Technical Specifications for Newstar Enterprise 16 to 30 Users February 25 th, 2010

Technical Specifications for Newstar Enterprise 16 to 30 Users February 25 th, 2010

Constellation HomeBuilder Systems Inc. This document is copyrighted and all rights are reserved. This document may not, in whole or in part, be copied, photocopied, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form without prior consent, in writing, from Constellation HomeBuilder Systems. The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by Constellation HomeBuilder Systems. Constellation HomeBuilder Systems assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. Printed in Canada February 2010 Product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers. Copyright 1991-2010 Constellation HomeBuilder Systems Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Table of Contents 1 -Server Configuration Progress Database backend... 4 1.1 Operating System... 4 1.2 Central Processing Unit (CPU)... 4 1.3 Random Access Memory (RAM)... 4 1.4 Fixed and Removable Media Drives... 4 1.5 Other Server Applications... 5 1.6 Anti-virus Software... 5 1.7 Protecting your Data... 5 1.8 Databases Created... 6 2 -Workstation Configuration... 6 3 -Network... 6 4 -Installation and Support... 7 5 -Newstar Enterprise Installation Process... 7 6 -Remote Site Office Installation & Configuration... 8 7 -Newstar Enterprise Printing... 8 8 -Newstar Enterprise Hosting... 10 Appendix A: Newstar Enterprise Deployment Architecture... 11 Appendix B: An Example Configuration... 12 Appendix C: Progress Software Corporation FAQ on RAID 5... 13

Introduction This document provides a brief overview of the recommended Server and Workstation configuration for a 16 to 30 users network. It assumes that there are no other major applications running on the same server as the Newstar Application Software other than the required database software. A basic overview of the Installation Process is also included. Should you require more information after reading this document please contact the Constellation Homebuilder Systems via email at: support@constellationhb.com Note: These specifications are subject to change without notice 1 -Server Configuration Progress Database backend Progress and Newstar Enterprise software have to be installed on the same server. Another server will be required for typical network functions such as email (MS Exchange), Proxy/ Internet Servers, Lotus Notes, fax server, file and print sharing, etc. If you are an existing REMS or Newstar client and planning to upgrade to a new server, please note that it is necessary to re-install Progress and Newstar Enterprise on the new server. This is required due to the MS Windows Registry entries that are created during the installation process. Making an explicit copy from the old server to the new server will not be sufficient to transfer the applications. Please contact us to schedule this additional service. 1.1 Operating System Microsoft Windows 2003 Enterprise Server R2 SP2 (32bit & 64-bit) or Microsoft Windows 2008 Enterprise Server SP2 (32bit & 64-bit) Note: Please set Disable the Microsoft Auto Update Feature to Manual. This will prevent downloads of packages to the OS that has not been certified by Constellation. 1.2 Central Processing Unit (CPU) An Intel Quad Core Xeon Processor 5500 series or better is recommended. As more users will be using the system more CPU power is needed. 1.3 Random Access Memory (RAM) 8 GB of RAM or more is recommended for the required number of users including remote users if needed. 1.4 Fixed and Removable Media Drives 1 Logical HDD for the OS 1 Logical HDD for the Database 1 Logical HDD for the Newstar Applications 1 Logical HDD for BI files or transaction logs (optional but recommended for performance) SCSI HDD 15K is recommended. Each Logical HDD should entail its own Disk system (RAID). There are working configurations for smaller installations where they are using only 2 logical drives, one for the operating system and one for the applications and databases. This isn t recommended for installations with more the 5 users. Note: RAID 5 is strongly not recommended. Please see this Appendix C for more information.

RAID configured with a specialized controller is recommended over OS RAID implementations. Hardware Mirroring hot-swappable drives are recommended no matter what RAID level is chosen. PFA (Predictive Failure Analysis) compatible disk drives are also preferred. PFA disk drives do not prevent against unpredictable catastrophic failures but provide a mechanism of notification. Predictive Failure Analysis has been developed to monitor performance of the disk drives, analyze data from periodic internal measurements, and recommend a replacement when specific thresholds are exceeded. High-capacity tape drives (ability to back up to maximum disk capacity). 1.5 Other Server Applications It is required that MS Exchange Server or any other major server-based applications not be run on the same server as Newstar Enterprise. MS Exchange requires a large amount of memory and processor resources which can have a serious impact on the performance of any database processes. In order to realize optimum performance ensure that any resource intensive server-based application such as Project Server or Lotus Notes be installed on a separate server. Note: When purchasing your server, please be aware that the Microsoft Small Business Edition Server comes with Exchange Server and SQL Server pre-installed and as such it is not the operating system of choice for a server running the Newstar Enterprise Software. 1.6 Anti-virus Software Certain virus scanning software settings and features (especially the On-Access scanner) will have a significantly negative impact on performance with the Newstar Enterprise application. Due to the amount and type of data sent between the client and the server, it is recommended that the folders where Progress and Newstar Enterprise are installed be excluded from the On-Access scanning and network scanning be disabled between the workstations and the server. (The Progress / Newstar Enterprise drive should still be scanned nightly). 1.7 Protecting your Data We recommend using a Third-Party Backup software package (i.e. Computer Associates ArcServe or Symantec Backup Exec). Constellation will provide a utility to back up the database to a single file that will enable a backup to be run without shutting down the databases. Note: It is the responsibility of your system integrator/ IT staff to configure a full backup and recovery strategy that will encompass all operating system files, Newstar Enterprise application programs, Progress database files and other third party software/ applications. For your convenience, a diagram of the Newstar Enterprise application architecture is attached and should be backed up in its entirety. Please see Appendix A. It is also recommended that provisions be made to test and certify backups on a periodic basis. This requirement should be engineered with your system integrator or IT staff. Note: Constellation is not responsible for any failure of the backup process or integrity of the backup tapes should a database be unable to be restored from the backup tape. In addition, a proper set of multiple tape backup cycles should be maintained that would provide for daily, monthly and yearly recovery. The backup and recovery tape cycles should also provision for off-site storage in the event of a disaster. There are third party service companies who can provide this service, such as Iron Mountain or ReCall. The backup and recovery plan should be clearly documented by the system integrator/ IT staff. A copy of this document should be forwarded to Constellation for file purposes. A copy should also be placed in the client s system configuration/ procedure binder. This document should also be maintained and updated on a continuing basis.

1.8 Databases Created Most Newstar Enterprise installations are set up with 2 databases as follows: a) Live database for production use b) Prototype database for testing, training during implementation or subsequently for application of custom programs prior to installation on the Live database The annual support fees in the contract cover support for only the Live database only. The Prototype database should be maintained if it is to be used after the initial implementation is completed, but is not covered by annual support fees. Note: Annual support fees do not cover additional services, such as the copying of the Live database to the Prototype from time to time or upgrades to the proto or sample. If custom programs are contemplated, the Prototype must be maintained at all times for testing purposes. If you wish to maintain your Prototype database, please contact Constellation for support fee information. In the event you have any questions, please e-mail: support@constellationhb.com 2 -Workstation Configuration a) Microsoft Windows XP Professional (with SP2) 32-bit or Microsoft Vista SP2 32-bit with Internet Explorer 8 b) Minimum requirements: a. Intel Pentium D or E with Dual-Core or AMD Athlon, b. 1.0 GB RAM (Please note that more RAM is required for Vista) c. Gigabit Network Card d. 60 GB hard drive or larger c) Dot.Net Framework 2.0 (Version 1.1 is also supported) Note: Thin Network Appliances that utilize the RDP or ICA protocols in a Microsoft Terminal Server, Windows 2003 Server or Citrix Metaframe environment are supported. For added performance and ease of administration, a Terminal Server-based configuration should be considered with 1 10 user installations. To clarify, this would mean all Newstar Enterprise client access (local or remote) would be done through a Terminal Server session. This would remove the client installation requirement and would improve response times for users as all of the processing would be occurring at the server. Additional Microsoft Licensing requirements would be required but the added performance and ease of administration would off-set these costs. 3 -Network The TCP/ IP network protocol is utilized for Newstar Enterprise database communication. The Server requires a fixed IP address, however this is not required for the workstations (the IP can be dynamically assigned). In terms of network topology, we recommend 1000BaseT environment with approved and certified CAT6 cabling. Network routers and firewalls must permit the specified port-based transmissions and network address translation to allow for the required remote access for support purposes. (See Section 4 for port numbers). The Workstations must be able to successfully ping the Server by host name in order to connect to the database service(s). Some network cards have been known to perform inadequately in full-duplex mode; therefore, they should be certified with your network administrator or system integrator for proper functionality. Be sure to select either Full Duplex or Half Duplex settings on both the server and the workstations instead of the default setting of Auto-Detect.

4 -Installation and Support For installation and support for the Newstar Enterprise product, it is required that the server and one workstation have either Remote Desktop Connection access or the full version of PCAnywhere v10.5 (or higher) installed or VNC (http://www.realvnc.com/). It is preferred that the server be accessible via the Internet with a fixed IP address. A full time, high speed (cable modem, DSL or similar) Internet connection is strongly recommended, and will eliminate the potential of long distance charges. A dial-up account over a telephone line to AOL, for example, will NOT be sufficient. Customer Connection Method Full time Internet connection with a fixed IP address Full time internet connection with dynamic (changing) IP address Constellation Connection Method Requires port mapping from the Firewall directly to the server or a workstation (VNC requires ports 5800 and 5900, PCAnywhere requires ports 5631 and 5632 and RDP requires port 3389 opened and properly mapped to the Newstar Server in the Firewall configuration). Requires the ability to determine the active IP address, either verbally (www.whatismyip.com) or through an online service (www.dyndns.org). (VNC requires ports 5800 and 5900, PCAnywhere requires ports 5631 and 5632 and RDP requires port 3389 opened and properly mapped to the Newstar Server in the Firewall configuration). If a workstation connection is utilized, PCAnywhere or Terminal Services will be required on the Newstar server. The Client is responsible for providing Constellation with the proper access information. It is also the responsibility of the Client to provide updated information to ensure that our records are current. Note: It is vitally important that proper security measures are taken, such as appropriate passwords (of sufficient length, including both digits and letters). Password changes should be provided to Constellation as soon as they change. Other access methods such as Citrix Metaframe can also be used for access and support. Provisions for reliable file transfer such as directory mapping permissions/ rights or FTP must be engineered if using these methods. Constellation uses these connection methods to enable us to configure and optimize Newstar Enterprise for your network, troubleshoot Newstar Enterprise issues and add-on (and test) custom configurations. These access methods are also used during the installation phase (outlined below). One of our qualified Constellation Technical Consultants will aid in the installation and setup of these products at an additional cost. Note: WebEx is not recommended as this requires a person to be present on the other end all the times. WebEx sessions are usually slower, thus billable hours may go beyond estimates. Please be aware that any delays in trying to connect and re-connect to your system will be billable. 5 -Newstar Enterprise Installation Process A Constellation Technical Consultant may contact you a day before the installation date in order to ensure that an appropriate connection (as specified in section 4) or alternate approved communication can be established and maintained. Prior to the installation date you should have received Installation CDs from

Progress, which will include the Progress Enterprise/ Workgroup Database Server and Progress Client Networking and other purchased products. You should have also received an installation CD-Rom from Constellation labeled Newstar version x release xx" (this contains the Newstar application). a) On the day of the install, a Constellation Technical Consultant will connect to the "Newstar Server" with the configured remote connection method. We will require an individual onsite to be available to insert the Progress as well as the Newstar installation CD s into the CDROM drive of the Server. b) When the installation is complete, the Constellation Technical Consultant will instruct the client on starting and stopping the databases as well as providing a guided tour of additional workstation configuration/ setup. In addition, the Constellation Technical Consultant will direct the client representative to the location of various text and utility available. It is recommended that a hardcopy of these documents should be printed out and placed in the client system configuration/ procedure binder. Note: Although the Constellation Technical Consultant will aid in the initial setup of a workstation further client specific configuration will be the responsibility of the client or their third-party consultant. 6 -Remote Site Office Installation & Configuration Note: This section is optional and applies only to those clients who will have remote site offices using Newstar Enterprise. The services for this additional configuration are NOT included as part of the regular installation fee. Please contact support@constellationhb.com for further information and a fee estimate if this service is required. If you are setting up a remote office to access Newstar Enterprise, it is important to review the following requirements: a) Remote access to the main server is best when using a high speed Internet connection. Dial up access via a regular telephone line is NOT recommended. b) A static IP address is required for the remote printer(s). Allow adequate time for your ISP to set this up on your account. c) Use of Microsoft Terminal Server is required at a minimum. Certain situations may require the use of Citrix Metaframe depending upon the remote office requirements and how Newstar Enterprise will be used. Special care must be taken with setting access permissions within Terminal Server for remote access and printing. d) Installation of third party applications (e.g. Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat Reader, etc.) may be required on the Terminal Server, Citrix Server and remote workstations in order to run all features/ reports within Newstar Enterprise. e) With both Citrix and Terminal Server, it is important that each user has his/her own working directory set up so that any temporary files are stored separately for each. 7 -Newstar Enterprise Printing The printing Newstar Enterprise reports and special forms can be accomplished using a HP LaserJet printer. Dot Matrix, Bubble Jet and DeskJet printers can only print standard reports; special forms such as checks, invoices, statements and work orders will not work with these technologies as they require LaserJet technology. Please note that our reports are optimized for a LaserJet printer, ideally HP, or a printer that is able to fully communicate with the HP PCL 5 or PCL 6 printer code language right at the

hardware level and not via software driver at the PC level. Please be aware that not all HP printers support PCL language. If you have purchased the optional feature of printing MICR checks, additional software and Newstar Enterprise configuration is necessary. It is impossible to print MICR checks with a Bubble Jet, DeskJet or Dot Matrix printer because the MICR encoding line on the bottom of a check must be printed using magnetic toner so that the optical scanners at your bank-clearing house can read this information. Ensure that the appropriate magnetic toner cartridge is installed in your printer. A magnetic toner cartridge must replace the regular toner cartridge prior to printing checks in order that your bank be able to honor them. This is only necessary if the same printer is being used for reports as well as checks. If you decide to purchase a dedicated printer for checks, then the magnetic toner cartridge can be permanently installed. Both Newstar Enterprise checks and MICR Toner Cartridges specifications, including complete descriptions and pricing can be obtained from Compuforms (866) 295-9097. To ensure that a printer will print checks properly, please request for the blank check test file and do the following: a) Attach the printer to LPT1 using parallel cable to a local PC. b) Copy the file blankchq.prn to the local PC s C drive. c) Open a DOS window and issue the command copy c:\blankchq.prn lpt1. A blank cheque should come out of the printer. If that does not print properly, please find another printer. Special Procedure for USB Printers a) Take note of the full path of the Share Name of the US Printer b) Go to Command Prompt c) Map LPT1 to the full path of the printer Share Name d) NET USE LPT1 \\Computer1\HP1111 e) For Local USB Printer: Share the printer and map LPT1 to the full share name Examples of Supported Printers a) HP Laserjet P3005 b) HP Laserjet 4000 series c) Any HP printer that supports PCL at the hardware level and can use MICR toner. LIST OF UNSUPPORTED PRINTERS a) HP Laserjet 3050 All-in-One b) HP 10XX series OPTIONAL DIMM On certain printers, for example HP p2015, it is necessary to add optional DIMM for the printer to work properly with cheques.

8 -Newstar Enterprise Hosting Newstar Enterprise Hosting provides an alternative solution for clients to host Newstar applications on an environment where the hardware and software is provided and managed by Constellation. All environments are designed based on the number of users that will be accessing the application and the add-ons and adequate resources are assigned based on this. All users will be accessing the sites using Terminal Services. All hosting packages include the following Operating Systems and software: - Windows Server 2003 R2 64-bit or Windows Server 2008 64-bit - SQL Server 2005 64-bit - Progress OpenEdge 10.1B - Office 2007 Professional - Terminal Service licenses - Anti-Virus Please note that the above configuration can change without notice. Constellation HomeBuilder Systems does not support Citrix in the hosted environment. Constellation HomeBuilder Systems schedules all software and operating system upgrades for clients who are on hosting platform. The updates are scheduled with each client separately and they are done periodically or per request.

Appendix A: Newstar Enterprise Deployment Architecture Application Root Folder (Shared as N drive) \nstar Directory Structure \nstar\pro \nstar\hbe9000 \nstar\netinstall\drivers Progress installation Application codes and configuration files Client installation drivers Database Root Folder \nstardb Directory Structure \nstardb\hblive \nstardb\hbproto Live database Proto database

Appendix B: An Example Configuration PowerEdge 1900: Quad Core Intel Xeon E5345, 2x6MB Cache, 2.33GHz, 19C23C [222-7254] 1 1333MHz FSB Operating System: Windows Server 2003 R2, Enterprise Edition with SP2, 3R23SE [420-7118] 11 Includes 5 CALs Primary Harddrive: 73GB, SAS, 3.5-inch, 15K RPM Hard Drive 73A15 [341-3963] 8 3rd Hard Drive: 146GB, SAS, 3.5-inch, 15K RPM Hard Drive 146A15 [341-4614] 54 Primary Controller: PERC5II PERC 5/i, PCI-Express, Integrated Controller Card [341-3018] 6th Hard Drive: 146GB, SAS, 3.5-inch, 15K RPM Hard Drive 146A15 [341-4614] Hard Drive Configuration: Integrated SAS/SATA RAID 1, PERC 5/i Integrated Tape Backup Software: Symantec Backup Exec LAN Server and Workgroup Protection Suite

Appendix C: Progress Software Corporation FAQ on RAID 5 All answers are from Gus Bjorklund, Progress Wizard and VP of Technology. Q: Does the Progress database work with disk arrays in a RAID 5 configuration? A: Yes. Disk array configuration details are transparent to the Progress database storage manager. It does not know the difference between a set of independent disks and storage arrays. Assuming the storage system itself is reliable, there are no inherent reliability problems that occur purely because the storage system is configured for RAID 5. You do not run the risk of database corruption just by using RAID 5. However, RAID 5 configurations should /never/ be used for database storage because you will experience poor performance --possibly /extremely/ poor performance. This is true for all database systems, not just Progress. Q: Why is RAID 5 performance poor for databases? A: All the various RAID configurations involve tradeoffs and compromises of a variety of factors. RAID 5 is optimized for the wrong thing --cost instead of accesses. Disk accesses per second is a precious commodity. There are several reasons RAID 5 is bad for performance: a) At a minimum, all write operations to RAID 5 arrays require writing the data to one disk and writing an equal amount of "parity" or error-correction information to a second disk. In many cases, a single write operation will actually require 4 disk i/o operations --two reads to get the previous data and parity information, and two writes to update the new data and parity information. b) Write operations always consume half, and sometimes more than half of the total available disk bandwidth. For example, with a 4 disk array, only two simultaneous writes are Possible since each write always updates two disks. But when there is already a write taking place, there is a 50% probability that a second write operation will be delayed because it requires updating one of the two disks that are already busy from the first write. c) Because write operations consume so much of the disk bandwidth, read performance will also be reduced.

d) The parity information recorded by the array enables recovery of lost data if one disk should fail. But the recovery process requires reading all the data from all the remaining disk drives while a failed disk is being reconstructed. These performance disadvantages become worse and worse as the workload and consequent disk activity increases. Q: Doesn't caching solve these problems? A: It helps to mitigate the disadvantages of RAID 5, but it does not eliminate them. And the need for large, reliable cache memories adds greatly to the overall complexity and expense of the disk array. a) In order for the disk subsystem to be reliable in the face of power outages and other failures, the cache memory must be provided with battery power. b) In order for the cache memory to be useful, it must be fairly large. Certainly it will help performance a bit, but disk capacity has become so great that caches are generally a tiny percentage of the total storage capacity. c) Caching reads is fine. But caching writes is another matter. When writes are cached, the database will think that stuff has been written to disk and it has not been. If any of the cached data are lost due to some type of failure, for example a power failure, your database will be smashed and /cannot/ be recovered. Some disk subsystems have battery-backed-up cache memories. You have to be very, very certain that a failure will not cause the cache contents to be lost. The number of things that can go wrong is large. How sure are you that you can fix the problem before the batteries are used up? And what if you have to disassemble the computer to fix it? Q: Can I use RAID 5 if I don't update my database? A: Yes. But if you are not updating the database, then you are not writing to the disks and maybe you don't gain any benefit from RAID 5 either. Q: If I shouldn't use RAID 5, why do the storage vendors recommend it? A: Because they compete with each other on price and don't care about performance. Q: What about software RAID? A: It is always software, it is just a question of /where/ the software is --in the operating system, in the disk controller, or in a separate disk subsystem. You don't want it in the operating system because then it uses the same processors that you want to use. RAID in the OS can use anywhere from 2 to 10 percent of the CPU cycles, depending on processor speed, bus speed, number of disks, and other factors.

Aside from performance, regardless of level, RAID done in the OS tends to be a bit less reliable than in the disk subsystem. This is because the RAID software is mixed in with a lot of other stuff instead of isolated. If something goes wrong with the other stuff, it could affect the disk buffers. Q: What about vendor ax s "magical wonderful mumbo-jumbo RAID"? A: Read the descriptions of what it does and how it works carefully. If it turns out to be RAID 5 dressed up as something else, beware.