Setting Up a SystemLink Server (simple do-it-yourself evaluation)

[allen_h]

This document is part of the SystemLink Portal.

Setting Up a SystemLink Server (simple do-it-yourself evaluation)

Use the following instructions to set up a SystemLink Server for a simple evaluation of SystemLink.

Network Setups

• Make sure that your SystemLink Server and SystemLink Clients are on the same network.

Set Up Your Server

The following instructions are based on a setup where 1) the Server system has access to the internet, and 2) the Server system is located on-premise.

Server Machine specifications

1. Refer to the Sizing a SystemLink Server for the recommended specifications (e.g. 4-core Processor or higher, 16 GB RAM minimum, 6 GB disk space minimum) for your version.
2. Typically, you should use a Windows Server 2012 / 2016 R2 (64-bit) / 2019 (64-bit) OS on your SystemLink Server.  However, for a simple evaluation, you can also use Windows 7 SP1 (64-bit) or higher or Windows 10 (64-bit) instead if that's easier.
   
   Refer to the SystemLink 2020 R4 Readme for OS requirements.

Setup Instructions

1. Download and install the SystemLink Server on your server machine (download link).
2. Refer to the instructions in the Setting Up a SystemLink Server topic in the SystemLink manual.
3. For a simple do-it-yourself evaluation, the fastest way to get started is by using the "Insecure Remote Access" configuration preset shown in the following YouTube video: [YouTube] SystemLink: Installing and Getting Started with the SystemLink Server
   
   Caution: The "Insecure Remote Access" configuration preset (i.e. connect remote clients to the server remotely over HTTP (instead of HTTPS) which does not protect/encrypt data or passwords; login with admin account; no certificate required) allows you to get started quickly for an initial evaluation, but you must make sure you set up the SystemLink Server and Client systems on a trusted network that can only be accessed by trusted clients.
   
   
4. Later when you are ready to set up your SystemLink Server more securely, you can change to more secure settings and/or refer to the Setting Up Your SystemLink Server and Clients (with IT) document.