09 - Silent Installations

January 31, 2025

Get a brief overview of how to perform silent or unattended installation for products, clients, and maintenance.

Silent or unattended installation does not require user intervention. You start silent installation from the command line using a simple text file called the silent installation file.
You can find templates of the silent installation files in the Disk1 folder of the installation CD. To perform silent installation modify these files and at the Windows command prompt, enter the relevant command.
The following sections provide details about silent or unattended installation:

Installing Products in the Silent Mode
Installing Client in the Silent Mode
Installing Design Entry HDL-Allegro PSpice System Designer Library in the Silent Mode
Performing Maintenance in the Silent Mode

Installing Products in the Silent Mode

Modify the Disk1\silentinstall-SPB.ini file. Change the following variables:
- TargetDir: Specify the location where you want to install the products.
- MODE: Specify if you want to install all the products (MODE=COMPLETE) or a selected list of products (MODE=CUSTOM). Edit the Features section for the CUSTOM mode.
- WorkingDir: Specify the default working directory.
- ALLUSERS: Specify if the installation is for all users, (ALLUSERS=YES), or the current user (ALLUSERS=NO), which is the default.
- OVERWRITE_HOME: Specify if the value of HOME should be overwritten with the value specified for WorkingDir. By default, the value is set to Y.
- CONNECT_TO_EXISTING_SERVER: Specify the license server configuration information, the hostname, and the port number. If you do not have a license manager installed and configured, use the LIC_FILE_PATH variable.
- LIC_FILE_PATH: Specify the path to the license file received from Cadence. The installer will install a License Manager and configure the server with the license file information. This variable will be ignored if you also specify CONNECT_TO_EXISTING_SERVER along with this variable.
Save the .ini file.
In the Run dialog box, type the following and then click OK:

<path_to_DVD_image>\Disk1\setup.exe !quiet=<path_to_your silentinstall-SPB.ini file>\silentinstall-SPB.ini

Installing Client in the Silent Mode

Modify the Disk1\silentClientinstall-SPB.ini file. You need to modify these three variables:
- WorkingDir: Specify the home directory
- FileServerLocation: Specify the server location.
- OVERWRITE_HOME: Specify if the value of HOME should be overwritten with the value specified for WorkingDir. By default, the value is set to Y.
Run the setup by using the command:

<path_to_Disk1>\setup.exe -client !quiet=<path to silentClientinstall-SPB.ini file>\silentClientinstall-SPB.ini.

For example, if you saved the modified silentClientinstall-SPB.ini to C:\temp, then the command will be:

<path_to_Disk1>\setup.exe -client !quiet=C:\temp\silentClientinstall-SPB.ini

Installing Design Entry HDL-Allegro PSpice System Designer Library in the Silent Mode

Modify the .ini file. You need to modify these three variables:

TargetDir: Specify the location where you want to install the library file
ALLUSERS: Specify if the installation is for all users (ALLUSERS=YES) or the current user (ALLUSERS=NO), which is the default.
Features: Specify the products that you want to install

Run the setup by using the command:

<path_to_Disk1>\setup.exe !quiet=<path to .ini file>\<.ini file>.

Similar to uninstalling the other installed products specify OnMaintenance = REMOVEALL in the [state] section to remove installed libraries.

Performing Maintenance in the Silent Mode

You might perform maintenance installation:

To incrementally add new products: In this, the specified products are added to the existing installation. The installation of third party products is optional, except the following in case of installing Capture CIS or Design Entry HDL CIS for the first time: Crystal Reports and .NET Framework,
To repair an existing installation: The installer will update the registry settings and environmental variables.

In addition, you can also perform maintenance to remove or roll back installation. In case of updating a release for a HotFix or performing a rollback, you use the two variables, Rollback and IsrBackup.

To perform unattended maintenance installation:

Navigate to the silentinstall-SPB.ini file template from the Disk1\Documents folder in the Windows DVD image.
Edit the following in the template:
- OnMaintenance: Specify whether you want to modify (OnMaintenance=MODIFY), repair (OnMaintenance=REPAIR), or remove (OnMaintenance=REMOVEALL) the existing installation.
- UPDATE_VC_REDIST: Specify Y if you want to update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable.
- CONFIGURE_FIREWALL: Specify Y if you want to create firewall entries.
Update the Features section by removing the comments (;) if you want to incrementally add new products.
Save the .ini file.
In the Run dialog box, type the following and then click OK:
<path_image>\Disk1\setup.exe !quiet=<path_to_your silentinstall-SPB.ini file>/silentin_to_DVDstall-SPB.ini

The silentinstall-SPB.ini file

The template Disk1\documents\silentinstall-SPB.ini for silent installation contains various variables to set the different installation parameters. The file has three sections: State, Features, and Data. Most variables are commented using the semicolon (;). You can edit the file using any text editor and remove the comments, if needed, to use the variables. The following table describes the different variables.

Variable	Description
State
TargetDir	Specify the location where you want to install the products. This variable is in the State section of the template. For example, to install the products at the location `D:\Cadence\SPB_24.1` edit the template to read `TargetDir=D:\Cadence\SPB_24.1.` If you use a mapped drive for the path and UAC is on, ensure that the mapped drive is accessible from your system by using the Windows command prompt or any other shell.
RebootIfReqd	Specify `RebootIfReqd=Y` if you want the computer to reboot when installation is completed. The default value is N.
`CONNECT_TO_EXISTING_SERVER`	Specify the license server configuration information, the host name and the port number. If you do not have a license manager installed and configured, use the `LIC_FILE_PATH` variable.
`LIC_FILE_PATH`	Specify the path to the license file received from Cadence. Installer will install a License Manager and configure the server with the license file information. This variable will be ignored if you also specify `CONNECT_TO_EXISTING_SERVER` along with this variable.
FileServerLocationDir	Specify the server location. This is the shared location where products are installed. This variable is required for client installation. If you use a mapped drive for the location and UAC is on, ensure that the mapped drive is accessible from your system by using the Windows command prompt or any other shell.
OnMaintenance	You can specify whether you want to modify, repair, or remove installation. The possible values are `MODIFY, REPAIR`, and `REMOVEALL. MODIFY` allows you to add new products by editing the Feature section of the silent installation file. `REPAIR` will update the environment variables and the registry settings. `REMOVEALL` will uninstall the current installation.
ALLUSERS	Specify if the installation is for all users (`ALLUSERS=YES`), or the current user (`ALLUSERS=NO`), which is the default. An installation for all users allows any user logging into the installed computer to access the installed products. A single user installation only allows the login ID used during installation to access and uninstall the applications.
GEN_DOC_INDEX	Specify `Y` to generate document index. Document index are generated and used the online help tool, Cadence Help. Generate document index if you are installing a server that will be accessed by users without write permission on the installation hierarchy. Users will not be able to view or search installed documents if the index is not generated.
REMOVE_CADENCE_PATH	Specify `Y` to remove Cadence paths from the `PATH` environment variable. By default `N` is specified to ensure paths are not removed.
MODE	Specify if you want to install all the products or a selected list of products. This variable is in the State section. To install all products, edit the file to `MODE=COMPLETE`. To install specific product, edit to `MODE=CUSTOM`. If you specify the value of `MODE` as `CUSTOM`, you need to modify the Features section. In the Features section of the template, remove the semicolon (;) from the lines that contain the product to be installed. For example, to install all Cadence Allegro products, remove the semicolon from the beginning of the line Feature7=Allegro Products, as shown below. `[Features] ;Feature0=OrCAD Products ;Feature1=OrCAD Products\OrCAD Capture CIS ;Feature2=OrCAD Products\OrCAD PSpice Designer ;Feature3=OrCAD Products\OrCAD FPGA System Planner ;Feature4=OrCAD Products\OrCAD PCB Designer ;Feature5=OrCAD Products\OrCAD PCB SI ;Feature6=OrCAD Products\PSpice Feature7=Allegro Products`

UPDATE_CRSTAL	Specify `Y` if you want to update Crystal Reports. If you install Capture CIS or Design Entry HDL CIS for the first time, the value for this variable should be `Y`.
UPDATE_VC_REDIST	Specify `Y` if you want to update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables. Installed products might not run if UPDATE_VC_REDIST is set to `N`.
CONFIGURE_FIREWALL	Specify `Y` if you want to create firewall entries.
IKNOWBEST	Specify `IKNOWBEST=YES` if you do not want the installer to check disk space before installation. The valid values are `YES` and `NO`.
OVERWRITE_HOME	Overwrites the value of `HOME` with the value specified for `WorkingDir` if set to `Y`.
USE_CTRL_FILE	Specify `Y` if you want installer to use a control file.
CTRL_FILE_PATH	Specify the absolute path to the control file. Used if USE_CTRL_FILE is set to `Y`.
Features	Specify the products that you want to install in this section, if you had specified the `MODE=CUSTOM`. Refer to the description of `MODE` in this table for more information.
Data
WorkingDir	Specify the default working directory. This variable is in the Data section. For example, to specify `C:\SPB_`Data as the working directory, edit to `WorkingDir=C:\SPB_Data`.
FootprintPath	Specify the footprint path; commented by default.
overwrite-lic-path	Specify the port and host information to overwrite CDS_LIC_FILE. Commented by default.
append-lic-path	Specify the port and host information to append in CDS_LIC_FILE. Commended by default.