Installing Faspex with a Local Node

The simplest installation scenario is to install both Faspex and the transfer server on the same server.

Warning: Due to incompatible common components, IBM Aspera Console and IBM Aspera Faspex cannot be installed on the same machine. IBM Aspera does not support this combination.
Note:

When installing Faspex on the same workstation as the transfer server, Faspex automatically configures the local node's aspera.conf configuration file and sets up a Node API user to communicate with the Node API. When installing Faspex on a machine without a transfer server, you must configure a remote transfer node for use with Faspex and connect that node to Faspex during the installation process.

Before You Begin...

Before beginning the installation process for Faspex, you must be logged into your computer as an admin (or domain admin if you are in an Active Directory environment).

  1. Review the system requirements section of the release notes.
  2. Download the latest version of IBM Aspera High-Speed Transfer Server, and IBM Aspera Faspex installers from the following locations:

Installing the Transfer Server Locally

To install IBM Aspera High-Speed Transfer Server, log into your computer with Administrator (or Domain Administrator if you are in an Active Directory environment) permissions.

  1. Open the installation package and select the setup type.
    Important: On Windows 7 or with UAC (User Account Control) enabled, you must run the installer as an Administrator. To do so, right-click the installation package and select Run as administrator. You may be asked to enter the administrator's password to allow the installer to make changes to your computer.

    Follow the on-screen instructions. After the license agreement screen, select the desired setup type.

    Note: If your system has an existing SSH service installed (such as Cygwin), select the Custom setup type and clear SSH Server to avoid conflicts.
    Setup Type Description
    Typical Install the standard HSTS, including an SSH Server (OpenSSH).
    Custom Select the features and the path to install.
    Complete Install all features, including an SSH Server (OpenSSH) and the HSTS web UI (a web-based transfer server).
    Note: The web UI cannot be used unless you have a HSTS license. To upgrade HSTS, contact your Aspera account manager to obtain the license.
  2. Set up the Aspera service account.
    The Aspera service account runs services for Aspera products, including:
    • Aspera Central
    • OpenSSH Service (optional)
    • Aspera NodeD

    By default, the user name is svcAspera. User names for HSTS version 3.1.0 and later are case sensitive.

    A local account (such as the default svcAspera) is all that is required to run Aspera services if your machine is not joined to a Windows domain. If your machine is joined to a domain, if you need to provision Active Directory accounts, or if transfer users store files remotely, see The Aspera Service Account.

  3. Install the license.
    Launch the application to add or update the license. Go to Start Menu > All Programs > Aspera > Enterprise Server > HSTS.

    Either click Import License File and select the license file, or Paste License Text to copy-and-paste the license file's content. The license information appears in the window. Verify that it is correct and click Close.

Install Faspex on the server

Before installing Aspera Faspex:
  • If you have an existing MySQL database installed, stop the MySQL service.
  • If you have an existing Apache HTTP server installed, stop the Apache server.
  1. Launch the Faspex installer.

    Double-click the Faspex installer to begin the installation process.

    Note: If your Windows Operating System has User Account Control (UAC) enabled, confirm or enter the admin password to allow the installer to make changes to your computer.
  2. After the license agreement screen, select your desired setup type. You may select Typical or Custom.
    Option Description
    Typical Install all required components, including the Faspex application, common files (Ruby and MySQL) and the Faspex MySQL database.
    Custom Select individual components to install. You may use your existing installations of Ruby, MySQL, or the Faspex MySQL database.
    If you selected the Custom setup type, identify which optional features you want to install.
  3. Associate the Aspera services with the Aspera service account you created before. By default, the user name is "svcAspera".
  4. Click Install.

    Once the IBM Aspera Faspex Setup Wizard completes, you are prompted to finish the installation. By default, the Launch asctl to continue the Faspex setup checkbox is selected. Once you click Finish, the installer automatically runs the setup command. If you do not want to run the setup command automatically, then clear the Launch asctl to continue the Faspex setup checkbox.

    If Faspex doesn't automatically run the setup command or an error halts the process, then you can run the command manually, as shown below.
     asctl faspex:setup
  5. Choose to perform a streamlined (s) setup or a detailed (d) setup.
    Follow the configuration instructions to complete the setup. The prompts the installer presents depends on whether this is a streamlined or detailed setup. See the table below for more information.
    Prompt Description Streamlined or Detailed Setup?
    What base port should the Mongrel servers start at? The default is 3000 Detailed setup
    Do you want to run the transfer server locally? (y/n) You must choose y. Detailed setup
    Enter the directory to store Faspex packages The directory to store packages uploaded to the Faspex server. If the chosen directory does not exist, Faspex prompts you to create it Detailed setup
    Choose a login name for the new admin user The login name for the new Faspex admin user account. Both
    Enter the email address for admin The email address to associate with the Faspex admin user account. Both
    Enter the password for admin The password for the Faspex admin user account.
    Note: When you log in for the first time, Faspex requires you to change your password.
    		 Both
    Do you want to update SSL DHParams? The default is y. Both
    What port would you like MySQL to listen on? The default is 4406. Detailed setup
    Please enter a new MySQL root password The password for the MySQL user account. Both
    Mysql will need to start/restart during configuration. Continue (y/n)? You must choose y. Both
    Enter IP address of network interface for apache to listen on The hostname or IP address of the server. Detailed setup
    What hostname or IP address should Apache use to identify itself ( in the SSL certificate)? The default is 127.0.0.1. Both
    What port would you like to run Apache http on? The default is 80. Both
    What port would you like to run Apache https on? The default is 443. Both
    Would you like to generate a self-signed SSL certificate, or install your own? ([g]enerate, [c]opy) The default is generate (g). Detailed setup
    Aspera Central will need to restart when setup completes. This will stop any active transfers. Is this okay (y/n)? If you choose n, you must restart these services yourself after installation. See Restarting Aspera Services. Both
    Aspera Node Server will need to restart when setup completes. Is this okay (y/n)? If you choose n, you must restart these services yourself after installation. See Restarting Aspera Services. Both
    Aspera HTTPD will need to restart when setup completes. This will stop any HTTP fallback transfers. Is this okay (y/n)? If you choose n, you must restart these services yourself after installation. See Restarting Aspera Services. Both

First Time Log In and Licensing

  1. Open a supported browser and enter the Faspex hostname or IP address followed by /aspera/faspex in the browser URL. For example:

    http://faspex.asperasoft.com/aspera/faspex

    or
    http://198.51.100.24/aspera/faspex
    Note: For security reasons, Faspex versions 4.0.3 and later by default only allow login using the hostname that is configured in the faspex.yml configuration file (the hostname you designated during installation). If you try to log in to the application from an unlisted hostname or perform a GET request with an unlisted hostname, Faspex returns the error, "Invalid hostname". To access Faspex from an alternate hostname, follow the instructions in Configuring the Faspex Web Server.
  2. Enter the login credentials you created for the admin user and click Login.
    When logging in for the first time, you must change your password and then login with the new password.
  3. Configure a valid license.
    You cannot interact with Faspex until configuring a valid license.
    1. Click Browse to upload a license file from your computer, or paste the contents of your license into the box.
    2. Click Update and validate license.