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Installation, Licensing & Management

Updated: March 27, 2026 | Applies to versions: 8.0 and 8.1

Installation of any software application should be straightforward, intuitive and, perhaps above all, fast. Furthermore, when you have that software installed you want to be able to update it as and when you deem necessary, and in a streamlined fashion.

The Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server is installed through use of an efficient, intuitive installer – an installer that not only expedites the initial installation process, but lets you update with ease to a later version, at any time in the future. In addition, tools are available to monitor the health of your server and to back-up and restore your valuable design data.

For information on how to access your Enterprise Server Workspace from within Altium Designer and working with it from a design perspective, see Accessing Your Workspace from within Altium Designer, and Designing with a Connected Workspace, respectively.

Initial Install

Related page: Installing the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server

Installation of the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server is performed using the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server Setup wizard. This is accessed by running an executable – Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server <VersionNumber>.exe – saved on your hard disk.

  • Some users have experienced issues with the installation of Microsoft .NET Core apps when running the installer.
    ► See the Install on a New Operating System section in the Possible Installation Issues page for a workaround install and optional repair information.
  • Due to the observed unpredictable behavior of antivirus software, it is recommended to disable such software during the installation of the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server.
Each version of the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server has its own dedicated installer.

Streamlined installation, courtesy of the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server Setup wizard.
Streamlined installation, courtesy of the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server Setup wizard.

Licensing the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server

Related page: Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server Licensing

Licensing for the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server essentially consists of the following two components that together comprise a two-tiered licensing system:

  • Server License (Altium Enterprise Server) – this license makes the features and services of the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server installation available to the organization.
  • Client Access License (Altium Enterprise Server CAL) – this license enables users within an organization to access and sign-in to that organization's Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server.

Licensing for the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server can be handled through the cloud, or locally through license files (*.alf).

Getting your Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server licensed is a breeze, thanks to self-serve licensing from those licenses available to you through your account.
Getting your Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server licensed is a breeze, thanks to self-serve licensing from those licenses available to you through your account.

Both Server and Client Access Licenses are timed licenses. Subscription must be renewed in order to provide continued access to the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server for the users in an organization, as well as to access new features and functionality developed by Altium as part of the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server. If this subscription renewal lapses, a single Server and CAL license will be provided to access your data for backup and configuration purposes.

Updating to a Later Version

When you want to upgrade to a later version of the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server, the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server Setup Wizard can handle this automatically for you. Run the installer for the later version. The older version will be detected and you will be asked if you wish to upgrade to the later version – click Yes. As part of the installation process the Installer will make a backup of the current server data, using the Backup & Restore tool. The default backup folder is \ProgramData\Altium\Altium365Data, but can be changed as required. The backup data is stored in a file with the format _Altium365<Version>_backup.zip.

  • While the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server installer includes automated backup of your existing installation, it is always a good idea to make a pre-update backup of your data yourself – taking a redundancy copy off to one side as it were. This provides additional safety, should any unforeseen technical difficulties arise (see Backing up and Restoring Your Installation). Additionally, it is advised to test out a new release of the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server on a different machine, before updating your production instance. Use of Virtual Machines can be invaluable in this respect.

  • In addition, please ensure that you refresh your Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server licensing. From the Admin – Licenses page of the Enterprise Server's browser interface, delete the existing licenses (Altium Enterprise Server and Altium Enterprise Server CAL) and then add fresh instances back in. This will ensure you have the latest licensing, incorporating any licensing-related feature changes.

  • Before updating an Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server installation, it is also recommended to switch the server's Private License Service mode back to the default No PLS setting.

  • If your Firebird database login credentials have been changed from default ones (SYSDBA / masterkey), the User and Password entries in the [DataSource] section of the LocalVault.ini file must be changed correspondingly for a successful update.   

When updating to a later version of the server, a backup of your data will be made, before the old server is removed, and the new one installed.
When updating to a later version of the server, a backup of your data will be made, before the old server is removed, and the new one installed.

Note that upgrading to the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server from a previous Altium server technology is only possible if the previous server uses Firebird as its backend database. It is not possible to upgrade to the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server from a server that uses the Oracle® database. Also, it is not possible to update a previous version of the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server that uses the Oracle database to the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server of version 7. You can migrate from Oracle SQL to Firebird with support from our Technical team (contact your Account Manager for more information).

Also, upgrading from an Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server version or a previous Altium server technology is not possible if the use of SVN repositories is currently enabled for that server. The SVN support setting must be disabled before proceeding with the upgrade.

For more information, refer to the SVN Discontinuation with Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server 7.2.1 Knowledge Base article.

In general, however, we highly recommend transitioning to our Altium 365 platform, which provides a secure environment for your design projects and a rich set of collaboration capabilities for design teams.

Uninstalling

Uninstalling the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server is performed from the standard Programs and Features page (accessed from the Control panel in Windows). Right-click on the entry for the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server <VersionNumber> and use the Uninstall command from the context menu. A couple of dialogs will appear, in turn, asking:

  1. If you want to completely remove the server – click Yes.
  2. If you want to delete all your data – click Yes.
  3. You will be asked to confirm this a second time – click Yes.

A final confirmation dialog will appear once the uninstall is complete.

For the 'cleanest uninstall' it is a good idea to also uninstall the installation of your Firebird database software.
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