Summary

SDP package imports are normally performed interactively through the STARLIMS Designer. This article describes how to trigger an SDP import from a script or the command line instead, by running the STARLIMS application worker process with a dedicated configuration. This makes unattended and automated package deployment possible.

Requirement

Trigger an SDP package import from a script (.bat or other) without opening the STARLIMS Designer.

Files Required

Two template files are used to drive the import:

• background-sdp.config — the worker process configuration
• background-sdp.srv — the service definition, which also defines the folder the .sdp packages are read from

Procedure

1. Obtain the background-sdp.config and background-sdp.srv template files.
2. Edit both files and replace every placeholder variable with the values for your system. Placeholders follow this pattern:

#{DATABASE_SERVER}#

Or Obtain .config file from current Manager service configuration or STARLIMS -> web.config

1. Create a folder to hold the .sdp files you want to import. The location of this folder is defined in background-sdp.srv.
2. Place the .sdp package files into that folder.
3. Run the application worker process executable, passing the configuration file:

#{PATH_TO_WORKER_PROCESS_EXECUTABLE}#\Starlims.Server.WorkerProcess.exe -config background-sdp.config

Notes

• Every placeholder in both files must be replaced before the process is run, otherwise the worker process will not connect to the target system.
• The command in step 5 can be wrapped in a .bat file or invoked from any scheduler, which is what enables automated SDP deployment.
• The folder referenced in background-sdp.srv is the pickup location for the packages, so confirm the path matches where the .sdp files are staged.