Application Layer - Optional Components#

This section outlines the software and hardware requirements for application layer components of Critical Manufacturing MES that require traditional installation methods, distinct from the container-based main stack.

Software Requirements#

The target application server must meet the following software specifications:

Operating System (OS):
- Windows Server 2016 64-bit
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2022
Microsoft .NET Runtimes:
- Version 8.0
Microsoft PowerShell:
- Version 5.1 or later (available in the Dependencies folder of the MES installation ISO or downloadable here ⧉)
Visual C++ Redistributable Package:
- Visual Studio 2013 (required solely by the ECAD Service)

Hardware Requirements#

The precise hardware demands will vary based on the specific customer environment. The table below highlights key factors influencing response time, scalability, and high availability. It also suggests possible improvements, while noting that enhancing each factor may incur additional costs.

KPI	Primary Driving Factors	Improvement Options
Response Time & Scalability	• Load (number of users and concurrent transactions) • Model and Logic Complexity • Data Volume • Hardware	• Application Optimization • Model Fine-tuning • Database Optimization • Reduction of Data Retention Time • Enhanced Hardware (CPU, Memory, I/O and Network)
High-Availability	• Software and Hardware Failures & Maintenance • Human Errors • Redundant Hardware Components (memory, processing, storage, communications and power supply) • Operations Management (support processes, monitoring procedures, backup policies, administration skills and contingency plans)	Implementation of Redundant or More Reliable Hardware (memory, processing, storage, communications, and power supply)\<br>• Strengthening Operations Management (support processes, monitoring procedures, backup policies, administration skills, and contingency plans)

Table: Driving factors for hardware requirements

The subsequent parts of this section reference hardware configurations tailored for different environment setups.

Configuration	Intended Use	Response time	Scalability	High availability
Minimum	Demonstration / Development	Medium/Slow acceptable	Not required	Not required
Training / Staging	System tests, validations and training	Medium	Not required	Not required
Production A	Low to medium volume production	Fast	Required	Very High
Production B	High volume production	Fast	Required	Very High

Table: Environment configuration options

Warning

The exact hardware configuration for any Critical Manufacturing MES deployment project must be carefully sized according to the specific project requirements.

The following table specifies the hardware requirements for each environment configuration outlined above:

Configuration	Number of Servers	Processors	Memory	Storage
Minimum	1 *	1 x Quad Core, 2 GHz	8 GB	200+ GB
Training / Staging	1	2 x Quad Core, 2 GHz+	16 GB	100+ GB
Production A	2	2 x Quad Core, 2 GHz+	16 GB+	150+ GB
Production B	3	2 x Quad Core, 2 GHz+	32 GB+	150+ GB

Table: Hardware requirements for different environment configurations

Note

The Minimum configuration assumes that the database server may host other application components in addition to the database.

Network Considerations#

Firewall systems are crucial for preventing unauthorized access to computer resources. If a firewall is active but not properly configured, connection attempts to Critical Manufacturing MES may be blocked.

Ensure that the ports specified during the Network Configuration step of the Critical Manufacturing MES installation are opened in the firewall, allowing the application server to receive incoming requests.

To enable database communication between application and database servers, the necessary SQL Server ports must also be configured in the firewall.

For more information, see: