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--- system_requirements [2023/11/27 15:34] – chris
+++ system_requirements [2024/02/06 15:38] (current) – chris
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 ==== Operating system and software prerequisites ====
 In principle any version of Windows + Internet Information Server (IIS) will do. We've got the software to
 run on IIS Express edition for demonstration purposes. We offer the following formal guidelines:
@@ Line 60: / Line 61: @@
 Additionally, slides can be stored either on local disks attached to the VM or in Azure Blob Storage.
 When possible, it is recommended to prefer [[https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/data-lake-storage-introduction|Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2]] over plain Azure Blob Storage, as this type of service performs directory management operations, such as moving and renaming slides and directories, a lot faster.
 === PMA.core cache requirements ===
 Regardless of the choice or combination of the storage media used, the system requires some space on
 a local or network disk where cache data will be stored and accessed. PMA.core allows you to define
 the cache retention policy and informs you about it's size. As a general rule of thumb, the cache
 capacity should be around 10% of the total size of the available whole slide images.
 ==== Client Side =====
@@ Line 72: / Line 76: @@
 === Desktop or workstation hardware ===
 The minimum requirements in terms of processor speed and memory (for end-users) are hard to
-determine. We are pretty sure that every computer less than 5 years old will be able to interface with the
+determine. We are pretty sure that any computer under 5 years old will be able to interface with the
-platform using a webbrowser without any problems. In case of doubt, we refer to the particular system
+platform using a HTML5-capable web-browser without any problems. In case of doubt, we refer to the particular system requirements that apply to the specific flavor and version of web-browser that is being used.
-requirements that apply to the specific version of flavor of webbrowser that is being used.
 === Web browser ===
 A hosted web application is consulted through a (usually) remote computer on the internal company
 network (or Internet). To allow the delivery of content to as many clients as possible, we have very
@@ Line 83: / Line 89: @@
 Java.Nor do we depend on or do we install any additional browser add-ons (BHO - Browser Helper
 Objects) ourselves.
 You will need a modern HTML5-capable web-browser. This means that your browser must be configured
-to allow JavaScript and accept cookies. Besides that, we've tested our software extensively on a host of
+to allow JavaScript and accept cookies. Besides that, we've tested our software extensively in a host of
-different web browser environments, and found it to operate under almost all, except Internet Explorer 10
+different web browser environments, and found it to operate under all except for Internet Explorer 10
-or lower. For the best user experience, we recommend using Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge or any
+and lower. For the best user experience, we recommend using Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge or any
 Chromium based browser such as Google Chrome and Opera. On a Mac, you are welcome to use
-Safari, Firefox or, again, any Chromium based browser. When a browser is not supported, an error message follows.
+Safari, Firefox or, again, any Chromium based browser.
+If a browser is not supported, an error message follows.
 {{ ::screenshot_2022-05-04_at_11-37-27_the_pathomation_software_platform_for_digital_microcopy_version_2_system_requirements_-_requirements-2019.pdf.png?400 |}}
 Because of content delivery through a web browser, interfacing with our software is not limited to
 Windows-only machines (though the web applications themselves run on Microsoft infrastructure). Our
 communication implementation is based on REST web services and the standard HTTP protocol, so you
-can truly use our software anywhere, any time
+can truly use our software anywhere, any time.
 === Popup-blocking and Ad-blocking ===
 Our software uses dialogs as a means to interact with the end-user. These dialogs are implemented
 based on "best practice" industry standards (including libraries such as React and jQuery). These
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 If you experience problems on your installation, please let us know and we will find a solution to resolve
 your particular issues
 ==== Configuration hints and scaling considerations ====
 === Improving disk I/O throughput ===
 The system's response time can be greatly improved by installing it on a solid state disk. The cache
 directory should also be kept on an SSD as well. Thus an optimal setup would be to install the operating
@@ Line 117: / Line 131: @@
 shares). Do not underestimate the importance of the regular disks' performance, where slides are stored,
 though. Whenever possible use 6Gbit SATA III disks.
 === Network ===
 Multiple NICs may be installed onto the server machine to increase network bandwidth. The system can
 utilize multiple IP addresses or host names out of the box, thus special load balancing configurations are
 not required.
 === Parallel processing ===
 The system is built to process requests in parallel and its performance depends on the available cores
 per processor, the performance per core, as well the total number of processors in the system. In
 environments with more than 50 simultaneous users, two processors should at least be available in the
 system.
 === Azure DataLake Storage Gen2 ===
 When possible, it is recommended to prefer [[https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/data-lake-storage-introduction|Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2]] over plain Azure Blob Storage, as this type of service performs directory management operations, such as moving and renaming slides and directories, a lot faster.