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Requirements

This topic describes the recommended configuration of the servers needed to install the application in a production environment. Depending on the size of your organization, review your environment and requirements with a Netwrix engineer before deployment to ensure all exceptions are covered.

Architecture Overview​

Installing the application requires the following servers and applications:

Core Components

  • Access Analyzer Console Server – This is where you install the v12.0 application.

  • SQL Server for Access Analyzer Database – Because Access Analyzer is a data-intensive application, use a well-provisioned, dedicated SQL Server for the database.

  • Access Information Center Application Server – You typically install this application on the Access Analyzer Console server. It is a browser-based, interactive dashboard for exploring permissions, activity, and sensitive data.

    note

    You often install the Access Information Center on the same server as the Access Analyzer application, but you can install it separately.

Exchange Solution-Specific Components

  • Access Analyzer MAPI CDO – You install this application on the Access Analyzer Console server to enable the Settings > Exchange global configuration interface within Access Analyzer.

File System Solution-Specific Components

  • Access Analyzer File System Proxy Server – In certain environments, a proxy server can scan hosts in remote or firewalled sites to increase scan capacity in large environments. You can implement this feature through either an applet or a service: the applet deploys as part of the data collection process, and you install the service before data collection. See the Proxy Mode as a Service topic for server requirements.

SharePoint Solution-Specific Components

  • Access Analyzer SharePoint Agent Server – For agent-based scans, you can install this application on the SharePoint application server that hosts the “Central Administration” component of the targeted farms to auditing permissions, content, and sensitive data for SharePoint On-Premise. See the SharePoint Scan Options topic for server requirements.

Activity Event Data Considerations

  • Netwrix Activity Monitor – Access Analyzer depends upon integration with the Activity Monitor for monitored event data for several solutions. See the Netwrix Activity Monitor Documentation for installation requirements and information on collecting activity data.
  • Netwrix Threat Prevention – Access Analyzer can integrate with Threat Prevention for Active Directory and Windows File System event data. This integration works in conjunction with Netwrix Activity Monitor. See the Netwrix Threat Prevention Documentation for installation requirements and information on collecting activity data.

Target Environment Considerations

The target environment encompasses all servers, devices, or infrastructure that Access Analyzer audits. Most solutions have additional target requirements.

Access Analyzer Console & Access Information Center Server Requirements​

The server can be physical or virtual. The requirements are:

  • Windows Server 2016 through Windows Server 2025

Additionally the server must meet these requirements:

  • English (United States) language installation
  • Domain member

RAM, CPU, and Disk Space

These depend on the size of the target environment. See the following topics for additional information:

Additional Server Requirements

The following are additional requirements for the Console server:

  • .NET Framework 4.7.2 installed, which you can download from the link in the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 offline installer for Windows article.
  • Microsoft SQL Server supports TLS 1.2, which requires the Access Analyzer Console server to have either SQL Server Native Client 11 or Microsoft OleDB 18 installed

Additional Server Considerations

The following are recommended for the Console server:

  • 100/1000 Mb Network Connection
  • SQL Server Management Studio installed (Optional)
  • Font "arial-unicode-ms" installed (Needed for report Unicode character support)

Permissions for Installation

The following permissions are required to install and use the application:

  • Membership in the local Administrators group for the Access Analyzer Console server

    note

    You can enable role based access for a least privilege user model.

Supported Browsers

The following is a list of supported browsers for the Web Console and the Access Information Center:

  • Google® Chrome®
  • Microsoft® Edge®
  • Mozilla® Firefox®

SQL Server Requirements​

The server requirements include one of the following SQL Server versions:

  • SQL Server 2016 through SQL Server 2025
  • Azure SQL Managed Instances

Additionally the server must meet this requirement:

  • English (United States) language installation

RAM, CPU, and Disk Space

These depend on the size of the target environment. See the following topics for additional information:

Additional Server Requirements

The following are additional requirements for the SQL Server:

  • SQL Server must be an equal or newer version than the targeted version
  • All SQL Server databases configured to use ‘Simple Recovery Model’

Additional Server Considerations

The following additional considerations are recommended for the SQL Server:

  • The standard Autogrowth setting can cause Access Analyzer job delays. Database growth is computationally intensive. While SQL Server is growing the database, no other activity can occur. If you use this option, speak with a Netwrix engineer to determine an appropriate setting for best performance.
  • Microsoft SQL Server supports TLS 1.2, which requires the Access Analyzer Console server to have either SQL Server Native Client 11 or Microsoft OleDB 18 installed.
  • Optional: SQL Server Management Studio installed on the Access Analyzer Console server

Database Permissions

The following permissions are required on the databases:

  • Database Owner
  • Provisioned to use Default Schema of ‘dbo’

Virtual Environment Recommendations​

While physical machines are always preferred, Access Analyzer fully supports virtual machines. This section contains special considerations for virtualized environments.

  • VMWare® ESX® – If you use ESX, Netwrix recommends the following specifications:

    • ESX 4.0 / ESXi™ 4.1 or higher
    • Virtual Hardware 7 or higher
    • All Virtual Machines installed on the same datacenter / rack

  • Virtual Storage Consideration

    • When the server requirements call for separate disks, use separate data stores on the VM host machine.