Installing Izenda
Izenda provides kits in both .NET Web Forms and .NET MVC application patterns. This will be important when any code-level integration is needed, as you’ll want to choose the pattern your application uses and with which you are most familiar. The starter kits referenced below require .NET 4.0 or higher.
Izenda provides you with a deployment-ready platform which is designed to mesh with an existing .NET web application’s codebase. Keep in mind that application integration can be a complex and nuanced process. Stand alone instances of Izenda should take about 10 or 15 minutes to deploy, integration will take multiple hours and/or days. During Core Integration we work in tight coordination with you to ensure stable deployment and ideal server configuration.
Download Izenda
For trials of Izenda we recommend downloading the Web Forms C# version and deploying it standalone. Web Forms VB, MVC 4, and MVC 5 can be acquired by contacting sales@izenda.com.
If you are updating from a previous version please visit Update Your Izenda Version.
By downloading software from Izenda, Inc. you agree to the End User License Agreement. If you do not agree with our terms and conditions, please do not download the software.
Installation
This guide is designed to instruct first-time users how to download, extract, and set up a new instance of Izenda on an IIS server. This tutorial will focus on the Web Forms C# version of the RI. Similar methods can be used for our VB and MVC implementations.
Installation requires a license key. To get a new key, you may contact sales@izenda.com. Or you may try our free demo site.
To start using Izenda you should take a few simple steps. If you need more information about setup process, configuring reports, additional features or special use cases please visit our Wiki or contact sales@izenda.com.
Video Transcript
In this video we are going to set Izenda up as a standalone website in IIS. We will walk through unzipping the Izenda download, creating and configuring a website for Izenda, applying a license key and connection string, then finally testing some basic functionality.
So we’ve downloaded the Web Forms C# version of Izenda, and we’ll want to go ahead and unzip it. Next, we’ll take our unzipped directory and copy it to our server’s wwwroot folder. Also, let’s rename the directory from webforms-cs to Izenda.
Now we have our files and folders in place, and we’re ready to start IIS. Let’s go ahead and select our local web server, and open up its websites.
First, let’s turn off the default website and create a new one. We’ll call our new website Izenda, and we’ll point its physical path at our Izenda directory in the wwwroot folder.
Before browsing to the website, we’ll need to apply the appropriate folder permissions, so we’ll click edit permissions, then security, then edit, and in the text entry box we’ll enter IIS AppPool\Izenda.
Next we’ll click check names and OK.
Now we can give the Izenda application read-write permissions to the Izenda directory. Just check Full Control, then click Apply. Once file permissions are changed, you’ll need to restart the web application. Finally, we can click browse, and open Izenda in a web browser.
Izenda should automatically open to the Settings page, where you’ll apply your license key and connection string.
When you’re done, click test to make sure both the key and the string pass.
Next we’ll check the Status and Utils tab to see if we have any failed tests.
It looks like everything is working, except for listing reports, and that is simply because we haven’t built anything yet. So let’s go ahead and build a basic report and save it to make sure we’re ready to go. We’ll use the simple Instant Report builder to throw together something easy, like a freight report by country with a chart.
Next we’ll take the report into the Report Viewer. Now that we know our report works, we will save it and give it a name. The report will now appear in the Report List page, and our Status and Utils tab will show a passing mark for each test.
In the next series of videos, we’ll be examining Izenda’s database connectivity capabilities and features. We’ll be interacting with Izenda’s API, and we recommend having Visual Studio installed.
Unzip Contents
- Unzip webforms-xx.zip into a directory. Once unzipped, copy this directory to C:\inetpub\wwwroot, or wherever your websites are located.
- Once this directory is in your C: Drive, name it ‘Izenda’, i.e.C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Izenda.
Configure Website in IIS
Izenda provides an integrated platform for browser-based report customization and works on your application’s existing web server. This section will guide you through configuring Izenda Reports for use on Microsoft’s Internet Information Server (IIS) on Windows. We recommend doing the initial setup on a non-production server.
If you don’t have IIS installed, please see Before Starting.
If you do have IIS installed, continue with the following:
- Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
- Either create a new website, add a new application to an existing website, or add a virtual directory under an existing website.
-
Name your new website or sub-application Izenda or any other name you might prefer. If you have created a new website, keep in mind that the application pool will inherit your website’s name and will default to 4.0 Integrated CLR.
- If you have created a new website, the new application pool created will use your website’s name and will default to 4.0 Integrated CLR.
- If you’ve added Izenda as a sub application under an existing website, after naming the application, click the Select button under Application pool to set the Application Pool.
- Set the Physical Path to the Izenda directory (the folder which contains the bin, resources, etc.). Select the ellipsis (…) near Physical path, and it will allow you to browse to the folder.
Before visiting the application in your web browser, you must apply the appropriate file and folder permissions.
Permissions
In order to create and save reports, your application will require the ability to read and write to the Reports folder or the Stored Reports table as well as the Izenda.config file.
In older versions of Windows Server the application runs under the web server’s service account. By default, this account is NT AUTHORITY\NETWORKSERVICE under Windows 2003 and ASPNET under Windows XP. It can be something different if your Administrator has changed it or you are running Microsoft Exchange on the same server. In most cases, it will not have changed.
In IIS 7.5 and higher, the default account is called ApplicationPoolIdentity. You can either allow this account access as opposed to using NETWORKSERVICE, or you can change your DefaultAppPool identity to NETWORKSERVICE. Only change this if you are encountering issues with the default identity.
To apply the required directory permission either right click on the Izenda folder and select Properties or in IIS with the Izenda application selected click Edit Permissions… and then:
- Click security, then click edit, and in the text entry box enter IIS AppPool\YourAppPoolName. Make sure to replace YourAppPoolName with your App Pool’s name.
- Next click check names then click OK.
- Now give the Izenda application read-write permissions to the Izenda directory. Just check Full Control, then click Apply.
- Once file permissions are changed, you’ll need to click Restart to restart the web application.
Important Notice About the Settings Page and Izenda.config
The Settings page and Izenda.config are designed only for use during the initial trial period. The Settings page and Izenda.config will not be used during a typical deployment.
You cannot apply your license key and connection string, or other API settings, in both the Global.asax and the Izenda.config at the same time, as this can cause undesired application behavior.
The InitializeReporting() method contained in the Global.asax can do everything the Settings page can do. In the Global.asax you will see pre-set spaces for entering your license key and connection string, as well as many other default settings.
When converting from the Settings page and Izenda.config to using the Global.asax, it is important to clear the contents of the Izenda.config completely. Duplicate connection strings or license keys can cause errors.
Apply Your License Key
With the appropriate permissions applied, you should be ready to browse to your Izenda deployment in a web browser.
Izenda should automatically open to the Settings page, where you’ll apply your license key and connection string.
- Enter you’re license key and click test to make sure the key will pass.
- If you need to adjust you license key later, you’ll need to save over the initially saved value by clicking Save to Izenda.config.
OR
- Open your Izenda Global.asax file in your IDE and find the InitializeReporting() method.
- Update the license key space. To get a new key, you may contact sales@izenda.com.
- Save the Global.asax file.
Apply Your Connection String
Once you apply your license key, the next step is to apply connection string.
- Select the connection string type from the drop down. You can choose from SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, and PostgreSQL.
- Enter your connection string and click test to make sure the string will pass.
- If you need to adjust you connection string later, you’ll need to save over the initially saved value by clicking Save to Izenda.config.
OR
- Open your Izenda Global.asax file in your IDE and find the InitializeReporting() method.
- Update the connection string space. For specific connection string sample code please see Connect.
- Save the Global.asax file.
The connectors for MySQL and Oracle require additional software be installed on your host machine.
When connecting to Oracle databases, Izenda requires the Microsoft .NET Runtime and the Oracle Data Provider for .NET.
When connecting to MySQL databases, Izenda requires either the MySQL Connector/Net v5 or the latest version of the MySQL Connector/ODBC.
Please see Connect for additional details.
Next Steps
Your Izenda deployment should now be deployed and running. You’re ready to set-up your database connection.
Additional Documentation
Izenda Wiki:
