Prerequisites

Meridix Web Application, Meridix Studio Service, Meridix Backend services needs to be installed on a Windows Server 2012 or later with .NET Framework 4.7.x installed or later. The recommended minimum hardware is 4 CPU Cores and 8 GB RAM. The server needs to have network access to the Microsoft SQL Server-which hosts the system database and CDRs database.

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1. meridix_studio_service_console_binaries.zip or MSI build

2. meridix_studio_webdeploy_package.zip

3. meridix_data.dacpac

4. Theme zipped file.

5. Meridix Sync Client with an installation guide for the required module.

Install a new system

You need to decide the hosting servers (Web Server, Database Server, and Application Server) and the following guides will assist you through the installation process on each server.

Configuring_the_Database_Server

1. Create an empty database named meridix_sys on the MSSQL server to host the MXSDB (Meridix Studio Database).

   1. Create a SQL Server Authentication login and user with db_owner rights on the meridix_studio database.
      Note: The password for database users should not include the following characters: (<, >,&,",')

2. Copy meridix_data.dacpac master to the database server and do the following steps:

   1. Create an empty database named meridix_data on the MSSQL server to host MXDDB (Meridix Data database).

   2. Meridix_data> tasks> Register as data-tier application

   3. Meridix_data database > tasks > Upgrade Data-tier application > meridix_data.dacpac

   4. Create a SQL Server Authentication login and user with db_owner rights on the meridix_data database.

Configuring the Web Server

1. Extract the file VERSION_AND_DATE_meridix_studio_webdeploy_package.zip to (drive):\meridix\dist\

2. Check the Microsoft .net version.
   On Windows Server 2012 install Microsoft .NET 4.7 or later (https://www.microsoft.com/net/download/framework).
   On Windows Server 2016 or later .NET 4.7+ is already installed.

3. Install Internet Informations Service (IIS) with the Web Server (IIS) - Role 

   1. Make sure ASP.NET 4.5/4.6 Feature is installed. 

4. Install IIS Web Deploy 3.5 or later http://www.iis.net/downloads/microsoft/web-deploy)

5. Create a folder with the customer name and other two folders beneath the customer folder with the following names: meridixstudio, meridixstudio_service 

6. Create an IIS Site (or reconfigure the default) 

   1. Set the site name to Meridix (can be named differently)

   2. Set the physical path to the folder you created in step 5 example C:\customer folder\meridixstudio

      

   3. Bind it to port 80 (or any other port) and port 443 and assign the right SSL certificate accordingly.
      It is mandatory to check on Require Server Name Indication if you have different SSL wildcards installed.

      

   4. In the hostname section, you write the full domain name. (Ex. reports.customer.se) 

   5. Add the domain name and server name in your DNS portal.

7. Create a folder and name it Ex. _webdeploypackage.
   Unzip the file VERSION_AND_DATE_meridix_studio_webdeploy_package.zip into a folder you created Ex. F:\meridix\dist\_webdeploypackage.

8. Create an empty BAT file, name it deploy_webpackage.bat, edit it with a text editor (e.g. Notepad++/Notepad)

   1. Add the following command

      Code Block
      "PATH_HERE\meridix_studio_webdeploy.deploy.cmd" /Y -enableRule:DoNotDeleteRule "-setParam:name='IIS Web Application Name',value='NAME_HERE'"

   2. Replace the placeholder PATH_HERE in the above command with the full rooted path to the folder you created in step 7 F:\meridix\dist\_webdeploypackage.

   3. Replace the placeholder NAME_HERE with the IIS Site name (default: Meridix) created in step 6.a.

   4. Save the updated bat file.

9. Execute the bat file with administrator rights (right-click and click Run as administrator)

10. Open the web application folder (defined in step 6.b)

    1. Rename the file NOT_SET.basic.config to basic.config

    2. Open basic.config in a text editor and change the following settings :

       1. Change the connection string to target the meridix_sys database (created in step 1 under Configuring the Database server) using the SQL Server Authentication login (created in step 1.a. under Configuring the Database server)
          
          Example:

          Code Block
          server=DbServer;database=meridix_sys;integrated security=false;user id=DbUser;password=DbPassword;

       2. Define a unique application id (Meridix.Studio.Application.Id) - Can be any value but should be system unique e.g. companyX.reporting etc.

11. Open a web browser and browse the site created in step 6.

    1. The first time the application is started it might take a couple of minutes before it loads due to internal initialization operations, database schema updates, etc.

    2. Log in with the default credentials U: admin@meridix.se and P: ppn if everything works as expected and a login page are loaded. If you get an error message open the (drive):\meridix\webapp\App_Data\Logs folder under the web application folder and review the logs. Contact support@meridix.se if you have any questions about the error.

12. Once logged in, the system must be custom branded which is achieved by applying the default theme package or customer-specific theme.

    1. Read more on custom themes in the following link:

       Branding and theming  

    2. Upload the theme package example “Telepo_3_8_0_0.zip” to the website by navigating to system administration → Theme settings. Scroll down and press “Choose File” and locate your Theme file.

    3. Press “Upload theme package”

       

    4. Write the theme nameyou uploaded in the previous with no extension (Ex.Telepo_3_8_0_0 instead of Telepo_3_8_0_0.zip) under the “Theme name”.

       1. Make sure the Theme package type is set to the Theme package.

       2. Click on Save.

          

    5. Press Ctrl+Shift+R or Ctrl+F5 to make sure the new theme package content is loaded. (If that does not work, clear the browser cache manually).

    6. The UI should now have a specific theme look and feel instead of the default Meridix theme.

13. Configure the system by navigating to System administration → Application settings

    1. Define the System location (a descriptive name e.g. Telepo/Customer Reports) - This value will be used in initialization e-mails etc. to identify the system for end-users.

    2. Set the System public URL to the public/internal URI that the end-user will access the system through.

    3. Configure the SMTP server settings to use. Will be used for user initialization e-mails, report distribution, etc.

    4. Verify that the security settings comply with your policy (minimum password lengths etc.).

14. Enable the required module by navigation to System administration → Module settings

    1. Expand the desired module section and check both the Loaded and Enabled checkboxes.

    2. Add a connection string to the Data DB  that should be used as the report data source.
       

       

       Code Block
       Server=Server,1433;Database=Database;User ID=User ID;Password=Password;Trusted_Connection=False;Encrypt=True;Connection Timeout=30;

    3. Press Save Changes and click on Validate connection to check if the connection to the database is valid. Check your connection string values and the accessibility to the database server network if the connection fails.

       

       
       

15. Configure the feature set from System Administration>Feature Set> Add new set. We define two sets, Basic, and Advanced as below:

    •  

      

16. The web application is now installed and configured.

17. Unzip the VERSION_AND_DATE_meridix_studio_service_console_binaries.zip into the meridixstudio_service folder you created in step 5.

18. Open the installation directory defined in the previous step and do the same configuration with the file NOT_SET.basic.config as described in step 10 and add the same connection string as in step 10.

19. Open the Meridix Studio Service Administration GUI from the start menu and start the windows service through the GUI or explore the meridixstudio_service folder and start Meridix.Studio.Service.Console.exe and type S + Enter

    1. If it does not start successfully review the log files in the Logs folder under the installation directory.

    2. Create a scheduled task to run Studio.Service.Console.exe with arguments /send every 10 minutes.

20. The back-end service is now installed, configured and started. 
    (It will load additional settings such as SMTP etc. from the same source as the web application).

21. Add a System administrator user/s. (Ex. administrator@company.com) by navigating to Administration → users and press Add new user or follow the steps of Grant system level rights to a user (System administrator)

22. Deactivate admin@meridix.se user

    

23. ِِGo to System Administration->Property Management, add property force_https and set the value to True to enable https only. 
    

    

24. You can rename the module name by following the article: Rebrand Modules to customer preferences

25. If you are in a different time zone than Sweden/Europe/CET, or your date exists in different time zone than your system then you need to update property management accordingly.
    Check the timezone values in TimeZones.
    Use case: the x-Customer system receives the CDRs call in CET time zone and needs to show it in the GMT zone, configure the properties in the property management as the following:

    

    Go to System Administration > Application settings and change the default timezone for new users to GMT.
    

    

26. Provide Technical contact person information to Operations@meridix.se.

Configuring the Application Server

1. Follow the guide on Meridix Import Service setup To configure Meridix Import Service.

2. Install the Sync application and following the guidelines comes with it.

3. In case you update the time zone in the application, edit the sync application config file and add the following key but replace System Time Zone to the correct time zone.

   Code Block
   <add key="default_time_zone" value="System Time Zone"/>

   The above key will update the customers to the chosen time zone. The time zone list is available at TimeZones.

4. A Meridix system is now fully set up.

Upgrade an existing system

This section describes how to upgrade an existing system installed using the steps described in the section Install a new system (above).

1. Backup the current system files. 

2. Retrieve the latest release from Meridix.

3. If there is a text file called upgrade_instructions.txt (or. md) in the release_DATE_HERE follow any custom instructions in that document (it has precedence over this content)

4. Unzip the file you received into a folder on the server called (drive):\meridix\dist_webdeploypackage replacing any existing files in the target folder.

5. Execute the (drive):\meridix\dist\deploy_webpackage.bat file with administrator rights (right-click and click Run as administrator).

6. Open a web browser and browse to the Meridix login page.

   1. The first time the application is started after an update it might take a couple of minutes before it loads due to internal initialization operations, database schema updates, etc.

   2. If everything works as expected a login page will be loaded - Log in with your credentials. If you get an error message open the (drive):\meridix\webapp\App_Data\Logs folder under the web application folder and review the logs for more information about the error.

7. Unzip the file VERSION_AND_DATE_meridix_studio_service_console_binaries.zip into the folder called Customer\meridixstudio_service.

8. Check Meridix studio if the studio service is running.
   

9. The system is now updated.

Appendix

Available modules :

• TelepoBCS

• Centrex

• Broadworks

• Businessphone

• Cisco

• Cs1000

• Intelligate

• Lg

• Mxone

• Nec

• Servit

• Trio
  
  

TimeZones

Dateline Standard Time

UTC-11

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