How to Install Windchill 13 with SQL Server 2022 - Part 4: Installing Solr Server

In Part 3, we installed Windchill with the Solr Client.  The last required piece for Solr to work is the Solr Server.  For Part 4, we are going to install it.

Prerequisites

If you are doing this right after Part 3, kill all of those java.exe apps and the httpd.exe app that is running.  If you don't understand, restart the server and they will be gone when you log back in.  We don't want Windchill running during this install.

Installation or Solr Server

1. Go to the extracted CPS disc from the Windchill install.  Open setup.bat.
2. Click OK on the PTC Solution Installer prompt.
3. Click Next.
4. You know the drill.
5. Check the box, Next.
6. You will notice the Update Existing Installation option is now available to us.  Good because we aren't going to use it this time.  Select New Product Installation and click Next.
7. Select Standalone Product or Component at the very bottom under the Standalone Products section.  You will notice everything else get greyed out when you check this box.  Now you see why we couldn't do this as part of the greater Windchill install.
8. Select Windchill Index Search Server.
   1. The other options are here if you wanted to separate Apache and the Database from the Windchill server.  Since we went with a single server, we did not need to go this route.  It is recommended to install Solr Server on a separate server for production.  I have not had a customer willing to give a whole other server just for Solr so I have always installed it on the Windchill server.  No issues so far.
   2. Click Next.
9. Installation Name still does not matter.  Click Next.
10. Change the Base Installation Directory to a location outside of Windchill.  The installer will give you an error if you try to install in the Windchill directory.  It looks for an existing PSI folder and complains if it finds one.  You could temporarily rename the PSI folder, install and rename it back if you wanted but why?  Change it to a directory higher and be done with it.
11. Enter the same Solr Admin credentials you made during the Windchill Install.
12. You should not have any trouble with staging here since the Index Server happens to be part of the CPS patch this time.  Click Next.
13. Double check the Installation Overview.  Click Install.
14. More good greed check marks.  Click Done.
15. Go to the url http://<your fully qualified hostname>:8085/solr and login with the same Solr admin account.
16. You should now see the Solr Dashboard.

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Next Steps

Solr Server is now installed.  I can't prove to you that it works just yet but you will see.  Part 5 will deal with setting up services as everything runs as a foreground app right now.