System Requirements - CommServe

Enterprise Version | Express Version

The following requirements are for the Enterprise version of the CommServe:

Operating System

Windows Server 2003

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 32-bit and x64 Editions* with a minimum of Service Pack 1

*Web Server Editions not supported

Windows Server 2008

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 32-bit and x64 Editions*

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Editions*

*Core and Web Server Editions not supported

Cluster Support

See Clustering - Support

Processor

Dual 1 GHz minimum required

CommServe Database Engine

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition (with Service Pack 2) will be automatically installed while installing the software. Later versions of the Service Pack, if available, are also supported.(* See Disclaimer below.)

  • The Enterprise version of the CommServe is not supported on Microsoft Windows Small Business Server platforms. If you wish to install the CommServe on Microsoft Windows Small Business Server platform, you must install the Express version of the CommServe. See the System Requirements for the Express version of the CommServe for more information.

  • In a clustered environment, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 (Enterprise Edition) with the appropriate service pack must be installed and clustered prior to installing the CommServe software. The CommServe software automatically uses the default or the named instance created during the SQL installation.

  • Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package is automatically installed. Note that Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package can co-exist with other versions of this software.

Memory

2 GB RAM minimum required; 4GB RAM recommended

Virtual memory should be set to twice the amount of available physical memory

Hard Disk

2.1 GB of local disk space for the CommServe software, including database and log file growth, and the Microsoft SQL Server application and database. (The SQL software is embedded in the CommServe software installation.)

2.2 GB of temp space on the drive on which the Operating System and temp directory resides. (This space is used for temporary files copied during the installation or upgrade of the Microsoft SQL Server and CommServe software).

1.5 GB of permanently available disk space on a local or mapped network drive for CommServe Disaster Recovery. (CommServe Disaster Recovery is a feature that secures the CommServe’s metadata.)

In time, you may need to provide additional space (several GB) to allow for growth in the CommServe metadata. The size of the metadata depends on the number of computers in the CommCell and the quantity of data stored.

Peripherals

DVD-ROM drive

Network Interface Card

Miscellaneous

Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) version 6.0, 7.0, 8.0

For all Microsoft Windows 2003 platforms, Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) is automatically installed with the operating system.

The software can function with JRE version 1.6.x or higher.

If a JRE version 1.6.0_06 or higher is available, the software will use the existing JRE software.

If JRE version 1.6.0_05 or lower is available, or no JRE version is available at all, you will be prompted to install JRE version 1.6.0_06

You can run CommCell Console as a Remote Web-Based Application without installing the software provided IIS is installed and running on the CommServe computer (or CommCell Console and IIS are running on an alternate computer). However, you must manually install JRE in this case. When running the applet Java™ Runtime Environment (JRE) SE v1.6.0_06 is recommended - can be installed from the software installation disc.

TCP/IP Services configured on the computer.

The CommServe requires IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4). See Internet Protocols for more information.

.NET Framework 3.5 with Service Pack 1 is automatically installed. Note that .NET Framework 3.5 can co-exist with other versions of this software.

Microsoft Internet Information Service (IIS) Web Server version 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0

IIS is required in the CommServe computer (or an alternate computer configured for web administration) to access the CommCell Console as a Remote Web-Based Application

See Web Administration for more information on configuring web administration.

Notes on CommServe Installation

The CommServe is a resource intensive application and should be installed on a dedicated server. Therefore, it is recommended that the CommServe not be installed on a computer running other applications, such as Microsoft Exchange Server, an Oracle database, etc. Additionally, CommServes installed on virtual machines generally perform at about 60% capacity compared to physical machines with similar configurations.

The software should not be installed on a compressed drive.

The Microsoft SQL Server application that is installed on the computer must be dedicated to support the software and cannot be shared by other applications.

The computer on which the software is installed must have a static IP address. The software does not support Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

The database instance used by the software requires specific SQL server settings. Verify the following settings by viewing the SQL properties using the SQL Management Studio and by running the SQL Server system stored procedure, which is sp_helpsort.

  • In the Memory tab, the dynamically configured Maximum memory should be 50% of the physical memory available in the computer on which the software is installed
  • Character Set is 1252/ISO (default)
  • Sort Order is Dictionary order, case Insensitive
  • Unicode Collation includes General Unicode, case Insensitive, width Insensitive
  • Verify the following from the Data Files tab of the tempdb Properties dialog box:
    • The tempdb SQL database has at least 100 MB of disk space
    • The Automatically grow file option is selected
    • The file growth is set to 20%
  • For Service Accounts, use the same Local System account for each service and enable auto-start for SQL services.

    For clustered environments, use an account with administrator privileges (i.e., a member of the Administrator local group of the computer or domain).

If installing the CommServe on a VMware virtual machine, consider the following recommendations for optimal performance:

  • The ESX Server hosting the virtual machine should be vSphere (4.0) or above.
  • The virtual machine on which the CommServe will be installed should have:
    • Minimum 2 64-bit vCPUs
    • Minimum 4GB RAM
    • A Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition operating system
    • All VMware tools and utilities installed
  • Minimum bandwidth of 1 Gbps for data transfer.
  • The CommServe's SQL database should be configured on shared storage (such as a SAN or FAST disk).

Notes on Combined Installations

You will often install more than one module (For example, CommServe, MediaAgent, Client) on a single computer so that it can perform two or more functions. For example, you may want to back up the file system of a MediaAgent; hence, you would install both the MediaAgent and client software on that computer.

When you combine two or more functions on a single computer, the storage resources required to support the software for that computer are not essentially cumulative. This is because modules share some of the same software. As a result, combined installations require about 30 MB less disk space than installations where the software resides on separate computers.

DISCLAIMER

Minor revisions and/or service packs that are released by application and operating system vendors may, in some cases, affect the working of our software. Although we may list such revisions and/or service packs as “supported” in our System Requirements, changes to the behavior of our software resulting from an application or operating system revision/service pack may be beyond our control. However, we will make every effort to correct such disruption as quickly as possible. When in doubt, please contact your software provider to ensure support for a specific application or operating system.

Additional considerations regarding minimum requirements and End of Life policies from application and operating system vendors are also applicable.