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This topic is for system administrators who plan to install PhixFlow. The pages in this topic describe . It describes how to install a new instance of PhixFlow.

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Summary Installation Instructions

Tha The pages in this topic guide you through a complete PhixFlow installation. A summary of the steps is:

Required or recommendedPage with detailsSummary
Required if Java is not already installedInstall Java OLDDownload and install Java.
Required if Tomcat is not already installed

Install Tomcat


Download and install the Apache Tomcat web-application (webapp) server.
Recommended

Configure Tomcat for HTTPS

For secure communications,

You are responsible for ensuring all PhixFlow communication is secure.

  • Either use HTTP communication behind a secure firewall.
  • Or you must configure Tomcat to use HTTPS communication with the PhixFlow webapp.
PhixFlow must be configured:
  • to allow HTTPS connections to the webapp
  • to disable HTTP access
    • You must also disable HTTP access to the webapp.
    Recommended

    Linux: Install Pound Reverse Proxy

    Windows: Microsoft blog post about IIS as a reverse proxy

    If you want to make your web server visible on the default ports (e.g. on Linux, http: 80, https: 443) we recommend that you use a reverse proxy to terminate the HTTPS session and to forward web requests using HTTP to the Tomcat server.

     

    The proxy and Tomcat servers must run on a private network or on the same server and the Tomcat server must not be directly accessible to normal users. In this configuration, the reverse proxy runs as root, which allows it:

    • to use privileged ports (up to port 1000)
    , and forwards
    • to forward requests to the web server, which runs:
      • as a non-privileged user (normally 'tomcat')
    ,
      • on non-privileged ports (above 1000).
    This solution requires that:
  • the proxy and Tomcat servers run on a private network or on the same server

  • and that the Tomcat server is not directly accessible to normal users

    Options for reverse proxy servers are:

    • On Linux
    , use Pound as a reverse proxy.
    • servers, Pound 
    • On Windows servers,
    you can use IIS as a reverse proxy
    • IIS.
    Warning
    titleTomcat on Linux

    Do not run Tomcat as root on Linux as this constitutes a security risk.


    RequiredUnpack PhixFlow Release Package

    If you do not already have the PhixFlow package to install, you can download it from our support FTP site. Please

    contact PhixFlow Support for details

    email support@phixflow.com.

    Logon

    Log on to the webapp host and unpack the release package.

    RequiredInstall the PhixFlow Database Schema

    Create a database user and tables. Populate the tables with initial configuration data and set the customer name.

     See

     See also the details in Database URLs.

    Required
    OptionalSQLServer
    Configure a Keystore and Aliases

    Create a keystore for the database credentials and their aliases. Configure the following files to use the keystore:

    • phixflow-datasource.xml
    • phixflow-secret.xml
    • an environment variable (recommended).
    OptionalMS SQL Server Integrated AuthenticationEnable server support for integrated user authentication.
    RequiredInstall the PhixFlow WebappCopy the PhixFlow webapp from the unpacked release package into Tomcat and configure it.
    RequiredStart PhixFlow
    on the Client
    and Configure

    Check that the application is running by starting the client and logging in with the username startup and password: Startup.

    ...

    ...

    titleTomcat on Linux

    ...

    Do not run Tomcat as root on Linux as this constitutes a security risk.

    ...

    After Installation

    After Once PhixFlow is installed, there are system set-up and configuration tasks:

    ...

    ,

    ...

    see 

    ...

    ...

    Administration for details of the configuration steps required immediately after installation, as well as the ongoing configuration and maintenance tasks.