Skip to main content
Version Pentaho
Hitachi Vantara Lumada and Pentaho Documentation

Prepare Your Windows Environment for a Manual Installation

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF

Process Overview

The following tasks will prepare your Windows environment for the Pentaho Server installation. These tasks include setting up the correct directory structure, ensuring proper tools are in place, and the downloading and unpacking of the Pentaho installation files.

If you have already installed a web application server, you can skip Step 3.

  1. Create Windows Directory Structure.
  2. Install Java.
  3. Install Your Web Application Server.
  4. Install the Pentaho Repository Host Database.
  5. Download and Unpack the Installation Files.
  6. Set Environment Variables.

Create Windows Directory Structure

Choose an installation path. We recommend the path in the following steps.

  1. Log on to the machine on which you will run the Pentaho Server.
  2. Create this directory path. 
    pentaho\server\pentaho-server
  3. Verify that you have the appropriate permissions to read, write, and execute commands in the directories you created.

Make sure your users can write to the directory where you install the Pentaho Suite.

Install Java 

You must install a supported version of Java.

  1. Check the Components Reference list to see which version of Java Pentaho supports.
  2. Download the supported version of the JRE or JDK from the Oracle site and install it. 

Install Your Web Application Server

If you want to install Pentaho on your own web application server, you will first need to install your web application server. 

If you have already installed a Tomcat or JBoss web application server and you want to run the Pentaho Server on it, you can skip this step.

The Pentaho Server can be deployed on either a Tomcat or JBoss web application server. By default, Pentaho Server software is configured for Tomcat, so if you choose to install Pentaho on a Tomcat web app server, you will make fewer configuration changes than choosing to use a JBoss web app server.

  1. Check the Components Reference list to see which version of Tomcat or JBoss Pentaho supports.
  2. To download and install the web application software, use the instructions in the documentation for the web application server of your choice. We recommend that you install the web application server in the pentaho\server\pentaho-server directory.
  3. Verify the web application server is installed correctly by starting it and viewing the default page. If the web application server does not start, troubleshoot it using the web application server's documentation before you continue with the Pentaho Server installation process.
  4. Stop the web application server.

Install the Pentaho Repository Host Database

The Pentaho Repository houses data needed for Pentaho tools to provide scheduling and security functions. It also stores metadata and models for reports that you create. You can host the Pentaho Repository on the following databases:

  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • Oracle
  • MS SQL Server

To install the Pentaho Repository's host database, complete the following steps:

  1. Check the Components Reference section to determine which versions of databases Pentaho supports.
  2. Download and install the database of your choice. 
  3. Verify that the database is installed correctly.

Download and Unpack Installation Files

The Pentaho Server software, data files, and examples are stored in pre-packaged .war and .zip files. You will need to manually copy these files to correct directories.

Step 1: Download the Files

Download the following installation and plugin files from the Pentaho Customer Support Portal.

  1. On the Customer Portal home page, sign in using the Pentaho support user name and password provided in your Pentaho Welcome Packet. 
  2. Click Downloads, then click Pentaho 8.1 GA Release in the 8.x list. 
  3. On the bottom of the Pentaho 8.1 GA Release page, click the Pentaho Server > Manual Build (No Web Application Server) folder in the Box widget and download each of the files listed below.
    Component ZIP File

    Pentaho Analyzer Plugin

    paz-plugin-ee-5.0.0-dist.zip
    Dashboard Designer Plugin pdd-plugin-ee-5.0.0-dist.zip
    Pentaho Server Installation File pentaho-server-manual-ee-5.0.0-dist.zip
    Interactive Reporting Plugin pir-plugin-ee-5.0.0-dist.zip
    BA Operations Mart Files (which are optional) pentaho-operations-mart-5.0.0-dist.zip

Optionally, on the bottom of the Pentaho 8.1 GA Release page, click the Operations Mart folder in the Box widget and download the Pentaho Operations Mart .zip file. 

Step 2: Unpack the Pentaho Server Installation File

  1. Unzip the Pentaho Server Installation file. Inside is the packaged file.
  2. Unpack the file by running the install.bat file.
  3. In the IZPack window, read the license agreement, select I accept the terms of this license agreement, and then click Next.
  4. In the Select the installation path text box, browse to or enter the location where you created the  \pentaho\server\pentaho-server directory, then click Next.
  5. A warning message that the directory already exists will appear. Click Yes. Any existing files in the directory will be retained.
  6. When the installation progress is complete, click Quit.
  7. In the \pentaho-server directory, navigate to the \pentaho-server-manual-ee directory created by the IZPak tool. Unzip the .zip files and place the contents in the appropriate directories listed below.
    File Unzip the Contents of the File to this Directory
    license-installer.zip pentaho\server
    jdbc-distribution-utility.zip pentaho\server
    pentaho-data.zip

    pentaho\server\pentaho-server
    pentaho-solutions.zip pentaho\server\pentaho-server

     

  8. Copy the .war and .html files to the following directories on your web application server.​
    File Copy Files to this Directory
    pentaho.war
    • Tomcat: pentaho\server\pentaho-server\<your tomcat installation directory>\webapps
    • JBoss: pentaho\server\pentaho-server\<your jboss installation directory>\standalone\deployments
    pentaho-style.war
    • Tomcat: pentaho\server\pentaho-server\<your tomcat installation directory>\webapps
    • JBoss: pentaho\server\pentaho-server\<your jboss installation directory>\standalone\deployments
    PentahoServer_OSS_Licenses.html pentaho\server\pentaho-server

Step 3: Unpack the Plugin Files

  1. ​Unzip the plugin file you would like to install. Inside is the packaged plugin.
  2. Unpack the plugin by running install.bat file.
  3. In the IZPack window read the license agreement, select I accept the terms of this license agreement, and then click Next.

  4. In the Select the installation path text box, save the file in the pentaho\server\pentaho-server\pentaho-solutions\system directory, and then click Next.

  5. A warning message that the directory already exists will appear. Click Yes. Any existing files in the directory will be retained. 
  6. When the installation finishes, click Quit.

Step 4: (Optional) Unpack the Operations Mart DDL Files

  1. ​Unzip the Pentaho Operations Mart file. Inside is the packaged file.
  2. Unpack the file by running install.bat file.
  3. In the IZPack window read the license agreement, select I accept the terms of this license agreement, and then click Next.
  4. In the Select the installation path text box, save the file in the pentaho\server\pentaho-server\data directory, and then click Next.
  5. A warning message that the directory already exists will appear. Click Yes. Any existing files in the directory will be retained. 
  6. When the installation finishes, click Quit.
  7. Unzip the pentaho-operations-mart-ddl-5.0.0.zip file. Move the directory for your database into pentaho\server\pentaho-server\data\<database name> and delete the others. The appropriate database names are shown in the following table:
    If Your Pentaho Repository is On: Copy the Contents of this Directory into pentaho\server\pentaho-server\data
    PostgreSQL postgresql
    MySQL mysql5
    Oracle oracle10g
    MS SQL Server sqlserver

Step 5: Verify Directory Structure

Verify that the files have been placed in the following locations by comparing the following directory structures with yours.

If your web application server is located in a directory other than the pentaho\server\pentaho-server directory, the pentaho.war and pentaho-style.war files should appear where you have chosen to install your web application server.

Pentaho Subdirectories:

After you have finished unpacking all of the plugin and Pentaho Operations Mart files, the Pentaho directory structure should contain these subdirectories:

  • pentaho\server\pentaho-server\pentaho-solutions\system\analyzer
  • pentaho\server\pentaho-server\pentaho-solutions\system\dashboards
  • pentaho\server\pentaho-server\pentaho-solutions\system\pentaho-interactive-reporting
  • pentaho\server\pentaho-server\
  • pentaho\server\pentaho-server\data\<database name>

Set Environment Variables

Set the PENTAHO_JAVA_HOME  environment variable. If you do not set these variables, Pentaho will not start correctly. 

If you are using a JRE, set the JRE_HOME home environment variable as well.

  1. Set the path of the PENTAHO_JAVA_HOME variable to the path of your Java installation, like in the following example: 
    SET PENTAHO_JAVA_HOME=C:\Program Files\Java\jdk8
  2. Restart your application server.
  3. Verify the variables have been properly set.

Prepare Your Pentaho Repository

Once you have finished preparing your environment, you can initialize and configure your Pentaho Repository. Select the database that you are using as your Pentaho Repository: