12d Synergy V5 Requirements

1.1. Purpose of the Document

• To define the minimum system requirements for the operation of 12d Synergy which is dependent on the size of your organization. This document is for an organization that has under 300 12d Synergy users.
• We aim to highlight key areas of focus that are dependent on the configurations that apply to you.

1.2. Intended Audience

• System Administrators
• IT Support staff

2. 12d Synergy Server Requirements

2.1.  Hardware Requirements

2.2. Software Requirements

2.3. Requirements for Hosting 12d Synergy in the Cloud

If you are installing 12d Synergy within your own cloud, then you will need to make multiple considerations.

It is recommended that you review the SQL requirements and reassess which configuration will apply to your setup.

Additionally, note that the cloud offerings change over time and the below requirements may not represent the current offerings but should still provide a guideline.

2.3.1. Compute

2.3.2. Storage

The storage resource can be divided into the following:

2.3.2.1. File Store Storage Alternatives

While alternative storage platforms are not officially supported, we understand that large amounts of data can cause ongoing cost problems.

If you are considering using an alternative storage platform such as Azure Files or AWS Simple Storage, it is recommended that you use the highest tier service to minimise the amount of performance degradation. Please ensure that you benchmark the performance of your system and that it is of an acceptable level. 12d Synergy will not provide any support for this scenario.

2.3.3. SQL Compute

2.3.4. SQL Storage

2.3.4.1. Azure SQL (PaaS)

If your environment makes use of the Azure SQL services (PaaS), you can use an existing service for your database. Please ensure that your service has sufficient resources to support the additional load of the 12d Synergy Database and resource accordingly.

Warning: Server-less SQL Configurations are NOT supported and are a known source of issues.

2.4. SQL Server Requirements

Microsoft SQL Server is provided by Microsoft and has its own set of requirements, including configurations that may be considered invalid or not recommended, such as running SQL Server on a Domain Controller.

2.4.1. Microsoft SQL Supported Editions

12d Synergy supports both, the Express and Standard editions of Microsoft SQL Server. Based on the size of the installation, one of these editions must be used.  

2.4.2. SQL Server on a Separate Machine

While 12d Synergy comes with an inbuilt version of SQL Server Express, it is highly recommended that you ensure if it works for all your requirements.

Please note the following requirements when running SQL Server on a separate machine from your 12d Synergy server.

If your server is already starved for RAM (say at 75% capacity), you will experience poor performance because many of its calculations will be paged to disk.

The more disk activity there is on a single server, the poorer your performance will be.

It is important to make sure that the servers that host these services are not over-utilized.

This should all be considered when selecting the infrastructure for your 12d Synergy server.

2.4.3. SQL Server Stacking

SQL Server stacking is the practice of installing multiple instances of SQL Server on a single Windows Server.

For installations involving SQL Server Stacking, you must ensure you reserve enough memory for the SQL Server to operate well.

2.5. Additional Requirements

2.5.1. Files Over the Web

12d Synergy provides the capability to deliver files to external users over HTTP/HTTPS, or for validated external parties to upload data. This is disabled by default. But if required, a port must be nominated for access. This defaults to 8080 for HTTP and 8443 for HTTPS.

It is recommended that HTTPS is enabled, the installation of which requires an SSL Certificate.

2.5.2. Data Storage

The 12d Synergy Server requires two types of storage:

1. Temporary Storage – This is storage that 12d Synergy Server uses to handle transactions from the client. The size of this storage will be determined by the largest transaction you perceive. If your user base tends to upload 10s of GB of data, then you will need to accommodate that. It is best to keep this location off the OS Drive and 'physical' to the server.
2. File Store Storage – This is storage where 12d Synergy Server will save all data. You will need to consider how much data you will be uploading to the application and accommodate appropriately. This storage requirement will grow based on your usage and we recommend assessing this regularly to ensure you have the required space. Running out of storage can lead to data loss. Within the file store storage, there are different segments of data that can be separated later. Please refer to our Migration Guide for more information and recommendations on large systems.

2.5.3. Service Account

A Service Account is a Windows user that has permission to log into the Windows Server as a service rather than a user. Without this permission, the service will not start correctly.

You can change your service login credentials after it is installed via the Windows Services window. However, in a domain environment, this may be overwritten by the Group Policy. This may need to be validated against your internal policies to ensure there are no conflicts.

The 12d Synergy Server will run under a service account which will have the following permissions:

• to connect to the SQL Server and create a database and temporary tables
• to have full access to the data storage areas
• to access the Active Directory (see Windows Login Credentials for more details)
• to be able to access the web ports using NETSH, if you are using File Publishing or Web Drops

2.5.4. Environment Variables

12d Synergy Server makes use of the following Windows Environment Variables that point to the path of temporary storage:

1. TEMP
2. TMP

These are accessed by the Service Account and should have significant space to handle the largest file upload. Else, an additional Windows Environment Variable, 12dSynergyTempPath, can be set up to store the location where 12d Synergy saves the temporary files.

2.5.5. Windows Login Credentials

12d Synergy can operate in two modes for logins:

1. Windows Credentials
2. Custom logins

When using Windows credentials, 12d Synergy can access login information from one of the following:

• Machine local logins
• Active directory

2.5.6. Client and Server Communications

12d Synergy operates using TCP/IP over ports 1212 for metadata and 1250 for file transfer. These ports should be opened/forwarded in all applicable software, hardware firewalls, or routers for your LAN and WAN connections.

For optimal performance, latency between 12d Synergy Client to 12d Synergy Server is as follows.

2.5.7. File Replication and Server Communications

Each File Replication Server will communicate with the Master Server over the installed File Server/Data Port 1250. This port should be opened/forwarded for all software firewalls, hardware firewalls, or routers for your LAN and WAN connections.

2.5.8. Certificate for the 12d Synergy Mobile App

The 12d Synergy Mobile App is NOT compatible with a self signed certificate. You must purchase a valid certificate from a trusted third party Certificate Authority to use the 12d Synergy Mobile App.

2.6. Optional Requirements

2.6.1. Mail Server

12d Synergy needs to access a mail server via SMTP to be able to email users about updates on files, job notifications, etc. The 12d Synergy Administrator has to configure the following in the 12d Synergy Administration application.

• Mail server address
• Optional mail server port, if non-standard
• Mail server credentials, if required
• Default sender’s e-mail address 

3. File Replication Server (FRS) Requirements

The File Replication Server (FRS) communicates using the TCP/IP protocol (encrypted with SSL/TLS), over the default port 1212 with the following:

• The Master Server
• Other File Replication Servers
• Any Clients using the FRS

The installed port should be opened in all applicable software firewalls, hardware firewalls, or routers.

3.1. Hardware Requirements

3.2. Software Requirements

3.3. SQL Server

You can use the SQL Server Express edition for an FRS installation.

3.4.   Additional Requirements

3.4.1. Data Storage

Data storage is based on two factors. They are as follows:

1. Data that 12d Synergy is expected to manage
2. Growth of this data with time

3.4.2. Service Account

The 12d Synergy Server will run under a service account which will have the following permissions:

• to connect to the SQL Server and create a database and temporary tables
• to have full access to the data storage areas

4. 12d Synergy Client Requirements

4.1. Hardware Requirements

4.2. Software Requirements