Planning to install the IBM RPA on premises client

The planning section describes the steps that you need to follow to install the IBM RPA on premises client. You can also learn more about IBM RPA tenants, where to get your tenant code, your installation key and where to download the IBM RPA installer.

What is installed

IBM RPA on premises client installs applications that you need to build and deploy your bots:

Application Function
Bot Runtime The Bot Runtime feature enables your computer to run IBM RPA bots. This feature is used by every other IBM RPA instance.
IBM RPA Studio The IBM RPA Studio feature enables your computer to run an instance of IBM RPA Studio. For more information, see IBM RPA Studio.
IBM RPA Launcher Use it to start bots on demand. For more information, see IBM RPA Launcher.
IBM RPA Vault The IBM RPA Vault feature enables your computer to run the IBM RPA Vault. The vault stores secrets and credentials. For more information, see IBM RPA Vault.

Downloading the installer

For more information on downloading the installer, see Downloading the installer.

Obtaining licensing information

IBM RPA on premises uses IBM License Metric Tool to monitor usage and enforce license compliance. This offering doesn't require a license key for either server or client components. You can use the same concurrent connection license on multiple computers.

IBM RPA reports usage information to the IBM License Metric Tool monitor licenses through three different metrics:

  • Concurrent Attended Bot
  • Concurrent Unattended Bot
  • Environments that are related to installations

You need to install IBM License Metric Tool server on your IT environment. For more information, see IBM License Metric Tool information External link and License Metric Tool with HCL BigFix.

Overview of tenants

A tenant is an independent logical section on the IBM Robotic Process Automation server and they are also called environments. They store data and resources such as users, computers, scripts, credentials, dashboards, and much more that you can check in Details about tenants. This data and resources are available on the IBM RPA Control Center and you can use them to better maintain the environment.

Computer certificates

IBM RPA uses a certificate system to authenticate computers on the IBM RPA server. After you install IBM RPA Client, your computer is registered to a tenant that you configured with the installation key. The certificate ensures that your computer maintains a secure communication with the server.

Getting your tenant code

Starting from version 23.0.2, you no longer need the tenant code to install the client. This option was replaced by the Installation key.

Provide the tenant code at the installation process to register the computer to a tenant:

  1. Log in to the IBM RPA Control Center.
  2. Click the Profile icon The avatar icon that represents the profile.
  3. Copy the number that follows the Code label.

The tenant code is shown closely to the sign-out option.

You can only access the IBM RPA Control Center once you have installed and configured the IBM RPA server.

Getting the installation key

Starting from version 23.0.2, new client installations require an installation key. See Installation key for more details about the installation keys.

You can get your tenant's installation key from the IBM RPA Control Center by clicking the icon of a key on the top navigation bar:

getting_install_key

Important:
  • Installation keys are only needed for new client installations. Existing installations are not affected.
  • If your tenant administrator changes the installation key, you don't need to reinstall your client or change your existing installation key.