4D is the database underlying mSupply software. 4D has recommendations for hardware.
Based on decades of experience with mSupply in demanding field environments, the single biggest cause of problems around mSupply usage is power failures. Even if the system was working perfectly during the initial install, UPS batteries fail, and then the ICT equipment is no longer protected from power failure. Losing access to mSupply during power cuts is bad enough. But the real danger is ungraceful shutdown of the mSupply server resulting in corruption of the mSupply data file as well as other software and hardware. It is often possible to fully restore a corrupted mSupply database, but not always. In a synced system it can be almost impossible to fix all discrepancies between servers caused by such a data corruption. The key to a reliable mSupply ICT installation is mSupply servers that are resilient to power cuts. The solution: Laptop computers.
In certain environments, it may be important to make sure that the laptop server is secured with a locking cable.
The following table lists our current minimum recommended hardware for a locally installed mSupply server. mSupply satellite servers in a synced system do not require the same level of data redundancy (RAID array, etc.) as the central server.
Item | Recommendation |
---|---|
OS | 64-bit Windows 2012 / 2016 /2019 or Win 10 with latest service packs |
Processor | For server Quad core minimum is recommended. Consider adding more core for 15 users or more |
Memory | ECC memory Minimum 8Gb +1Gb per user over 8 users |
Hard disks | 4 total: 3 Hard drives to run RAID 1 (or 5) Array + Hot Spare. 1 separate Hard disk for primary back up |
Network card | Gigabit |
RAID controller | RAID 1: Onboard RAID controller is fine |
Power supply | Dual hot-swap power supply is best, single power supply acceptable with good power quality |
Indicative pricing before local taxes: USD3,000 to USD5,000.
For a Terminal server, the general specification changes in that
Pricing should be similar.
If you are running a server that is not in a datacentre with proper power protection: Beware of Solid State Drives (SSDs) without Power Loss Protection!
At least one country using mSupply on servers in health facilities with SSDs installed has had the bitter experience of the SSDs failing after ungraceful shutdowns due to failing UPSes.
The vast majority of ICT documentation on the internet is written from and for locations enjoying relatively stable power supplies. When the above-mentioned experience happened, there was precious little information available for facilities suffering from the sort of chronic power supply issues which the majority of mSupply users experience. Now there is more literature - refer here : Surviving SSD sudden power loss
More details on configuration of the UPS is contained below.
Do you have sufficient in-house ICT capacity to do the rest of the server installation yourself?
However, we know that if the server is not installed and configured correctly, the mSupply software and your medical supplies data is vulnerable. Therefore, in most instances, we end up playing a significant role in installing and configuring the mSupply Server.
Over recent years, with the development of reliable and relatively low-cost cloud based server solutions, more and more mSupply client / server installations have used a cloud based server. In many cases, Sustainable Solutions has provided this cloud based server as a separate service, thus relieving you of any responsibility for installation, configuration and management of the mSupply Server hardware.
Set up the physical hardware including
There are a number of miscellaneous server tweaks that we recommend:
Cortana is unhelpful on mSupply servers. It is worth disabling - refer https://www.windowscentral.com/how-turn-cortana-and-stop-personal-data-gathering-windows-10
auto download, don't install
- refer https://www.windowscentral.com/how-stop-updates-installing-automatically-windows-10While it is good to control when Windows updates take place, it is often beneficial to use Windows Update Delivery Optimization to minimise bandwidth for Windows Updates. It is recommended to turn on Windows Update Delivery Optimization for the server.
Data Execution Protection (DEP) can interfere with 4D - refer 4D Knowledgebase: Tech Tip: Windows Server 2008 also uses DEP, so, we may need to adjust it - refer https://www.online-tech-tips.com/windows-xp/disable-turn-off-dep-windows/
bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff
User Account Control (UAC) can interfere with 4D - refer 4D Knowledgebase: Tech Tip: Windows UAC and the "Program Files" directory, so, we need to turn it off - refer https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/13953.windows-server-2012-deactivating-uac.aspx
1
to 0
in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system
Microsoft keeps changing how these settings are accessed. You'll likely need to hunt around to find them
Be sure to set the correct regional settings, particularly if this is a cloud server which may be physically located in a different region to the country where the server will be used…
Even if you chose the correct keyboard (normally US) during setup, another keyboard (like the UK keyboard) can sometimes still be the default keyboard. Check this by trying to type the @
character… To fix this, you will need to:
English (Australia)
). This will auto select US keyboard
After installation, if mSupply fails to start, then it's quite possible that the Language setting needs to be changed. Not all Windows OS languages are supported by the 4D database that mSupply is built on. Unfortunately, 4D does not maintain a list of unsupported languages.
For example with regional format setting of English (Nigeria) it is known that mSupply will not start.
The solution is to change the regional format setting to something more common like English (United Kingdom) or English (US):
For language tab, Drag and drop “English (United States)” at the top of the preferred list:
Known unsupported languages include:
If you discover other unsupported languages, please let us know, and we'll update this list!
There have been instances where mSupply has crashed and the Windows OS executes a system restore to a state prior to the mSupply installation / upgrade. To avoid this, disable System Protection:
Go to File Explorer → Right click on This PC → Click on Properties
Go to the System Protection tab > Click Configure > Click Delete > Click Continue to Delete > Select Disable System Protection > Click Apply to save the changes
Remote access speed gain by disabling visual effects.
Adjust for best performance
.Remote access speed gain by removing the background picture on the Windows 10 sign-in screen.
To carry out some of the server configuration tasks, file visibility in the Windows OS needs to be improved from the default.
Follow these instructions to View hidden files and folders in Windows 10
While doing this, make the following changes:
These steps need to be followed by the steps in 20.02 mSupply client/server installation part 2 and 20.03 mSupply client/server installation part 3
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