Introduction

This documentation provides general information and tips about the hardware and software required for the installation of Comarch ERP Enterprise.

Hardware setup

RAM for an ERP System Application Server

ERP System Application Servers (SAS) use cache, which significantly speeds up access to frequently used objects. High performance is only achieved if the SAS has enough RAM available. If it has not, and the operating system is forced to store parts of the SAS working memory on the hard disk drive (swapping), performance may be affected severely.

RAM for the Database Management System

The Database Management System (DBMS) also requires sufficient cache in the RAM (according to the requirements of the database engine and adjusted to the client’s needs). Access to the hard disk drive is slower than access to the RAM. Therefore, performance may be affected severely in the case where cache is allocated on the hard disk drive (swapping).

Multiple CPUs

If more than one processor is used on the hardware platform, it is the overall hardware configuration, and not the processor capacity alone, that determines the speed of data processing. A slow hard disk drive may slow the system down just as a slow network card (e.g., 10 Mb/s) may.

Comarch ERP Enterprise may benefit from fast CPU clock rates and multiple processors. If more than one SAS is operated on a single computer, an additional process switches between these SAS, summing up the performance of the multiple processors.

The CPUs do not need to be consolidated on one server. Comarch ERP Enterprise supports the implementation of multiple SAS that do not have to run on one server. This allows the use of Blade Centers (blade servers), for instance, for the SAS.

Comarch ERP Enterprise supports both “scaling up” (multiple processors and RAM on one computer) and “scaling out” (distribution to multiple computers) scenarios. Whichever scenario is better depends on the load profile generated and the number of users. Generally speaking, the database management system benefits from the “scaling up”, and ERP System Application Servers from “scaling out” scenarios.

Fast hard disk drives

When selecting hard disk drive subsystems, please note that SCSI hard disk drives are generally more powerful than EIDE or SATA hard disk drives.When selecting a hardware platform, it needs to be considered that multiple hard disk drives can be mirrored. A higher number of hard drives can distribute the I/O load more effectively. A minimum of 6-8 drives needs to be assumed for the purposes of the system.

In high-performance systems, SCSI hard disk drives and controllers are the preferred choice over SATA hard disk drives.

It is strongly recommended to use hard drives with a high number of revolutions (15k rpm) for production systems. Currently, the use of SSDs may be worthwhile if particularly high requirements are put on the I/O performance.

Minimum requirements for a production system server

When installing a production system, the following features are operated on one server:

• Database Management System (database engine),
• ERP System Application Server (SAS),
• ERP System Output Manager (SOM – Windows only)

Resource requirements for third-party solutions are not included in this document. They need to be taken into account when scaling the system.

Minimum requirements for Comarch ERP Enterprise system

• Intel/AMD DualCore CPU
• 4 GB main memory
• A hard disk drive with a possibly high number of revolutions

Recommended minimum requirements for Comarch ERP Enterprise system

An entry-level server with the installation of some components should have the following configuration:

• Current processor – 4 CPU cores
• 32 GB RAM
• 6x SAS hard disk drives 15k rpm or 250 GB/1200 IOPs
• Backup drive
• Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)

If there is no development system or appropriate test system in the client’s environment, it is necessary to ensure and test that software updates for the system may be imported to the production system in another, twin environment.

Hardware resources must be adjusted to individual client needs.

Distributed installation: Comarch ERP Enterprise and DBMS

Comarch ERP Enterprise supports the distributed installation of an ERP System Application Server (SAS) and Database Management System (DBMS) on different servers. Please note that the network connection for a distributed installation of SAS and DBMS should have the speed of at least 1 Gb/s. This will ensure a suitable data transfer rate in the network between the SAS and the DBMS.

Space requirements

A single installation:

Development system (with source code and Java™ class documentation)

• Operating system approx. 20 GB (virtual memory + code base, fixes)
• Database
  • Oracle: approx. 5 GB
  • MSSQL Server: approx. 3 GB
  • PostgreSQL: approx. 1 GB
• Comarch ERP Enterprise
  • Database: approx. 12 GB
  • Code: approx. 2.3 GB
  • Documentation: approx. 650 MB
  • JDK: approx. 280 MB
  • SOM (System Output Manager): approx. 150 MB + temporary memory for preparation of output jobs

Production system (without source code and Java™ class documentation)

Source code and Java™ class documentation are not delivered for the installation of a production system.

• Operating system approx. 20 GB (virtual memory + code base, fixes)
• Database
  • Oracle: approx. 5 GB
  • MSSQL Server: approx. 3 GB
  • PostgreSQL: approx. 1 GB
• Comarch ERP Enterprise
  • Database: approx. 12 GB
  • SOM (System Output Manager): approx. 150 MB + temporary memory for preparation of output jobs

A total of approximately 30 GB hard disk memory space is required for an installation system.

Recommended system landscape for a production system

The following systems are recommended for a client installation:

• Test system for testing software updates (required) and for functional tests
• Production system (required)

Installation on dedicated hardware is recommended for the test system. If the production servers are sufficiently large and if the test system does not need to be constantly available, the test system can be operated with the same hardware.

The systems do not all need to run parallelly (test systems do not need to run constantly). Because of this, the initial space requirement for the two systems is approximately 60 GB.

Depending on the use, backup storage, and transaction log maintenance, the space requirement increases in the course of the usage period.

Client hardware

If the client hardware is used exclusively for accessing Comarch ERP Enterprise, the following hardware is adequate:

Minimum requirements for a client computer

• Processor: at least 2 dual-core CPU
• RAM: min. 1 GB
• 100 Mb/s network card
• 17 inch monitor with 1280×1024 pixel resolution and 16-bit color depth

RAM needs to be sufficiently increased depending on the requirements of an operating system and other software solutions used.

Recommended configuration for a client computer

• Processor: 4 cores or more
• RAM: min. 4 GB
• 1 Gb/s network card

In this case, Comarch ERP Enterprise will benefit from a high-performance client hardware which will translate to its faster operation.

RAM needs to be sufficiently increased depending on the requirements of an operating system and other software solutions used.

Recommended configuration for a client computer that will be used for system development and extension

A computer used for system development (programming) should have at least 8 GB of RAM.

Citrix, terminal servers, thin clients

For production operations, a dedicated client computer is recommended. The use of Citrix (a virtualization tool) or other clients is supported but generally not recommended: Direct browser access to the SAS leads to better performance.

Citrix or terminal services are not able to optimally support the highly dynamic Comarch ERP Enterprise user interface because they have been tailor-made to transfer low onscreen change rates.

Network

Local Area Network (LAN)

Network infrastructure should be as fast as possible and meet the following requirements.

Recommended minimum configuration

A 100 Mb/s network with a switch, or faster, is recommended. If several servers are used, they must communicate through a 1 Gb/s network at least.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

To access Comarch ERP Enterprise via the Internet, it is necessary to meet the following requirements.

Recommendations

A(DSL) or fiber-optic network connection. Adjusted to support traffic generated by multiple users within the network.

When selecting the connection, it needs to be remembered that the following points can affect the apparent speed:

• Packet loss rate
• Bandwidth
• Latency

For connections over a public network, the “best effort” principle applies. Packets arrive at the machine irregularly, and performance during high-traffic times may be insufficient.

Software setup

The following elements need to be considered when installing the software:

• Operating system
• Database Management System (DBMS)
• Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
• Browser
• Third-party software (optional)

Java™

Comarch ERP Enterprise runs on “Java Virtual Machine”, provided by Oracle or IBM with the JDK.

Java language features

Adaptation checking is done in the compatibility mode using the JDK 1.8 language features.

Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) Unlimited Strength Jurisdiction Policy Files

The “Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) Unlimited Strength Jurisdiction Policy Files” are included with the JDK used.

Operating systems and database platforms

Information on database engines and operating systems and on how they cooperate is included below. Before installing such a combination, it is necessary to verify the database management system manufacturer’s specifications.

Oracle® database management system

• Oracle 11g R2: Prerequisite is version 11.2.0.3 or higher of Oracle 11g. The following editions are supported:
  • Standard One
  • Standard
  • Enterprise
• Oracle 12c: Prerequisites in Oracle 12c are versions 12.1.0.2 or higher and 12.2.0.1 or higher. The following editions are supported:
  • Standard Edition
  • Enterprise Edition

Microsoft SQL Server® database management system

It is recommended to use Microsoft SQL Server 2012, 2014, or 2016. Supported versions:

• SQL Server 2008
• SQL Server 2008 R2
• SQL Server 2012, Service Pack 3
• SQL Server 2014, Service Pack 1
• SQL Server 2016, Service Pack 1
• SQL Server 2017, Cumulative update 3 (CU3)

SQL Server editions

The following editions of Microsoft SQL Server® are supported:

• Standard
• Enterprise

Service packs and hotfixes

The following Service Packs and fixes published since the release of SQL Server 2008 are supported:

• Service Pack 3 (recommended)
• and later versions

The following Service Packs and fixes published since the release of SQL Server 2008 R2 are supported:

• Service Pack 2 (recommended)
• and later versions

The following Service Packs and fixes published since the release of SQL Server 2012 are supported:

• Service Pack 3 (recommended)
• Cumulative Update 2 for Service Pack 3
• and later versions

The following Service Packs and fixes published since the release of SQL Server 2014 are supported:

• Service Pack 1 (required)
• and later versions

The following Service Packs and fixes published since the release of SQL Server 2016 are supported:

• Service Pack 1 (required)
• and later versions

The following fixes published since the release of SQL Server 2017 are supported:

• Cumulative Update 3 (required)
• and later versions

PostgreSQL database management system

PostgreSQL is supported in versions 9.4, 9.6, and 10.0 with Linux system.

Microsoft Windows® operating system

The following Microsoft Windows operating system versions are supported:

• Windows 2008 R2® Standard Edition
• Windows 2008 R2® Enterprise Edition
• Windows Server 2012 Standard Edition (recommended)
• Windows Server 2012 Datacenter Edition (recommended)
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard Edition (recommended)
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter Edition (recommended)
• Windows Server 2016 Standard Edition
• Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Edition

The table below provides an overview of which database engine is supported by a given operating system in its current version:

Supplement to Microsoft Windows 64-bit operating systems

The x64 versions (i.e. on Intel EM64T or AMD Opteron 64Bit) of Microsoft operating system are supported.

Linux® operating system

On Linux, Oracle™ and PostgreSQL are used as database engines.

Remarks on Linux

SAS operation requires a system with a current 3.x kernel version.

IBM i

Support for IBM i operating system will be made available with the subsequent delivery of a fix.

JDBC drivers

The table below lists the supported JDBC driver versions.

Optional software

• Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®
• E-mail server:

In order to send invoices, partner references, etc. directly via e-mail, an e-mail server must be running in the company.

• Backup software

Backup software with DBMS integration, for example ArcServe®

Further operating systems for running the ERP System Application Server

When installing a distributed Comarch ERP Enterprise system for testing purposes (without support from the support center), in addition to the operating systems listed above, the following operating system versions can be used to run the ERP System Application Server (SAS):

• Linux systems based on the current kernel 3.x (Ubuntu, …)

In addition, the following operating systems can be used to operate an SAS for test and demo systems (without support from the support center):

• Windows 7 SP1
• Windows 8.1
• Windows 10

Moreover, the following database management systems can be operated with Comarch ERP Enterprise as regards a later migration:

• SQL Server 2005
• Oracle Database 9i (together with the JDBC driver OJdbc14.jar)
• Oracle Database 10g

Using the 32-bit version of the Oracle JDK is possible on a limited basis, but is not officially supported. The same applies to the use of the 32-bit versions of the supported operating systems.

Client

On the client side, Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari browsers can be used in current versions.

Additional software

• Office products:
  • Microsoft Excel 2007®
  • Microsoft Office 2010®
  • Microsoft Office 2013®
  • Microsoft Office 2016®

• E-mail clients such as Mozilla Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook Express, or Microsoft Outlook:

The e-mail client must be able to handle parameters in an indirect call up, e.g., via mailto:<parameter>. The functionality is limited by, for instance, the use of Lotus Notes.

• Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® XI or higher (free):

To display and print client documents from document management or the Knowledge Store.

Version 11 is recommended.

• Crystal Reports®

iPad

When using the desktop user interface on an iPad, the following requirements apply:

• latest iOS version
• or directly the previous version
• browser: Safari or WebApp

Safari (OS X)

When using the desktop user interface on an Apple computer, the following requirements apply:

• latest OS X version
• latest Safari version

Android (tablets)

When using the desktop user interface on tablets based on Android operating system, the following requirements apply:

• Google-supported version of Android
• browser: latest Chrome version

ERP System Output Manager

The ERP System Output Manager (SOM) is responsible for the preparation and execution of all output jobs. Comarch ERP Enterprise 6.1 requires SOM version 2.1.x. The following is required to install the SOM:

• Windows® 2008 R2 or higher
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 11
• Oracle JDK 32-bit. The 64-bit JDK cannot be used with the ERP System Output Manager
• Java version 1.7 or higher

The use of Microsoft Client operating systems is only possible for demo systems.

Use of Unicode characters

If documents containing Unicode characters or special fonts (for example, barcodes) are to be output using SOM, the desired fonts and SOM must be installed on the same computer.

Hardware requirements

The hardware requirements are a consequence of the operating system requirements. It is recommended to use a computer with at least an Intel Xeon processor, a comparable AMD Opteron processor, or better.

To prepare each job, SOM requires 15 to 500 MB of RAM for each concurrent print job. The actual requirements depend on the number of printouts and the complexity of vouchers and reports to be printed.

Printers

Comarch ERP Enterprise can assign printers through the ERP System Output Manager (SOM) if functional Microsoft Windows printer drivers are installed for those printers. It is not recommended to connect personal printers to user computers (they require additional sharing on the local network for other users). The time it takes to establish connection to a network printer significantly affects SOM response time.

Fax software

The ERP System Output Manager (SOM) supports Microsoft Windows fax software and its API. Analog class 1 modems are directly supported. The components must be installed on the computer where SOM is installed. SOM needs to be able to access the programs locally.

The fax modem “56K USB Modem Model 5637” by USRobotics has been successfully tested with Windows Server 2012.

In addition, fax solutions that can be integrated in Windows as printers are also supported. It may occur that not all features of the fax solution are fully supported.

Crystal Reports®

Crystal Reports® is used to define custom reports in Comarch ERP Enterprise.

The ERP System Output Manager (SOM) supports reports created with the functional range of Crystal Reports® version 9.

The following product can be used to create compatible reports:

A version with Crystal Reports 2008 should also work, but it is not actively tested and supported.

Virtualization technology

Many producers nowadays offer virtualization technology products, such as VMware®, Microsoft Hyper-V®, or Citrix Xen®. Virtualization technology can also be used to centralize the hardware used for Comarch ERP Enterprise systems. Also, virtualization technology products may be used to test different platforms as well as the effects of patches for operating systems and databases or Comarch ERP Enterprise software frameworks.

For instance, Comarch ERP Enterprise has been successfully tested with Fujitsu-Siemens BladeFrame pBlades and Citrix XenApp5.

Unexpected behavior of Comarch ERP Enterprise must be reproducible in a non-virtual environment in order to be correctable.