Installation

From CaisisWiki

Revision as of 13:34, 8 November 2007 by 71.224.42.114 (Talk)
Jump to: navigation, search

Translations: italiano


Caisis is an ASP.NET web application with a SQL Server backend. Users interface with the application using a web browser and version 4.0 now supports Internet Explorer 7.0 and below, FireFox, and Safari 3.0 for the Mac.

Caisis was built to scale to from single users to thousands, and the number of users and performance expectations should be considered when selecting hardware. At minimum, the Caisis database and web server can be run on the same server with 5 GB of free hard drive space and 512MB of RAM. Using SQL Server 2005 Express in place of the Enterprise version allows groups to get up and running at no cost (assuming you have a Windows Server with IIS installed).

This page will guide you through the installation of the database and web application.


Contents

System Requirements

Operating System

  • Microsoft Windows 2000
  • Microsoft Windows 2003
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Database Server

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2000
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2005
  • Microsoft SQL Server Express Edition

Web Server

  • Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 5 or Greater

Installation Prerequisites

Before you begin the installation, verify that you have met the requirements above and that the .NET 2.0 Framework is installed on your web server, and SQL Server and Internet Information Services(IIS) are running.

The .NET 2.0 Framework is available as free download.

This will help to ensure a problem free installation when running the Caisis Installer and SQL setup script.

Downloads

Caisis 4.0 can be downloaded as a zip package, which contains the files needed to setup the database and web application. There are 3 packages available for download:

Caisis 4.0 - New Installation

  • Installer: Contains the Windows Installer file for a standard installation.
  • Database: Contains the Database sql script files and databases needed to install the Caisis 4.0 database.

Caisis 4.0 - Upgrade from Caisis 3.5

  • WebApp: Contains the web application files needed to manually install the application.
  • Installer: Contains the Windows Installer file for a standard installation.
  • Database: Contains the Database sql script files and databases needed to upgrade your Caisis 3.5 Database to the Caisis 4.0 Database.

Caisis 4.0 Source Files

Contains the Visual Studio Solution file and sources used to build and modify Caisis 4.0.

Database Setup

You will need to log into your SQL Server in order to run the install or upgrade scripts.

Setup Scripts

New Caisis 4.0 Database

For easiest installation it is recommended to run your SQL server in mixed mode security. You will need to open the SetupDB.sql file located in the Database folder of the package and fill in the required fields in the user input section. Below is a list of fields.

Required Values

  • @BackupFile: This is the database file included in the download at Caisis.org.
  • @WebPassword: this is the password that the website will use to connect to the database

The following default values work for most cases and don't need to be edited.

  • @DataFilePath: This is the path where the database file (MDF) will be installed.
  • @LogFilePath: This is the path where the transaction log file (LDF) will be installed.
  • @SecurityMode: SQL or Windows mode security setting. To use SQL security make sure your server is running in mixed mode.
  • @WebUserName: The web application account. This allows the webserver application to communicate with the database.
  • @DatabaseName: The name of the database.
  • @DatabaseOwner: The owner of the database, usually sa.

Upgrade Caisis 3.5 Database to 4.0

Before attempting to upgrade the database from 3.5 to 4.0 it is recommended to make a backup of your current database. It is advisable to run the database upgrade process on a copy to see if any problems may occur.

The upgrade process consists of three sequential steps:

  • Upgrade the database using the file 3.5_to_4.0_upgrade_script.sql
  • Grant permissions to new objects introduced in 4.0 using the file GrantPermissions.sql
  • Import new system data into the database using the file ImportMetadata.sql

You must be connected to the correct database to run these files. If all steps run without error then the upgrade is successful.

NOTE 1: If errors occur during the first step then restore your database and instead of using 3.5_to_4.0_upgrade_script.sql run the files in the folder IndividualScriptFiles until the exact file is found that is causing a problem. Resolve data errors before proceeding.

NOTE 2: The ImportMetadata.sql file will remove your old lookup codes and help descriptions and replace it with the new data. So if you have made many changes to your own data be sure to backup at least those tables.

Web Application Setup

Windows Installer File

Before beginning the installation, please make sure IIS is running and that you have permissions to the modify settings. Caisis comes packed in a Windows Installer file which will install the application through a series of steps. The installer will setup your virtual directory in IIS for hosting Caisis and then launch the Caisis Configuration Utility, a desktop application which will allow you to to modify various settings in your application, such as Institution settings, Email settings, Database settings and Error Handling. It will also allow you to test your connection to the Database, ensuring that you can connect using your settings. Once your have confirmed the settings, you can then save your configuration and the installer will end and launch the application in a new window.

The Caisis Configuration Utility will be located in the user's program files directory and can be launched anytime to mange the settings in your web.config file.

NOTE: You will need to log in to the server as an administrator to install Caisis using the provided Windows Installer.

Manual Installation

If you need to manually configure the application, you can create a virtual directory in IIS and place the files contained in the Upgrade/WebApp Folder in there. You will also need to verify that your application is running under ASP.NET 2.0. You can check this, and other web site properties, by opening IIS, find the Caisis web site, right clicking on it and choose properties. When the dialogue box opens select the "ASP.NET" tab and check that 2.0 appears in the drop down box.

Confirm Application Running

After running the Setup file, a web page will launch to your application. The typical URL of your application will be http://machine_name/virtual_directory/Login.aspx If you application was installed on machine ONYX in the virtual directory Caisis, your application would be located at http://onyx/Caisis/Login.aspx. If you receive any errors, you can consult the Troubleshooting page for help diagnosing the issues.

Personal tools