VastServices Platform Installation¶

• VastServices Platform Installation
• Requirements / Prerequisites
• Standard deployment
• Metaforik and VastID Databases
• Creating the databases
• Adding API Keys
• Web services
• Configuring the VastID Web service
• Configuring the VastCommunity service
• Configuring the Metaforik Web service
• Verify each service is running
• Updating IIS
• Related links:
• Comments

This document covers the setup and installation of the VastServices platform (v1.3.x).

Requirements / Prerequisites¶

View the server requirements. You will need to install .Net 4 and IIS.

Standard deployment¶

As we encourage a 3 tier approach, we suggest you install the VastPark databases on a separate server. It is fine to install both the VastServices platform and Web platform on the same machine.

Metaforik and VastID Databases¶

Databases set up using Microsoft SQL server Management Studio.

Creating the databases¶

1. Begin by extract the contents of the VastServices zip file (Example shown is VastServices_1.3.2.zip) to the hosted location.
2. In the extracted folder find and open the metaforik_1.3.2_create_script.sql.
3. Select the first two lines of code and press the ‘!execute‘ button or hit to create the Metaforik database.

CREATE DATABASE [VastPark.Metaforik];
GO

4. Once the Database has been successfully created highlight and execute the remaining code.
5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 using vastid_1.3.2_create_script.sql
6. Create a new user with SQL server Authentication. Ensure ‘Enforce password policy’, ‘Enforce password expiration’ and ‘User must change password at next login’ are unchecked.

7. This user will need db_ownership of the Metaforik and VastID database. Select ‘User Mapping’ to bring up a list of your current databases. Find and tick Vastpark.VastId (Note: In this example we are using the VastPark.Id database. If you are following along with the provided scripts mentioned in this documentation then the default VastID database will be named VastPark.VastId) and Vastpark.Metaforik. Under 'Database role membership' select db_owner for each of databases then hit OK.

Adding API Keys¶

1. Find and open the script ‘apikey_1.3.2_setup_script.sql’. This will add the Api keys to the required databases.
2. You will need to generate a unique string for both VastCommunity and TeamFlex then replace 'community_api_key' and 'teamflex_api_key'.

DECLARE @VastCommunityKey nvarchar(100) = 'community_api_key';
DECLARE @TeamFlexKey nvarchar(100) = 'teamflex_api_key';

3. Once the keys have been entered, run the script

Note: This script has been designed to work with the default naming of the databases. If you have altered the names during your setup adjust the following lines to reflect these changes.

USE [VastPark.VastId];
USE [VastPark.Metaforik];

Web services¶

Configuring the VastID Web service¶

1. Open the Web.config file within the root of the web service folder for VastID and update the connectionString with the appropriate information for the VastID database.

ConnectionString

<connectionStrings>
    <add name="VastService.Repository.Database" 
         connectionString="metadata=res://*/Entity.VastIdContext.csdl|res://*/Entity.VastIdContext.ssdl|res://*/Entity.VastIdContext.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string=&quot;Data Source=localhost;Initial Catalog=VastPark.Id;Persist Security Info=True;User ID=vastid;Password=2G21aJOOvAZUu1pL1MGQ;MultipleActiveResultSets=True&quot;" 
         providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />
</connectionStrings>

2. Change the values under <appSettings> to use the desired email account and server. This will enabled the services to send out notification and update emails.

appSettings for VastID

  <appSettings>
      <add key="VastService.Email.SmtpServer" value="ENTER MAIL DOMAIN/>
      <add key="VastService.Email.SmtpUsername" value="EMAIL@ADDRESS.COM"/>
      <add key="VastService.Email.SmtpPassword" value="PASSWORD"/>
      <add key="VastService.Email.FromAddress" value="FROMEMAIL@ADDRESS.COM"/>
    <add key="VastService.VastId.RegistrationServer" value="http://id.vastpark.com:8000/teamflex"/>
  </appSettings>

Configuring the VastCommunity service¶

1. Locate and open the web.config within the root of the VastCommunity web service folder and update the connection string to point to the VastID database and Uri. Also enter the database username and password.
2. Under <appSettings> enter the URI for the VastID and Metaforik web services as well as the related APIKey.

appSettings for VastCommunity

  <appSettings>
    <add key="VastService.VastId.ServiceUri" value="http://id.vastpark.com/vastid"/>
    <add key="VastService.Metaforik.ServiceUri" value="http://id.vastpark.com/metaforik"/>
    <add key="VastPark.ApiKey" value="enter the 'community_api_key' here"/>
  </appSettings>

Configuring the Metaforik Web service¶

1. Open Web.config found in VastServices - 1.3.2\Metaforik\
2. Under the <appSettings> tag , enter the URI of your hosted VastID web service.
Example:

<appSettings>
   <add key="VastService.VastId.ServiceUri" value="http://mywebsite.com/vastid"/>
</appSettings> 

3. Enter the database location, name, username and password in to the connection string. All these values are contained within the singe string.
Example:

<connectionStrings>
   <add name="Database" connectionString="metadata=res://*/Entity.MetaforikContext.csdl|res://*/Entity.MetaforikContext.ssdl|res://*/Entity.MetaforikContext.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string=&quot;Data Source=URI;Initial Catalog= DATABASE.NAME;UserID=USERNAME;Password=PASSWORD;MultipleActiveResultSets=True&quot;" 
   providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />
</connectionStrings>

Verify each service is running¶

By appending /help to your service address, the web page will return a full list of the API methods that are supported by the service. If the service /help page returns without error then the service is now running successfully.

Updating IIS¶

1. Right click the your site then ‘Add Virtual Directory’

2.Enter the details for VastID then hit ok. Repeat the process for Metaforik.

3. Right click the newly added virtual directories then select ‘Convert to Application’.

4. Select your desired .Net v4.0 Application pool then click ok.

5. Test VastID and Metaforik are running by open a web browser and navigating to the services URI or ‘localhost/vastID ‘.

6. This will result in a ‘service unavailable’ page. Adding ‘/help’ will display a list of available operations related to the service confirming that it is actually running.

If each of your services are configured and can be viewed by appending "/help" to their URL then you have successfully configured the VastServices platform.

Related links:¶

• VastServices Installation - previous versions
• Server requirements
• Port settings
• VastPark deployment
• Web platform install