Install the SoftJACE software

The SoftJACE CD (or the same files expanded from a downloaded AX SoftJACE image) includes the necessary NiagaraAX Framework software.

Prerequisites: Update the Windows OS to the latest Windows security patches and decide if a 64-bit install or 32-bit AX SoftJACE install is appropriate. If installing from a downloaded AX SoftJACE image, extract the zipped image first. See Notes on 32-bit versus 64-bit SoftJACE installations, SoftJACE Windows security notes and Download and extract the SoftJACE image.

To install the SoftJACE software

At the SoftJACE PC, do the following steps:

Close all open applications.

If installing to a remote PC, open a Windows Remote Desktop Connection to it, and close any applications running on it.
If working at the SoftJACE PC, insert the AX SoftJACE CD into the PC’s CD drive.
Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the root of the SoftJACE CD (if applicable), or to the folder with the files extracted from the downloaded AX SoftJACE image.
Double-click either the setup_x64.exe file or setup.exe file, depending on whether a 64-bit or 32-bit installation. The first step in the Installation wizard appears.
Click Next to begin the install process.
In the License Agreement step, read and then click Yes to agree to it, then click Next.
In the Select Install Location step, specify the target installation folder. By default, the destination folder is C:\Niagara\Rel

You can specify another drive, if desired. The default Niagara\Rel folder is generally recommended—this is the same system home directory for any dedicated JACE.

To specify another location, type it in, or click Browse to navigate to a different folder and/or drive.

The Refresh button recomputes the “Space Available” statistic, and can be useful if you have changed the target drive location from default C: to another drive partition.
When your destination folder is specified, click Next. If a new folder, a confirmation dialog appears.

Click Yes to proceed, or No to return to the install wizard.
In the Select Options step, you can select whether shortcuts are installed on the Windows Start menu only (default) and/or on the desktop. If an AX-3.8 SoftJACE install to a Windows 8 (or Windows Server 2012) PC, the first (and default) option is “Install Start Screen Tiles”.

It is recommended to accept the default to install shortcuts to the Windows Start menu or Start Screen Tiles. Among the shortcuts, only “Console” has a typical application with an AX SoftJACE.

Click Next to launch the installation.
Files are installed to your destination folder as a progress bar displays.

When all files are installed, a Finish Install dialog appears.
In the Finish Install dialog, click Next to finish the installation.

Installation of all needed software is now complete.
Installation automatically installs and starts the Niagara platform daemon, which runs as a Windows service on the SoftJACE PC. The platform daemon is required to support running a station, as well as act as the server for platform connections (from PCs running the Workbench client). For more platform connection details, see “About a platform connection” in the Platform Guide.