Requirements checklist

Configuration information you’ll need

Configuration step 1: database configuration

  • Database server name or IP address

  • Database/catalog name

  • Database owner user login (the user in the db_owner role)

  • Database owner user password

Configuration step 2: mail server configuration

  • The administrator’s email address - you may want to set up a role address ahead of time so that system emails don’t appear to come from your personal address

  • Mail server - SMTP server to handle emails

  • Mail server port (optional) - by default 25 will be used

  • Mail server login (optional) - if you need to authenticate to send email

  • Mail server password (optional)

Configuration step 3: select an initial program configuration

Your final decision is which initial program configuration to choose:

  • You can opt to set up with a single reading program that tracks by books read

  • You can opt to set up with four age-specific reading programs that track by minutes read

Once you set up in either configuration you can add or remove programs as you see fit.

For more information on these options, please review the planning section of this manual.

Hosting in a Docker environment

Setting up to run the Web site using Docker is much simpler as the environment is entirely contained in the Docker image.

  • Ensure you have Docker installed properly using Linux containers. You can verify your install with:

    • The Docker Hello World sample (docker run --rm hello-world)

    • The Microsoft ASP.NET Core sample (docker run --rm microsoft/dotnet-samples)

  • Ensure you have access to a Microsoft SQL Server version 2012 or newer

  • Ensure that you’ll be able to authenticate in SQL Server authentication mode

  • Confirm that you’ll be able to create a database

  • Ensure that you have a mail server with an accessible SMTP port or the ability to deliver mail from a service running on the Web server

Hosting in a Windows environment

  • Ensure you have a Windows server running Windows Server 2012 or newer

  • Note that for reporting to work you must be running Windows Server 2012/IIS 8 or later with Web Sockets enabled

  • Ensure your server has the ASP.NET Core Hosting Bundle installed

  • Confirm that you can create a new Web site in IIS on this server

  • Confirm that you will be permitted to configure it so that Web site files can be writable by the Windows user who owns the IIS process (typically the IIS_IUSRS group or DefaultAppPool user).

  • Ensure you have access to a Microsoft SQL Server version 2012 or newer

  • Ensure that you’ll be able to authenticate in SQL Server authentication mode

  • Confirm that you’ll be able to create a database

  • Ensure that you have a mail server with an accessible SMTP port or the ability to deliver mail from a service running on the Web server

  • The latest release of the GRA software downloaded from GitHub.