Configure the Smart Previews Import Server (SmartHub)

Date/Time Configuration

  • The Smart Previews Import Server controls the Date/Time configuration, including Date/Time format, of your Smart Previews email items. 

  • After your installation is completed, see "How to Change Date/Time" here. 

  • The default Date/Time configuration is MMMM dd, yyyy HH:mm UTC.  For example, June 28, 2019 18:43 UTC.

Create the Transfer Folder

The transfer folder is the network file share identified in the Prerequisites.

  1. In this folder, the files from the FAST Proxy Service are stored and picked up by the Indexing Monitoring Service.
  2. Share this folder and give FULL permissions to the service account(s) used for the Import Server and Fast Proxy services.

Create the Configuration Databases

Use the following steps to create your configuration databases:

  1. On the server where the Import server was installed, launch the Web Admin Console from the start menu, or navigate to http://localhost:1234 in a browser to open the Import Server Web Admin console.
  2. Click Create new Configuration Database.
  3. A new Smart Previews Administration Console page appears.

  4. Select Storage Type:

    1. SQL Server: Microsoft SQL Server is used to store all Smart Previews databases.

    2. Azure Storage:

      1. Azure SQL is used to store a minimal set of Smart Previews data (Configuration and UserProfiles databases).

      2. Azure Storage (tables and BLOBs) is used to store most Smart Previews data (PreviewCache database).

        Azure SQL is not supported by Smart Previews for SharePoint 2016/19.

    3. Amazon Storage:

      1. AWS SQL is used to store a minimal set of Smart Previews data (Configuration and UserProfiles databases).
      2. Amazon Storage (tables and S3s) is used to store most Smart Previews data (PreviewCache database).
        3. Amazon storage is not supported by Smart Previews for SharePoint 2016/19.
  5. Provide database connection parameters:
    1. If the SQL Server storage type is selected, provide the names for:
      • Database server
      • Configuration database
      • Preview database

      • User Profile database

        In order to provide advanced connection options (for example, if SQL Server is configured to use SQL authentication), click Advanced Settings and provide the connection strings for all the three databases instead. The following authentication methods are supported:

        Important: If you are planning to use managed identity for your SQL server, you must complete the steps included in Enable managed identities.
        • SQL authentication
        • Microsoft Azure Active Directory username and password authentication
        • Microsoft Azure Active Directory Integrated authentication
        • Microsoft Azure Active Directory Service Principal authentication
        • Microsoft Azure Active Directory Managed Identity or Managed Service Identity (MSI) authentication
        • For more information, see Connect to Azure SQL with Microsoft Entra authentication and SqlClient in the Microsoft documentation.

      If your organization requires manual database creation, use the following steps:

      1. Pre-create empty databases on SQL Server.
      2. Then, enter the names of existing databases on the Create Smart Previews Database page.
      3. The product then configures these databases so that they can be used by Smart Previews.
    2. If the Azure Storage type is selected, provide connection strings for:
      • Configuration database.
      • Azure storage account to contain preview data.

      • User Profiles database.

        Important:

        1. You must create empty databases for Configuration and UserProfiles manually in Azure in advance.
        2. You must create the storage account manually in Azure in advance.
        3. For Azure SQL, only SQL Server authentication is supported.
        4. Make sure that the TLS version set in the Azure storage account matches the TLS version that is enabled on the server where SmartPreviews Import Server is installed.
    3. If the Amazon Storage type is selected, provide connection strings for the: 

      • Configuration database

      • User profiles database

      • Amazon storage

        • The connection string must be written in the following format: "AWS access key ID";"AWS secret access key";"Bucket Name";"region".

Depending on the storage type configured, a different number of Preview Cache databases is supported within a single installation of Smart Previews:

  • SQL Server
    • Multiple Preview Cache databases are supported to scale load.
    • Additional databases can be added on the page Manage databases in the Farm.
  • Azure Storage
    • Only a single Preview Cache storage account is supported (Azure Storage scales well).
    • The buttons Create new and remove on the page Manage databases in the Farm are not displayed in this mode. 
  • Amazon Storage
    • Only a single Preview Cache S3 bucket is supported.

6. Click Create Databases. The Database creation completes.

Configure the Farm

  1. In the Smart Previews Administration Console, click Manage your Farm > Smart Previews Settings.
  2. In the Indexing Server Path field of the Configure Shared Services Provider section, provide the path to the Transfer folder. For example, \\<servername>\Transfer.
  3. Click Update.
  4. The import server installation is now complete. You can continue to the next topic.