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Installation & Upgrade Guide

ThingConnect Pulse provides a professional Windows installer for easy deployment and management. This guide covers installation, upgrade procedures, and troubleshooting.

System Requirements​

Minimum Requirements:

  • Windows Server 2019 or Windows 10 (version 1903 or later)
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 2 GB available disk space
  • Administrator privileges for installation
  • Network connectivity to monitored devices

Recommended:

  • Windows Server 2022 or Windows 11
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 10 GB available disk space (for logs and historical data)
  • Dedicated service account (optional)

Installation​

Download and Install​

  1. Download the latest installer: ThingConnect Pulse - Setup 1.0.0.exe
  2. Right-click the installer and select "Run as administrator"
  3. Follow the installation wizard

Installation Process​

The installer automatically:

✅ Installs application files to C:\Program Files\ThingConnect.Pulse ✅ Creates data directories in C:\ProgramData\ThingConnect.Pulse ✅ Registers the Windows service ThingConnectPulseSvc ✅ Starts the monitoring service ✅ Creates Start Menu shortcuts ✅ Configures service recovery options

Installation Directories​

C:\Program Files\ThingConnect.Pulse\     # Application files
│   ├── ThingConnect.Pulse.Server.exe    # Main service executable
│   ├── wwwroot\                         # Web interface files
│   └── ...                             # Supporting libraries

C:\ProgramData\ThingConnect.Pulse\       # Data and configuration
│   ├── config\                         # Configuration files
│   ├── data\                           # SQLite database
│   ├── logs\                           # Service logs
│   └── versions\                       # Configuration history

First-Time Setup​

After installation:

  1. Open browser to http://localhost:8090
  2. Create your administrator account
  3. Configure your first monitoring targets
  4. Verify monitoring is working
Default Port

ThingConnect Pulse runs on port 8090 by default. If this port is in use, check the service logs for the actual port being used.

Service Management​

Windows Service Control​

The installer creates a Windows service that starts automatically with Windows:

Service Name: ThingConnectPulseSvc Display Name: ThingConnect Pulse Server Startup Type: Automatic Recovery: Restart on failure

Manual Service Control​

Use these commands in an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt:

# Check service status
sc query ThingConnectPulseSvc

# Start the service
net start ThingConnectPulseSvc

# Stop the service
net stop ThingConnectPulseSvc

# Restart the service
net stop ThingConnectPulseSvc && net start ThingConnectPulseSvc

Service Manager (GUI)​

  1. Press Win + R, type services.msc
  2. Find "ThingConnect Pulse Server"
  3. Right-click to Start, Stop, or Restart
  4. Double-click to modify startup type and recovery options

Upgrades​

In-Place Upgrade​

  1. Download the new installer version
  2. Run as administrator - the installer will automatically:
    • Stop the existing service
    • Update application files
    • Preserve your data and configuration
    • Restart the service
Zero Downtime Upgrades

Your monitoring data, configuration, and historical information are automatically preserved during upgrades. The service typically restarts within 10-15 seconds.

Upgrade Process​

During upgrade, the installer:

✅ Detects existing installation ✅ Stops the running service ✅ Backs up configuration files ✅ Updates application files ✅ Preserves database and logs ✅ Restarts the service ✅ Validates successful upgrade

Manual Upgrade (Advanced)​

For custom deployments or automation:

  1. Build new version using build-installer.ps1
  2. Stop service: net stop ThingConnectPulseSvc
  3. Backup data: Copy C:\ProgramData\ThingConnect.Pulse
  4. Replace files in C:\Program Files\ThingConnect.Pulse
  5. Start service: net start ThingConnectPulseSvc

Uninstallation​

Standard Uninstall​

  1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps
  2. Find "ThingConnect Pulse"
  3. Click "Uninstall"
  4. Choose whether to remove monitoring data

What Gets Removed​

Always removed:

  • Application files from Program Files
  • Windows service registration
  • Start Menu shortcuts

Optional (you choose):

  • Configuration files
  • Historical monitoring data
  • Log files
Data Removal

During uninstall, you'll be prompted whether to remove your monitoring data. Choose "Keep data" if you plan to reinstall or want to preserve historical information.

Manual Cleanup​

If the uninstaller fails:

# Stop and remove service manually
net stop ThingConnectPulseSvc
sc delete ThingConnectPulseSvc

# Remove application files
Remove-Item "C:\Program Files\ThingConnect.Pulse" -Recurse -Force

# Remove data (optional)
Remove-Item "C:\ProgramData\ThingConnect.Pulse" -Recurse -Force

Troubleshooting Installation​

Common Installation Issues​

"Installation failed with error code 1"

  • Ensure you're running as Administrator
  • Check Windows Event Log for details
  • Verify .NET 8 runtime is available

"Service failed to start"

  • Check port 8090 is not in use by another application
  • Verify service account has necessary permissions
  • Review logs in C:\ProgramData\ThingConnect.Pulse\logs

"Cannot connect to web interface"

  • Confirm service is running: sc query ThingConnectPulseSvc
  • Check Windows Firewall settings
  • Try different browsers or incognito mode

Log Files​

Installation and service logs are located in:

C:\ProgramData\ThingConnect.Pulse\logs\
│   ├── pulse-20241201.log        # Daily service logs
│   ├── pulse-20241130.log        # Previous days
│   └── installation.log          # Installer log

Getting Support​

  1. Check logs for error messages
  2. Verify system requirements are met
  3. Test network connectivity to monitored devices
  4. Review Windows Event Viewer for system errors

Advanced Installation​

Building from Source​

For developers or custom deployments:

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/MachDatum/ThingConnect.Pulse.git
cd ThingConnect.Pulse

# Build installer
.\build-installer.ps1

# Output will be in installer\ directory

Custom Installation Paths​

The installer uses standard Windows conventions, but you can:

  • Modify the Inno Setup script (setup.iss) for custom paths
  • Use environment variables to change data directory locations
  • Configure the service to run under specific user accounts

Silent Installation​

For automated deployment:

"ThingConnect Pulse - Setup 1.0.0.exe" /SILENT

Add /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES for completely unattended installation.

Next Steps​

After successful installation: