SmartHub with Azure Cognitive Search Prerequisites

Installation Prerequisite Checklist

Component

Requirement Description Completed
SmartHub Server: OS Operating System Microsoft Windows Server
  • 2012 and 2012 R2: 64-bit
  • 2016
  • 2019
  • 2022

SmartHub Server: OS Roles and Features Windows Roles and Features Must have Web Server(IIS) role enabled with the following Roles and Features selected:
  • Common HTTP Features
  • Health and Diagnostics
  • Performance
  • Security
  • Application Development
    • .NET 3.5
    • .NET 4.6
      • ISAPI Extensions
      • ISAPI Filters
      • WCF Services
        • HTTP Activation
  • .NET Framework 4.6 Features
    • WCF Services
      • HTTP Activation

SmartHub Server: .NET Framework .NET Framework
  • .NET Framework v4.7.2
    • Required for Windows Server versions: 2012, 2016, 2019
  • .NET Framework v4.8
    • Required for Windows Server 2022
    • Included with Windows and used automatically, by default

Accounts: Service
Service Account

Local or network service account Local account used by the service control manager. Not recognized by the security subsystem, so you cannot specify its name in a call to the LookupAccountName function. Has minimum privileges on the local computer and acts as the computer on the network. used to run the SmartHub Application pool in IIS

  • Must be in the format domain\user
  • Requires read/write access to the directory SmartHub is installed in.
Account credentials: (domain\user)
Accounts: Install
Installation Account

Account used to install SmartHub

  • Must be local admin on machine
  • Requires read/write access to the directory SmartHub is installed in.
Account credentials: (domain\user)
Supported Web Browsers
  • Google Chrome
  • Chromium-powered Edge
  • Other browsers unsupported*

*Unsupported Web Browsers

Other web browsers may work with SmartHub, but are not officially supported by BA Insight, such as:

  • Microsoft Edge (legacy)
    • To check your version of Edge, go here.
  • Firefox
  • Safari

Browsers that are in incognito mode are not supported.


Analytics: Elasticsearch Index Elasticsearch v7.10
  • Secured or non-secured Elastic configurations supported.

Note: The Elasticsearch index used for the SmartHub data does not have to be the same instance use for the search index (backend The search engine your SmartHub instance uses to perform queries. SmartHub can be configured to use more than one search engine.).

Note: Elasticsearch requires Java JDK. Elasticsearch v7.x and later bundles Java with the software (OpenJDK). A separate Java download/install is NOT required. 

Elasticsearch URL: 

Elasticsearch Username:

Elasticsearch Password:

Analytics: Kibana A source-available data visualization dashboard for Elasticsearch Kibana v7.10
  • Kibana must be configured to use the above Elasticsearch index. 

  • Supports secured or non-secured Kibana configurations

  • For assistance installing Kibana and running as a windows service, see: How to Install Kibana for Analytics

Kibana URL:

Kibana Username:

Kibana Password:

NLQ Enables users to find information by making requests as if they were speaking to a person. Services (Optional)
  • LUIS (v2 API)

  • RASA v1.9

  • Amazon Lex

Only one NLQ service should be configured.

Supported NLQ/AI Engines:

  • LUIS - Access to a LUIS instance if using the NLQ feature
  • RASA
  • Lex

For more information see:

Service Endpoint:


Service Key (LUIS only):

Search Engine The search engine your SmartHub instance uses to perform queries. SmartHub can be configured to use more than one search engine. Azure Cognitive Search

SmartHub v5.6 and later supports Azure Cognitive Search as a search engine.

Before you integrate your Azure Search Backend with SmartHub you must satisfy the following requirements:

  • Azure Search subscription.
  • Existing search service.
  • Existing search index under the search service which contains fields for all metadata.
Azure Index Limitation

In SmartHub you must configure one backend for every Azure Search index you intend to query.

Azure Search URL:

Azure Search Username:

Azure Search Password:


Network Requirements: DNS The system that converts website domain names (hostnames) into numerical values (IP address) so they can be found and loaded into your web browser.

DNS entry for SmartHub site
  • This can be either an internal, or an external (public) DNS entry.

  • Entry can point to VIP / F5 / Load Balancer / other network device.

  • Requests should be routed to IIS on the SmartHub server over the chosen ports.

DNS name / URL for SmartHub:
Network Requirements: SSL SSL Certificate SSL certificates use a key pair: a public and a private key. These keys work together to establish an encrypted connection. The certificate also contains what is called the “subject,” which is the identity of the certificate/website owner. If running SmartHub over SSL (recommended), a signed SSL certificate for that DNS name (or appropriate wildcard cert) is required.

Certificate name:

Pass-phrase (if required):

Network Requirements: Internal

Internal Network Connectivity

The SmartHub server must have network connectivity to the following:

  • Analytics Index
  • Search Index
  • RASA NLQ Service (optional)

Verified:

  • Elasticsearch service (see Analytics Index, above)
  • Kibana service (see Analytics Index, above)
  • Search Index
  • RASA NLQ Service (optional)
Network Requirements: External External Network Connectivity Network connectivity from the SmartHub server to the following Microsoft Azure services is required if you use the service(s):

Verified:

  • AzureAD (optional)
  • SPO / Graph API (optional)
  • LUIS NLQ Service (optional)