Installation Guide for OpenZiti on Windows 11

OpenZiti is an open-source Zero Trust network library that provides secure connectivity for modern cloud-native applications, services, and devices. This installation guide explores how to install OpenZiti on a Windows 11 operating system.

Prerequisites

Before installing OpenZiti on a Windows 11 machine, please ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

• Your Windows 11 machine must be running on a 64-bit platform.
• You must have administrative rights on the Windows 11 machine.
• The Windows 11 machine must have access to high-speed internet connectivity to download the required dependencies.

Step 1: Download OpenZiti

You can download the OpenZiti binaries from the official website, https://github.com/openziti/desktop/releases/. Click on the Windows-specific download link and download the latest binary. Alternatively, from your command prompt, enter the following command to download OpenZiti:

$ curl -s https://openziti.github.io/download/ziti_win.BUILDTIME.zip -o ziti_win.zip

Step 2: Extract the OpenZiti Package:

Once the OpenZiti binary has been downloaded, extract the files to a folder of your choice using an archiving tool such as WinRAR or 7-Zip.

Step 3: Configure Environment Variables

OpenZiti requires specific environment variables after installation. To configure your environment variables, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Windows 11 Start menu and select Settings -> System -> About -> Advanced System Settings.
2. Click on the 'Environment Variables' button.
3. Locate the 'System Variables' section and click on 'New'.
4. In the Variable Name field, enter "ZITI_HOME".
5. In the Variable Value field, enter the path of the folder where OpenZiti was extracted to. For example, C:\Program Files\OpenZiti.
6. Click OK to save the environment variable.

Step 4: Start the OpenZiti Service

Open the Command Prompt with administrative privileges and run the following commands:

$ cd <PATH_TO_OPENZITI_DIRECTORY>
$ openziti\ziti-service.exe start

This will start the OpenZiti service if it has not already started.

Step 5: Start using OpenZiti

Now that OpenZiti has been installed on your Windows 11 machine, you can start using it as per your requirements.

Conclusion

In conclusion, OpenZiti is a powerful and secure tool that enables modern cloud-native applications and devices to connect via Zero Trust networking. Through this tutorial, you have learned how to install OpenZiti on a Windows 11 machine, enabling you to enjoy the benefits of increased security and flexibility in your networking configurations.

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