Prerequisites: SmartHub with Azure Cognitive Search

 

Installation Prerequisite Checklist

Prerequisites Requirement

Description

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

SmartHub Server: Windows 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 version:
      • 2022
      • Included with Windows (used automatically, by default)

Accounts: Service
 Service Account (domain\user)

Local or network service account 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: Installation
 Installation Account (domain\user)

Account used to install SmartHub

  • Must be in the format domain\user
  • 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 Index: Elasticsearch Index Elasticsearch 8.1.2

  • 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).

Java: The SmartHub Analytics component requires Elasticsearch Java JDK. Elasticsearch v7.x and later bundles Java with the software (OpenJDK). A separate Java download/install is NOT required. For more information see Elasticsearch documentation.

Elasticsearch URL: 

Elasticsearch Username:

Elasticsearch Password:
Analytics Index: Kibana Kibana 8.1.2

  • 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 Analytics Applications

Kibana URL:

Kibana Username:

Kibana Password:
Haystack Service (Optional) Haystack Service is required for the Questions and Answers feature.

BA Insight recommends that Haystack be deployed to a separate server/resource so SmartHub performance is not negatively impacted.

 
NLQ Services (Optional)

  • LUIS (v2 API)

  • RASA v1.9

  • Amazon Lex

  • CLU

Only one NLQ service should be configured.

Supported NLQ/AI Engines:

  • LUIS - Access to a LUIS instance if using the NLQ feature. Note that support for LUIS is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.
  • RASA
  • Lex
  • CLU

For more information see:

Service Endpoint:


Service Key (LUIS only):
Search Engine
Azure Search

SmartHub v6.x supports Azure Search as a search index.

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

  • Azure Cognitive 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 Cognitive Search URL:

Azure Cognitive Search Username:

Azure Cognitive Search Password:

Network Requirements: DNS


 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 Cert SSL Certificate 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):
  • Azure Active Directory (AAD): If you use AAD for authentication.
  • SharePoint Online/ Graph APIs: If you use SharePoint O365 as a user profile provider.
  • Access to LUIS endpoints: If you use the LUIS NLQ Service.

Verified:

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