Can GRLoader be run as a standalone application?

Products

• CA Service Management - Service Desk Manager
• CA Service Desk Manager

Issue/Introduction

The General Resource Loader tool, or GRLoader, is included as part of a normal installation of Service Desk Manager. This tool is used to load Configuration Item (CI) data into the CMDB for use within Service Desk Manager (e.g. through the CMDB Visualizer). 

Is it possible to install or run the GRLoader tool on a server that does not have Service Desk Manager installed?

Environment

CA Service Desk Manager

Resolution

The short answer is no - GRLoader is a component of Service Desk Manager, and is designed to be used on a server where SDM is already present.

GRLoader utilizes the database connection information within SDM and has several file and environment variable requirements that are not normally met outside of a normal SDM installation - specifically, the tool looks for C:\Windows\paradigm.ini and the NX_KEY environment variable, though other requirements may exist as well.

While it may be possible to meet these requirements through manual file copying and environment modification, it is not possible to guarantee proper functionality of the tool outside of its intended use.

Should it be necessary to invoke GRLoader from a server where SDM is not already present, recommendation is to install SDM on the server and limit the number of users and connections made to the program.