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Windows Installation (Detailed Procedure)

This page describes the installation procedure for Fess on Windows environments. It covers the installation method using ZIP packages.

Warning

Running with the embedded OpenSearch is not recommended for production environments. Always set up an external OpenSearch server.

Prerequisites

  • System requirements described in System Requirements are met

  • Java 21 is installed

  • OpenSearch 3.3.0 is available (or new installation)

  • Windows environment variable JAVA_HOME is configured appropriately

Verify Java Installation

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and verify the Java version with the following command.

For Command Prompt:

C:\> java -version

For PowerShell:

PS C:\> java -version

Verify that Java 21 or later is displayed.

Environment Variable Configuration

  1. Set JAVA_HOME Environment Variable

    Set the directory where Java is installed as JAVA_HOME.

    Example:

    JAVA_HOME=C:\Program Files\Eclipse Adoptium\jdk-21.0.1.12-hotspot

  2. Add to PATH Environment Variable

    Add %JAVA_HOME%\bin to the PATH environment variable.

Tip

How to configure environment variables:

  1. Open “Settings” from the Start menu

  2. Click “System” → “About” → “Advanced system settings”

  3. Click the “Environment Variables” button

  4. Configure in “System variables” or “User variables”

Step 1: Install OpenSearch

Download OpenSearch

  1. Download the ZIP package for Windows from Download OpenSearch.

  2. Extract the downloaded ZIP file to any directory.

    Example:

    C:\opensearch-3.3.0

    Note

    It is recommended to select a directory that does not contain Japanese characters or spaces in the path.

Install OpenSearch Plugins

Open Command Prompt with administrator privileges and execute the following commands.

C:\> cd C:\opensearch-3.3.0
C:\opensearch-3.3.0> bin\opensearch-plugin install org.codelibs.opensearch:opensearch-analysis-fess:3.3.0
C:\opensearch-3.3.0> bin\opensearch-plugin install org.codelibs.opensearch:opensearch-analysis-extension:3.3.0
C:\opensearch-3.3.0> bin\opensearch-plugin install org.codelibs.opensearch:opensearch-minhash:3.3.0
C:\opensearch-3.3.0> bin\opensearch-plugin install org.codelibs.opensearch:opensearch-configsync:3.3.0

Important

Plugin versions must match the OpenSearch version. In the example above, all are specified as 3.3.0.

Configure OpenSearch

Open config\opensearch.yml with a text editor and add the following settings.

# Configuration synchronization path (specify absolute path)
configsync.config_path: C:/opensearch-3.3.0/data/config/

# Disable security plugin (development environment only)
plugins.security.disabled: true

Warning

Important Security Notice

Use plugins.security.disabled: true only in development or test environments. In production environments, enable the OpenSearch security plugin and configure appropriate authentication and authorization. For details, refer to Security Configuration.

Note

On Windows, use / instead of \ for path separators. Write C:/opensearch-3.3.0/data/config/ instead of C:\opensearch-3.3.0\data\config\.

Tip

Other recommended settings:

cluster.name: fess-cluster
node.name: fess-node-1
network.host: 0.0.0.0
discovery.type: single-node

Step 2: Install Fess

Download Fess

  1. Download the ZIP package for Windows from the download site.

  2. Extract the downloaded ZIP file to any directory.

    Example:

    C:\fess-15.3.0

    Note

    It is recommended to select a directory that does not contain Japanese characters or spaces in the path.

Configure Fess

Open bin\fess.in.bat with a text editor and add or modify the following settings.

set SEARCH_ENGINE_HTTP_URL=http://localhost:9200
set FESS_DICTIONARY_PATH=C:/opensearch-3.3.0/data/config/

Note

  • If OpenSearch is running on a different host, change SEARCH_ENGINE_HTTP_URL to the appropriate hostname or IP address.

  • Use / for path separators.

Verify Installation

Verify that the configuration files have been edited correctly.

In Command Prompt:

C:\> findstr "SEARCH_ENGINE_HTTP_URL" C:\fess-15.3.0\bin\fess.in.bat
C:\> findstr "FESS_DICTIONARY_PATH" C:\fess-15.3.0\bin\fess.in.bat

Step 3: Startup

For startup procedures, refer to Startup, Shutdown, and Initial Setup.

Register as Windows Service (Optional)

By registering Fess and OpenSearch as Windows services, you can configure them to start automatically on system startup.

Note

To register as a Windows service, you need to use third-party tools (such as NSSM). For detailed procedures, refer to the documentation for each tool.

Example Using NSSM

  1. Download and extract NSSM (Non-Sucking Service Manager).

  2. Register OpenSearch as a service:

    C:\> nssm install OpenSearch C:\opensearch-3.3.0\bin\opensearch.bat

  3. Register Fess as a service:

    C:\> nssm install Fess C:\fess-15.3.0\bin\fess.bat

  4. Set service dependencies (Fess depends on OpenSearch):

    C:\> sc config Fess depend= OpenSearch

  5. Start services:

    C:\> net start OpenSearch
C:\> net start Fess

Firewall Configuration

Open the necessary ports in Windows Defender Firewall.

  1. Open “Control Panel” → “Windows Defender Firewall” → “Advanced settings”

  2. Create a new rule in “Inbound Rules”

    • Rule type: Port

    • Protocol and port: TCP, 8080

    • Action: Allow the connection

    • Name: Fess Web Interface

Or execute in PowerShell:

PS C:\> New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Fess Web Interface" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 8080 -Action Allow

Troubleshooting

Port Conflict

If port 8080 or 9200 is already in use, you can check with the following command:

C:\> netstat -ano | findstr :8080
C:\> netstat -ano | findstr :9200

Change the conflicting port number or stop the conflicting process.

Path Length Limitation

Windows has a path length limitation. It is recommended to install in a path as short as possible.

Example:

C:\opensearch  (recommended)
C:\Program Files\opensearch-3.3.0  (not recommended - path is too long)

Java Not Recognized

If the java -version command displays an error:

  1. Verify that the JAVA_HOME environment variable is configured correctly

  2. Verify that %JAVA_HOME%\bin is included in the PATH environment variable

  3. Restart Command Prompt to reflect the settings

Next Steps

After installation is complete, refer to the following documentation:

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between 64-bit and 32-bit versions?

A: Fess and OpenSearch support only the 64-bit version. They will not run on 32-bit Windows.

Q: How to handle paths containing Japanese characters?

A: Install in a path that does not contain Japanese characters or spaces whenever possible. If you must use a Japanese path, you need to properly escape the path in configuration files.