Installing Web-Based Community Server 2008

The Web-based installer for Community Server allows you to configure Community Server remotely through a Web browser.

Community Server 2008 requires ASP.NET 2.0.

Telligent recommends you use the following procedure when installing to a Web host to which you do not have remote desktop access. 

Note: The web-based installation process assumes you have at least FTP access to your remote web server.

When you install Community Server with the Web installation procedure, the installation wizard will:

• Create the Community Server database with Microsoft SQL Server
• Configure the ASP.NET web application settings in your Community Server web.config file.

Procedure

1. Download the Community Server Web installation package  from get.communityserver.org.
2. Enable the Web Installer by doing the following:

• In the Community Server root folder open \Installer\default.aspx file.
• Modify the following line:

bool INSTALLER_ENABLED = false

to

bool INSTALLER_ENABLED = true

This should be done before you upload the files to your web server so that the installer will be able to run.

3. Unzip the Community Server files and FTP them to your web directory on your host's web server.
4. Copy the contents of the Web folder to the root directory of your Web server.

If you are installing Community Server locally or have remote access to your Web server, continue with Step 5.

If you do not have access to your Web server, contact the ISP and ask them to ensure the privileges described in Step 5 are assigned to your Site.

5. Assign privileges.
   1. The directory should also be configured as a web application in IIS with the "Read" and "Run Scripts" checkboxes checked for permissions.
   2. For the "web" folder, give the ASPNET (or NETWORK SERVICE) account read privileges.
   3. Give "Full Control" privileges on the following filestorage/ folders (found under "web"):

6. Create the database.

Before you begin with the remote installation process you will need an empty database for the Web Installation to install to. You will also need to give 'public' and 'db_owner' role privileges to the login that the Community Server application will use when connecting to this database.

These database settings should already be configured for you by your host (ISP). If they are not, you will need to contact your ISP to apply these settings or your Community Server installation may not function properly.

7. Open a web browser.
8. Select your server’s installer folder.
9. For example, http://www.example.com/cs/installer.

9. Click Next to show the Community Server License Agreement terms.
10. Click I Agree to accept the license agreement.
11. Click Next. The Community Server Database Login page displays.
12. Specify the Community Server database schema. The SQL Server credentials are used to create the Community Server database schema and to generate content to be copied to the web.config file. Community Server also uses the data to connect to your Community Server database.

Telligent recommends you use Windows Authentication.

13. Click Next. The Select Database Instance page displays.
14. Select the database you created or the one provided by your host.
15. Click Next. If you do not have an existing database, the Choose Installation Options page displays.
16. Select any of the actions you want performed by the installation procedure. Telligent recommends you leave all the options selected.
17. Click Next. The Create New Community page displays.
18. Specify your community data. This step also allows you to choose a Username, Password, and email address for the system administrator account that you will use when you first access Community Server's administrative features such as the Control Panel.

If you check the Create Sample Data checkbox, the Web installer creates a sample blog, sample forum post and other sample data for your site.

19. Click Next. The installation Complete page displays.

Now that you have provided the installer with everything it needs, it will create the database schema, configure the connectionstrings.config file content and display it for you to copy. It will also provide a link (indicated in the example above) for you to follow to navigate to your new community site.

20. Select the data provided in the installation Complete page.
21. Paste the copied data into the connectionStrings.config file.
22. Delete the Installer directory from your file system.