All,
I have been working on setting up some offline help files for a couple of my networks. Going through Set up offline help files for NPM - SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. Help and Support procedure, it seems to me that there is something missing or not quite write.
My Drives for Install:
E: Solarwinds Programs
F: Website
P: PageFile
L: Logs
W: Web Cache
Other Offline Help File Zips:
NPM: https://support.solarwinds.com/@api/deki/files/11167/OrionLocalHelp.zip
SAM: https://support.solarwinds.com/@api/deki/files/28947/SAM_6.3_Offline_help.zip
NCM: https://support.solariwnds.com/@api/deki/files/26620/NCMLocalHelp.zip
WHD: https://support.solarwinds.com/@api/deki/files/30775/WHD_12-5_Offline_help.zip
NTA 4.2: https://support.solarwinds.com/@api/deki/files/30523/NTAOfflineHelp.zip
NTA 4.1: https://support.solarwinds.com/@api/deki/files/9969/NTALocalHelp.zip
IPAM: https://support.solarwinds.com/@api/deki/files/9939/IPAMLocalHelp.zip
VQNM: https://support.solarwinds.com/@api/deki/files/10961/VNQMLocalHelp.zip
Other Offline Help File Pages:
NPM: Set up offline help files for NPM - SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. Help and Support
NTA: pending
NCM: pending
SAM: pending
VQNM: Set up offline help files for VNQM - SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. Help and Support
Support Ticket: support case #1132578
I get that one too, but it doesn't seem to affect the help.
Summoning the great and powerful Shirikit
Hey there,
If you unzip OrionLocalHelp there should be a readme file in /documentation.
Here's the copy/paste:
1. Extract the contents of this .zip file to C:\inetpub\SolarWinds.
2. Copy the bin folder from C:\inetpub\SolarWinds\ui\bin into C:\inetpub\SolarWinds\documentation\bin.
3. Open the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, select the \documentation folder.
4. Right-click on the folder and convert it to an application.
5. Log on to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
6. Click Settings > Web Console Settings, and then change the "Help Server" to http://localhost or the location of your Web Console.
Notes
* If you configured Orion Web Console to use a port other than 80, specify the port in "Help Server". For example for port 8787, enter http://localhost:8787.
* SolarWinds recommends you download and install the NPM local help files to resolve help links for common components and resources.
Assuming the readme directions work, unzip the rest of the packages and move the <product acronym> folders into /documentation/en/flarehelp, except Web Help Desk. Your docs folder should look like this:
/documentation/en/flarehelp/NPM
/documentation/en/flarehelp/orionplatform
/documentation/en/flarehelp/SAM
/documentation/en/flarehelp/NCM
/documentation/en/flarehelp/NTA*
/documentation/en/flarehelp/IPAM
/documentation/en/flarehelp/VNQM
/documentation/webhelpdesk/flarehelp/WHD_12-5-0**
*We currently support a single version of a product's help system, so you would have to choose which version of NTA to extract.
**Web Help Desk is a tricky beast and I will need to get back to you on that one if it doesn't magically work.
Just trying to get one of them to work. Focusing on NPM....
Windows 2012R2
1. Extracted the contents of the file int F:\inetpub\SolarWinds. Contents folder was named OrionLocalHelp.
2. Copied the bin folder from F:\inetpub\solarWinds\ui\bin into F:\inetpub\SolarWinds\documentation\bin folder. Had to create the folder "Documentation".
3. Added a Website.
Name = SolarwindsHelp
Physical Path = F:\Inetpub\SolarWinds\Documentation
Binding Type = https
IP address = Unassigned
Port = 8091
SSL Cert = [local]
Click Submit.
4. System added the Application itself.
5. Logged in.
6. https://[servername]:8091 configured into Web Console Setting. No Joy.
6. https://[servername]:8091/SolarWindsHelp configured into web Console Settings. No Joy.
7. Moved the package to F:\inetpub\SolarWinds\Documentation\NPM. No Joy
Hello hello,
I tested this on 2012 R2. Here's what the properties look like:
They're pretty similar to what you have save for using SSL and a different port.
Here's the content view, in case we're missing some files:
I'm pretty confident that you can use this with a different port. I am less confident that you can use this with SSL. Is it possible to try this without the SSL binding to see if that's the issue?
Another potential breaking point is adding /documentation as a website before creating the app, but that's probably a red herring.
I'm assuming that you tried this with https://localhost as the Help Server in the Orion Web Console. If not, try it just in case.
I am hopeful that you're just missing some files. My fear is that it will be HTTPS. If it is HTTPS, we can try modifying web.config (which is my next step if this doesn't work out).
Also, help links are specifically looking for serverpath/documentation. /documentation is a hard requirement for the help links to work, so if you're messing with adding new folders to inetpub/solarwinds, don't rename /documentation where ever it may end up living.
Hoping something in here fixes the issue!
LokiR, Thanks for your help.
Couple Questions:
1. On your first graphic you seem to be using the default Solarwinds Orion Application Pool but using the /documentation as the physical path for the Solarwinds Application.
2. Are there suppose to be separate Application Pools and Websites?
I have all the files as you have listed, which is good. Right now I just want to stick with http. HTTPS will be next, once I know it is working.
When I do a "test connection" on the website from within IIS, I get the following error.
(Warning) Authorization: Cannot verify access to path (f:\Inetpub\solarwinds\documentation)
You are quite welcome.
1. Yes. We are running multiple applications under SolarWinds NetPerfMon. They are all using the same application pool name with different physical paths.
2. I'm not sure I understand this question, but from what I know, every app under the SolarWinds website shares the same app pool.
SUCCESS!!!!!!
I used my FQDN in the webconsole settings and in the Advanced Configuration Window.
Now on to other packages.
Woo!
You should only have to set up the app pool once.
Unfortunately, Web Help Desk does not support offline help in that you can't click an in-product help link. You can still move the files to a web server on your network if you want it for general reference.