17.4.1 Procedure for recording your installation operations

This subsection explains how to use the Recorder to record the installation operations you actually perform. This recording automatically generates an initial AIT file that you will modify to create the desired AIT file that simulates the user operations.

When you use the Recorder to record installation operations, you can add the AIT_LogMesssage statement in the AIT file. This statement enables the automatic logging functionality that logs messages when recorded operations (events) are replayed. The logged messages will be helpful when you test the AIT file you created. You can test the AIT file by choosing Execute from the Build menu.

While you are recording your installation operations, do not use the mouse whenever possible. Since mouse operations depend on screen coordinates, the simulation may be unable to securely respond to the installer. The Recorder may fail to record operations using the mouse wheel. You should record events by keying-in instead of mouse operations.

Before recording, terminate all the applications other than the Automatic Installation Tool and the installer. Even if you do not carry out operations for other applications, the Recorder records all the displayed windows.

From the Tools menu, choose Recorder.

The Recorder dialog box appears.

Figure 17‒8: Recorder dialog box (start recording)
Select the Add logging check box. When the installer is not activated yet, specify the executable file of the installer in Installer name.

Installer name

In the Installer name text box, you can specify the executable file of the installer of the software for which you want to record the installation operations. When you leave this text box blank, you must activate the installer in advance.

Add logging

When this check box is selected, the AIT_LogMesssage statement is added to the AIT file. When this statement is added, the Automatic Installation Tool logs errors and informational messages while simulating the user operations based on the AIT file.

When this check box is not selected, the AIT_LogMesssage statement is not added to the generated AIT file.
Click the Start button.

The subsequent user operations will be recorded.

When you have specified the installer in Installer name in Step 2, the specified installer is activated.
Carry out actual software installation operations.

The system creates a recording sequence for simulating user operations.

While the JP1/ITDM2 Automatic Installation Tool is recording your operations, its icon is displayed in the Windows taskbar.
When you have finished performing the operations for software installation, click the JP1/ITDM2 Automatic Installation Tool icon on the Windows taskbar.

In general, always use the left mouse button to stop the recording.

In Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2, right-clicking the icon displays a Windows Jump List. Displaying a Windows Jump List is recorded as an installation operation. To prevent this problem, always use the left mouse button to click the Automatic Installation Tool icon.

The following Recorder dialog box appears. At this point of time, the recording is paused.

Figure 17‒9: Recorder dialog box (pause recording)

Click the Stop button.

The recording ends. A message box appears to confirm whether to update the package information.

If you click Yes in this message box, the Package Information dialog box appears. You can then generate the PACKAGE_INFO section. For details about the Package Information dialog box, see 17.5 Generating the PACKAGE_INFO section.

If you click No, the JP1/ITDM2 Automatic Installation Tool window opens, displaying the contents of the generated AIT file.

Figure 17‒10: JP1/ITDM2 Automatic Installation Tool window displaying the contents of an AIT file

From the File menu, choose Save As to save the automatically generated AIT file with any name you like.

The AIT file is saved with the extension .ais. This is an initial AIT file that you will modify as required to create the desired AIT file.

If a restart event occurs during recording, operations carried out by the user during the recording will be held by the Automatic Installation Tool. When you activate the Automatic Installation Tool after the PC is restarted, the Automatic Installation Tool displays a message box to confirm whether to generate the AIT file. Click Yes to generate the AIT file.

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