Fraxion Spend Management Hardware and Software Requirements

Fraxion Spend Management Hardware and Software Requirements

Table of Contents Technical Overview... 3 Database Tier... 3 Application Logic Tier... 3 Presentation Tier... 4 Security Tier... 4 Physical Implementation... 5 Hardware Requirements... 6 Software Requirements... 6 Client Software... 6 Application Server Software... 6 Email Server Software... 7 Web Server Software... 7 Database Software... 7 Gateway Server Software... 8 Fraxion (Proprietary) Limited 2

This document provides a technical overview of the Fraxion Version 4.0 software and the associated hardware and software requirements required for the successful deployment thereof. Technical Overview Fraxion is a software solution that can be logically and physically described in four tiers namely: 1. Database Tier 2. Application Logic Tier 3. Presentation Tier 4. Security Tier Database Tier The primary purpose of this tier is to provide persistent data storage services to the solution. The database uses relational database technology to implement a metadata storage schema, and the application storage schema. As the application caters for customer-specific configuration of request data, and new request processes, the application storage schema is dynamically configurable, according to the final demands of the users solution, and so the metadata schema is used to describe the structure of the application data. This tier is physically implemented as a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 database. Programming language used is Microsoft Transact SQL. Application Logic Tier The primary purpose of this tier is to provide application logic and execution services to the solution. It also presents a server-oriented interface to the application services. Hence it is responsible for the following activities: 1. Interpreting the metadata schema and driving the application data storage; 2. Amending the application metadata structures; 3. Linking the presentation tier with application data; 4. Data transformations; 5. Interpreting the application data to provide request state management; and 6. Notification, escalation, routing, transactional and security SMTP client email services. Fraxion (Proprietary) Limited 3

This tier is physically implemented as several COM+ applications, stateless and transactional in nature, to facilitate object pooling, scalability and execution across multiple servers. They execute in a transactional COM+ context on a Microsoft Windows Server 2008. The component applications are invoked by a COM-based Application Programming Interface (API), which is available to the presentation layer, and/or 3rd party application integrators. The components are written using C#, C++, XML and XSL. They make use of COM+ services, COM, and the Microsoft XML Parser, version 6.0 (or higher). The data transfer protocol can be described as XML data packets passed over a DCOM based transport. XML is used extensively as the data definition protocol, supporting ease of evolution and open standards. Presentation Tier The primary purpose of this tier is to provide user-consumable views of the applications data, and to provide user driven interfaces for program interaction. This tier interacts with the application Server, via its API, communicates user events, and responds by delivering pertinent information for user consumption. It is physically implemented in two ways: The primary interface is currently delivered via an HTTP Internet server and browser, namely Microsoft Internet Information Server version 7.0, and Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 7.0 (or higher). COM component objects execute within the IIS ASP environment to interact with the application server. These COM components in turn, are invoked via scripts, which respond to HTTP page requests from the browser. The ASP application is written using C++, and Jscript, XML, XSL and HTML. It makes use of ASP services, COM, the Microsoft XML Parser Version 4.0 (or higher), CSS and DHTML. Reports are generated using SQL Server Reporting Services which is included with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and displayed in HTML and PDF format using the internet browser. A notification SMTP based interface is provided to deliver notifications of solution and system events, during the lifetime of applicable requests, and on changes to pertinent data. This implementation is based on the SMTP standard and makes use of Microsoft SQL Server Database Mail Client which provides robust email handling and forwarding to the required SMTP Server. Security Tier Security is effectively implemented by the application server, although the presentation layer can and does play a role in authentication and identification of the user. Fraxion (Proprietary) Limited 4

A secure system has at least these aspects to address: 1. Authentication/Identification: The system s ability to identify the user. 2. Access Control/Authorization: Once the user has been authenticated, are they allowed to do what they have requested within the system. 3. Data Confidentiality: The need to ensure that any communication between two parts of the system cannot be intercepted and read by unauthorised third parties. 4. Data Integrity: The need to ensure that any communications between two parts of the system cannot be intercepted and tampered with by unauthorised third parties. This security functionality is implemented as application extensions of the Windows network server security subsystem. Hence the Windows 2008 or Active Directory Domain controller is recognized as the authority responsible for user account administration and validation, and all participating servers in the solution require trusted relationships with this authority. The IIS server, typically the primary point of interaction, is usually responsible for Identification and Authentication. This can also occur at the application server, for programmatic access via the API. Data Confidentiality and Integrity are provided by Windows network service implementations, i.e. TCP/IP with or without SSL, DCOM and the SQL Server client and server communication protocols. Access Control and Authorization are implemented by the application tier, as enhancements to the COM+ declarative security model, which in turn is built on top of the underlying Network security model. Configuration and specification of users and roles is supported through the standard COM+ administration interfaces. Security, and the configuration of the application environment to support the many competing constraints is a complex subject, and requires a thorough understanding of security and its implementation, the application and its potential configurations. Physical Implementation While it is possible to deploy the web server and the Fraxion application server on two or more machines, the standard professional services associated with the Fraxion Standard application includes deployment on the same machine only. Minimum platform requirements for the application are set out in the sections below: Fraxion (Proprietary) Limited 5

Hardware Requirements Minimum hardware requirements for the Fraxion software are: 1. A Quad core processor or equivalent machine. 2. Minimum of 6GB of RAM. 3. A minimum 10GB free disk storage space is recommended. This is after installation of required software and operating system. Therefore at least an 80GB Hard Drive is recommended. 4. Fraxion must be implemented on 64-bit architecture. Software Requirements Minimum software requirements for the Fraxion software can be categorised in several components namely: 1. Client Software 2. Application Server Software 3. E-mail Server Software 4. Web Server Software 5. Database Software Client Software 1. Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 7.0 (or higher) is needed, enabled for Jscript 2. Adobe PDF reader 3. TCP/IP connectivity with the Web Server 4. The client browser can communicate with the Web Server using standard HTTP or HTTPS depending on the chosen implementation 5. The user needs a valid NT/Active Directory Domain network account on the same authority that the server environment accesses Application Server Software 1. Windows 2008 Server 2. Trusted NT/Active Directory Domain Membership and connectivity Fraxion (Proprietary) Limited 6

3. COM+ 4. Distributed COM (DCOM) enabled for COM+ 5. Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC) enabled for COM+ 6. Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1 7. Microsoft XML Parser (MSXML) 4.0 8. Internet Explorer 7.0 (or higher) 9. NT/Active Directory Domain Service Identity Account 10. Connectivity to an SMTP server Email Server Software 1. SMTP Connectivity Web Server Software 1. Windows 2008 Server 2. Trusted NT/Active Directory Domain Membership and connectivity 3. COM+ 4. Distributed COM (DCOM) enabled for COM+ 5. Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC) enabled for COM+ 6. Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1 7. Microsoft XML Parser (MSXML) 4.0 8. Internet Explorer 7.0 (or higher) 9. Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 10. ASP enabled for Jscript on IIS. 11. Microsoft.NET Framework version 3.5 SP1 12. Microsoft Report Viewer 2005 Redistributable Package 13. Microsoft Chart Controls for Microsoft.NET Framework 3.5 Database Software 1. Windows 2008 Server Fraxion (Proprietary) Limited 7

2. Trusted Active Directory Domain Membership and connectivity 3. COM+ 4. Distributed COM (DCOM) enabled for COM+ 1. 5. Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC) enabled for COM+ 6. SQL Server 2008 7. Connectivity to an SMTP server Gateway Server Software 1. Windows 2008 Server 2. Trusted NT/Active Directory Domain Membership and connectivity 3. Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) 4. Microsoft.NET Framework version 1.1 5. Connectivity to an SMTP server Fraxion (Proprietary) Limited 8