Quick Start Guide
Getting started with a Model Manager server involves the following steps:
1
Install the Model Manager server software on a server computer in your organization’s network — see the Installing a Model Manager Server chapter. The section Installation Planning in that chapter contains general guidelines and background information on possible server setups, data storage strategies, and handling of backups.
During installation of the Model Manager server, you can specify that a Model Manager database using managed server components with default configuration settings should be automatically created on first launch of the server. You can safely skip this automatic creation, thereby enabling you to take full control of the database setup once the server is up and running.
2
For the highest availability, ensure that the Model Manager server software is started automatically when the server computer itself starts — see Starting a Model Manager Server.
3
Review the security guidelines for the Model Manager server software — see Security. For example, unless the network is completely trusted, it is recommended to either place the Model Manager server behind a reverse proxy with HTTPS support or add a connector with TLS enabled — see below.
4
Log in to the Model Manager server in a web browser using the temporary password provided during installation — see Accessing the Web Interface. Change your temporary password when prompted.
If you opted out of automatic database setup, you will be redirected to the Add Database page in the System administration area for manual database setup. Continue with the next step. Otherwise, you will be redirected to the Home page of the server. Continue with step 6.
5
Review the suggested data directories and backup directories of the Managed Server Components for the new Model Manager database — see also Adding the Model Manager Server Database on First Login. You are strongly recommended to at least change the backup directory locations to a different server disk to safeguard against a potential disk crash. You can also replace some, or all, of the managed server components with external server components — see Databases with External Server Components. The latter can include, for example, a SQL database administered by your organization. Click Save to create the new database.
6
The Model Manager server is configured with default administrative settings. To review and possibly update these settings, click the cog wheel in the top navigation bar and select System to open the system administration area unless the previous step already brought you here.
7
Set the authentication mechanism used when users log in. In the System navigation sidebar, under Login, you can choose between:
a
Accounts. Manually create accounts for the users that should have access to the Model Manager server. The account passwords are stored locally in the Model Manager server Preference Directory — see Local Authentication.
b
External Authentication. Delegate the account authentication to an external authentication provider such as Windows® authentication or an LDAP server — see External Authentication.
c
Proxy Authentication. Delegate the account authentication to a trusted reverse proxy placed in front of the Model Manager server — see Proxy Authentication.
8
Unless you have placed the Model Manager server behind a reverse proxy with HTTPS support, you are strongly recommended to configure the server to use secure connections. Under Configuration > Connectors, add a connector with TLS enabled — see Connectors. You will need to have a TLS certificate on hand.
9
Unless you selected during installation to manually create the database — in which case you would have been redirected to the Add Database page on login — decide if you want to use the default managed server components automatically set up for the Model Manager server, use custom managed server components, or use external server components:
a
If you want to use the automatically set up managed server components, review them under Managed Components — see Managed Server Components. Preferably update the backup directory locations of the default managed PostgreSQL® server and the default managed resources directory to locations on a different server disk than the corresponding data directories. The new backup directory locations are used the next time the Model Manager server is restarted.
b
If you want to use custom managed server components, but leave the automatically set up default components unmodified as references, add new managed server components under Managed Components — see Managed Server Components. Also add a new Model Manager server database using these managed server components from the Add Database page under Configuration > Databases — see Databases with Managed Server Components. Set the new database as the current default and either deactivate or remove the automatically created database — see The Database Page.
c
If you want to use external server components, add a new Model Manager server database from the Add Database page under Configuration > Databases. Configure the external SQL database, the external resources directory, and the external search indexes — see Databases with External Server Components. It is also possible to use a mixture of managed and external server components for the Model Manager database. Set the new database as the current default and either deactivate or remove the automatically created database — see The Database Page.
10
Launch COMSOL Multiphysics and verify that you can connect to the Model Manager server database from the COMSOL Desktop environment — select File > Open From > Add Database > Connect to Server Database and enter the address of the server and your account credentials. Remember to include the port number specified during installation in the Server field unless connecting on a default port — 80 for a non-secure connection; 443 for a secure connection. See Connecting to a Server Database in the Model Manager Reference Manual.