Creating a New ASM System

You can create and configure a new ASM System using the New System Wizard.

Limited Support/End of Life Capabilities

If you need to request a hotfix or support for these features, please contact Alemba Support

The server console is not installed by default. All functions of the server console are accessible via PowerShell and Alemba recommends using the new PowerShell scripts for the few settings which were previously managed via the server console.

If necessary, the server console can be added at install time by specifying the optional module by name

C:\alemba\install\windows-install.ps1 -dbserver... -optionalModules infra.console

The install process will add a desktop shortcut to the All-Users profile

Applies to: On-Premise Installations. When you move to the cloud, this action will be carried out by Alemba.

Before you start

• Ensure your ASM System environment meets the minimum technical requirements and is configured correctly. For more information, see Prerequisites checklist.

• Ensure you have correctly installed and configured Alemba Service Manager™. For more information, see Installing Alemba Service Manager™.

• Using a database management tool such as MS SQL Server Management Studio, your database administrator must:

  • Set up a new SQL Server database

  • Make the database user the owner of the dbo database schema, with a sysadmin server-level role

    If you cannot use sysadmin, you must use the following database-level roles instead:

    • db_owner

    • db_datawriter

    • db_datareader

• Obtain the database credentials (either the Login ID and password, or Windows Authentication) from your database administrator.

  We highly recommend that before you use Windows authentication, you review the implications with Alemba Support.

Alemba® does not support Oracle databases for ASM.

If you are configuring an existing system, see Configuring an existing system.

To create a new system:

1. Using Server Console, in the left pane, under Console Root, right-click Alemba Service Manager™, then select New System on the shortcut menu.

   The New System Wizard appears.

2. Supply the following information:

   System Name	Type a name for the system. Each system name must begin with an alphabetic letter. By default, the first system name is System1. You can use the following in the system name: alphanumeric characters, spaces, commas, semi-colons and apostrophes. You cannot use double quotes.
   System Path	Browse to where you want to store the system and its sub-folders. By default, the system directory name is the same as the system name. If required, you can edit it. Use ASCII characters for the system directory name. You can specify a path that does not yet exist.
   Default Self Service Portal	Select the checkbox to set this system as the default on the server. Self Service Portal will access the default system.

3. Select Next.

   If you specified a System Path that does not yet exist, the Server Console prompts you to confirm that you want to create this system, otherwise continue to configuring the database (step 5).

4. Select Yes to proceed with creating the system.

   Selecting No will cancel this operation.

   The SQL Server DB Details window appears.

5. Configure the ASM database using the following information:

   DB Server	Type the name of the SQL server that contains the database.
   DB Name	Type the database name.
   DB Login ID	If you are not using Windows Authentication, type the database Login ID. The default Login ID is sa. This is the login for the database, not for Alemba Service Manager™.
   DB Password	If you are not using Windows Authentication, type the database password.
   DB NT Auth	Select the checkbox to authenticate the database login against the user's network login. Administrators logging into the database must use Windows Authentication details (i.e. the network login and password).
   DB SSL	Select the checkbox to enable SSL encrypted communication between the ASM System and the database. Ensure that SSL is configured on the selected SQL Server. We highly recommend that you discuss enabling SSL with your Account Manager before using this option.
   Encrypt in Registry	This checkbox is selected by default. It offers additional database security by encrypting the database login ID, password and connection string when these are stored in the registry. This option encrypts the database password only, not the password for any Alemba Service Manager™ person record login IDs.

6. Select Advanced to set the following advanced options:

   Set Concat NULL Yields NULL OFF on every connection	Select the checkbox to allow SQL statements to return data. You can configure this option at the session-level or the database-level. Because the default configuration at the database-level is ON, you must select this box to override the database-level configuration where SQL statements are to return data. Clear the checkbox if the Concat NULL Yields is set to OFF at the database-level (for example, to improve performance).
   Maximum Connection Pool Size	If required, type the size of the client connection pool. The default number of connections is 100, represented by the value 0. If this limit is exceeded, errors will occur. Errors are recorded in the event log.
   Additional Connection String Properties	If required, you can modify the behavior of the Alemba Service Manager™ connection to the database server for more complex SQL Server connections. For example if you have connection pooling, you may need to specify extra information. Type the relevant connection string.

7. Select OK to apply the advanced options.

   Selecting Cancel will close the dialog box without saving your changes.

8. Select Test Connect to test that the information you entered enables you to connect to the server and database.

   A message appears to verify if the connection is successful or has failed. If it fails, you can use the detailed error message to diagnose any problems.

   If you are using an existing database, the database schema is detailed, but if you are using a blank database, the database schema is not defined.

9. Select Next.

10. In the Enter New Licence Key field, specify the licence key.

    If required, you can load the licence key from a Server Manager License File (*.lic). Select Load From File to browse to the file and Open it.

11. Select Decode to see the licence details.

12. Licences control the number of analysts that can access the system. Contact your Alemba® Account Manager to increase the number of analysts on your licence.

13. Select Next.

    If you support customers using multiple languages, you can set up one or more ASM Systems to point at a single Unicode database, and if required, choose a different default language for each ASM System.

    Unicode databases can use a greatly extended character set and can display multiple languages on the same window. However, you must properly configure the databases to take advantage of the Unicode features.

    Ideally, you should set up the Unicode database when the database is empty. Do not select the Create as a Unicode Schema without consulting Alemba® Professional Services. Alemba® can upgrade existing non-Unicode databases to support Unicode, but this is a complex process that requires specialist consulting work.

14. If required and after you have received consultation, select the Create as a Unicode Schema check box.

15. Select Next to create the ASM database using the settings you specified.

    This may take several minutes.

16. On the Website window, select an existing IIS Website from the dropdown list.

    The default selection is Default Web Site.

17. Select the Virtual Directory that points to the physical location of the ASM System files.

    You may need to create a new virtual directory. For more information, see Creating a new virtual directory.
18. If you do not specify a virtual directory, you can continue to create your system, but you will need to add a website before completing the configuration in order to avoid errors.

19. Ensure that your virtual directory is configured correctly, otherwise you will have difficulties running and upgrading your system, and using Chat. This is particularly important if you have multiple systems.

20. If required, change the default Mail Message Access MMA URL to a different virtual directory, or a different URL on another server, or to a load balancer.

    By default, the MMA URL points to the current server, using the following format: http://machinename/Virtual Directory/Core.aspx.

21. If you are using a qualified domain name for the Self Service Portal, specify the qualified domain name in the MMA URL field. This way, all the pages on the Self Service Portal will use the qualified domain name, rather than the name of the server/virtual directory.

22. If required, change the Chat Virtual Directory.

    When you create a new virtual directory, the Chat Virtual Directory field automatically populates with a path that exists within the selected virtual directory. We highly recommend that you use this default setting.

23. Select Next.

    Currently, English is the only available language. This is automatically selected.

24. Select Next to update the database.

    After all the files are copied and your system is configured, the process completes.

25. You can make changes to the system properties and configure it further, changing general settings such as the default date format and currency, setting up diagnostics and enabling a virus check. For more information, see Configuring an existing system.

Creating a new virtual directory

Using the Server Console New System wizard, when you specify the Website properties for your system, you may need to create a new virtual directory.

To create a new virtual directory:

1. On the Website page, select Create.

   The New Virtual Directory dialog box appears.

2. Type a name for the new virtual directory.

3. If you want to use SSL encryption between the client and the server, select the Use SSL check box.

   The term SSL refers to encryption protocols supported by IIS. This security is configured in IIS. Alemba Service Manager™ will work with any protocol supported by the client and/or server.

   If your virtual directory uses SSL, start the address with https when logging in.

4. Select OK to create the virtual directory.

   The MMA URL and Chat Virtual Directory automatically populate.

When you create a new virtual directory, Alemba Service Manager™ will also create a new application pool in IIS.