The latest release of the Cireson Portal uses a Product Key to license your Cireson application. This can be done automatically through an internet connection to the license server from the admin settings below. In cases where internet access is not allowed or restricted, license keys can be generated manually by accessing the License server website. Please refer to the portal licensing article here (KB1180) to license your portal apps.
Note: A Product Key is designed for use with a specific environment only. If you require additional Product Keys for use with TEST/DEV/STAGE environments, you can request these through our portal request offering.
Cireson Portal Components
The Cireson Portal is comprised of four components - the ServiceManagement database, the Cache Builder, the Platform Host and the .
ServiceManagement Database
The ServiceManagement database is a standard SQL Server database that will be deployed automatically by the installer using an SQL Server "DacPac" (also known as a "Database Tier Application"). There only needs to be one ServiceManagement database per deployment of the Cireson Portal. All websites can share a common ServiceManagement database.
CacheBuilder Service
The CacheBuilder service is a Windows service that is installed automatically by the installer. It is used to pull data out of Service Manager and Active Directory and store it in the ServiceManagement database as a cache of data designed to improve the performance of the Cireson Portal by storing the data in a format that is optimized for querying by the Cireson Portal. There only needs to be one Cache Builder service per deployment of the Cireson Portal. If you are deploying multiple instances of the Cireson Portal (for load balancing as an example), you should disable installing the Cache Builder during the installation.
Platform Host Service
The Cireson Platform is a common runtime and technology stack that is being implemented to facilitate the production, and delivery of next generation Cireson applications. Cireson Platform Applications are delivered using a Nuget based packaging format that is referred to as a Cireson Platform Extension or CPEX.
Website
The Cireson Portal Web Site is an IIS web site which users connect to using a browser. There can be multiple web sites installed in a farm configuration behind a load balancer.
Portal Communication Flow and Ports
Deployment Methods
When setting up the Cireson Portal, depending on the authentication method chosen, there are different deployment topology options. Please see KB2439 for further details of Authentication Methods and how to enable each type
Integrated Windows Authentication - If you choose to install using Integrated Windows Authentication, the Cireson Portal must be installed on a server that is also running a System Center Service Manager management server. The should be configured to connect to 'localhost' so that the will connect to the System Center Data Access Service that is running locally on the server.
Forms Authentication - If you choose to install using Forms Authentication, you may choose to either collocate the and the System Center Service Manager management server on the same server or to have the Cireson Portal on one server and the Data Access Service on a different server.
Note: The Cache Builder service must always be installed on the same server as a System Center Service Manager management server.
recommends using a collocated Cireson Portal + System Center Service Manager management server for better resiliency and ease of management regardless of the authentication method.
Collocating the Cireson Portal, SCSM, and SCOM
If you plan on installing the SCSM management server on the same server as the Cireson Portal web site/Cache Builder, the SCSM management server must be installed first. If you already have a server that has the Cireson Portal web site/Cache Builder installed on it and you want to install a SCSM management server on it, please first uninstall the Cireson Portal web site/Cache Builder by following the uninstall guide (KB1137). Please DO NOT uninstall the management packs or delete the ServiceManagement DB in this case.
Make sure you backup your /CustomSpace directory files before uninstalling. Once you have uninstalled the Cireson Portal, make sure to delete this registry key if it exists: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\System Center\2010\Service Manager\Setup.
If you want to have a SCOM agent monitoring a SCSM management server, you cannot push install an agent to it. Nor should you try to install a SCSM management server on a server that already has a SCOM agent. If you want to install a SCSM management server on a server that already has a SCOM agent on it, you should uninstall the SCOM agent before installing the SCSM management server. To manage a SCSM management server with SCOM you need to add the SCSM management server to the SCOM management group via the Control Panel. Follow the 'Configuring an Agent to Report to Multiple Management Groups' section of this TechNet Library article on Configuring Agents.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, please ensure you meet all the prerequisites found here KB2438.
Installation
Full installation instructions can be found here: KB1349.
Enabling Advanced Request Offerings
Installing the Cireson Portal will not automatically install the Advance Request Offering management pack. This is intended to be an additional step as installing the Advance Request Offering management pack will update ALL of your Incident and Service Request Last Modified dates for each work item in the ServiceManager CMDB.On large data sets this can and will result in performance issues while Service Manager processes the changes across the affected work items. This is a core Service Manager function (limitation) and therefore nothing we can do to alleviate or remedy these effects. Please test the impacts of this management pack prior to deploying into your production environment to ensure your production system can process the changes without impacting the usability of your production system until they have completed.
After installing the Portal, you will be provided with a folder in your Cireson Portal root install directory called 'ManagementPacks'. You can install Advanced Request Offerings by importing this management pack into SCSM.
More information about Advanced Request Offerings can be found here: KB1270.
Enabling Cireson Asset Management in the Cireson Portal
In order to view Cireson Asset Management in the portal the following must be done:
More details on these steps can be found here: KB75
Import the latest version of the Cireson Asset Management MP (see the Versions KB article for the Cireson Asset Management MP version that is required for the version of the Portal that you are using.)
Enter the product key for Cireson Asset Management in the Cireson Console Licensing App configuration
This product key must be the same key you are using in the Cireson Console Licensing App otherwise Cireson Asset Management will not activate
Restart the Cireson Portal
as a user that is a member of the Asset Managers group specified during setup of the Cireson Portal.
