Installing SoftwareCentral

1 Run the installer

In the downloaded zip file you will find an installer.

Windows Explorer folder that contains SoftwareCentralInstaller.exe — The installer, **SoftwareCentralInstaller.exe**, in the downloaded folder. This picture is from an earlier release folder (5.0.11.0).

Launch the installer from the server where SoftwareCentral is installed.

Account rights The installer must be launched with an account that has administrative permissions on the web server and full access to the SoftwareCentral database.

The installer runs as a wizard. The steps below are in the order the wizard shows them.

2 Check the prerequisites

The first step runs a prerequisite check on the server to determine whether all required Server Roles are installed.

Installer window showing Prerequisite check completed with success — The prerequisite check. The message **Prerequisite check completed with success**, with a green dot, means the check passed. This picture is from an earlier installer version (5.2.0.0).

3 Application pool account

The next step requires the Application Pool user and password. This is the service account used by SoftwareCentral.

Field	What to enter
Application Pool Username	The account that runs the SoftwareCentral application pool. Enter it as `DOMAIN\account`.
Application Pool Password	The password of that account.

If the SoftwareCentral Windows service is not on the server yet, it is installed under this account. The account must be a local administrator on the web server. See Setup local admin permission.

Installer step asking for the Application Pool Username and Application Pool Password — Enter the **Application Pool Username** and the **Application Pool Password**. This picture is from an earlier installer version (5.2.0.0). The account name in it is masked.

4 Check SCCM (optional)

The next step can check your SCCM to see whether the service account (application pool user) has the proper permissions in SCCM and the SCCM database. This step is not mandatory.

Field	What to enter
SCCM Server Name	The name of the Configuration Manager server.
SCCM Datebase Server Name	The SQL server that holds the ConfigMgr site database.
SCCM Datebase Name	The name of the ConfigMgr site database.

Click Check SCCM. The installer reports three checks, each with a green dot when it passes:

User 'account' has read and execute permissions for the SCCM database.
User 'account' has login permissions to the SCCM database.
The Application Pool user is an administrator on the SCCM.

SCCM check step with the Check SCCM button and three green results — The SCCM check, with the three results. The server and account names in this picture are masked. This picture is from an earlier installer version (5.2.0.0).

5 Web site and database

In the next step you fill in the SoftwareCentral web site and database information.

Installer form with Web Site and Database fields, Restore default Mail Templates and Update Translations options — Fill in the **Web Site** and **Database** fields. Tick **Update Translations** and **Restore default Mail Templates** only if you need them. This picture is from an earlier installer version (5.2.0.0). The server names are masked.

Field	What it is
Web Server	The server that hosts the SoftwareCentral web site.
Site Name	The name of the web site. The installer shows SoftwareCentral.
Installation Location	The folder for the web site files. Use Browse... to pick another folder. The installer shows `C:\inetpub\SoftwareCentral`.
Application Pool Name	The name of the application pool. The installer shows SoftwareCentral.
Database Server	The server that holds the SoftwareCentral database.
Database Name	The name of the SoftwareCentral database. The installer shows SoftwareCentral.
Restore default Mail Templates	Not ticked by default. See the note below.
Update Translations	Ticked by default. Updates the translations in the database.

Restoring mail templates Restoring the mail templates overrides any changes you have made to the mail templates, including any translations you have created. Leave Restore default Mail Templates unticked unless you want that.

When you click Next, SoftwareCentral is installed. It is important that you do not cancel the installation while it runs.

6 Installation and result

The installer shows each step in a log as it runs. The database and the translations are updated during this step.

Installer log with lines such as Installation was completed with success and a Finish button — The installer log. Lines such as **Updating database. This may take several minutes to complete.** show that the step is still running. The account names in this picture are masked. This picture is from an earlier installer version (5.2.0.0).

At the end of the installation, the installer gives you a summary of any errors which might have occurred.

Click Finish to close the installer.

You can run the installer again if something went wrong.

If the installer cannot create or update the database, fix the cause and run the installer again. The installing account needs full access to the SoftwareCentral database (see the note at the start of this page). Creating the SoftwareCentral database describes how to create the empty database. The installer then sets up its tables.

7 After the installation

The installer only creates the most basic web site. We recommend that you give your site a proper host name and bind the host name to the server's IP address in the forward lookup zones on your DNS.

Host names Host names may only contain alphanumeric characters, including - and .

HTTPS

We also recommend that you set up SoftwareCentral with an SSL certificate. First install the certificate on the server. You can get it from your company certificate authority (CA).

Then add a new binding in IIS and set the type to https. Enter your host name and select your SSL certificate.

IIS Manager Add Site Binding dialog with type https, port 443, a host name and an SSL certificate — IIS Manager, **Add Site Binding**: type **https**, your host name, and your **SSL certificate**. This is an IIS window from the external product.

8 Next step

SoftwareCentral now needs to be configured before it is ready to use. See Basic configuration before use.

9 Best practice

Use an account with the right rights. Run the installer as an account with administrative permissions on the web server and full access to the SoftwareCentral database.
Prepare the application pool account first. The installer asks for it in step 3, and the SoftwareCentral service is installed under it. It needs to be a local administrator on the web server.
Run the SCCM check if you use ConfigMgr. The step is optional, but it shows whether the account has the SCCM and database permissions before the site is in use.
Keep your mail templates. Leave Restore default Mail Templates unticked if you have changed the templates or the translations, because restoring them overrides those changes.
Use HTTPS and a host name. Use a host name that resolves in DNS and a certificate from your company CA, and bind the certificate in IIS.

10 Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	What to do
The installer summary lists errors.	A step did not complete.	Fix the cause named in the error, then run the installer again.
The database cannot be created or updated.	The account that runs the installer does not have full access to the SoftwareCentral database.	Run the installer with an account that has full access to the database, then run it again.
A line in the SCCM check is not marked with a green dot.	The account is missing that permission in SCCM or the SCCM database.	Grant the permission (see Preparing the SCCM), then click Check SCCM again.
After installation, sign-in shows Access denied. The account you used does not belong to a tenant with access to SoftwareCentral.	The account is from a tenant that has not been added to SoftwareCentral.	Sign in with an account from a tenant that has been added to SoftwareCentral, or add the tenant.