Installation options

PLA 3.0 supports a variety of installation options that you should be familiar with before starting the installation process.

The key aspects to consider include:

Key component location: Where should the key components of PLA 3.0—the software, license system, and database—be located within your environment?
Trial version installation: Are you installing the licensed version of PLA 3.0, or do you want to evaluate it by installing the trial version?
Offline environment installation: Will PLA 3.0 have internet access (online), or will it be installed in an offline environment?

Key component location

When integrating PLA 3.0 into your environment, you need to decide on the location of three key components: the software, the license system, and the database. Each component can be located locally, in a network, or on a server. You can combine these options as needed to suit your specific infrastructure and operational requirements.

For a description of some typical deployment scenarios, see the Common deployment scenarios topic.


Component	Option	What you need to do	Related installation task
Software	Local installation on one computer.	Install PLA 3.0 on this computer.	2. Install the PLA 3.0 software
	Local installation on several computers.	Install PLA 3.0 on all these computers.
	Installation on an application server.	Install PLA 3.0 on the application server.
	Installation on a terminal server.	Install PLA 3.0 on the terminal server.
License system	Local license on the same computer as the PLA 3.0 software.	Install the PLA 3.0 license system on this computer.	3. Install the PLA 3.0 license system
	License on a computer that serves as a license server	Install the PLA 3.0 license system on the computer that serves as a license server.
	License on a license server.	Install the PLA 3.0 license system on the license server.
Database	Local SQLite database.	Create a local SQLite database and connect PLA 3.0 with it.	5. Create a PLA 3.0 database 6. Connect PLA 3.0 to a database
	Shared SQLite database.	Create a shared SQLite database and connect PLA 3.0 with it.
	Microsoft SQL Server database	Initialize a Microsoft SQL Server database and connect PLA 3.0 with it.

Trial version installation

Use the PLA 3.0 trial version to evaluate and test core functionality before purchasing a license. Find out whether PLA 3.0 covers your business requirements, and check out the latest features to make an informed update decision.

To install the trial version, you need to complete the same steps as for the licensed version, with the following differences:

Skip the installation of the license system.
Skip the activation of your license.

For a detailed description of this trial version, see the PLA 3.0 trial topic.

Note: The PLA 3.0 trial version can be located on local computers only, using a local SQLite database.

Offline environment installation

The installation of PLA 3.0 is optimized for environments with access to the internet (online). You can also install and run PLA 3.0 in an offline environment, that is, without internet connection. However, you need a computer with internet access to download the required setup files.

To install PLA 3.0 in an offline environment, you need to complete the same steps as for the licensed version. Transfer the downloaded installation files to the offline system. Then, complete the following extra steps:


What you need to do	Related installation task
Download and refresh your information package manually.	7. Download and refresh your information package
Import the add-ons into your add-on repository.	8. Import your add-ons into the add-on repository

Important: When running PLA 3.0 in an offline environment, we recommend deactivating automatic internet access. To do this in PLA 3.0, go to System > Preferences > General, then set Internet access to manual or disable it completely. Otherwise, PLA 3.0 will try to connect to the internet when starting, which may increase response time.