Your unique requirements and current setup will determine what kind of configuration is most advantageous for your company. The two types of network configuration are Domain and Workgroup (also known as Peer to Peer). Please continue reading to determine which setup is best suited to your company.
Terminal Server
Once logged into a computer on the network, a user can then login to what is called a terminal server. This is a computer that allows multiple users to login simultaneously. Once logged in, users can run the programs that are installed on that computer. With a terminal server, RentalPoint is only installed once, and all users login to this computer to connect to RentalPoint. Updating to newer versions of RentalPoint is simple since you only need to update one copy of RentalPoint to affect all users.
Client/Server
If you do not have a terminal server, RentalPoint can be setup using a Client/Server configuration. This means that instead of installing RentalPoint on one computer, it will be installed on all computers in the network. A configuration file will point to the correct document/data folders and database. Once logged into a computer on the network, there will be a shortcut on the desktop that will launch RentalPoint. If you need to update RentalPoint you will need to apply the patch to all computers running RentalPoint.
Domain
A domain forces a user to login to a domain controller before they are allowed access to a computer. Logins can be used against any computer on the network. If your company is using a domain, it is recommended that a RentalPoint security group be created. This group is granted specific permissions on the SQL Server, and then users are added to the group. More information about the SQL server can be found later in this document. If your company is using a domain, you can setup RentalPoint to be configured through a Terminal Server or through Client/Server connections.
WorkGroup/Peer to Peer
If your company is not running on a domain network, it is likely that you will be running what is called Workgroup/Peer to Peer. Since there are limitations and restrictions imposed by the operating system, Peer to Peer can be difficult to configure. Due to the security improvements and features of Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft operating systems, you must authenticate the user against the database to allow access. This type of configuration requires all operators of RentalPoint to have full administrative rights on their client computer and an account mirroring it on the server computer as well. This kind of configuration is good for small companies that do not have many computers or do not wish to create a domain infra structure.
Now that you have determined which network type you are using, continue to the next section to determine if you have a compatible operating system as well as sufficient hardware requirements.
1. RentalPoint has been tested on Windows 2000, 2003, XP(PRO), Server 2008, Vista(Business/PRO/Ultimate), Server 2008 R2, Server 2012, Server 2012 R2, Windows 7, and Windows 8. Please note that XP Home and Vista Home versions are not supported for multi-user systems because they do not support domains. Please note: Any windows system that is no longer supported by windows is no longer supported by RentalPoint. You may also not be able to install an SQL server on a Home OS, or configure the ODBC tunnel required for running Crystal Reports. You have the most up to date service packs installed, and all Windows Updates should be up to date before installation starts.
Small Business Server Warning:
There have been some severe performance problems with the Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) edition of Windows, that means RentalPoint does not recommend its use. Nevertheless, it is possible to install RentalPoint on these systems, the performance, however will generally very poor. If you must install such a system, it is recommended that you contact RentalPoint for specific steps to remediate the performance issues on SBS.
Exclusive to Windows OS:
RentalPoint cannot be installed on a Mac OS or Linux computer, but some of our customers are successfully using remote-desktop to connect from a Mac into a RentalPoint system from them.
Exclusive to SQL Server:
Only Microsoft SQL Server databases are compatible, so you cannot use MySQL or any other SQL database.
5. If you are using Mac or Linux systems, you can locate a compatible RDC client that fully implements Microsoft's RDP protocol, such as 2X Client Lite (on Mac), and that will allow you to connect to a Windows machine or a Terminal Server (Remote Desktop Services) machine with RentalPoint installed and use via a Remote Desktop session.
64 Bit Operating Systems
RentalPoint has been tested successfully on Windows 7 64 bit, and on Microsoft Server 2008 x64 and on later 64 bit systems. Note that there multiple incompatible 64 bit architectures, and only the commonly used AMD64 or the widely used Intel Core families are compatible. The now mostly dead Itanium family of processors is not compatible. These days most Server operating systems are only available in 64 bit, and this is completely okay but you need to pay attention to installing the correct versions of MS SQL (64 bit) on 64-bit operating systems. In order to avail of Microsoft Word Add-ins for RentalPoint you must run a 32bit version of Word. This version has been tested and works on a 64bit operating system.
Many of today’s antivirus systems have active scanning features that conflict with the installation of the Microsoft SQL Server. The RentalPoint program can still install correctly, but the backend database of the system will not work if the anti-virus interferes with the proper installation of the software. RentalPoint suggests that any computer(s) that the SQL database will be installed on have all antivirus software turned off or disabled completely for the duration of the install. Note that this is only during the initial install or during upgrade that this problem occurs.
Below are the minimum and suggested system requirements for RentalPoint. These requirements are for the RentalPoint application only, and do not necessarily apply to the OS or SQL requirements.
Minimum
- 1.8 Ghz Intel Core or AMD Athlon CPU
- 4+ GB of RAM
- 20+ GB free for install and operation
- 100BaseT or Gigabit Ethernet connection for networking
Suggested Configuration
- 2+ Ghz Dual Core Intel CPU (Core i3, Core i5, Core i7)
- 4 GB+ of Ram
- 60 + GB free for install and operation
- Gigabit Ethernet connection for networking