(Click here to view and download as a pdf)

 

Astra Schedule and Platinum Analytics have a completely new technical architecture. They have been created as a brand new, entirely web-based, combined application using the state-of-the-art .NET development environment. Written primarily in C# and using .NET tools and java script to support easier user interaction, these applications are replacements of previous versions—not upgrades—and require a different physical infrastructure. To prepare our current and future clients for the implementation of Astra Schedule and/or Platinum Analytics, we recommend the system specifications included below.

 

While there is no client installation required, the application and database servers will need to have adequate resources to serve your anticipated user base within your network structure. We require a dedicated web server for Astra Schedule/Platinum Analytics. The following specifications are based on a dedicated web server. Hardware and network performance is the responsibility of the customer.

 

We recommend that institutions prepare and maintain two separate instances of the software - one test and one production version.  Additionally, we recommend that institutions include a separate server for task processing (Astra Schedule task agent) to achieve optimum performance.  Installing the task agent on a separate server has the added benefit of separating the web application server from the SIS database server for security purposes.

 

Astra Schedule and Platinum Analytics can also be deployed in a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model.  In this model the system is installed and managed off premise in the “cloud”. The "cloud" based technical infrastructure in this type of deployment is managed by Ad Astra.  Please contact your Ad Astra account manager for more details.

 
Technical Requirements

 

Web/Application Server

•Quad CPU, 2.4 GHz or higher

•8 GB of RAM

•250 GB hard disk space

•15,000 RPM hard drive

 

Task Agent Server

•Quad CPU, 2.4 GHz or higher

•8 GB of RAM

•250 GB hard disk space

•15,000 RPM hard drive

 
Database Server Specifications

•Quad CPU, 2.4 GHz or higher

•8 GB RAM for Astra Schedule  / 16 GB RAM for Platinum Analytics (allocated to the database)

•500 GB hard disk space

•15,000 RPM hard drive

 

Database Server Configuration for Platinum:

 

Oracle datafile size for Platinum

•Large School:  50 GB with Autoextend ON and set to 500 MB growth size

•Small to Medium School:  20 GB with Autoextend ON and set to 100 MB growth size

 

SQL Server database settings for Platinum

•tempdb system database (shared by all databases on the server)
 
Large OR Small/Medium School:
Data File (.MDF) – 2 GB with 10% Autogrowth
Log File (.LDF) – 1 GB with 10% Autogrowth

 

•Astra Platinum database
 
Large School:
Data File (.MDF) – 50 GB with 100 MB Autogrowth
Log File (.LDF) – 30 GB with 10% Autogrowth
 
Small to Medium School:
Data File (.MDF) – 20 GB with 100 MB Autogrowth
Log File (.LDF) – 12 GB with 10% Autogrowth 

 
Network Information

•One Web server, one task agent server, and one database server

•Fully functional under virtualization (e.g. VM Ware, Citrix, Microsoft, etc)

 
Web Application and Task Agent Server Software

•Windows Server 2008/2012 (32/64-bit)

•Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0/7.5  (NOTE:  Web app server only)

•.NET 3.5 SP1 Framework

•Oracle 11g Client (if Oracle DB): Must be version provided by Astra

•Office Primary Interop Assemblies

•MS Excel (if using Excel import/export)

 

NOTE:  Web application load balancing is not supported.

 

 

Client Software - Supported Web browsers

•Internet Explorer 9, 10, 11 (compatibility mode recommended)

•Mozilla Firefox 2.0+

•Safari 6.0+

•Google Chrome

 

Mail Formats

•Plain text

•HTML

•Attachments allowed

 

Mail Requirements

•SMTP for mail transfer

•Will require access to an SMTP server

Technical Information

Databases Supported (separate instance required)

•Oracle 10g/11g
 
Institutions with Astra Schedule or SIS Oracle databases:
Verify that Oracle Database has most recent CPU patch upgrades (10.2.0.5 or 11.2.0.3).
 
NOTE: We recommend using the NLS_CHARACTERSET of “WE8ISO8859P1” (standard western european 8 byte). Unicode is not supported.

 

•MS SQL 2012/2014 (Standard or Enterprise)
 
NOTE: If you are using MS SQL, you must use the following collation: SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS

 

Supporting Software Installed

•Crystal Reports

•Oracle 11g .NET provider (if Oracle DB)

 

Interfaces

•Banner by Ellucian, CAPP

•Jenzabar CX and EX

•PeopleSoft

•Colleague by Ellucian

•CampusVue

•Ellucian Degree Works (Platinum Analytics and Ad Astra Suite)

•CollegeSource (Platinum Analytics and Ad Astra Suite)

 

Authentication

•LDAP

•Active Directory

•Novell eDirectory

•CAS

 

Importing and exporting

•Text, Excel, XML

•Direct database (for academic sections)

•API

 

Display

Minimum recommended resolution:

•1024 x 768