumbnail Generator installation is disabled by default. To install it, select the Thumbnail Generator manually when installing the Pilot Data Server.

Silent Installation

Since the Thumbnail Generator is not installed by default, the INSATLLLEVEL =2 needs to be added to the command string for the Thumbnail Generator to be included during a silent Data Server installation:

msiexec /i VizrtPilotDataServer-x64-x.x.x.x-Release.msi INSTALLLEVEL=2 /quiet

To upgrade an existing Data Server to include the Thumbnail Generator without uninstalling it, the following command needs to be run:

msiexec /i VizrtPilotDataServer-x64-x.x.x.x-Release.msi ADDLOCAL=ThumbnailGeneratorService /quiet

Alternative Installations

  • If Crop Service installation is required (see the relevant section in the Installation chapter in the Viz Pilot User Guide), it must be installed separately, after the Pilot Data Server.

  • If support for multiple Viz Pilot Database schemas is required, separate Data Servers must be installed on separate machines.

Firewall Exceptions

For the Pilot Data Server to be accessible from other machines, Windows firewall exceptions are required. The Pilot Data Server adds the following inbound rules to the Windows firewall during installation: allow connections on port 8177, 7373, and 9876. These are removed when the Pilot Data Server is uninstalled.

Antivirus

Vizrt does not recommend or test antivirus systems in combination with Vizrt products, as the use of such systems can potentially lead to performance losses. The decision for the use of antivirus software and thus the risk of impairments of the system is solely at the customer's own risk.

There are general best-practice solutions, these include setting the antivirus software to not scan the systems during operating hours and that the Vizrt components, as well as drives on which clips and data are stored, are excluded from their scans (as previously stated, these measures cannot be guaranteed).

A list of services and folders which should be excluded from scanning can be found below:

Services:

  • vizrt_crop_server

  • VizrtMist

  • vizrt_pilot_data_server

  • vizrt_script_runner

  • vizrt_thumbnail_generator

Folder:

  • C:\Program Files (x86)\Vizrt

  • C:\ProgramData\vizrt

  • C:\Program Files\Vizrt

Processes:

  • PilotCropServiceHost.exe

  • PilotDataServerHostService.exe

  • PilotScriptRunnerHostService.exe

  • PilotThumbnailGeneratorHostService.exe

  • caddy-service.exe

  • caddy.exe