Installing IDOT on Windows by using the MSI installer

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The Instana Distribution of OpenTelemetry Collector (IDOT) can be installed on Windows systems by using a Microsoft Installer (MSI) package. This installation method provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for easy configuration and automated service setup.

Prerequisites

Before you install IDOT on Windows, makes sure that you have:

  • Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2016 or later (64-bit).
  • Administrator privileges.
  • Network access to download the MSI installer.
  • Your Instana agent key.
  • Your Instana backend endpoint information.

Downloading the MSI installer

Download the latest IDOT MSI installer for Windows from the official GitHub releases page. Look for the file named instana-otel-collector-installer-latest-windows-amd64-msi.zip under the latest release.

Installing IDOT by using the GUI

  1. Double-click the MSI file that you downloaded to start the installation wizard.
  2. Click Next on the welcome screen.
  3. Review and accept the license agreement, then click Next.
  4. Accept the default installation directory (C:\Program Files\Instana\instana-collector\) or specify a custom location, then click Next.
  5. Configure the required parameters:
    • Instana Agent Key: Enter your Instana agent key for authentication.
    • OTLP gRPC Endpoint: Enter the gRPC endpoint (format: <endpoint>:<port>).
    • OTLP HTTP Endpoint: Enter the HTTP endpoint (format: <endpoint>:<port>).
  6. Click Install to begin the installation.
  7. Click Finish when the installation completes.

The installer automatically:

  • Creates the installation directory structure
  • Configures the collector service
  • Starts the Instana collector service
  • Registers the service to start automatically on system boot

MSI installation parameters

The following parameters can be used with the MSI installer:

Parameter Required Description Example
INSTANA_KEY Yes Instana agent key for authentication "<your_agent_key>"
INSTANA_OTEL_ENDPOINT_GRPC Yes gRPC endpoint for OTLP data "otlp-grpc-blue-saas.instana.io:443"
INSTANA_OTEL_ENDPOINT_HTTP Yes HTTP endpoint for OTLP data "otlp-http-blue-saas.instana.io:443"
INSTALLDIR No Installation directory "C:\Program Files\Instana\instana-collector"

Configuration for connecting to a local Instana agent

If you are sending data through a local Instana agent on the same Windows host, use 127.0.0.1 for the endpoints:

msiexec /i instana-otel-collector-windows-amd64.msi /quiet `
  INSTANA_OTEL_ENDPOINT_GRPC="http://127.0.0.1:4317" `
  INSTANA_OTEL_ENDPOINT_HTTP="http://127.0.0.1:4318"

After installation, verify and update the configuration file at C:\Program Files\Instana\instana-collector\config\config.env to use HTTP protocol:

INSTANA_OTEL_ENDPOINT_GRPC=http://127.0.0.1:4317
INSTANA_OTEL_ENDPOINT_HTTP=http://127.0.0.1:4318
Important: When you target localhost (127.0.0.1), use http:// instead of https://. The local agent does not use TLS encryption for localhost connections.

Configuration for connecting to the Instana backend

If you are sending data directly to the Instana backend, use the following endpoints:

msiexec /i instana-otel-collector-windows-amd64.msi /quiet `
  INSTANA_KEY="<your_instana_key>" `
  INSTANA_OTEL_ENDPOINT_GRPC="<your_instana_otel_grpc_endpoint>" `
  INSTANA_OTEL_ENDPOINT_HTTP="<your_instana_otel_http_endpoint>"

Post-installation configuration

After installation, you can modify the configuration by editing the following files:

Environment configuration

Edit C:\Program Files\Instana\instana-collector\config\config.env to update environment variables:

INSTANA_KEY=<your_agent_key>
INSTANA_OTEL_ENDPOINT_GRPC=<your_instana_otel_grpc_endpoint>:443
INSTANA_OTEL_ENDPOINT_HTTP=<your_instana_otel_http_endpoint>:443

Collector configuration

Edit C:\Program Files\Instana\instana-collector\config\config.yaml to customize the collector behavior, receivers, processors, and exporters. See Configuring the OpenTelemetry Collector for details.

After you make the configuration changes, restart the service:

Restart-Service "InstanaOTelCollector"

Managing the Windows service

The MSI installer creates Windows services that can be managed by using standard Windows tools.

By using PowerShell

Start the service:

Start-Service "InstanaOTelCollector"

Stop the service:

Stop-Service "InstanaOTelCollector"

Restart the service:

Restart-Service "InstanaOTelCollector"

Check service status:

Get-Service "InstanaOTelCollector"

By using Services console

  1. Press Win+R and type services.msc.
  2. Find "InstanaOTelCollector" in the list.
  3. Right-click and select Start, Stop, or Restart.

By using Command Prompt (cmd)

Start the service:

sc start "InstanaOTelCollector"

Stop the service:

sc stop "InstanaOTelCollector"

Query service status:

sc query "InstanaOTelCollector"

Verifying the installation

After installation, verify that the collector is running and sending data:

  1. Check the service status: 
    Get-Service "InstanaOTelCollector"
  2. Check Windows Event Viewer: 
    Get-EventLog -LogName Application -Source "InstanaOTelCollector" -Newest 20

    Or open Event Viewer GUI:

    • Press Win+R, type eventvwr.msc, and press Enter.
    • Navigate to Windows Logs > Application.
    • Filter by source "InstanaOTelCollector" to see service-related events.
  3. Verify connectivity to Instana backend: 
    Test-NetConnection -ComputerName <your_endpoint> -Port 443

Uninstalling IDOT

By using the MSI GUI

  1. Open Control Panel > Programs and Features.
  2. Find "Instana OpenTelemetry Collector" in the list.
  3. Right-click and select Uninstall.
  4. Follow the uninstallation wizard.

Upgrading IDOT

To upgrade to a newer version:

  1. Download the latest MSI installer.
  2. Run the new MSI installer (it automatically detects and upgrades the existing installation).
  3. The installer preserves your configuration files during the upgrade.

Troubleshooting

Installation fails

  • Make sure that you have administrator privileges.
  • Check that no other process is using the installation directory.

Service does not start

  • Verify the configuration in config.env is correct.
  • Check the Windows Event Viewer for error messages.
  • Ensure network connectivity to the Instana backend.
  • Review the collector logs in C:\Program Files\Instana\instana-collector\logs directory.

Connection issues

  • Verify that firewall rules allow outbound connections on port 443.
  • Test connectivity: Test-NetConnection -ComputerName <your_endpoint> -Port 443.
  • For localhost connections, make sure that HTTP (not HTTPS) is used.

For more troubleshooting guidance, see Troubleshooting the IDOT.

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