Hardware and software requirements
PAGE CONTENTS
The following sections give the standard requirements for server and client machines. General guidelines are provided about the scaling of server capacities, however you should contact Quorum Software Support for specific issues connected with the scaling of your Planning Space deployment.
Important: The entire server infrastructure should be running on a Local Area Network (LAN), with all physical machines residing in the same data centre. Individual servers may be virtualized. Between-server latency must not exceed 1 ms, and must be free from any bandwidth or QoS restrictions.
Network requirements
Planning Space and CX Suite software will work with physical or virtualized network architectures, the only limitations being on latency and throughput as follows:
For Planning Space: Reliable network performance where latency between client machines and the IPS server(s) is less than 150 ms (recommended to be below 100 ms), and a throughput of at least 10 Mbits/s;
For CX Suite in ClickOnce deployment (requires direct connection between client machine and the SQL Server): latency between client machines and the IPS server(s), and SQL Server, must be less than 5 ms with throughput of at least 100 MBits/s.
If the network performance conditions cannot be met, or are not reliable, then the software must be set up in an 'Installer-based' deployment using an application provisioning platform such as Citrix. The network requirements in this case should be in line with the recommendations of the provisioning platform software vendor.
Secure HTTP (HTTPS) and SSL certificate requirements
Important: IPS Server is initially installed in HTTP mode, and Quorum Software recommends immediate re-configuration to HTTPS mode. A trusted certificate (backed by a standard Certificate Authority) or a self-signed certificate may be used; see Setting up HTTPS (secure HTTP) for IPS Server. Only trusted certificates should be used in a production deployment.
Browser compatability with HTTP/HTTPS: The versions of the Chrome and Edge browser software distributed since March 2021 require cross-site cookies to be secure (and there is no option to modify this). This means that IPS must be run in the 'Use https' or 'SSL offloading' mode. The IPS Server 'http' mode is not compatible with client users who are using the Chromium-based (Chrome, Edge) browsers.
The general requirements for an SSL certificate are given in the table below.
| Certificate property | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Certificate Generation Type | Legacy Key |
| Service Address | Present in Subject Name (Common Name) and Subject Alternative Name (DNS) |
| IPS Server Addresses | Present in Subject Alternative Name (Optional) |
| Extension | Digital Signature, Key Encipherment |
| Extended Key Usage | Server Authentication, Client Authentication |
| Cryptographic Service Provider |
For version 16.5 Update 30 and later: The default storage provider 'Microsoft Software Key Storage Provider' can be used. For version 16.5 Update 29 and earlier: IPS Server is not compatible with certificates that have private keys based on the CNG ('Cryptography API: Next Generation') storage provider. A legacy storage provider option such as 'Microsoft RSA SChannel Cryptographic Provider' should be used. |
| RSA key size | 2048 bits |
Load balancer
A load balancer is required when IPS Server is run on a cluster of server machines. It will distribute incoming application requests, and product licencing requests, to be handled by all of the server machines in the cluster.
IPS Server and the Planning Space (or CX Suite) applications are expected to work with a wide variety of virtualized load balancer applications or dedicated hardware.
The minimum requirements for the load balancer are:
- the load balancer can handle HTTP, HTTPS, and TCP traffic forwarding
- the load balancer can be configured with multiple ports on a single IP address
KEMP and Citrix Netscaler are examples of enterprise load balancers offered as physical or virtual appliances; these vendors also offer free, throughput-limited load balancers for test environments or configuration testing. Zen and Nginx are commonly-used open source load balancers which do not have any throughput restrictions. Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS are examples of cloud providers which offer configurable load balancing services.
If a load balancer is introduced, the latency and throughput for the entire communication path between any user client machine and an IPS server machine must remain within the limits specified in the previous section.
Quorum Software does not provide setup guidance or support for load balancers beyond the general configuration and concepts included in this Deployment Guide.
IPS Server
The following table gives the requirements for a single IPS server machine, or for machines that are part of a small cluster deployment.
IPS Server can be deployed on physical or virtualized compute hardware and storage media (both SSD and magnetic disk).
Important: Every IPS server machine requires an IPS license.
| Server type | Resource | Requirement per server |
|---|---|---|
| IPS Server | CPU Type | 64-bit only; Intel is recommended over AMD, due to better performance of the floating-point units |
| CPU Cores | 8 cores recommended | |
| Memory | 32 GB recommended | |
| Local Disk Storage | 10 GB minimum | |
| Operating System | Windows Server 2016 as miniumum, Windows Server 2019 is recommended | |
| Software |
.NET 4.7.2 or later [.NET 4.8 is required for 16.5 Update 17 onwards]
Microsoft Office Excel 2013 or later (64-bit Office is recommended) (see Note**)
HTML5-compliant browser is required to run the IPS Manager interface; Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge are recommended;
Microsoft Internet Explorer is not supported (see
Microsoft guidance on IE and Edge browsers)
|
|
| Internet Connectivity | Internet egress is required (all Planning Space application programs are signed and require certificate revocation checking) | |
| Installation Permissions | Local Administrator |
** Note: Excel is required specifically when the server runs Dataflow 'Load from Database' processes (i.e., when the user has selected the 'Server Side Load' option; see the Planning Space User Manual: Database mapping template).
The IPS Server requires the default port 443 (or 80) for HTTPS (or HTTP) communications and this port should not be shared with any other applications or services. If server clustering is used, the IPS Server machines will also require use of port (default) 81 for the server monitor port. All of the default port numbers can be changed in the IPS Server configuration.
Database Server: Microsoft SQL Server
SQL Server service can be provided by a server machine that is dedicated to the Planning Space software, or by a shared service. The service must have a latency below 1 ms for the LAN network link with the IPS Server machine(s).
For version 16.5 Update 17 and later: Azure SQL can be used to run the IPS Common and Tenant databases. See Databases using Azure SQL.
IPS Server is compatible with SQL Server AlwaysOn failover clustering.
One database is used by the IPS Server as the 'common' database (also known as the 'common data source'). And each tenant requires its own database.
Important: There are two security levels of SQL Server account required for IPS/Planning Space deployment. For runtime access to the Common and Tenant databases, a restricted account should always be used (with server role 'bulkadmin' and the roles 'db_datareader', 'db_datawriter', and 'pes_datawriter' for the database). In a production environment a separate SQL Server account should be used for each database. For running DBUPGRADE programs during installation and upgrading, a more privileged account is required, with the role 'db_owner' for the database which is being upgraded.
A new database should be initialized in empty state, and the 'DBUPGRADE' programs supplied by Quorum Software are used to prepare the database for use as a common data source or tenant data source. The database permission 'db_owner' is required for running a DBUPGRADE program.
Alternatively, starter databases (in the form of SQL Server BAK files) may be provided by Quorum Software.
For database operation, the user can be based on a Windows-authenticated login tied to the IPS Service Account, or it can be an 'SQL user with login' (based on a login with SQL Server authentication). This operational user requires:
- server role 'bulkadmin';
- for every database, membership of the roles: 'db_datawriter', 'db_datareader', and 'pes_datawriter'.
Note that the login type 'SQL user with password' (also known as contained database user) is not compatible with the operation of IPS Server.
CX Suite client applications must have direct access to the SQL Server, via a SQL Server login, and not a Windows-authenticated login.
The following table shows the requirements for a dedicated machine running SQL Server for IPS Server and Planning Space.
| Server type | Resource | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft SQL Server | CPU Cores | 4 minimum, 8 recommended for deployments with 50 or more concurrent users |
| Memory | 16 GB minimum | |
| Local Disk Storage | As required for data storage (see Note**) | |
| Software | MS SQL Server 2016 SP1 Standard as minimum; the 'Full-Text Search' component for SQL Server Database Engine must be installed (Note: Planning Space version 20.3 requires a higher minimum requirement of SQL Server 2016 SP1 with Cumulative Update 15) | |
| Database Compatibility Level | SQL Server 2016 (130) | |
| Database Collation | Latin1_General_100_CI_AS_WS |
** Note: Initial setup requires 1 GB for the common database, and for each tenant database 1 GB if using a new database, or 30 GB if using the starter database provided by Quorum Software.
Storage capacity planning for the database server needs to consider the number of users and especially the number of result sets that can be stored by each user (because each result set can easily exceed 5 GB in size), and the storage duration. It is recommended to establish a data storage policy for users, and to perform regular cleaning of stored result sets.
Important for Planning Space deployments upgrading from versions 16.3 or 16.4: For optimal performance it is recommended for every database to set the option 'Legacy Cardinality Estimation' to 'ON'.
SMTP Server
As an option, the IPS Server can send automated emails to administrators and users for diagnostic purposes, and as part of workflows configured in Planning Space client applications.
An internal (for example, on-premise Exchange) or remote (Office 365, for example) SMTP server can be used. A username and password needs to be created for use by IPS Server, or alternatively, all of the IPS Server machines need to be granted permission to relay anonymously via the SMTP server.
A Mail administrator will be able to make the necessary modifications and provide the configuration information to be entered into the IPS Server configuration (see Service configuration).
Application Provisioning Server (and Clients)
The following requirements are for server machines running Citrix provisioning software.
Please contact Quorum Software Support for guidance on using a non-Citrix provisioning platform, and for deployments with large numbers of concurrent users.
A user client machine should have a display with a minimum screen resolution of 1280´960 pixels, and 1920´1080 pixels is recommended.
There are no other particular requirements for the client machines connecting to the Citrix server(s) to run Planning Space or CX Suite applications. Please refer to the software vendor's documentation for the requirements for running the vendor's client software.
| Server type | Resource | Requirement per server |
|---|---|---|
| Application Provisioning Server | CPU Type | 64-bit |
| CPU Cores | 8 minimum (supports up to 10 concurrent users) plus 1 additional core for every additional 3 concurrent users (see Notes**) | |
| Memory | 16 GB plus additional 3 GB for each concurrent user (see Notes**) | |
| Local Disk Storage | 10 GB plus 2GB working space for each concurrent user | |
| Operating System | Windows Server 2016 as minimum | |
| Software |
Citrix 7.6 or later
.NET 4.7.2 or later [.NET 4.8 is required for 16.5 Update 17 onwards]
Microsoft Office 2013 or later (with EN-US or EN-GB, 64-bit Office is recommended); Office/Excel 2016 is the minimum requirement to use the
PlanningSpace Data Connector (see
PlanningSpace Data Connector);
for Office365 it must be installed on the same server (this
requirement only applies when CX Suite is installed)
[Required for version 16.5 Update 26 and later]
'Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable' package as minimum (see Notes**)
Browser software: HTML5-compliant; Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge recommended;
Microsoft Internet Explorer is not supported (see
Microsoft guidance on IE and Edge browsers)
|
|
| Internet Connectivity | Internet egress is required (all Planning Space application programs are signed and require certificate revocation checking) | |
| Installation Permissions | Local Administrator |
** Notes:
- Each provisioning server machine should have approximately 2 cores and 4 GB RAM available to the operating system and application provisioning core services.
- In most Planning Space deployments, peak demand for resources is not simultaneous across user sessions, therefore the actual concurrent user capacity grows more quickly as each unit of CPU/memory is added.
- [Required for version 16.5 Update 26 and later] The Planning Space application client contains a web browser component ('Cefsharp') which has a minimum requirement for the package 'Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable', i.e. Visual C++ 2019 must be covered. To install, get the 'x64' installer from Microsoft at https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/#microsoft-visual-c-redistributable-for-visual-studio-2022.
Planning Space Client (ClickOnce deployment)
The Planning Space client software is a 'thick client' which is based on Microsoft ClickOnce technology.
It is installed for each user and does not require Administrator-level installation. It is also self-updating so that a user will always have the latest version that is installed in your Planning Space servers.
The network connection between a client machine and the IPS Server may be a LAN or WAN (private network) or Internet connection (with or without use of a VPN), but in any case the network latency must not exceed 150 ms. Client machines do not require Internet connectivity while running Planning Space applications.
The general client machine requirements are summarised in the following table.
| Resource | Requirement |
|---|---|
| CPU Type | 64-bit recommended |
| CPU Cores | Minimum: Intel i3 with 2 cores. Recommended: Intel i5 with 4 cores |
| Memory | 4 GB minimum |
| Local Disk Storage | 2 GB minimum for application programs, plus 5 GB for temporary file storage |
| Operating System | Desktop OS: Windows 10 as minimum (i.e., the latest in-support version as per Microsoft's specification), Windows 11 recommended. Server OS: Windows Server 2016 or later |
| Internet Connectivity | Not required to run Planning Space or CX Suite applications |
| Screen Resolution | 1280´960 minimum, 1920´1080 recommended |
| .NET Framework | .NET 4.7.2 or later [.NET 4.8 is required for 16.5 Update 17 onwards] |
| Software |
[Required for version 16.5 Update 26 and later]
'Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable' package as minimum (see Notes**)
HTML5-compliant browser; Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge,
or Firefox are recommended (see Notes**);
Microsoft Internet Explorer is not supported (see
Microsoft guidance on IE and Edge browsers)
|
| Installation Permissions | User level |
** Notes:
- [Required for version 16.5 Update 26 and later] The Planning Space desktop client contains a web browser component ('Cefsharp') which has a minimum requirement for the package 'Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable', i.e. Visual C++ 2019 must be covered. To install, get the 'x64' installer from Microsoft at https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/#microsoft-visual-c-redistributable-for-visual-studio-2022.
- Browser compatability with HTTP/HTTPS mode: The versions of the Chrome and Edge browser software distributed since March 2021 require cross-site cookies to be secure (and there is no option to modify this). This means that IPS must be run in the 'Use https' or 'SSL offloading' mode. IPS 'http' mode is not compatible with client users who are using the Chromium-based (Chrome, Edge) browsers.
PlanningSpace Data Connector: This is an add-in service provided by IPS Server where the client machine connects using Microsoft Excel as client application. The minimum version requirement for Excel is Microsoft Office Excel 2016 (desktop application), or Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise (also known as Office 365 ProPlus, desktop application or online). See PlanningSpace Data Connector for details.
Specific software requirement for Planning Space Portfolio: To use the Correlations option for the Monte Carlo tool requires installation of the 'Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package' (or later version). If it is not installed, users will get an exception error: "Unable to load DLL 'nmath_native_x64.dll': The specified module could not be found".
CX Suite Client (ClickOnce deployment)
The CX Suite client software is a 'thick client' which is based on Microsoft ClickOnce technology.
It is installed for each user and does not require Administrator-level installation. It is also self-updating so that a user will always have the latest version available.
The network connection between a client machine and the IPS Server may be a LAN or WAN (private network) or even Internet connection (with or without use of a VPN), but in any case the network latency must not exceed 5 ms. Client machines do not require Internet connectivity while running CX Suite applications.
The client machine requires Microsoft Office to be installed, version 2010 or later (with EN-US or EN-GB). Note however that Office/Excel 2016 is the minimum requirement to use the PlanningSpace Data Connector (see PlanningSpace Data Connector).
All other client machine requirements are the same as for Planning Space client machines, as summarised in the Planning Space client requirements table.
Specific software requirement for PalantirPLAN: To use the Correlations option for the Monte Carlo tool requires installation of the 'Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package' (or later version). If it is not installed, users will get an exception error: "Unable to load DLL 'nmath_native_x64.dll': The specified module could not be found".