Inquiry about prerequisite software of Application Server (for FlexNet Manager Suite 2022 R2)

[JoanTSW]

Hi Flexera team,

I'd like to inquire if user is going to install an application server of "FlexNet Manager Suite 2022 R2" on Windows Server 2022. 'Microsoft Access Database Engine (32-bit)' is listed in the prerequisite software of the Application server in the following url: https://docs.flexera.com/FlexNetManagerSuite2022R2/EN/SysReq/index.html#FNMS_sys_req/RN_sys_req_prereq.html

Can 'Microsoft 365 Access Runtime 32-bit' satisfy the requirement instead of 'Microsoft Access Database Engine (32-bit)'? https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/download-and-install-microsoft-365-access-runtime-185c5a32-8ba9-491e-ac76-91cbe3ea09c9

Microsoft Access is included in Microsoft 365 or Office 365, but they are paid for, so I would like to know it would fulfill the prerequisite with free software or not.

Please advise.

Thanks much in advance,Joan

[mfranz]

Hi Joan,

Is there a reason why you don't want to use the Access Database Engine 2016 (https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=54920)?

Best regards,

Markward

[JoanTSW]

Hi Mark,
.
Thanks for your response. Initially, the user tried to use the Access Database Engine 2016, but gave up because it's supported OS does not include Windows Server 2022. Kindly advise.
.
Thanks and best regards,
Joan

[mfranz]

Access Database Engine 2016 does work just fine on my Windows Server 2022 test environment. So while it technically works, I understand that you want an officially support version.

[ChrisG]

I would guess that 'Microsoft 365 Access Runtime 32-bit' will satisfy the prerequisite here, but the way to tell for sure will be to do a quick test.

Testing steps could look like:

1. Ensure no Microsoft Office or Access components are installed on the application server.
2. Attempt to upload an [empty] Excel spreadsheet through the Data Inputs page - for example, upload some procurement data. Importing this data should fail due to the lack of the Access Database Engine.
3. Install the 'Microsoft 365 Access Runtime 32-bit' component.
4. Attempt to upload a spreadsheet again; this time it should succeed if the prerequisite has been met.

[JoanTSW]

Hi Mark and Chris,
.
Thanks for your response and checking on this.
We will test after installation of FlexNet Manager and report the result from our side.
.
Cheers,
Joan

[JoanTSW]

Hi Mark and Chris,

The user has completed installation of application server and tried to upload a file.

Then the following message was shown. Please see the "DataUploadError_csv.png and DataUploadError_xlsx.png" screenshot captured.

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"Callback request failed due to an internal server error."

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I expected that the csv file upload to be possible and when uploading the xlsx file to fail if Microsoft 365 Access Runtime 32-bit is not yet installed on the AP server.

However, upload of csv file also failed.

Is Microsoft 365 Access Runtime 32-bit required as a prerequisite for uploading csv files as well as xlsx files?

Please advise.

Kind regards,

Joan

[ChrisG]

I don't expect an error like that would be related to the Access Runtime prerequisite - this will likely be caused by some other problem.

You might find additional details about what is failing by looking in the following file om the web application server: C:\ProgramData\Flexera Software\Compliance\Logging\WebUI\webui.log

[JoanTSW]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your response.

We found the following log message in webui.log:

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[ERROR 2023-09-14 16:44:42,610 78931374ms b.Core.UnhandledErrors ] An unexpected error occurred (4f10086e-0fda-43fc-a27f-922853e041b7)

System.Exception: Access to the server path "~/App_Data/UploadTemp/" is denied. The reason might be due to lack of permissions to write files in this (or parent) folder.

----

What path exactly does the "~/App_Data/UploadTemp/" folder mean?

What additional configuration is required?

Please advise.

Kind regards,

Joan

[Vmintzikos]

Hi Joan,

I see there are a couple of community articles discussing this specific error and ways to resolve it. Hopefully these will help?

https://community.flexera.com/t5/FlexNet-Manager-Forum/Manual-Inventory-Data-upload-failure/td-p/235692
and
https://community.flexera.com/t5/FlexNet-Manager-Forum/Can-not-Upload-Purchase-Data/td-p/203564

Regards

Vas

[JoanTSW]

Hi Vas,

Thank you for your response with the attached articles, they helped.

When the user allow svc-flexnet user to access full control to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Flexera Software\FlexNet Manager Platform\WebUI", the issue was solved. Please see "SecuritySettingsforWebUI.png".

When the user tried to upload a csv file on Web UI, the folders of "App_Data\UploadTemp" was created under the "WebUI" folder.

The user also tried the following configuration changes, but they had no effect so she returned them.

• Add svc-flexnet user to the Administrators group on Application Server
• Allow svc-flexnet user to access full control to "C:\ProgramData\Flexera Software\FlexNet Manager Platform\DataImport"

Could you confirm if the way above is the correct and if it is described anywhere in the documentation?

Thanks much,
Joan

[JoanTSW]

Hi Vas/Chris,

Good day, hope you are well. Just to check if you can confirm if the way above is the correct (in my earlier post on 15 Sep above) and if it is described anywhere in the documentation?

Kind regards,

Joan

[ChrisG · Accepted solution]

The steps that have been done sound appropriate.

From what you have described it sounds like the svc-flexnet account has not been granted local admin rights. That configuration is not described anywhere in documentation to my knowledge, and so the steps you have done here are probably not explicitly documented. The standard documented configuration is for the service account to be granted local admin rights, which would normally mean the steps you've done here are not required.

[JoanTSW]

Thanks Chris for your response above.

Noted the approach that customer performed is not documented with svc-flexnet user, nevertheless as suggested  in the community article below:

https://community.flexera.com/t5/FlexNet-Manager-Forum/Manual-Inventory-Data-upload-failure/td-p/235692 indicated that user will need to make sure the path C:\Program Files (x86)\Flexera Software\FlexNet Manager Platform\WebUI\App_Data\UploadTemp on the application server is not locked down in their environment so that it can be written to. This has cleared user's understanding and the issue is resolved:)

Kind regards,

Joan