General Procedures Required to Configure the CATI Multimode Setup

The deployment process performed with the help of the Octopus Server involves a number of "stages" which are configured separately.

Usually you will be provided with access to a previously-configured Octopus Deploy Server account, although you may need to reconfigure some of the settings. The following descriptions will point you to the correct deployment parameter.

Important
If you have been provided with access to a configured Octopus Deploy Server account, you can start to deploy the software (go to CATI On-Premise Deployment Procedure for more information). The instructions provided there are all that you need to complete the CATI Multimode software installation.

Important
Do not alter any Octopus account settings unless you are fully aware of the consequences. You will not normally need to change any setting except for in cases described in Step 6 of the procedure (adding new roles + adding new tentacles) (go to CATI On-Premise Deployment Procedure for more information).

The instructions provided below help you understand the main steps required to configure the Octopus Deploy Server account.

If you must manually change any settings in the Octopus Deploy Server account configuration, follow the instructions below.

We strongly encourage reading the Octopus Deploy Server documentation prior to performing any operation that is described in the current part of the documentation. You should make yourself familiar with the Octopus software GUI before you perform any operation with its help. The current documentation does not provide any instructions on how to work with the Octopus Deploy GUI: you have to study and understand the corresponding software instructions before you begin.

In general the Octopus account configuration routine is.

1. Compose the "Environment" by adding different local and remote servers to the list on the Environment tab. The CATI Multimode system will be installed on these added machines. You should choose and assign a ''Role" to each of the added machines: different CATI Multimode components will be installed on each of the listed machines according to the selected "role". Available roles are: the CATI Backend server, the CATI Supervisor server, the CATI Interviewer Console, the CATI Monitoring Console, the Dialer Web Service.

Whenever you need to add, or exclude a machine from the environment, or change a role of any machine in the environment, you should do so on the Environment tab.

2. Specify the deployment "Process" by adding and configuring consequent "Steps" on the Process tab. Each step can include an action (or a number of actions): running a PowerShell script or deploying a NuGet Package (or any other required action). Once you create and configure a Process (along with all its Steps) it can be saved and reused, or edited before it is used.

Note that the Step that specifies running of the PowerShell script should be performed first. All other Steps should follow it.

Whenever you need to change the order in which the setup actions are performed, or add, or exclude a step, you should do so on the Process tab.

Whenever you need to write or edit a script that should be used on some step of the setup procedure you should do so on the Process tab by adding or editing a Step. Mind that you cannot extract and edit PowerShell scripts from a NuGet package in the same way.

Each NuGet package can include components pertaining to a server which should play one of the assigned "Roles". NuGet packages are composed beforehand and can include different components required to run the software as well as a set of PowerShell scripts needed to deploy and configure these components.

NuGet packages are shipped by Forsta along with the PowerShell script and should be uploaded to Octopus Deploy Server prior to creating Steps that involve deployment of these packages. NuGet packages can be uploaded through the "Library" page.

3. PowerShell scripts included in the NuGet packages contain a number of variables which are used as deployment configuration parameters. Such variables are listed on the "Variables" tab. These variables are utilized at the moment when NuGet packages are being deployed. The "Variables" tab also contains a short description of each variable which helps in understanding its purpose and possible values (please refer to List of Variables used in the PowerShell scripts on the facing page for the complete list of variables). Variables from this list can have similar names but can be used for different "Scopes" (for example, one can be used simultaneously for deployment of the CATI Dialer Web Service, and of the CATI backend server). You can change the Scope for any variable by assigning it to a different Environment, or Role, or Step (mind the variable name - it should not be similar for variables with similar Scopes).

Whenever you need to change the deployment parameters of any CATI Multimode component it should be done by altering the corresponding variable value on the Variables tab. The Scope can also be edited on the Variables tab.

4. Each separate set of NuGet packages forms a "Release". You can save all your current updates (updates that were introduced during the current session) on this tab. Usually the list of saved items includes:

• the list of NuGet packages which you have included in this release;
• the current state of Processes;
• the current state of variables.

Note that if any changes are introduced to the variables after the Release is saved, the variable list should be updated on the "Releases" tab.

Each Release is assigned a specific number which you compose yourself. You can apply any existing Release to a different environment using a different deployment pattern: choose another Environment, or change the current one, choose from the existing Processes or edit any Process Step before you apply the Process.

All information regarding all the releases that have been deployed can be found on the Releases tab. You can also start deployment of any release on the Releases tab.