V3 Virtual Desktop Installation

This section describes a special installation scenario and is not automatically covered by the standard licence. Additional fees may apply. Please check with Promenta before using this installation scenario.

Please consider using the Combined Installer instead of individual installation of components.

Virtual Machines

If your users are assigned their own complete Virtual Machine (ie a complete windows system) there are two possible scenarios

Scenario A : The user treats the Virtual Machine as their own system and manages it themselves. This is similar to a laptop user and hence this scenario is not applicable. This Virtual Machine scenario should be treated the same as the standard local installation.

Scenario B : The Virtual Machine infrastructure is centrally managed using a “master image”. This scenario uses the multi-session capability of Windows 10/11. Each user receives a copy of the image as their machine. The user can update their own data under the local and roaming profiles. In this scenario the VDI installation can be done as per the below in the master image.

VDI infrastructure with shared desktops : requirements

In this scenario you would like to deploy Promenta into your shared Virtual Desktop (VDI) infrastructure which utilizes shared desktops.

In this scenario

Each user has their own Windows logon account
Each user has their own Windows desktop
Multiple users share the same Windows host server – either a dedicated server or a virtual server.
The Windows host server has a single Administrator account

Prerequisites

Microsoft Excel must be installed and active for each user
(Optional) If running the Promenta PCA app – .net 8 framework is required. It will be automatically installed during the Promenta PCA install.
Network access to the SAP server infrastructure
Internet access to the Microsoft download website for Edge WebDriver update (unless you will manually update the Edge WebDriver)
Each user will have their own local data folders ( \APPDATA\Roaming\Microsoft\Addins\ ) with full update permission

In addition : it is assumed you already have a working stand-alone Promenta installation and a working ini file.

Ini File

The ini file requires similar settings as per the stand-alone ini file. The settings below are required for VDI setup

<PC_Port_List>9515-9530</PC_Port_List> This is the list of allowed ports. There should be enough ports available for the number of expected simultaneous users.

<Tmp_Path>[StdPath]\tmp</Tmp_Path> You must use the [StdPath] as this will evaluate to C:\Users\<windows user id>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\AddIns\Promenta\tmp

Installation (ZIP before 6.45.0.0)

Since release 6.45.0.0 – Please use Combined Installer. This method is only supported below version 6.45.0.0

Definition : Server-Context install – this installation makes the functional components (the add-in itself) and the configuration (ini file) available to all users by installing into the server context instead of installing into each user’s own context.

Step 1 : Request the Server-Context zip file. This file is not available from our website but will be provided via your support account. Contact Promenta to request this

Step 2 : Download the Server-Context file.

Promenta assign the download to your support account and send you the link

The file will be named Installer_server_context_N.N.N.N.zip where N.N.N.N is the version number. Example : Installer_server_context_3.3.1.008.zip

Step 3 : Extract the zip file and copy

Extract the zip file and copy its contents to this location : C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\XLSTART

You should have this structure:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\XLSTART\Promenta_Webflow.xlam
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\XLSTART\README.txt
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\XLSTART\Promenta\Promenta_Excel_RFC_Service.ini

Step 4 : Replace the global ini file

The supplied ini file (Promenta_Excel_RFC_Service.ini) must be updated and/or replaced as it will not contain your server settings

Replace the <systems> section with a list of your own SAP systems taken from the working stand-alone Promenta configuration ini file

You cannot use the stand-alone ini file as the server-context file in its entirety as the <options> and <connection>sections will be different

Step 5 : (Optional) Set up User ini files

If the users on the server will access several SAP landscapes and each user must have their own set of landscapes then that user requires an individualized ini file.
The User ini file will override some parts of the global ini file to allow individualized data.

The User ini file must exist at this location per user : C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\AddIns\Promenta\Promenta_Excel_RFC_Service.ini

Step 6 : Test installation

Test the installation using a suitable Excel journal file

Installation – After 6.46.0.0 / V3.3 Addin

You will install the Add-in using the Combined Installer and select the “Server Install” option

This will install the Add-in files here :

main file : C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\XLSTART\Promenta_Webflow.xlam

ini file : C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\XLSTART\Promenta\Promenta_Excel_RFC_Service.ini

Upgrade (ZIP before 6.45.0.0)

When updating the installation due to Promenta version change then follow only these steps

Step 1 : Request the Server-Context zip file. This file is not available from our website but will be provided via your support account. Contact Promenta to request this

Step 2 : Download the Server-Context file.

Promenta assign the download to your support account and send you the link

Step 3 : Extract the zip file

Extract the zip to a local directory

Step 4 : Copy file

Copy only the Promenta_Webflow.xlam file to this location : C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\XLSTART

Step 5 : Test as per the Installation steps

Upgrade (After 6.46.0.0 / V3.3 Addin)

Rerun the Combined Installer as above.