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Requirements

This topic describes the recommended configuration of the servers needed to install the application in a production environment. Depending on the size of the organization, it is recommended to review your environment and requirements with a Netwrix engineer prior to deployment to ensure all exceptions are covered.

Architecture Overview​

The following servers and applications are required for installation of the application:

Core Components

  • Access Analyzer Console Server – This is where the v12.0 application is installed.

  • SQL Server for Access Analyzer Database – As a data-intensive application, a well-provisioned, dedicated SQL Server is recommended.

  • Access Information Center Application Server – This application is typically installed on the Access Analyzer Console server and is a browser-based, interactive dashboard for exploring permissions, activity, and sensitive data.

    NOTE: The Access Information Center is often installed on the same server as the Access Analyzer application, but it can be installed separately.

Exchange Solution-Specific Components

  • Access Analyzer MAPI CDO – This application is installed on the Access Analyzer Console server to enable the Settings > Exchange global configuration interface within Access Analyzer.

File System Solution-Specific Components

  • Access Analyzer File System Proxy Server – In certain environments, a proxy server may be utilized to scan hosts in remote or firewalled sites to increase scan capacity in large environments. This feature can be implemented through either an applet or a service. The applet would be deployed as part of the data collection process. The service should be installed prior to data collection. See the Proxy Mode as a Service topic for server requirements.

SharePoint Solution-Specific Components

  • Access Analyzer SharePoint Agent Server – For agent-based scans, this application can be installed on the SharePoint application server that hosts the “Central Administration” component of the targeted farm(s) to auditing permissions, content, and sensitive data for SharePoint On-Premise. See the SharePoint Scan Options topic for server requirements.

Activity Event Data Considerations

  • Netwrix Activity Monitor – Access Analyzer depends upon integration with the Activity Monitor for monitored event data for several solutions. See the Netwrix Activity Monitor Documentation for installation requirements and information on collecting activity data.
  • Netwrix Threat Prevention – Access Analyzer can integrate with Threat Prevention for Active Directory and Windows File System event data. This integration works in conjunction with Netwrix Activity Monitor. See the Netwrix Threat Prevention Documentation for installation requirements and information on collecting activity data.

Target Environment Considerations

The target environment encompasses all servers, devices, or infrastructure to be audited by Access Analyzer. Most solutions have additional target requirements.

Access Analyzer Console & Access Information Center Server Requirements​

The server can be physical or virtual. The requirements are:

  • Windows Server 2016 through Windows Server 2022

Additionally the server must meet these requirements:

  • US English language installation
  • Domain member

RAM, CPU, and Disk Space

These are dependent upon the size of the target environment. See the following topics for additional:

Additional Server Requirements

The following are additional requirements for the Console server:

  • .NET Framework 4.7.2 installed, which can be downloaded from the link in the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 offline installer for Windows article.
  • Microsoft SQL Server supports TLS 1.2, which requires the Access Analyzer Console server to have either SQL Server Native Client 11 or Microsoft OleDB 18 installed

Additional Server Considerations

The following are recommended for the Console server:

  • 100/1000 Mb Network Connection
  • SQL Server Management Studio installed (Optional)
  • Font "arial-unicode-ms" installed (Needed for report Unicode character support)

Permissions for Installation

The following permissions are required to install and use the application:

  • Membership in the local Administrators group for the Access Analyzer Console server

    NOTE: Role based access can be enabled for a least privilege user model.

Supported Browsers

The following is a list of supported browsers for the Web Console and the Access Information Center:

  • Google® Chrome®
  • Microsoft® Edge®
  • Mozilla® Firefox®

SQL Server Requirements​

The server requirements include one of the following SQL Server versions:

  • SQL Server 2016 through SQL Server 2022
  • Azure SQL Managed Instances

Additionally the server must meet this requirement:

  • US English language installation

RAM, CPU, and Disk Space

These are dependent upon the size of the target environment. See the following topics for additional:

Additional Server Requirements

The following are additional requirements for the SQL Server:

  • SQL Server must be equal or newer version than the version to be targeted
  • All SQL Server databases configured to use ‘Simple Recovery Model’

Additional Server Considerations

The following additional considerations are recommended for the SQL Server:

  • The standard Autogrowth setting can cause Access Analyzer job delays. Database growth is computationally intensive. While SQL Server is growing the database, no other activity can occur. If this option is employed, please speak with a Netwrix engineer to determine an appropriate setting for best performance.
  • Microsoft SQL Server supports TLS 1.2, which requires the Access Analyzer Console server to have either SQL Server Native Client 11 or Microsoft OleDB 18 installed.
  • Optional: SQL Server Management Studio installed on the Access Analyzer Console server

Database Permissions

The following permissions are required on the databases:

  • Database Owner
  • Provisioned to use Default Schema of ‘dbo’

Virtual Environment Recommendations​

While physical machines are always preferred, we fully support the use of virtual machines. This section contains special considerations when leveraging virtualization.

  • VMWare® ESX® – If using ESX, the following specifications are recommended:

    • ESX 4.0 / ESXi™ 4.1 or higher
    • Virtual Hardware 7 or higher
    • All Virtual Machines installed on the same datacenter / rack

  • Virtual Storage Consideration

    • In the server requirements, when separate disks are required for the servers, that should translate to separate data stores on the VM host machine.