Installing & Uninstalling
SBN-Search is supplied as one package per platform. Extract it and run the install script from the extracted folder. The same script installs a new server or upgrades an existing one, checks every prerequisite, and prompts for each setting with a default you can accept by pressing Enter.
What you need
- A 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows Server 2019 (or later) host, or an Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 host.
- Administrator rights (an elevated PowerShell window on Windows,
sudoon Linux). - The .NET 8 runtime. See .NET 8 Runtime.
- PostgreSQL 13 or later. The installer uses the shared Innovative PostgreSQL service on the host, and installs it if it is missing. See Innovative PostgreSQL.
- The SBN Data Server address and a login SBN-Search can index with. This can also be entered later on the Dashboard's Connectivity tab.
- Optional: the Innovative NATS service, for live log streaming on the Dashboard's Logs tab. Without it, SBN-Search logs to files only. See Innovative NATS.
Installing
- Download
sbn-search.<version>.windows.ziporsbn-search.<version>.linux.tar.gzfrom the SBN-Search area of your Innovative Releases portal. - Extract it into a working folder on the server. On Linux use
tar -xzf. - Run the install script from that folder and answer the prompts:
| Platform | Run it with |
|---|---|
| Windows | .\install.ps1 from an elevated PowerShell window |
| Linux | sudo ./install.sh |
The installer never installs into the folder it runs from. It writes a run log named install-<date>-<time>.log into a logs folder beside the install script (inside the extracted package folder) recording everything it did, and names that file when it finishes.
What the installer sets up
| Item | Default |
|---|---|
| Install folder | Windows: C:\Innovative\sbn-search (or D:\Innovative\sbn-search when the host has a D: drive). Linux: /opt/innovative/sbn-search |
| Service | sbn-search-default-dashboard. It runs the Dashboard, the search API and the indexer. |
| Dashboard address | https://<server>:9095 |
| Dashboard sign-in | User admin, with the password you enter at the prompt (at least 6 characters) |
| HTTPS certificate | A self-signed certificate covering the server name and its addresses. Browsers show a warning you can accept. On Windows, supply your own with -PfxPath <file> -PfxPassword <password>. |
| Firewall (Windows) | An inbound rule for the Dashboard port, open to the local subnet. Use -FirewallScope Any to open it to every address. |
| Log folder | Windows: C:\Innovative\sbn-search\log (under the install folder). Linux: /opt/innovative/sbn-search/log. An upgraded installation keeps the log folder it already uses. |
| Databases | Two databases in the shared PostgreSQL instance: one for SBN-Search settings and one for the search copy. |
The installer does not start indexing. When it finishes it prints the Dashboard address and a reminder to start indexing from the Index tab. The first run builds the full search copy from the SBN Data Server; on a large system this can take a while, and progress shows on the Index tab.
Updating
Run the install script from the newer package, the same way as a fresh install. It finds the existing installation, keeps its settings and data, replaces the program files, restarts the service, and checks that the running version matches the package.
To upgrade with no prompts, taking every existing setting:
| Platform | Run it with |
|---|---|
| Windows | .\install.ps1 -QuickInstall |
| Linux | sudo ./install.sh --quick-install |
The no-prompt option only upgrades. On a server with no existing installation it stops with exit code 11.
Note: When upgrading from a version that used licenses instead of API keys, the upgrade issues a new API key for each caller and writes them tomigrated-api-keys.txtbeside the SBN-Searchsecrets.jsonfile. The old credentials stop working. Paste each new key into the matching caller, such as APIEngine, then delete the file. The Dashboard lists any caller still waiting for its new key.
Uninstalling
Run the uninstaller with administrator rights from the package folder:
| Platform | Run it with |
|---|---|
| Windows | .\uninstall.ps1 from an elevated PowerShell window |
| Linux | sudo ./uninstall.sh |
The uninstaller lists what it will remove and what it will keep, then asks you to type the instance name to confirm. By default it removes the service, the install folder (program files, settings, logs and certificate) and the firewall rule, and keeps the databases. Options:
| Windows | Linux | Effect |
|---|---|---|
-RemoveDatabases | --remove-databases | Also drop the SBN-Search databases. |
-Purge | --purge | Remove everything above, including the databases. |
-Force -MainName sbn-search | --force --main-name sbn-search | Skip the typed confirmation. The instance must be named. |
The shared Innovative PostgreSQL and NATS services are never removed; SBN-Search only unregisters itself from them. The run writes uninstall-<date>-<time>.log into a logs folder beside the uninstaller.
Next Steps
- Create an API key for APIEngine: API Keys.
- Point APIEngine at SBN-Search: Connecting APIEngine to SBN-Search.
- If the installer stops with an error, see Troubleshooting.