Install Core

A Core update or a Core installation is an operating system and feature upgrade and affects the entire system. New servers are already delivered with the latest version. If you are still using Core 1, an upgrade to Core 2 or higher is strongly recommended. To check which version was installed, go to Antcas Control on ? ▸ Info. Under Product, the corresponding Core version is displayed. If the Product point is not available, the latest update must be installed first.

What to Consider

ATTENTION: Before the Core update, all data must absolutely be backed up! Export all projects and their data. Then export the system configuration in the infrastructure.

After the update, the behavior of the following functions may change:

  • The sensors may have different names and need to be adjusted in the system interface.
  • The Core 2 update is not fully compatible with all servers. These include:

IMPORTANT: ABSOLUTELY NOTE BEFORE THE UPDATE

  • All network settings must be reconfigured. After the restart, these will be configured according to factory settings.
  • During the update, no other USB devices except keyboard, mouse, and USB stick may remain plugged in, as hardware detection might otherwise fail.
  • Network cables may only be plugged into eth0.
  • The first system start takes approximately 10 minutes. This process automatically converts the entire operating system. Multiple restarts are completely normal. Do not interrupt this process.
  • The setup also includes Clonezilla, with which you can create a backup of the entire server before the update.
  • All licenses, settings, and projects must absolutely be backed up.
  • Is Core 2 compatible with the server? See above.

Download the Latest Version

The image for execution can be downloaded from Antcas via WebDAV. For this purpose, the path https://setup.antcas.com/webdav must be mounted as a network drive. The login credentials must be requested from Antcas. The following guide is intended to help set up a new Antcas Automation Server. Some steps may differ depending on the server.

Hardware

Starting with version 5.0, it is possible to use and license your own hardware. The specifications or minimum requirements vary based on different factors. Since these can change frequently, you should contact Antcas to find the appropriate hardware for your project.

It is also possible to set up the image on a virtual machine. Further information can be found under the chapter Antcas Voyager.

Third-Party Software

It is not possible to install third-party software on an Antcas server. This is neither recommended nor permitted. Antcas Control occasionally checks the system for changes. If any changes are detected, all licenses will be reset and invalidated. If this constitutes a repeated violation of the license agreement, a deactivated license cannot be reactivated.

Create Installation Medium

After downloading and extracting the ISO file, you may need to create a USB installation medium. There are certain requirements for this:

  • The USB stick should be high-quality with good data throughput.
  • The USB medium must be formatted using FAT32.
  • The size of the medium should not exceed 32GB.

The ISO file can be opened and extracted using an archive application. After that, all files can be copied to the USB stick. The folder structure must be preserved. It is also possible to integrate another image into the setup after extraction. For this purpose, the image is extracted into the setup/ folder. The path should then be setup/Image/. Ensure that the structure is the same as in the existing image.

Attention: After completing the copy process, remove the USB stick using the media option and then disconnect the USB stick from your PC.

SSH and Console Access

The setup provides SSH and console access. The SSH server can be activated by right-clicking on the desktop. The consoles can be accessed via CTRL+ALT+F1 to CTRL+ALT+F7. The login credentials are:

Username user
Password AntcasSetup

Installation

IMPORTANT: DO NOT PERFORM THE INSTALLATION DIRECTLY ON YOUR PC!

Pay attention to the minimum hardware requirements. These can be found in the chapter Antcas Voyager. If the installation is performed on physical hardware, the server must be configured accordingly:

  1. Connect monitor, USB medium, mouse, and keyboard.
  2. Enable UEFI if it has been disabled.
  3. Adjust the boot order. It is not recommended to start from other media than the server.

To start the Antcas Server Setup, you must first call up the boot menu. This temporarily overwrites the current boot order. To do this, a key must be pressed during the boot process. Usually, this is a function key such as F2, F7, F8, F11, F12, or ESC. Select the UEFI USB medium from the menu. The GNU GRUB bootloader is then displayed as shown in the image.

Note: If the BIOS does not provide a boot menu, the order can be changed in the BIOS setup itself. After completing the installation, you must restore the order. Otherwise, a USB medium may prevent the boot process.

  1. Select the Antcas Server Setup start option and press Enter. The selection is made automatically if no action is taken.

  1. After the setup has started, the graphical interface is displayed. This may take a moment if the USB drive is slow.
  2. Start the Antcas Setup by double-clicking.
  3. A warning is displayed that all data on the target medium will be deleted. Proceed by pressing Enter.

  1. The setup detects all installation media and images. If multiple drives and images are available, select them accordingly. There is also the option to download and install the latest version via WebDAV. Inquire with Antcas about the login details for this procedure. Proceed by entering the number and then pressing Enter.

  1. If multiple kernels are available in the image, they can be selected in an additional step. The setup automatically adjusts the selected kernel after installation. A different kernel than the standard kernel (default) should only be chosen if the device cannot start with the standard kernel or serious problems occur. The setup can also be started with other kernels. If the setup works without issues using the standard kernel, selecting another kernel is usually not necessary. In this case, the installed system will normally also start without additional adjustments.

  1. Press Enter when you are ready for the installation. Note that the displayed medium will now be irreversibly deleted!

  1. The data is now being copied to the medium. Do not interrupt this process.

  1. If the setup was completed successfully, this is indicated by the message "Installation completed!". Otherwise, an error message will be displayed. It may happen that no progress is shown over a longer period of time. Wait until the setup is finished.
  2. Now end the setup by pressing Enter.

  1. Restart the server by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting Reboot.

  1. After the server restarts, it will be set up. The setup takes a moment. Let the server run, even if it seems like nothing is happening. Error messages may appear during setup and the server may restart several times. This can take up to 15 minutes.

  1. After restarting, the server can be accessed via the web address. This is https://serveraddress:10000/ when starting. Additionally, the server can be found via find.antcas.com. Further information can be found in the chapter Getting Started.

See Also

Subordinate Pages