Introduction

Supported Systems

Server-side Printing with ScriptX

Software and Licence Installation

Software Configuration and Testing

Test and validation kit

Software and Licence Installation

** A license from MeadCo is required to enable server-side printing. **

When ordering a license, it is strongly recommended that a suitable server is set aside for testing and evaluation and that this server is included in the license - installation and configuration of the components may require several re-boots in order to achieve the settings required in a particular scenario. Following successful test deployment and evaluation, the set of steps and/or configurations necessary for deployment to production servers within your environment/scenario should have been determined.

The license will be supplied as a .zip file containing the installer for the license (sxlic.hta/sxlic.js and sxlic.mlf). You will also be supplied with your unique license identifier (GUID) and revision.

The zip file should be unpacked to a suitable location. Please note that for all recent versions of Windows Server and typical configurations, you will need to right click the .zip file, choose properties and then click 'Unblock' before doing this.

Software Installation

To install the software, a local administrator account is required

  • Log in to your My MeadCo account and download the lastest version of the Licensed ScriptX Resource Kit.

  • Install the kit - this will not install ScriptX but will copy the available installers (e.g. ScriptX.msi/ScriptXx64.msi) to your chosen kit installation folder.

  • Install the appropriate version of ScriptX by use of either ScriptX.msi or ScriptXx64.msi. The appropriate version will be determined by the edition of Windows and, for IIS7 and later, how you will configure the application pool for web sites/applications using Server-side ScriptX:

    • Deploy ScriptX 32-bit Edition on x32 systems and ScriptX 64-bit Edition on x64 systems for Windows Server 2003 and earlier.
    • For Windows Server 2008/IIS 7 and later, deploy the edition of ScriptX that matches how you will configure the Application Pool worker process (please check the default for your system).

Install the license

  • When ScriptX 32-bit Edition is installed, run sxlic.hta to install the license.

  • When ScriptX 64-bit Edition is installed, run sxlic.js to install the license. This can be done by double clicking the file in Explorer or, preferably, by running it from a command prompt using cscript sxlic.js.

License and installation validation

This test should be undertaken after software and license installation and before any further configuration to validate the installation of the license and the basic operation of the software. Please note that this same test can be repeated at any time after software configuration and is a simple "sanity check" on the software.

Note

Some errors from any of the following installation and configuration processes can leave apparently orphaned processes. These processes do eventually shutdown but it can take some time (of the order of 5 minutes).  Any MCSXHost process that appears will be due to ScriptX - it is safe to end these processes using task manager. Also, caching of DCOM settings seem to occur under certain circumstances. If in doubt that the most recent settings are being used, reboot the server.

Open a "Command Prompt" (on Windows 7 and later this must be an administrator command prompt), change to the directory to which the installation package was unpacked and enter the following command:

cscript validate.js

or, if ScriptX 32bit edition is installed on a 64bit Edition of Windows:

\windows\syswow64\cscript validate.js

Potential errors and their resolution

Error Possible cause/action
The system cannot find the file specified.

The license is not installed. Double check that the GUID listed in validate.js is correct. Run "License Manager" from the "Mead & Company" folder on the "All Programs" start menu - your server license should be listed. If not, try to install the license again using the supplied sxlic.hta or sxlic.js.
Please note that the license must be listed in the Machine Licenses (Available to all users) section.

If you have installed the both the x64 and x32 Editions of ScriptX on an x64 Edition of Windows ensure you are running the correct edition for how you installed the license. Installed licenses are not shared across x32/x64; you mist install the license for each edition.
Invalid HTML parameters specified for the license. The license revision number listed in validate.js is incorrect.
Permission denied The DCOM configuration of your server does not allow the interactive account to launch/access local COM server processes (there may also be a DCOM event in Event viewer)
Access denied You are not using an administrator command prompt.
PageSetup/Print Dialog system error: 00001008 There is no default printer for the account.
Invalid or missing publishing license when trying to print If the line "Attempting to create printer object  - OK" line is present in the output followed by error on invalid or missing license then ensure that you are running the validation script from an administrator command prompt.

 

Successful completion of this test illustrates that the ScriptX components and the license are correctly installed on the machine and are working properly.

Subsequent tests will lead you through the configuration of ScriptX and validation that the use of ScriptX is functioning satisfactorily with your server environment, either ASP or ASP.NET.

As previously stated, these steps require a solid understanding of the security policies applied to the server and their configuration. Whilst these steps will be satisfactory for most scenarios, Microsoft are, quite rightly, shipping their servers with ever more secure environments; these steps assume that the SYSTEM account is allowed to perform DCOM activations and access.This may not be true for your system. If this is so, please read all of the following sections and apply configuration changes as they are required for your environment.

Important

ScriptX uses the COM Local Server "MeadCo TriPrint Server"; this is the object that must be satisfactorily configured using the "Component Services" Admistrators tool (DComCnfg.exe).

Whatever the evironment - ASP or ASP.NET, or simply the interactive account (for validate.js) - the process utilising ScriptX must be able to both launch and access this component.

Please note that Windows Server 2003 SP1 and later have introduced more granular control of DCOM permissions allowing the separation of control of local and remote launch/access. ScriptX should only be configured for local launch/access.

 

::> Software Configuration and Testing