Exact Synergy

Hardware and Software requirements for Exact Synergy product update 396/397

These are the system requirements for product update 396/397 of the ASP technology version of Exact Synergy. Please be informed that third party software products like for example Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office and Microsoft SQL Server have their own system requirements which might be different from the system requirements of Exact Synergy.

A complete overview of the system requirements per product update, can be found at the startpage of the system requirements.

The hardware and software requirements for product update 396 have been adjusted, compared to the requirements for product update 395. The most important adjustments: Windows Server 2008 R2 is now supported.

General requirements

Note: MSXML 6.0 should be shipped with Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Visual Studio 2005, .NET Framework 3.0, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows XP Service Pack 3. MSXML 6.0 is required for Exact Synergy to work from product update 396 onwards.

Workstation
	Minimal system requirements
Operating system	Windows XP (32 or 64-bit) + latest service pack or Windows Vista Ultimate, Business or Enterprise Edition (32 or 64-bit) + latest service pack
MS Internet Explorer version	Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 + latest service pack or Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.0
MS Office version	Microsoft Office XP or Microsoft Office 2003 or Microsoft Office 2007
Monitor resolution	Screen resolution of 1024x768
Internal memory	64 MB

Server software
	Minimal system requirements
Operating system (Webserver + Databaseserver)	Microsoft Windows Server 2000 + latest service pack or Microsoft Windows Server 2003 + latest service pack For the webserver only the 32 bit version of Microsoft Windows Server 2000/2003 is supported or Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 (32 or 64-bit) + latest service pack For Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, the 32-bit mode must be enabled in IIS7 if you are using the 64-bit architecture. For more information, see Product Update 396: Exact Synergy Supports Windows Server 2008 R2.
Database system (Databaseserver)	Microsoft SQL Server 2000 + latest service pack or Microsoft SQL Server 2005 + latest service pack or Microsoft SQL Server 2008 + latest service pack
Productivity (Webserver)	Microsoft Office XP or Microsoft Office 2003 or Microsoft Office 2007

Network and security
	Microsoft Internet Information Server uses the standard Internet protocol TCP / IP to communicate with the client browsers. A client needs a minimal connection speed of 56.6 Kb connection to acquire acceptable performance although lower connection speeds do not directly affect the integrity of the application. A connection between a client and the Application Server can be set up directly using a local area network, but a global infrastructure like the Internet can be used just as well. When separate Application Servers are used, they should be connected to the Database server with a 100 Mb local area network connection.
	The Internet, and all its related products, is commonly referred to as 'insecure'. This is directly related to the open nature of its technology which is in fact one of its greatest benefits. When implementing Exact Synergy, a number of strict security policies must be maintained to protect both the application software and data against malicious acts. Total system security includes various types of safety measurements, each with their own characteristics and demands for maintenance. The necessary security policies are not limited to the Exact Synergy application alone; the integrity of all elements of the entire system must be assured.
	Exact Synergy data traffic is vulnerable along the entire path between the Client and the Application Server (and even up to the Database Server). This means that all traffic paths, the data source, the data destination and data storage have to be protected. The best way to do this is to use data encryption (HTTPS) for the Exact Synergy Application Server and install a firewall to separate the company's Local Area Network (LAN) from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) (with the public web servers) and the Internet. For more information about this issue, read security checklist of Exact Synergy.

Server hardware requirements for 1-50 connections

The application is installed as a program on the IIS web server and all data is stored in an SQL database, which is stored on a Microsoft SQL Database Server . Both the IIS web server and the SQL database can be installed on the same machine in small Exact Synergy implementations (up to 50 concurrent connections).

Single server setup
	Minimal system requirements	Recommended system requirements
Processor	1 x Pentium III 600 MHz	2 X Intel Xeon 3.4 GHz
Internal memory	512 MB	2 GB
Hard disk	IDE 10 GB	SCSI 72 GB (Raid 5)

Server hardware requirements for 50-150 connections

When more connections are required or use of a large database can be expected, the IIS web server should be installed on a single separate machine (suitable for up to 150 connections). This results in a setup with an Application Server (IIS + Exact Synergy) and a separate Database Server (SQL). Note that the Client only communicates with the Application Server (IIS).

Dual server setup - Internet Information Server
	Minimal system requirements	Recommended system requirements
Processor	1 x Pentium III 700 MHz	2 X Intel Xeon 3.4 GHz
Internal memory	512 MB	1,5 GB
Hard disk	IDE 6 GB	SCSI 18 GB

Dual server setup - Microsoft SQL Server
	Minimal system requirements	Recommended system requirements
Processor	1 x Pentium IV 1 GHz	2 X Intel Xeon 3.4 GHz
Internal memory	1 GB	2 GB
Hard disk	SCSI 50 GB	SCSI 72 GB (Raid 5)

Server hardware requirements for 150-500 connections

When dealing with even more concurrent connections, the workload of the application server can be divided over several Application Servers. This results in a more reliable situation with better performance. A dedicated piece of hardware, the 'load balancer', can divide all traffic among several (up to 50 or more concurrent connections) Application Servers which all connect to the same database server to store and retrieve data.

Multi server setup - Internet Information Server (Multiple)
	Minimal system requirements	Recommended system requirements
Processor	1 x Pentium III 700 MHz	2 X Intel Xeon 3.4 GHz
Internal memory	512 MB	2 GB
Hard disk	IDE 6 GB	SCSI 18 GB

Multi server setup - Microsoft SQL Server
	Minimal system requirements	Recommended system requirements
Processor	1 x Pentium IV 1 GHz	2 X Intel Xeon 3.4 GHz
Internal memory	1 GB	4 GB
Hard disk	SCSI 80 GB	SCSI 144 GB (Raid 5)

Load balancer
For example	Foundry Server Iron Load balancer (8 ports)

General requirements

Regularly backup the administrations/databases and store the backup on a different media device
(not the machine where the Microsoft SQL Server is installed);
Perform regular database maintenance;
To update the software via the internet an internet connection is needed;
Use scalable hardware;
In a network environment a Microsoft Active Directory (domain) needs to be present. The workstations, the SQL Server and the Windows Terminal Server need to be part of the same active directory;
The system requirements are based on the usage of Exact Synergy only, if other applications are used on the same machines the requirements should be increased;
Every new service pack is supported automatically by Exact, unless explicitly announced otherwise;
The use of Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 and Microsoft SQL Server 2000 on one server is not supported.

Hardware and Software requirements for Exact Synergy product update 396/397

General requirements

Server hardware requirements for 1-50 connections

Server hardware requirements for 50-150 connections

Server hardware requirements for 150-500 connections

General requirements

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