Demo installations
In demo installations, all the components of the solution are installed on the same machine with a simplified password and access account configuration.
WARNING
Additional components cannot be added in demonstration installations.
Such installations are recommended only for test or demonstration purposes. Do not install a demo in a production environment.
In addition, a demonstration installation cannot be migrated to a standard installation. The solution would need to be fully uninstalled before you can proceed with a standard installation.
To install SES Evolution:
-
Log in to the machine using a Windows account with the following characteristics:
- If the machine belongs to a domain, the Windows account must be a domain account,
- It must hold administration privileges on the local machine,
- If the database already existed before the installation, the account must have access to the database instance with the “sysadmin” server role.
- Double-click on the SES_Evolution_Installation_Center.exe file.
- Click on New installation.
- Select Demo installation.
- Installation options in the Databases section are automatically selected based on your configuration:
- If there are no SQL Server instances installed on the workstation, SES Evolution will suggest installing SQL Server Express. The first option will then be automatically selected. The Installation Center automatically detects the SQL Server Express installation file, and the SQL Server Express update file (if there is one), if they are in the same folder as the Installation Center. Fill in the information required to connect to the SQL Server Express instance.
- If there is already a SQL Server instance on the workstation, the second option will be automatically selected. The SQL Server instance must not contain any data. The name of the database instance appears automatically.
- The “sysadmin" role is required for the creation of databases, regardless of whether a Windows or SQL Server account is selected.
- Configure Log database storage. The parameters differ depending on whether you have SQL Server Enterprise or SQL Server Express.
- Log storage path: Use the default SQL Server storage path or a custom path. This field is available only on SQL Server Enterprise.
- Agent event retention and System log retention: SES Evolution logs are kept by default for 12 months before they are automatically deleted, and only for two months if you are using SQL Server Express. Enter a retention period higher than or equal to 1 month. The maximum duration allowed on SQL Server Express is 12 months.
Logs can be kept indefinitely on SQL Server Enterprise. As such, ensure that you always have enough disk space to contain all logs.
Retention values can be modified later through the administration console. For more information, refer to the section
- In the General single password section, set a password which will be used later to encrypt certification authorities and the backend component’s connections to databases. Choose a password that meets the requirements of the database instance.
The super administrator account is the domain account with which you have logged in. It must belong to the same Active Directory domain as the SQL server, the various SES Evolution database instances and the administration console. If this is not the case, then a relationship of trust must be established between the domains. - Register your license file. To get your license, refer to the section Getting the SES Evolution license.
- Click Install.
- In the next step, move your mouse randomly to produce random numbers. The certificates needed to run SES Evolution and guarantee its security are generated from these numbers.
- Quit the Installation Center once the installation is complete. The solution is now ready.
You are advised to back up the administration database and log database regularly.

Installation failed. The network path was not found
Situation: During a demo installation, the Installation center displays this error:
Installation failed. The network path was not found.
Cause: The host is linked to an Active Directory but you have run the Installation center with a local account.
Solution: Log in as an Active Directory account to install SES Evolution.