Installing a Free-Standing Studio

You can install additional copies of the Business Adapter Studio.

There are two kinds of Studio. Adapters can be created or modified using either the Inventory Adapter Studio or the Business Adapter Studio (each for its appropriate type of adapter). Each time that you install an inventory beacon, copies of each of the Business Adapter Studio and the Inventory Adapter Studio are installed ready for use on the inventory beacon. These versions are configured exclusively for disconnected mode, where they cannot directly access your central database.

However, sometimes you want to work in connected mode, with direct access to your central database (for example, to write data into staging tables and manipulate it). For these cases:
  • The Inventory Adapter Studio is also available on the web application server (or, in smaller implementations, the server providing that function). This works in connected mode.
  • You can co-install an inventory beacon on your web application server. As always, this also installs the Business Adapter Studio, giving it (and adapters built there) additional privileges to access your central database in connected mode.
In addition, it is also possible to install a free-standing copy of the Business Adapter Studio (only) on your central application server. (If you have scaled up to several central servers, such an installation can be on whichever server suits you. The default location is indicated below.) Business adapters installed directly on your central server(s) operate in connected mode, with full access to your central database. Obviously, attempt this only if you are very confident and well informed about details of the database schema.
Tip: It is not possible to install addition free-standing copies of the Inventory Adapter Studio.

Start this procedure using a web browser on the server where you will install the Business Adapter Studio, or a computer that provides easy and fast network access from your central server.

To download and install an additional instance of the Business Adapter Studio:

  1. Use your browser to access the Flexera Customer Community.
    1. On https://community.flexera.com/, use the account details emailed to you with your order confirmation from Flexera to log in (using the Login link in the top right).
      Tip: Access requires your Customer Community user name and password. If you do not have one, click the Let's go! button on the login page to request one. Your credentials are configured for access to content you have licensed.
    2. Select Find My Product and choose FlexNet Manager from the top menu. Now click the button PRODUCT RESOURCES - PRODUCT INFORMATION which will expose the Download Products and Licenses link. Click on this option.
      A routing page appears to let you Access Product and License Center, displaying lists of products from Flexera.
    3. In the lists of products, identify FlexNet Manager Platform, and immediately below it, click LET'S GO.
      The Product and License Center site displays.
    4. In the Your Downloads section of the Home page, click the link for FlexNet Manager Platform.
    5. In the Download Packages page, click the link for FlexNet Manager Platform 2024 R1 to access the downloads.
  2. In the list of components to download, select Business Adapter Studio for FlexNet Manager Suite 2024 R1.zip, and download and save it to a convenient location (such as C:\temp).
  3. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the downloaded archive, right-click, and choose Extract All.
  4. Navigate into the unzipped archive, and double-click setup.exe, following the instructions in the installation wizard.
The Business Adapter Studio may be installed on any of your central servers (in a multi-server implementation). The installer assesses the installation paths, and installs itself in the installation folder of FlexNet Manager Suite. The defaults are as follows:
  • The Business Adapter Studio executable: BusinessImporterUI.exe
  • Default installation path (in connected mode on central server): C:\Program Files (x86)\Flexera Software\FNMP Business Adapter Studio
  • No template file storage is required for the Business Adapter Studio in connected mode, as it validates the database schema directly. Your custom business adapters may be saved in the folder(s) of your choice.

When you have completed the remainder of your product installation, the Business Adapter Studio can be run from the Windows start menu on this server; and the Business Importer, which is also installed automatically with the Business Adapter Studio, is also available for execution on the command line. For details about the Business Adapter Studio, see the online help or FlexNet Manager Suite System Reference. For details about the Business Importer, see Using FlexNet Business Adapters.