Command Line Installation
This page explains the steps required to install NCache on Windows, along with any necessary prerequisites. It also describes the available installer parameters and how they can be used to accommodate different application and deployment environments.
Important
Before installing NCache using command line installation, make sure that .NET 10 is installed on the target machine.
Install NCache Using Command Line
Note
For NCache Open Source, the installation type is only Server.
Search for Command Prompt on the Windows Start menu. Right-click on the search result Command Prompt, and select Run as Administrator, before proceeding with the following installation examples:
Basic Installation
Run msiexec.exe utility from Command Prompt to install NCache using the default installation settings. The installer uses the provided license key and applies default values for all other installer parameters. Please refer to the NCache Installation Options to learn more about the default installation values. /qn indicates Silent Mode.
msiexec.exe /I "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" KEY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX /qn
Install Server
Run msiexec.exe utility from Command Prompt to install Server as follows. Notice INSTALL="Server" indicates “Server” installation (please refer to the NCache Installation Options to learn more about Server). /qn indicates Silent Mode.
Warning
Please note that options such as START_CACHE, ENABLE_FIREWALL_PORTS, and BIND_TO_IP are not available in the NCache Open Source edition.
msiexec.exe /I "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" INSTALL="Server" KEY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX INSTALL_DIR="C:\Program Files\NCache" BIND_TO_IP="20.200.20.11" ENABLE_FIREWALL_PORTS=1 START_CACHE="True" /qn
Install Developer
Run msiexec.exe utility from Command Prompt to install NCache in Developer mode as follows. Notice INSTALL="Developer" indicates “Developer” installation (please refer to the NCache Installation Options to learn more about Dev/QA). /qn indicates Silent Mode.
msiexec.exe /I "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" INSTALL="Developer" KEY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX INSTALL_DIR="C:\Program Files\NCache" BIND_TO_IP="20.200.20.11" ENABLE_FIREWALL_PORTS=1 START_CACHE="True" /qn
Install Client
Run msiexec.exe utility from Command Prompt to install NCache Client as follows. Notice INSTALL="Client" indicates “Client” installation (please refer to the NCache Installation Options to learn more about the Client). /qn indicates Silent Mode.
msiexec.exe /I "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" INSTALL="Client" KEY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX INSTALL_DIR="C:\Program Files\NCache" BIND_TO_IP="20.200.20.11" ENABLE_FIREWALL_PORTS=1 START_CACHE="True" /qn
Install NCache Using Different UI Modes
Windows Installer provides different UI levels that can be used depending on the installation experience required.
Install Using Basic UI
The /qb option displays a basic installation interface during the installation process.
msiexec.exe /I "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" INSTALL="Server" KEY="XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" /qb
Install Using Basic UI With Completion Dialog
The /qb+ option displays a basic installation interface and shows a final dialog box after installation completes.
msiexec.exe /I "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" INSTALL="Server" KEY="XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" /qb+
Install Using Full UI
The /qf option displays the complete NCache installation wizard. In this mode, the license key can be entered during the installation process.
msiexec.exe /I "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" /qf
Install While Logging Potential Installation Errors
Run the msiexec.exe utility from the Command Prompt with an appropriate Windows Installer logging option and specify the path where the log file should be created. These logging options can be combined with /qn, /qn+, /qb, /qb+, /qr, or /qf depending on the installation mode.
/le: Logs all error messages./lv: Logs verbose output./l*: Logs all standard information except verbose output (/lv) and extra debugging information (/lx).
You can combine /l* with v as /L*V to log all standard information along with verbose output. For example:
msiexec.exe /I "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" INSTALL="Server" KEY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX INSTALL_DIR="C:\Program Files\NCache" /L*V "D:\NCache-install.log"
Note
You can use these logging options with any installation mode to generate installation logs.
Install NCache with a Bound Service IP
Run msiexec.exe from Command Prompt and specify the BIND_TO_IP property to bind the NCache Service to a particular network interface. By default, NCache binds to the primary IP address of the local machine. However, in environments with multiple network interfaces (multi-NIC servers), you may want NCache to listen on a specific IP address.
msiexec.exe /I "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" INSTALL="Server" KEY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX INSTALL_DIR="C:\Program Files\NCache" BIND_TO_IP="10.10.0.15" /qn
Install NCache With Firewall Rules
Run msiexec.exe from Command Prompt and use the ENABLE_FIREWALL_PORTS property to control whether the installer automatically creates Windows Firewall rules for NCache ports. By default, the installer enables the required firewall ports to allow communication between Servers and clients.
msiexec.exe /I "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" INSTALL="Server" KEY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX INSTALL_DIR="C:\Program Files\NCache" ENABLE_FIREWALL_PORTS=1 /qn
Install NCache and Start Default Cache
Run msiexec.exe from Command Prompt and use the START_CACHE property to control whether the defaultCache starts automatically after installation.
By default, the installer starts the defaultCache at the end of installation for Server mode.
msiexec.exe /I "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" INSTALL="Server" KEY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX INSTALL_DIR="C:\Program Files\NCache" START_CACHE="True" /qn
Install NCache Assemblies into the Global Assembly Cache (GAC)
Note
This is only applicable till 5.3.6.
Run msiexec.exe from Command Prompt and use the INSTALLDLLSTOGAC property to install all NCache assemblies into the Global Assembly Cache (GAC). This is a machine-level repository used by .NET Framework to store strongly named shared assemblies, which is located at C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\assembly\ for centralized assembly management.
Set INSTALLDLLSTOGAC=True to install NCache assemblies in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC), allowing multiple .NET Framework applications to use the same centrally installed assemblies instead of maintaining separate local copies. This option is not applicable to .NET 8 or other modern .NET applications and should remain disabled if application-local deployment is preferred.
msiexec.exe /I "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" INSTALL="Server" KEY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX INSTALL_DIR="C:\Program Files\NCache" INSTALLDLLSTOGAC=True /qn
Important
If you choose to provide an account other than the local account, you have to allow this user to log in to the NCache Service. See troubleshooting for more details.
You can refer to the Getting Started Guide to get you started with setting up the NCache environment.
Installer Reference
The following are the properties that you need to provide while installing NCache using command-line installation. Properties marked with (*) are mandatory.
Note
The following parameters are available while installing NCache using command-line installation. Parameters not specified in the command use their default values.
| Switch/Properties | Purpose | Default Value |
|---|---|---|
KEY* |
Specifies the license key provided when you download NCache. This parameter is required for silent installation (/qn) and basic interactive installation (/qb, /qb+, /qr). For full interactive installation (/qf), the license key can be entered during the installation wizard. |
- |
INSTALL |
Specifies the installation type. Possible values are: - Server (Server) - Developer (Developer) - Client (Client) |
Server |
INSTALL_DIR |
Specifies the directory where you want NCache to be installed. | C:\\Program Files\\NCache |
BIND_TO_IP |
IP address to which the NCache Service binds. | First NIC |
ENABLE_FIREWALL_PORTS |
Defines whether firewall rules are created to allow NCache ports when the firewall is enabled. | True |
START_CACHE |
Defines whether the default cache is started at the end of the installation. | True |
INSTALLDLLSTOGAC |
Installs NCache assemblies into the Global Assembly Cache (GAC), allowing them to be shared across the machine by multiple applications. This is only applicable to NCache .NET Framework client assemblies used by .NET Framework applications. NOTE: This is only applicable till 5.3.6. |
False |
/I <.msi Package Path> |
Specifies the path of the .msi file downloaded from the Alachisoft website. | - |
/qn |
Specifies there's no UI during the installation process. | - |
/qn+ |
Specifies there's no UI during the installation process, except for a final dialog box at the end. | - |
/qb |
Specifies there's a basic UI during the installation process. | - |
/qb+ |
Specifies there's a basic UI during the installation process, including a final dialog box at the end. | - |
/qr |
Specifies a reduced UI experience during the installation process. | - |
/qf |
Specifies a full UI experience during the installation process. | - |
/le <Log File Path> |
Logs all error messages to the specified log file. | - |
/lv <Log File Path> |
Logs verbose installation information to the specified log file. | - |
/l* <Log File Path> |
Logs standard installation information to the specified log file. | - |
/L*V <Log File Path> |
Logs standard installation information along with verbose output. | - |
Note
For Server installation, the START_CACHE flag is set to true by default, which means that the defaultCache will automatically start at the end of the installation.
If no log file path is specified for installer logging, installation errors are recorded in the Windows Event Log.
Uninstall NCache Using Command Line Installation
Run msiexec.exe utility from Command Prompt to uninstall NCache as follows. It’s the same command for uninstalling Server/Developer/Client. /qn indicates Silent Mode.
msiexec.exe /x "\\UNC\NCacheSetup\ncache.ent.x64.msi" /qn
Note
If you encounter any issues during installation, please refer to the troubleshooting section.
See Also
Windows Installation
Network Installation with PowerShell
Evaluation Period Management
