Installing the Prerequisites for Windows Server 2012

Important Pulse is deprecated in Flare, which means that it is slated to be removed in a future version.

Information for Network Administrators

To prepare for a Pulse installation, you need to prepare the systems that will be hosting the Pulse server application and the Microsoft SQL Server instance for the Pulse database.

[Menu Proxy — Headings — Online — Depth3 ]

Before You Begin

In order to download and install the prerequisites, you need an internet connection.

You also need the ability to log on the server(s) as a user who has access permissions to install software and change configuration settings on the system. This requires you to have access credentials for one of these accounts:

The Built-in Administrator Account for Windows Server This account has full administrative privileges and is included with the operating system by default. See the person who installed the server's operating system for the user name and password.

OR
A Local User Account with Administrative Privileges If available in your environment, you can use a local administrator account. With a local administrator account, the server checks its own files to authenticate the user and determine if they have the appropriate administrative rights to install software on the system. This account is created on the server, typically by a Network Administrator.

Installing the Prerequisites

First, install Windows Server 2012 on the system acting as the Pulse web server and Pulse database server. Whether you are setting up a new server or just using an existing Windows server, you should also ensure that the operating system is updated with all of the latest service packs, critical patches, and security updates from Microsoft.

If you are not familiar with how to install a server operating system, contact your Windows Administrator and/or Network Administrator for assistance. This will help to ensure that your server is in compliance with any security and network requirements specific to your environment.

Important If you are not familiar with how to install a server operating system, contact your Windows Administrator and/or Network Administrator for assistance. This will help to ensure that your server is in compliance with any security and network requirements specific to your environment. See Windows Server 2012 Requirements.

How to Install IIS

IIS provides the server hosting Pulse with web server capabilities and the ASP.NET framework, which is a feature of the .NET Framework. It supports the creation of web pages and web services. If you are setting up a new web server for Pulse, it is very important that you install IIS before installing the .NET Framework.

Important Always make sure that you are installing IIS on the system designated as the Pulse server. If you are setting up a new server, IIS must always be installed before the .NET Framework.

Important Do not run IIS on a domain controller or a backup domain controller.

Note IIS is a built-in component of the Windows OS. For Windows Server 2012, the OS lets you install IIS 8.0.

Log in to the system that you selected to be the Pulse web server using one of these accounts:
- Built-in Administrator Account for Windows Server This account has full administrative privileges and is included with the operating system by default. See the person who installed the server's operating system for the user name and password.
  
  OR
- A Local User Account with Administrative Privileges If available in your environment, you can use a local administrator account for the server. With a local account, the server checks its own files to authenticate the log in and determine if the user has the appropriate administrative rights to install software on the system. This is different from a network domain account.
Determine if IIS is installed on the operating system. To do this, press the Windows key on your keyboard.

Click the Server Manager tile to open the Server Manager.

If IIS is installed, this should be indicated on the Server Manager.

If you need to install IIS on the server, add the Web Server (IIS) role service:

In the Server Manager, click Add roles and features.
The Add Roles and Features Wizard opens.
Click Next..
Make sure Role-based or feature-based installation is selected. Then click Next.
The local server should be listed.
Click Next.. The list of roles is shown.
Scroll down and place a check mark in the Web Server (IIS) box.
A dialog opens.
Click Add Features. The Web Server (IIS) check box now has a check mark.
Click Next.
By default you should see options for .NET 3.5 and .NET 4.5. Only the option for .NET 4.5 should be selected.
Scroll down and select Windows Identity Foundation 3.5.
Click Next..
Click Next again.

Place a check mark next to all of the role services in the list below. When finished, click Next.

Select the desired services using the recommended role services listed below. Role services required by Pulse are marked with an asterisk (*).

Role Services Category	Select These Role Service Check Boxes
Common HTTP Features	*Static Content Default Document Directory Browsing HTTP Errors
Application Development	ASP.NET 4.5 .NET Extensibility 4.5 ISAPI Extensions ISAPI Filters Example* When you select ASP.NET 4.5, you will be prompted to install additional required services (this occurs only if the services are not already installed on the system), click Add Features.
Health and Diagnostics	HTTP Logging
Security	Basic Authentication Windows Authentication Request Filtering
Performance	Static Content Compression Dynamic Content Compression
Management Tools	IIS Management Console
IIS 6 Management Compatibility	*IIS 6 Metabase Compatibility

Confirm your selections and click Install
After the installation finishes, click Close