Contents
Introducing the Weird Systems network. 1
Workgroup or Domain (Setting up the
Users). 1
Installing a database. 1
Operations are conducted over 2 sites each with their own
LAN, the diagram shows the servers and a development machine. Both LANs also
have client PCs and printers on them.
There are no interconnections between the 2 LANs (like a
VPN). The only Internet exposure at both sites is port 443 (https) on the 2
Application Servers, which are both multi-homed (2 Network interfaces for LAN
and Internet).
A company Intranet runs on WSYS-HEAD-APP that can be
accessed from any location. The branch office, where production happens, runs a
client PC with courier software running on it.
Each working day picking lists are automatically printed on
printers at the branch office and data files must be submitted to the courier
software though a simple file drop. At the end of each day data files on the
courier PC must be queried to get the consignment numbers for emailing to the
customers.
This network is not using a Windows domain. If you are using
a Windows domain it makes things easier when it comes to managing users, you
only need to create users and groups in one place. The Spludlow setup process
is slightly simpler in a domain when it comes to adding users.
Running a Windows domain on small networks usually is not
worthwhile and the advantages only outweigh the overhead on larger networks.
You may be running a domain at your head office and a
workgroup in a branch office. Large originations have multiple domains, on
separate networks, with trusts configured between them.
In a workgroup if you want users to be able to access
resources on other hosts you simply create a user on both hosts with the same
username and password.
The Spludlow Framework does not need to authenticate between
hosts but if your application needs access, like a database (using Windows
Authentication) or file share on another server, then the “SpludlowUser” needs
to be able to login to that server. Later on when the “SpludlowUser” is created
on the first host we will need to copy that password when the user is created
on other hosts, this step is not necessary in a domain environment.
On all machines it makes sense to create an “Admin” user
with the same strong password, this makes it simpler when performing setup
tasks if you need anything from another host.
In the examples everything will be performed logged in with
“Admin” being a member of the local groups: “Administrators” and
“SpludlowGroup”
Here the database is sat on its own server this is not
absolutely necessary but often makes sense. Database servers are often
configured by default to swallow up as much RAM as is available and this will
make them perform better. Obviously you can configure them with a maximum RAM
to use. You can install the database software on an application server or
development machine, just be aware of memory hogging.
The chosen database is Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Express
edition, it is free but is limited to 10GB maximum database size and will not
make use of memory caching as much as other editions.