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WDI Client LAN Install Instructions

Product Documentation


Abstract

WDI Client can be installed and run to a shared disk on a LAN. Doing this eases maintenance considerations by allowing a single user to handle maintenance for all users.

Content

WebSphere Data Interchange Client can be run from a server. This reduces maintenance issues by allowing a single user to handle maintenance for all users.

Note: These instructions assume you will be installing WDI Client Fix Pack 17 or higher along with the base install. A link to Fix Pack 17 is included at the end of this document. These instructions will not work for Fix Pack 16 or earlier.

The following assumptions are made:

  1. A server based install of WebSphere Data Interchange Client will use a shared Configuration database. This is not a requirement, but the following install instructions assume a shared Configuration database is being used.
  2. You have the ODBC drivers necessary to access any database used by WebSphere Data Interchange Client.
  3. You are able to install these ODBC drivers.
  4. You are able to setup the ODBC Data Source Names (DSN) needed to access any database used by WebSphere Data Interchange Client.
  5. Fix Packs applied to the server installed WebSphere Data Interchange Client application must be done from the same machine that installed the original release.

To install WebSphere Data Interchange Client to a server, perform the following:
  1. If needed, install the ODBC drivers needed on the user’s machine to access the shared Configuration database and those that will be needed to access the other WebSphere Data Interchange databases.
  2. Create the ODBC Data Source Name (DSN) that will be used to access the Configuration Database. This name can be any unused Data Source Name, however it is recommended that each user define the same name. It may aid in simplifying support issues.
    • Use the Data Source Administrator tool found within the Control Panel of most Windows operating systems to define a Data Source Name. Some database tools can automatically establish an ODBC Data Source Name for when you identify the remote database to your system using the database tool. For instance, IBM’s DB2 Configuration Assistant can be used to identify a remote DB2 database. It will define the ODBC Data Source Name if you select the appropriate option.
  3. Create the ODBC Data Source Names for the other WebSphere Data Interchange databases (such as development, test, and production databases) that will be accessed by the user of the shared Configuration database. These Data Source Names must match those named in the “System” definitions created during the setup of the shared Configuration database.
  4. Link to the server disk and install WebSphere Data Interchange Client as you normally would, except specify a directory on the server disk as the install directory.
  5. Install the latest WebSphere Data Interchange Client Fix Pack. At least Fix Pack 17 must be installed.
  6. Start WebSphere Data Interchange Client and then open preferences using the View->Preferences menu item.
  7. In preferences, change the ODBC Data Source Name (DSN) to the Data Source Name associated with the new shared configuration database. Add a database qualifier for the Configuration database, if needed. Press the OK button.
  8. Close WebSphere Data Interchange Client.
  9. Start WebSphere Data Interchange Client. It should open using the new shared Configuration database.
  10. Test access to each of Systems.
  11. Delete the default WDIClient32CFG ODBC Data Source Name if desired.
  12. Copy the CRPE32.DLL and CRPAIG32.DLL files to the WebSphere Data Interchange Client install directory on the server if they are not already there. These files are required for some of the printing functions. By default, they are installed in the C:\Windows\Crystal, C:\WinNT\Crystal, C:\Windows\System32\Crystal, or C:\WinNT\System32\Crystal directories.
  13. If you will not always be connected to the server directory using the same “drive letter”, you may want to update the shortcut so it uses a network address instead of a drive litter:
    • Right click on the new shortcut and select Properties from the popup menu.
    • Change the “Target” and “Start in” paths to include the network address instead of a “drive letter”.
    • Press the OK button.
    • Start WebSphere Data Interchange Client using the updated shortcut to test the updated shortcut.
  14. At this point, you may want to create WDI Client install instructions specific to your organization’s environment. You can use the next section as a starter.

For each machine that will use WebSphere Data Interchange Client over the LAN, perform the following steps:
  1. If needed, install the ODBC drivers needed on the user’s machine to access the shared Configuration database and those that will be needed to access the other WebSphere Data Interchange databases.
  2. Create the ODBC Data Source Name (DSN) that will be used to access the Configuration Database. This name can be any unused Data Source Name, however it is recommended that each user define the same name. It may aid in simplifying support issues.
  3. Create the ODBC Data Source Names for the other WebSphere Data Interchange databases (such as development, test, and production databases) that will be accessed by the user of the shared Configuration database. These Data Source Names must match those named in the “System” definitions created during the setup of the shared Configuration database.
  4. Link to the server disk and locate the DICLIENT.EXE file in its install directory.
  5. Create a Windows shortcut to WebSphere Data Interchange Client. This is accomplished by:
    • Right-click on the DICLIENT.EXE file. Continue to hold down the right mouse button.
    • Drag the mouse cursor over to your desktop or to the Start menu.
    • Release the right mouse button.
    • Select Create Shortcut from the popup menu that is displayed.
    • Rename the shortcut if desired.
    • If you will not always be connected to the server directory using the same “drive letter”, you may want to update the shortcut so it uses a network address instead of a drive letter:
      1. Right click on the new shortcut and select Properties from the popup menu.
      2. Change the “Target” and “Start in” paths to include the network address instead of a “drive letter”.
      3. Press the OK button.
  6. Start WebSphere Data Interchange Client using the new shortcut. If the shortcut is correct, one of two things will occur:
    • If the machine has never had a WebSphere Data Interchange Client 3.2 installed on it or if the install has been completely removed:
      1. A series of messages will be displayed indicating that access to the Configuration database could not attained.
      2. One of these messages will include fields that will allow you to identify the ODBC Data Source Name (DSN) and database qualifier that is used to access the Configuration database. In this dialog, change the ODBC Data Source Name (DSN) to the Data Source Name associated with the shared Configuration database. Add a database qualifier for the Configuration database, if needed.
      3. Press the Retry button. WebSphere Data Interchange Client should open using the shared Configuration database if the ODBC Data Source Name is defined correctly and the correct information was entered into the dialog.
    • If the machine has a WebSphere Data Interchange Client 3.2 installed on it or if a previous install was not completely removed:
      1. WebSphere Data Interchange Client will appear to start normally. However, it is unlikely that it is accessing the shared Configuration database. This must be corrected.
      2. Open preferences using the View->Preferences menu item.
      3. In preferences, change the ODBC Data Source Name (DSN) to the Data Source Name associated with the shared Configuration database. Add a database qualifier for the Configuration database, if needed. Press the OK button.
      4. Close WebSphere Data Interchange Client.
      5. Start WebSphere Data Interchange Client. It should open using the shared Configuration database.
  7. Test access to each of your defined Systems.

The machine is now ready to run WebSphere Data Interchange Client normally.

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Document Information

Modified date:
19 July 2019

UID

swg27007052

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