| System maintenance & setup > Installing a new system

Installing a new system

This section describes how to install the software for a PowerSchool SMS system on one or more servers. Each installation task is described separately, although the task might apply to more than one type of system. The particular installation tasks that apply to a system depend on the nature of that system, the main types of which are:

Single-server system: Involves installing PowerSchool SMS and a Database Server on one server box. This is the minimum system setup suitable for a school or small district.

Hosted system: This involves installing more than one district database on a single Database Server. This saves costs because you don't need to buy a server and a Microsoft SQL Server license for each database. For further information, contact Customer Service at 1‑800-999-9931.

Multi-server system [>>]: Involves setting up a PowerSchool SMS system on several servers, each of which might be dedicated to a specialized role [>>] to improve performance on a system subject to large data or traffic demands.

Note: If your district will be using Advanced Query [>>], see the Advanced Query Installation Guide (available from the support site: (https://support.powerschool.com/article/71944) for installation instructions.

The main tasks involved in installing and configuring a PowerSchool SMS system are:

Set up a Database Server.

Set up a Web/Application Server.

Verifying server operations.

The scope and detail of these tasks can vary significantly according to such factors as the number of servers involved, the number of databases needed, and the system's designed availability.

Important Notes: Before you install PowerSchool SMS 8.3 and higher:

If your system runs on Windows Server 2008 32-bit, download and install the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 update package from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/980368/en-us and then restart your server.

Install the full version of .Net Framework 4.5. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30653 and follow the download instructions. .NET Framework 4.5 must be installed on both the database server and the web/application server.

Setting up a Database Server involves:

Setting up the Database Server hardware and connect it to the network.

Installing the operating system (Windows Server 2008 or Windows 2012).

Installing critical operating system updates [>>].

Installing Microsoft .Net Framework on a server [>>]

(Optional) Configure Database Server cluster or high availability.

(Optional) Configure Database Server replication.

Install Microsoft SQL Server on a PowerSchool SMS Database Server [>>].

Setting up the PowerSchool SMS database on a server [>>].

Installing the PowerSchool SMS Web Server [>>]

Disable the Windows firewall [>>].

Enable the MSDTC service [>>].

Setting up a Web/Application Server involves:

Setting up the Database Server hardware and connecting it to the network.

Installing the operating system (Windows 2008).

Installing critical operating system updates [>>].

Installing Microsoft .Net Framework on a server [>>].

Setting up IIS for Windows Server [>>].

Installing the PowerSchool SMS Web Server [>>]

Disable the Windows firewall [>>].

Enable the MSDTC service [>>]

Starting PowerSchool SMS after installation [>>].

Verifying server operations involves:

Verify that the PowerSchool SMS Task Manager service is set to Automatic and is running [>>].

Verify the Windows Components are installed and operating by logging into PowerSchool SMS using its default administrative account [>>].

Verify that PowerSchool SMS displays secondary pages, such as the General Preferences page. (In the Admin menu, click District Setup. On the District Setup page, under Preferences, click General.... The General Preferences page appears.)

Verify that PowerSchool SMS completes and prints a report [>>].

www.powerschool.com
Tel: 866-434-6276
Email: smssupport@powerschool.com