Add Epicor Application Server (New or Upgrading from 10.0)

Use these steps to add your Epicor Application Server using the Epicor Administration Console. Note that prior to adding an Epicor Application Server, you must add your Epicor Server.

Note Use these steps if you are installing your Epicor ERP 10.1 application for the first time, or you are

upgrading from a previous installation of Epicor ERP 10.0 (600 or 700). If you are upgrading from a previous installation of Epicor ERP 10.1.400 you use the "Upgrade Epicor Application Server" steps instead.

1. In the Epicor Administration Console tree view, expand the Server Management node. Verify that the

2. Right-click on the Epicor server and select Add Application Server. If prompted to select a Snap-In Version,

select the version of the application server you want to add and click OK. The Application Server - Create Site dialog opens. Your dialog may look similar to the following:

3. On the Application Server Settings tab, define the following:

a. Review or enter the Application Name to identify the name that Internet Information Services (IIS) uses to create the application. This value is also added to the URL address which the client installation uses to connect to the application server. For example, the name ERP101500 means the application server URL will be net.tcp://<servername>/ERP101500. You can directly enter the name or click the Browse

(...) button to find and select it.

Note Several fields default based on the Application Name: Web Site Directory and Application Pool Name on this same tab, and Display Name on the Admin Console Settings tab. This feature

prevents a site that already exists from being overwritten by the name change.

b. Review or enter the Deployment Directory that contains the Epicor server installation. For example: \\EpicorServer\Epicor\ERP10\ERP10.1.500.0. You must be a member of the Administrators group on the server specified.

c. If available, use the Deployment Version drop-down to select your update version from the list of updates that are available on your server. If a release update is not available, select Base. If a release update is available, it is recommended that you select the update release. For example, select 10.1.500.x.

Important If a release update is available, you would have installed it using the previous steps in

the Install Epicor ERP 10 Update (10.1.500.x) section. It is recommended that you select that update version to update your Epicor ERP version to the latest version, for example 10.1.500.x. Note that when you click OK, the application server updates the Epicor ERP 10.1 application to the selected version. If prompted that all users will be disconnected while the system is being updated, verify that all users have logged out of the system and then click Yes to continue.

d. The Web Site Directory identifies the server machine that will contain the application server. The application server is installed in this location. Verify that the path includes the Application Name that you just entered. For example: C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\EpicorERP101500.

e. Use the drop-down menu to select your Endpoint Binding to define how this application server checks for authentication certificates through Internet Information Services (IIS). When a user logs into the application, the selected method verifies the communications are encrypted and checks whether the user can access the Epicor application. Options include:

• UsernameWindowsChannel - This NET.TCP binding authenticates transactions through an Epicor Username and Password. Windows checks for existing Epicor user accounts to authenticate logins. • UsernameSSLChannel - This NET.TCP binding authenticates transactions using a Secure Sockets

Layer (SSL) X509 certificate. Leverage this method for application servers that handle smart client installations when users reside in different domains. By using an SSL certificate, users from these different domains can log into the Epicor application. When you select this option, the following fields become available:

• SSL Certificate Subject Name. Click the Browse (...) button to open the Windows Security list. Select your certificate. Click OK

• DNS Endpoint Identity. Enter the Domain Name System (DNS) identity of the server. When the system runs X509 SSL Certificate authentication, it uses this identity value to validate the server. • Windows - This NET.TCP binding authenticates transactions using a Windows Username and Password.

Any user with a Windows Username and Password within this domain can successfully log into the Epicor application.

• HttpBinaryUsernameSslChannel - This HTTP binding protocol authenticates using a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) X509 certificate. The data transfers between the client and server using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Instead of the transport, the message which contains the data transfer is encrypted. Because this binding does not use Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), it tends to be slower than bindings which use HTTPS.

Use this method for application servers that handle smart client installations when users reside in different domains. By using an SSL certificate, users from these different domains can log into the Epicor ERP application. When you select this option, the following fields become available:

• SSL Certificate Subject Name. Click the Browse (...) button to open the Windows Security list. Select your certificate. Click OK

• DNS Endpoint Identity. Enter the Domain Name System (DNS) identity of the server. When the system runs X509 SSL Certificate authentication, it uses this identity value to validate the server. • HttpsBinaryUsernameChannel - This HTTPS binding authenticates transactions using an Epicor

Username and Password. The data transfers between the client and server using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). HTTPS encrypts the data transfer.

• HttpsBinaryWindowsChannel - This HTTPS binding authenticates transactions using a Windows Username and Password. The data transfers between the client and server using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS).

You can select this method for application servers that handle smart client installations and Epicor Web Access (EWA) installations where users access the application through the same domain. Any user with a Windows Username and Password within this domain can successfully log into the Epicor application.

• HttpsOffloadbinaryUserNameChannel - This HTTPS protocol binding is a configuration that offloads encryption handling to an intermediary Application Request Router such as an F5.

The binding authenticates using an Epicor Username and Password token. The data transfers between the client and server using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). This protocol is configured to move encryption handling to an intermediary Application Request Router like F5 or a similar router.

4. In the Server Information group box, use the fields to update your Epicor ERP 10.1 application to an

updated version. Fields include:

a. Custom Directory. If you have custom programs to incorporate with the Epicor application, browse and select the Custom Directory that contains these custom .dll files. After you click OK on this window, these custom .dll files are included in the Epicor application.

Note As a best practice, you should always place custom programs in this separate Custom

Directory. Then the next time the application version is updated, these custom programs are not overwritten. You can then modify these custom programs to work with the new version.

When you finish creating or modifying the application server and click OK, the application server checks each of the following folders (in sequential order) to determine what version to install: • Base Directory. This directory contains the primary installation for the Epicor application. The

update process always starts with this base version.

• Updates Directory - If an update version is available, the application next updates the Epicor application to use this update.

• Custom Directory. The application lastly checks if customizations are available. If custom programs are in this directory, the Epicor application applies these customizations over the base version.

b. Shared Assembly Location. Select the Shared Assembly Location check box if you have a network load balanced (NLB) environment. For example, you may have the Epicor ERP application installed on multiple servers. You then must have a central directory that contains all the server assemblies and Business Process Management (BPM) folders. If your server environment is set up this way, activate this check box.

You typically select this check box when you add your second and subsequent application servers. When you install the first application server, the install process creates a Server/Assemblies folder. You then create a Windows share for this folder. When you add more application servers, you select this check box and then enter or select this Shared Assembly Location in the next field. Note that you can move the Assemblies folder to some other disk location. However if you move this folder, you must manually update the web.config file for the first application server so it points to this new location.

c. Shared Directory. Select the directory of the Shared Assembly Location. This directory can be a network shared location or a local file path. Note that if your appservers will be on separate machines you must select a network shared location.

Currently this feature is available as a technical preview in your test environment. REST is not yet supported by Epicor and features/functions may change in the official release. During this preview period, you can integrate third party or custom applications with Epicor by leveraging the REST services. For example, you can link a BAQ REST Service with Microsoft Excel to display real time views of your Epicor data. You can then use Excel features to further review and evaluate your data.

Tip For more information on how REST integrates with the Epicor application, review the REST Implementation section in the application help. From the Table of Contents pane, this

documentation is located under the System Management > Working With node.

When you create or update an application server and select this option, it activates the REST nodes available within the web.config file. After you Deploy the application server, you can then integrate third party applications through REST services.

5. In the Application Pool group box, set the following fields:

a. The Application Pool Name uses the value you entered in the Application Name field. You cannot change this value. This value defines the name of the application pool associated with the new application server. An application pool defines a group of related URLs that use the same process or set of processes. The new application server will be placed in an application pool.

b. Use Custom Account. Select this check box when you need to enter a specific user account for the Internet Information Services (IIS) application pool this application server uses. If you select to use a custom account, you must also enter the following:

• Application Pool Username. Enter the domain and the user account. For example, MyDomain\UserName.

• Application Pool Password Enter the password associated with the user account for this application pool.

Note If you do not select this check box, the application pool uses a default user account. This

default account depends on whether you use an SSRS server:

• If you use an SSRS server, the connection uses the LocalSystem account. This is the default user account available through the Windows operating system.

• If you do not use an SSRS server, the connection uses the ApplicationPoolIdentity account. This is the default user account available through Internet Information Services (IIS).

Do not click Deploy yet. You must complete the other tabs before submitting the information. If you click Deploy, you may receive a message that your data entry is not complete on the other tabs.

6. Select the Database Connection tab. Your dialog may look similar to the following:

Define database connection settings:

a. For the Server Name enter the name of your database server that contains the database that you will use with the current application server.

b. Click the Authentication drop-down list and select either the Windows Authentication or SQL Server

Authentication option.

• If you select Windows Authentication, the User and Password default to your current login values. • If you select SQL Server Authentication, enter the User and Password you use to log into SQL Server.

c. From the Database Name drop-down list, select the name of the SQL database you want to link to this application server. All the databases available under the selected database server display on this list. d. To verify the application server can connect with this database, click Test Connection and click OK in

the confirmation message.

Do not click Deploy yet. You must complete the other tabs before submitting the information. If you click Deploy, you may receive a message that your data entry is not complete on the other tabs.

7. Navigate to the Admin Console Settings tab. Your dialog may look similar to the following:

Define Admin Console settings:

a. Review or enter the Display Name to identify the application server in the administration console. The name helps you identify the purpose for the application server.

b. Enter your Epicor User Name and Password. You must enter a valid Epicor User and Password for the user account who has access to the Epicor application directories. The credentials differ based on the database (new or Demo) to which you are adding an application server:

• For a new database, enter manager / manager. • For the Demo database, enter epicor / epicor.

Note The password is stored in an encrypted format.

c. Enter the Operation timeout value you want for the application server. This value determines the wait time until an incomplete operation is stopped by the application server. The default value is 300 seconds. d. Select or clear the Validate WCF Certificate check box. This indicates whether the client application

and WCF service need to validate their connection through a certificate. If this check box is selected, a certificate is required for the client installation to communicate with the WCF service.

e. For DNS Identity value, enter the expected DNS server name. There are two scenarios where you need to enter a value in this field:

• UsernameSSLChannel Selected in Endpoint Binding. When authenticating using message-level or transport-level Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) with X.509 certificates, WCF ensures that the certificate provided during the SSL handshake contains a DNS or Common Name (CN) attribute equal to the value specified in this field.

• Windows Selected in Endpoint Binding. When the service authenticates using message-level or transport-level SSL with a Windows credential for authentication, and negotiates the credential, then the negotiation passes the service principal name (SPN) so that the DNS name can be checked. The SPN is in the form host/<dns name>.

f. Optionally in the Epicor Application Launcher section, indicate how you will connect the Epicor Administration Console to the Epicor application. If you activate this feature, you can launch User Account Security Maintenance from within the console. When you expand the Users node, select a user, and then select Properties from either the context menu or the Actions pane, User Account Security Maintenance displays with the selected user account. Select one of the following options:

• Do not allow access to user details - The default option, select this radio button when you do not want to activate this feature. The Epicor Administration Console then cannot launch User Account Security Maintenance.

• Use Epicor Smart Client - If you select this option, click the Browse (...) button to find and select the Epicor.exe file you will use to launch User Account Security Maintenance.

• Use Epicor Web Access - If you use Epicor Web Access (EWA), select this option and click the drop-down list to define the URL for the web access. This drop-down list contains the web access values defined in the company configuration data for EWA (set within the client); you then launch the EWA version of User Account Security Maintenance.

Do not click Deploy yet. You must complete the other tabs before submitting the information. If you click Deploy, you may receive a message that your data entry is not complete on the other tabs.

8. Navigate to the Reporting Services tab. Your dialog may look similar to the following:

Define your Reporting Services settings:

Important Be sure that once you select this check box, you continue to keep it selected during

future updates to this application server. When any SSRS reports are changed as part of an update, these modified reports are automatically included when you deploy this update. If you clear this check box during a future update, it indicates you no longer use SSRS reporting, causing the application server to reconfigure without the SSRS functions.

Note If you are not ready to configure your SSRS functionality now, do not select the Configure SSRS check box. Later when you want to use SSRS reporting functionality, you can update your

application server. To do this, expand Server Management > [server]. Right-click on your application server and select Application Server Configuration. You can select the Reporting Services tab to define your SSRS settings.

b. Enter the SSRS Base URL for the SSRS Report Server. This value defines the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the server, so enter the web site location that contains it. When you install SQL Server, you set up this URL and this value is typically http://<localhost>/ReportServer.

Note To find the value you need to enter in this field, go to the server machine and launch

Reporting Services Configuration Manager. From the tree view, click the Web Service URL icon. The value you need displays in the Report Server Web Service URLs section. Copy this value into Notepad or a text editor so you can later paste it into the Application Server window. For example: http://HVW12AS09:80/ReportServer

c. Optionally, enter the SSRS Root Folder location. This directory defines the root folder location where you will deploy the reports. For example, enter Epicor if you want the reports to deploy to the

Epicor/Reports folder. If you leave the field blank, this root folder will be the directory that contains the report server home page file, and the reports will deploy to the /Reports sub-folder in this directory.

9. In the SSRS Database Connection group box, enter the following:

a. In the Server Name field enter the name of the server where the SSRS database will be located. b. Click the Authentication drop-down list and select either the Windows Authentication or SQL Server

Authentication option.

• If you select Windows Authentication, the User and Password default to your current login values. • If you select SQL Server Authentication, enter the User and Password you use to log into SQL

Server.

c. In the Report Database Name field select the SQL Server database that will hold the temporary data used by reporting. Click the Down Arrow next to this drop-down list; select the database you need from the list of options.

d. If you are setting up SSRS for the first time, select the Create DB check box to create a database for