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Upgrade to Adobe InDesign Server 2021 or later

Karl J.
  • Updated

This article only applies to Typefi customers using Typefi Server for Workgroup on Windows.

Typefi Server 8.7.2 and later adds support for Adobe InDesign Server 2021 and later. InDesign Server 2021 and later is quite a bit different in terms of distribution and licensing than in the past.

Overview

  1. Prep
  2. Download required files from the Typefi FTP
  3. Remove existing components
  4. Install new components
  5. Initialise the InDesign Server configuration
  6. Verify the InDesign Server configuration

Please allow for 1-2 hours to upgrade to InDesign Server 2021.

1. Prep ↩

  1. Make sure you are running Typefi Server 8.7.2 or later.
  2. Check the system requirements. Here are the Typefi Server system requirements and the InDesign Server system requirements.
  3. Inventory and collect assets. Use this checklist as a guide:
    • Make a note of your service account for InDesign in Services.
    • Windows Task Scheduler: review whether any manually created scheduled tasks exist to re-serialise existing/older versions of InDesign Server and disable those tasks when upgrading.
    • Windows Services Manager: note the Log On As username for “InDesignServerService x64” and verify you have the password.
    • Windows “This PC” Properties: acquire the hostname (computer name) of the machine.
    • Adobe InDesign Server - Plug-Ins: determine which plug-Ins may be in use. Common plug-ins include:
      • Typefi Designer Server
      • Typefi Typefitter Server
      • movemen MathTools
    • Adobe InDesign Server - Fonts: review whether custom fonts are loaded.
    • Adobe InDesign Server - PDF Presets: review whether custom PDF Presets (Job Options) are used.
    • Windows Management Console: Using the InDesign Server Snap-In, record the InDesignServerService configuration, specifically the port numbers used by your installation.
  4. Prepare your licensing request. We will generate a custom Adobe Licensing Toolkit—this includes an .exe and .json file—on request within your organisation’s service level agreement. For this request, please send an email to help@typefi.com with the following information:
    • What is your upgrade timeline?
    • Is this a migration or an in-place upgrade?
    • What is the machine's hostname (computer name) that will be the Adobe InDesign Server instance?
    • What kind of support would you prefer to have from our team?

2. Download required files ↩

Once we have received your licensing request, we will put the required files in the Typefi FTP. This is what you'll need to download:

  • Adobe InDesign Server installer (Limited or Premium).
  • Adobe Licensing Toolkit (Custom package). This is a custom package built for your organisation; it includes an .exe and .json file. You'll need both when you license InDesign Server (step 5.2). Once generated, you will find it in the [Organisation]\AdobeLicensing folder. If that folder is missing, the licensing request was not yet completed.
  • Typefi Designer Server, located in the Typefi__Designer Server folder.
  • Typefi Typefitter Server (if required).

3. Remove existing components ↩

In this step, you will uninstall Typefi Designer Server and deprovision InDesign Server.

3.1 Uninstall Typefi Designer Server

  1. Open the control panel.
  2. Uninstall Typefi Designer Server from Control Panel Programs.
  3. Uninstall Typefi Typefitter Server from Control Panel Programs (if required).

3.2 Deprovision InDesign Server

  1. Disable IE Enhanced Configuration; if you do not do this, you will likely have a difficult-to-spot prompt mid-way through InDesign Server installation.
  2. Open Command Line as Administrator.
  3. Change directories into the Adobe InDesign Server folder.
  4. Type mmc and open the Microsoft Management Console.
  5. Go to File and Add/Remove Snap-In, and add InDesign Server.
  6. Double click InDesignServerService; make a note of the port numbers (Right-click → Properties).
  7. Delete (Right-click → Delete) the instances you have here (there may be one or more).
  8. Exit (no need to save the MMC console).
  9. Back in the command line, type regsvr32 indesignservermmc64.dll /u to unregister the snap-in.
  10. Type indesignserverservice.exe /install -u to remove the service.

4. Install new components ↩

In this step, you will run the installers you downloaded from the Typefi FTP, as well as any third-party plug-ins.

  1. Install InDesign Server 2021 or later.
    1. Unblock the ZIP.
    2. Extract the ZIP.
    3. Go to the Builds folder run setup.
  2. Run the Typefi Designer Server installer.
  3. Install Typefitter Server (if required).
  4. Install any third-party plug-ins.

5. Initialise configuration ↩

In this step, you will install the services, license the InDesign Server, and migrate fonts and PDF presets.

5.1 Install services

  1. Register DLL.
  2. Install Server Services (type indesignserverservice.exe /install to install the service).
  3. Open MMC and recreate the services.
  4. Set the Logon As service account.
  5. Set the service to start automatically.

5.2 License InDesign Server

Licensing is done via administrator elevated command line, from the directory you have the toolkit extracted to, using this command:

adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe --precondition --install --filePath <absolute path of the .json file>
  1. Run the custom license package (if supplied) and then follow Adobe Licensing Toolkit info for serialisation.
  2. Change directories in the open command line to the new Adobe InDesign Server folder.
  3. Type regsvr32 indesignservermmc64.dll to register the snap-in.
  4. Type mmc and open the Microsoft Management Console.
  5. Go to File and Add/Remove Snap-In, and add InDesign Server.
  6. Double click InDesignServerService.
  7. Right-click and choose New. Enter port 8470, or whichever ports you may have used.
  8. Close the console; you don't have to save.

5.3 Migrate

  1. Migrate content from the Fonts folder as well as Resources\Adobe PDF\settings\mul.
  2. If you have third-party plug-ins, carry over any licensing information you may need.
  3. Verify successful startup using the InDesignServer.com command.
  4. Update InDesignServerServices in Services console to Automatic (Delayed Start) startup and update the Logon As information if necessary.
  5. Start the service.

6. Verify configuration ↩

  1. Start the InDesignServerService.
  2. Verify that one or more InDesignServe.exe processes launch on the system and remain running three minutes after starting.
  3. Reboot the system and verify it.

If you have any questions about showing upgrading to InDesign Server 2021 or later, please contact us. We're here to help.

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