Install Process Dashboard
If your team is using the Process
Dashboard Enterprise Server, individuals will not need to follow the
steps below. Instead, they can install the Process
Dashboard Launcher.
If you have installed the dashboard in the past, you do not
need to uninstall. Just run the new installer and choose the default values
for all prompts, and it will upgrade you to the latest version.
To install or upgrade the Process Dashboard, follow the steps described
below:
Installing on Windows
- To begin the installation process:
- If you downloaded an EXE file for installing the dashboard,
double-click on that file.
- If you have a thumb drive containing the software, insert it into your
computer. The installation process may start automatically. If it
does not start automatically, double-click the setup.exe
file on the thumb drive.
- If you have a ZIP file containing the software, unzip it and
double-click the extracted file setup.exe.
- The Process Dashboard requires Java to run. If Java has not already
been installed on your computer, the EXE installer will display an error
message; in this case, visit https://processdash.com/java to download Java.
(The thumb drive and ZIP packages include a Java installer, and will launch it
automatically if needed.) When the Java installer runs, you can choose the
default values for each prompt.
- The Process Dashboard installer will
open:

- You may accept the default values for each prompt. When you reach
the page asking which packs you wish to install, team leaders and
process mentors should select the "Tools for Team Leaders"
option. Individual team members do not need to select
this option unless they need a Team Dashboard shortcut icon.

- The installer will allow you to select a directory where personal
metrics data will be stored. You may accept the default value.
Note: if you are upgrading the dashboard from an earlier version,
and you previously chose to place your personal data in some other
location, make certain that location is correctly displayed in this field.
If the directory is incorrect and you neglect to edit it, you can run the
installer a second time to set the data location correctly.
- Team leaders and process mentors will be prompted to identify a directory
where team configuration information will be stored. Enter the path to the
team data directory, which the team
leader created earlier. (If your team is using a
network directory for team data,
you may need to map a network drive to access this folder. If your
team is using cloud storage for team data, you may need to perform
extra setup steps to
sync this directory to your computer.)

- At the end of the installation, you will be given the opportunity
to create shortcuts for starting the Process Dashboard. Choose the
appropriate options and click Next.

This will create application shortcuts for
your use:
- A Process Dashboard shortcut will always be created,
which allows you to manage your own personal data. (Even team
leaders and process mentors will typically have some project tasks
assigned to them; they should use this personal dataset to
perform that work.)
- Team leaders and process mentors will also receive a Team
Dashboard shortcut, which allows you to manage rolled-up team
data. Clicking this shortcut will launch a team dataset.
- If you are a coach or process mentor who needs to access the dashboard for
several different teams, just rename your Team Dashboard shortcut to something
unique (such as "ABC Team Dashboard"). Then run the installer again, choose
the Tools for Team Leaders option, and enter the team data directory
for the next team when prompted. In the final step, the installer will create
a shortcut called "Team Dashboard" for this second team, which you can rename
to something unique and descriptive (such as "XYZ Team Dashboard"). You can
repeat this process for as many teams as needed.
Installing on Mac OS X
Installing the Process Dashboard on Mac OS X requires a slightly
different process.
- To begin the installation process:
- If you downloaded an JAR file for installing the dashboard,
double-click on that file.
- If you have a thumb drive or ZIP file containing the software, find the
file inside called pdash-install-*-#_#_#.jar. It will
be in a data subdirectory, and the file will contain an
actual version number rather than #_#_#). Double-click on
that file.
- Follow the installer directions as described in the section above.
- An icon will be created in the Applications folder for the
Process Dashboard. (If you chose to install the Tools for Team Leaders
option, a Team Dashboard shortcut will be created as well.)
Installing on Unix/Linux
Installing the Process Dashboard on Unix requires a few
additional steps.
- Make certain Java is installed on your computer, by typing
"which java" at a shell prompt. If Java is not installed,
you can download it from https://processdash.com/java or use an appropriate
package manager.
- Obtain the JAR file for installing the Process Dashboard. (If you have
a thumb drive or ZIP file containing the software, find the file inside
called pdash-install-*-#_#_#.jar. It will be in a data
subdirectory, and the file will contain an actual version number rather
than #_#_#). At a shell prompt, change to the directory
containing that file, and type:
java -jar pdash-install-*.jar
- The Process Dashboard installer will appear.
- Follow the installer directions as described in the section above.
- The Process Dashboard installer will attempt to create shortcuts that
you can use to launch the application. However, due to the variety of
window managers on Unix platforms, the installer may not always be
able to create shortcuts:
- If it cannot create shortcuts, the installer will create
draft shell scripts that you may use to launch the Process
Dashboard. In the directory you designated as your data
directory (defaults to ~/.pspdata), you will find the
file run-dash.sh. In the directory you designated as your
team configuration directory, you will also find a file
called run-dash.sh. (These launch two different
dashboard datasets; see the section
above for an explanation of the two datasets.) Review the
contents of these scripts; in particular, you may wish to uncomment
and edit the line that adds java to
the executable path. For convenience, you may wish to manually
create icons/shortcuts for launching the dashboard.
Installing Launcher for Enterprise Server
If your team is using the Process
Dashboard Enterprise Server, individuals do not need to perform
any complex installation steps, and do not need to manually upgrade
when new versions of the software become available. Instead, they can
install the Process Dashboard Launcher by taking these steps:
- Log in to the Enterprise Server. At the bottom of the "My Datasets"
page, click the link for the Process Dashboard Launcher
software.
- Download and run the installer for your operating
system.
- The installer will create a "Process Dashboard Launcher" icon for you.
You can run that application for quick access to all of the team and
personal dashboards that appear in your "My Datasets" view.
- In addition, you can log in to the Enterprise Server in your web
browser and click links to launch specific datasets. Those will download
small files with the pdlnk or tdlnk extension. You can
open those files immediately, or save them on your desktop as a direct
shortcut to the given dataset.