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

Prerequisites

Before you start installing PhixFlow, please complete the steps in Planning your PhixFlow System. Your IT system must meet the PhixFlow system requirements. The instructions in this topic ensure that you have: 

  • installed a database server
  • configured a database instance or schema and the user or login credentials
  • installed a (Linux or Windows) server to act as the web-application (webapp) host.

Optionally, you can install a Linux or Windows server to act as the reverse proxy / HTTPS proxy.

Summary Installation Instructions

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

  1. Install Java: download and install Java.
  2. Install Tomcat: download and install the Apache Tomcat web-application (webapp) server.
  3. Configure Tomcat for HTTPS: for secure communications, you must configure Tomcat to use HTTPS. PhixFlow must be configured:
    • to allow HTTPS connections to the webapp

    • to disable HTTP access.

      Tomcat on Linux

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

  4. Install Pound Reverse Proxy: We recommend that you use a reverse proxy to terminate the HTTPS session and to forward web requests using HTTP to the Tomcat server. 

    Using default ports on Linux

    If you want to make your web server visible on the default ports on Linux, http: 80, https: 443, we recommend using a reverse proxy.

    In this configuration, the reverse proxy runs as root, which allows it to use privileged ports (up to 1000), and forwards requests to the web server which runs as a non-privileged user (normally 'tomcat'), on non-privileged ports (above 1000).

    The instructions on this page assume you are setting up a Linux Ubuntu distribution. 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
    You can use IIS as a reverse proxy on Windows; see this Microsoft blog post for how to do this.
  2. Unpack 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. Logon to the webapp host and unpack the release package.
  3. Install the PhixFlow Database Schema: create a database user and tables. Populate the tables with initial configuration data and set the customer name. Also see details in Database URLs.
  4. SQLServer Integrated Authentication: Enable server support for integrated authentication.
  5. Install PhixFlow Webapp: copy the PhixFlow webapp from the unpacked release package into Tomcat and configure it.
  6. Start PhixFlow on the Client: check that the application is running by starting the client and logging in with the username startup and password: Startup.

System Configuration

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

  • Configure the system directories; see System Configuration. The Temporary File Location is especially important as it is used when exporting and importing files between PhixFlow instances.
  • Create new users, including at least one administrator; see User Administration. When you have a working administrator login, you must disable or delete the startup user.
  • Optionally, configure PhixFlow to integrate with other authentication systems
  • PhixFlow can be configured to have a hot stand-by webapp shadowing the active webapp, such that the standby webapp will automatically take over in the event that the active server fails; see Configuring for Resilience.


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