Download and Installation of A3 Platform

In this tutorial, you will learn how to download and install A3 Platform. During the installation, you will see how to create users and projects.

Download A3 Platform

1. Open a Web browser.
2. Visit the A3 Platform download page.
3. If you have never downloaded any Visual Paradigm products before, click Create a Visual Paradigm Account to setup an account first. If you have already got a Visual Paradigm account, enter your Email and Password, and click Sign in.
   
4. In the Downloads page, select Send via email as URL.
   
5. Change the installer option if the default O/S selection does not match with the environment where A3 Platform will be installed.
6. Click the image Try it FREE to start downloading.
   

Install A3 Platform and Configure Users and Projects

1. The file downloaded is a .zip file. It contains the installation of A3 Platform in a ready-to-run state. All you need is to unzip it and start it up. De-compress the downloaded zip file to where you want A3 Platform be installed. This produces a folder named a3-platform.
2. Run a3-platform\scripts\startup.bat. This will open a command console running the start-up script. Keep the command console open. If you close it, A3 Platform will be terminated.
   
3. Visit http://127.0.0.1:8080/a3-platform/ in your Web browser.
4. Select Embedded DB for database. Keep the Connection URL, User and Password settings unchanged. The selected database will be used to store the data produced/read by A3 Platform. When you use A3 Platform for production purpose, it is NOT recommended to use the Embedded DB due to its limited functionalities. We just use it in this tutorial to make things easier.
   
5. Keep the files, temp and log files folder unchanged. For license key, check your email and look for the one recently sent by Visual Paradigm. Copy the license content shown in the email.
   
6. Paste the copied key content to the license key field in the installation page.
   
7. An Administrator is the person who creates users, projects, reads and updates license keys. If you want, you can change the name of the admin login in the Admin Login field. After that, enter a password in the Admin Password and Confirm Password fields.
8. Click Install. The installation takes several minutes to complete. Do NOT close the Web browser; otherwise the installation will be terminated.
9. Once the installation is completed, the Manage User screen will be displayed. Click Add User at the top left corner.
10. Let's add a project director user, Peter. Fill in the Full Name, Login Name and Password.
    
11. Peter is a project director, who has more user rights than general users, is authorized to manage projects. Select Project Director as the user type and click >.
    
12. Click Save.
13. Add the following users.

    Full Name	Login Name	User Type
    Adam	adam	User
    Derek	derek	User
    Elaine	elaine	User
    Garett	garett	User
    Joey	joey	User
    John	john	User
    Kay	kay	User
    Macy	macy	User
    Mavis	mavis	User
    Miller	miller	User
    Roland	reland	User
    Savio	savio	User

14. Click Next. This brings you to the Manage Project page.
15. Create a new project by clicking New at the top left corner of screen.
    
16. Enter Sample Project to be the name of your project.
    
17. Select Peter to be the project manager via the drop down menu of Project Manager.
    
18. Select Business Analyst in the list of project role. Then, click + at bottom right. Add John to be a programmer.
    
19. Click + at bottom right.
20. In the Add Members window, select Garett and Miller. Click OK.
    
21. Add the other users to this project:

    Project Role	Member
    System Architect	Roland, Adam
    System Analyst	Elaine, Savio
    Programmer	John, Mavis
    Tester	Derek, Macy
    Customer	Joey, Kay

22. Click Save at the bottom of the page.
23. Click Finish.