How the deployment of InspectionXpert OnDemand differs from traditional software installations
This guide has been created to help executives and IT administrators understand how the deployment of InspectionXpert OnDemand differs from traditional software installations.
InspectionXpert OnDemand utilizes Microsoft's ClickOnce technology.
Why use ClickOnce?
Efficient Deployment
- ClickOnce allows InspectionXpert OnDemand to be installed without elevated permissions on the computer.
- Allows InspectionXpert OnDemand to be a self-updating application that can check for newer versions as they become available and automatically update to the latest version.
Security
- InspectionXpert OnDemand is signed with our secure digital signature from a trusted certificate authority and no user data ever leaves your local environment.
- Only license validation and software updates are sent over the network
- All project data (e.g. drawing files, specifications, etc...) are stored in your local file system.
- Users have the ability to opt out of anonymous sharing of environment and application usage data.
- Publishing to Net-Inspect will, of course, cause data to be sent over the network but the user must explicitly choose to do so.
ClickOnce provides an efficient, low impact, and secure means of deployment onto any Windows PC. In most cases, IT administrators do not have to do anything to deploy InspectionXpert OnDemand. Typically, the user clicks on the download link and InspectionXpert OnDemand is downloaded and launched.
In highly restricted computer networks (e.g. networks in ITAR controlled facilities), some minimal configuration may be required.
Quick Start Guide
Connection through a firewall
In typical IT environments, firewalls will not block InspectionXpert OnDemand. Simply use a compatible browser to visit our download site to access the application download.
You may need to whitelist our licensing and installation servers The URL / port numbers are shown below:
HTTPS Protocol Port 443 “licensing.xctentitlements.com"
HTTPS Protocol Port 80 "ondemand.inspectionxpert.com"
Static IP addresses aren't available for whitelisting. We recommend using the URLs above instead of IP addresses for whitelisting.
ClickOnce applications are installed, per user, to the user's account folder. This means that the InspectionXpert OnDemand application is not being installed to the Program Files folder or other write-protected folders. This also means that the application runs on its own without the need for shared libraries, preventing our software from interfering with existing applications on the machine.
Our OnDemand products are also secure. We digitally sign our application with a public/private key certificate pair from a certificate authority. This ensures that you are always downloading our application and nothing else. Also, all project data is stored locally and never transmitted over the network. The only transmissions by InspectionXpert OnDemand are for updates and software license verification. Your data is safely secured on your local machine or server environment, just like a typical .msi installed application.
Troubleshooting
While the ClickOnce deployment strategy is designed to be simple and easy, there may be some configuration required by administrators. These configurations may not be necessary, but troubleshooting issues can be summarized into four main categories,
- Web browser
- Installation of the .NET framework
- Installation of the Visual c++ 2015 redistributable.
- Local file permissions
Web Browser
Only the following web browsers are supported:
- Internet Explorer
- Mozilla Firefox with the Microsoft .NET framework assistant add-on installed
- Google Chrome with the ClickOnce for Google Chrome add-on installed
.NET framework
InspectionXpert OnDemand was built using the .NET framework 4.6. This is often already installed on Windows 7 and Windows 10 machines but may need to be installed if not done so previously. The .NET framework can be downloaded directly from Microsoft and is used by many Windows programs.
C++ Redistributables
If you have not already done so, you will need to download and install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 redistributable package.
Local File Permissions
ClickOnce deployed application files are downloaded to a subfolder of the user's account folder, whose location depends on the version of Windows. The names of the subfolders are proprietary to Microsoft's ClickOnce technology, so the exact folder names are unknown. Under the default environment settings, the end-user will have read/write access.
InspectionXpert stores template, dictionary, and settings files in the following file location so that they may be accessed by all users:
C:\Users\Public\Documents\InspectionXpert\InspectionXpert OnDemand 2.0
In addition, the following folder is used to store log files generated by the application:
C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\InspectionXpert\InspectionXpert OnDemand 2.0
Further information regarding Hardware / Software requirements and Installation troubleshooting issues can be found at:
Software and Hardware Requirements
Download and Installation Troubleshooting Guide
If you have any additional questions please contact Customer Success at 1-800-379-0322, X2