QEST Platform Documentation 4.94
Applies to QESTNet

This article details the installation process for the QESTNet product.

Overview

QESTNet is a Windows service which provides data integration services and back-end services for QESTField, QESTField Scheduler, QEST Web API and customer-specific integrations related to financial systems, by connecting to the QEST Platform database. QESTNet does not have a user interface and does not require any presentation such as Terminal Service or Citrix. Instead QESTNet exposes web services, typically via TCP to the local network (default port 52525). QESTNet needs to be run as a Windows service by a service user account.

Prerequisites

The following must be present in the target environment to support QESTNet.

Service User Account

It is recommended that the QESTNet service is run by a service user account. This account will require:

Rights to restart the QESTNet service. This is most easily accomplished by granting Administrator privileges to the account on the machine that the QESTNet service is running on but this route is not generally recommended as best practice. Alternative methods of granting rights to restart a Windows service are:
- Creating a group policy object that grants the permission and adding the service user to this object
- Using subinacl to grant the relevant permissions
Read and Write (Modify) permissions to the QESTNet installation directory and all subdirectories.
Read and Write (Modify) permissions to the logging, license logging and license log archive directories.
If Windows Authentication (MSSQL with integrated security) is to be used to access the QEST Platform database the account will require db_owner permissions to the QEST Platform database.
If Construction Hive publishing is being user and Windows Authentication (MSSQL with integrated security) is to be used to access the Construction Hive Publishing database, the account will require db_owner permissions to the Construction Hive Publishing database.

Machine

Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7 or later (64-bit).
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2or later. If required, this will be installed via the QESTNet installer if the environment has internet access.
A service user account for running the QESTNet service (either domain or local).

Services

The QEST Platform database via Microsoft SQL Server.
- Either ensure the service user account has db_owner permissions to the QESTLab database and use MSSQL with integrated security.
- Or create an MSSQL server login with db_owner permissions to the QESTLab database and use SQL Authentication.

Installation Files

The QESTNet installer QESTNET vM1.M2.B.R x64.exe (where M1 and M2 are the major version numbers, B and R are the build and revision numbers). e.g. QESTNET v4.6.1140.35145 x64.exe
The specific QESTNet configuration file (QESTNET.exe.config) for this installation. Details on the contents of this file are available in the QESTNet Configuration Guide.

Installing QESTNet

If Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2 requires installation, internet access is required during the QESTNet installation process.
Copy QESTNET vM1.M2.B.R x64.exe to the target machine and run it.
Accept the license agreement and click Options.
Set the installation location as required and click Next. Default is C:\Program Files\Spectra QEST.
When the installation is done click Finish.
Navigate to the QESTNet installation location (default: C:\Program Files\Spectra QEST\QESTNET v4.6) and add a copy of the QESTNET.exe.config file required for this installation. It should now be side-by-side with QESTNET.exe.

Configuring QESTNet

This section discusses the most commonly required configuration for an instance of the QESTNet service but is not exhaustive. Please see QESTNet Configuration Guide for more details on the available configuration options.

Setting the Running User

Open the Windows Services manager: Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services.
Select the service called QESTNet, right-click and select Properties.
Select the Log On tab and enter the details for the service user account. Click OK.
Right-click the QESTNet service again and select Start (or click the Start button in the General Properties). If the service fails to start, double check the log-on details then check the Windows Event Viewer for details. After this, check the QESTNet log file configured earlier.
Close Services.

Database Connection

Ensure the QESTLab_Data connection string has the correct data source (SQL server and instance) and initial catalog (database name) values set. Any further changes to the connection string such as a specific SQL server login credentials (if required) should be present here. See Granting Access to QEST Platform Databases for more details.

Firewall Configuration

For QESTNet installations supporting QESTField products, configure any firewall on the machine to accept incoming TCP on port 52525.

Service User File Access

Ensure the log4net andfileSMTPIntegrator file paths values in the QESTNET.exe.config file are set to paths to which the service user account has full read/write access. Commonly these are within the user folder of the service user account. The log file itself does not need to exist as QESTNet will create it. See the QESTNet Configuration Guide for more information.

Logging

The popular logging system log4net is used for logging from QESTNet. This log will contain useful troubleshooting information if any errors are encountered in products supported by QESTNet.

The default configuration which does not often need to be changed:

Writes general logging to rolling files, one file per day, in the location [ProgramData]\Spectra QEST\QESTNET vX.X\Logs. The files are prefixed with qestnet-log.

If it is preferred that QESTNet logs are written to a different location (such as a network drive) please refer to QESTNet Configuration Guide#log4net.

License Warning Emails

QESTNet uses a two-step process to generate warning emails when licensing limits are reached or being approached.

log4net is used to log licensing events on a day to day basis
The log file is parsed and summarised on a given frequency in order to generate any required warnings and send emails if necessary.

There are a number of items that must be configured in order to set this process up:

log4net License Logging

By default, the log4net configuration for the licensing events:

Writes licensing logging to rolling files, one file per day, in the location [ProgramData]\Spectra QEST\QESTNET vX.X\Logs. Licensing files are prefixed with licensing-log.

If there is a desire to change this location, refer to QESTNet Configuration Guide#LicensingEmailDataIntegrator.

If the location of the licensing log file is modified, then the accompanying fileSMTPIntegrator configuration must be modified as well.

Licensing Email Data Integrator

The standard configuration for this integrator will set the integrator to run daily at 10pm according to the server time on which the QESTNet service is running. If there is a desire to change this period, refer to QESTNet Configuration Guide#LicensingEmailDataIntegrator.

fileSMTPIntegrator

This configuration is used to provide extra details for the running of the Licensing Emailer data integrator and is required in order for QEST Platform administrators to receive notification emails about important license events.

The fileSmtpIntegrator has the following, mandatory, properties:

name should be set as "Licensing Emailer"
fromAddress should be set as the from address that the generated emails will use. Note that if the emails are ever replied to, this email address will receive the replies
subject will be the subject on any notification emails. If left blank, the generated emails will not contain a subject
body will be the text preceding the licensing summary
sourceDirectory should be the directory where the licensing log files are being generated per the log4net configuration
filePattern must match the filename pattern of the licensing log files as set in the log4net configuration
archiveDirectory the directory to which the processed log files are moved after processing. This directory will need to be manually created with write permissions granted to the service user running the QESTNet service or an error will appear in the QESTNet log file stating that the directory does not exist every time the integrator runs.

In addition to the above properties, the integrator will expect collection of recipient email addresses to whom the summary email should be sent. It is recommended these are set to be the email addresses of the QEST Platform administrators.

Custom Workflows

If any custom workflows will be used, ensure that their modules are defined in <modules> section of the <qestnet>section in the configuration file.

QESTNet is now installed and ready for use.

Uninstalling QESTNet

Use Add/Remove programs to uninstall. This is found in the Control Panel.
The QESTNet installation folder will not be removed upon uninstall.
The configuration files will also not be removed upon uninstall.
1. Any file within the config folder will not be removed.

Products described on these pages, including but not limited to QESTLab®, QESTNet, QESTField, Construction Hive, and associated products are Trademarks (™) of Spectra QEST Australia Pty Ltd and/or related companies.

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