How-toJobBOSS / JobBOSS2 (ECI)Installation / Workstation setup

How to Install JobBOSS: Server, Workstations and Drivers

Question
how to install jobboss

Also searched as

  • jobboss workstation
  • jobboss workstation driver
  • jobboss client install error

Short answer

A JobBOSS install has two halves: a SQL Server database on a server, and a client (workstation) install on each PC that connects to it. Prepare the SQL Server instance and account permissions first, install the server components from the media ECI provides, then run the workstation setup on each PC and point it at the server. Most install failures come from SQL connectivity, permissions or missing prerequisites, not from the installer itself.

Applies to: JobBOSS and JobBOSS2 on-premises installations on Windows with SQL Server. Exact installers, versions and prerequisites come from ECI and change by release, so follow the install guide for your version.

Install JobBOSS from scratch

  1. 1Get the install media and release notes for your exact version from ECI or your reseller. Read the supported Windows and SQL Server versions before you start.
  2. 2Prepare the server: current Windows Server patches, enough disk for data and backups, a static address or DNS name, and the right time zone.
  3. 3Install or confirm SQL Server (or Express if your licence and database size allow it). Enable TCP/IP in SQL Server Configuration Manager and note the instance name and port.
  4. 4Open the firewall for the SQL Server port between workstations and the server, and allow the SQL Browser service if you use named instances.
  5. 5Run the server install, create or restore the JobBOSS database, and note the database name and the SQL login the application will use.
  6. 6On each workstation, install the client from the workstation setup, with any required runtime prerequisites, then configure the connection to the server and database.
  7. 7Log in as an administrator, test a few core screens and a report, and set up backups before users start entering data.

What the workstation needs

A workstation needs the client application, the runtime libraries the release requires, and a working database connection. What people call the JobBOSS workstation driver is generally the database connectivity component (ODBC or SQL client driver) that the client uses. If the client reports it cannot connect, check that driver and its bitness first.

Install as an administrator, and avoid mapping drives through different credentials than the user will run with, because mapped paths for attachments and report output are a common source of permission errors.

Checking SQL Server connectivity

From the workstation, test the connection outside JobBOSS. If sqlcmd or an ODBC test cannot reach the server, the application never will. The problem is almost always one of four things: TCP/IP disabled, firewall closed, wrong instance name, or the SQL login lacking rights.

sqlcmd -S SERVERNAME\INSTANCE -U app_login -P *** -Q "SELECT @@VERSION"
REM Check the port from a workstation
powershell Test-NetConnection SERVERNAME -Port 1433

Common install and first-run errors

Typical failures are an installer that stops on a missing prerequisite, a client that starts but shows a login or database error, and permissions errors on shared folders. Read the exact message and the installer log rather than retrying, because retrying often leaves partial components behind.

If a workstation worked and then stopped after a Windows update or a SQL change, compare it with a working machine: client version, driver version and connection settings. Keep the client version the same as the server database version, since a mismatch can fail at login.

For anything involving licence keys or database creation, use ECI support, since those steps are specific to your contract.

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Common pitfalls

  • !Installing clients of a different version from the database.
  • !Leaving SQL TCP/IP disabled, so workstations cannot connect.
  • !Using the sa account for the application instead of a least-privilege login.
  • !Putting the database on the same disk as backups.
  • !Skipping a test restore and backup schedule before go-live.
  • !Installing the client while logged in as a user who will not use it.

How an ERP-grounded AI assistant handles this

Installation is not something an AI assistant should do for you. After it is live, a read-only assistant on the same network can answer questions about the data in plain language without installing anything on every workstation, and it stays inside your firewall when deployed on-prem.

Frequently asked questions

What is the JobBOSS workstation?

A PC with the JobBOSS client installed and configured to connect to the JobBOSS database on the server. Each user machine needs one.

Does JobBOSS need SQL Server?

Yes. Data is held in a Microsoft SQL Server database, so the server must have a supported SQL Server edition before you install.

Why can't my workstation connect?

Check TCP/IP is enabled, the firewall allows the SQL port, the instance name is right, and the SQL login has rights. Test with sqlcmd outside JobBOSS.

Can I install on a laptop for testing?

Yes, a test installation against a restored copy of your database is a good way to rehearse upgrades. Use test data, not live access.

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