Getting Started with Prism

1.14.7 Getting Started Guide PDF

2.3 Getting Started Guide PDF

This topic explains how to get up and running with a new installation of Prism 2.3. In Prism 2.3 and later, licensing (site- and seat-based) is strictly enforced. After installing Prism 2.3, installations will initially be unlicensed until you activate licensing in Tech Toolkit and allocate sites/seats.
This guide is divided into the following sections:

• Information about installing Prism from scratch.
• Joining a server to the enterprise
• Initializing newly joined servers with data from a POA
• Post-upgrade/install information about configuring preferences, security, and day-to-day replication of data between servers.
• Silent install via command line (via a scheduled task)

About the Prism Enterprise Hierarchy
When installing Prism, it is important to install the servers from the top down, starting with the Root Point of Authority server for the enterprise. After installing Prism on the root Point of  authority and initializing that system with data, proceed to install Prism on other child Point of Authority and store servers. Each server (except the Root Point of Authority) must join the enterprise via a Tech Toolkit process. When joining a server to the enterprise, you must identify the server's POA. The POA is the upstream server in charge of enterprise data from the downstream server's point of view. When enterprise data is created/edited at the store level, it is communicated up the enterprise chain to the top, enforcing the synchronization of data throughout the enterprise. Changes made at the RA flow downstream to POA and store servers. The profiles used for data replication determine which data is sent in each direction. For example, the only data that typically needs to flow upstream from stores are transactions, Z-Out reports, customers and perhaps a few other data types.
POA and store servers are initialized with data from the RA via Prism-to-Prism initalization. 
Enterprise Structure Rules and Best Practices:

• To access or edit a node, the server must be up and running.
• Install Prism servers from the top down. Install the root Point of Authority first and initialize, then install child Point of Authority and store servers and join those servers to the enterprise. 
• Any node other than the root authority can leave an enterprise.
• A parent node can remove a subordinate node that is offline.
• Nodes can modify the controller data for themselves and any subordinate nodes.
• To push data out from a server, you must create a profile and assign it to a connection.

Limitations
The following prerequisites exist for machines that will participate in a Prism enterprise:

• After installing Prism 2.3, the installation will initially be unlicensed until the server joins the enterprise and receives the licenses allocated to it by its parent.
• Must have licensing for Prism 2.3 (or later) and Software Subscription (SA) must be current.
• Must have online connectivity to RPOrders to activate and synchronize licensing.
• Must have online connectivity to the POA to manage enterprise data or use enterprise features.
• User doing the setup must know the Public/Private addressing information for servers.
• A Prism server can initialize a server on a different version; however, some data may not replicate in such a scenario. Each release of Prism typically adds new resources. During the interim a server is on an older version, the server will not be able to send or receive data for any new resources. Once the servers are on the same updated version, data that did not replicate will replicate and the systems will "catch up" with each other.
   

Install Prism 2.3 (New Install)
A new installation of Prism 2.3 can be installed with an Oracle database or a MySQL database. The Prism 2.3 installation comes with an embedded Oracle database that is exclusively for the use of Retail Pro Prism. Prism 2.3 also supports the MySQL database option (same as previous versions of Prism). Other database storage types, including Microsoft SQL Server, are not currently supported. A common practice is to use Oracle at the RA due to Oracle being more performative with larger data sets, a Prism 2.3 MySQL database being used on an RA machine is supported.
Prism 2.x cannot be initialized from legacy versions of Retail Pro (RP9, RIL, RP8), which is different from previous versions of Prism. Initializing Prism 2.x must be done using a Connection Manager Initialization profile from another Prism 2.3 system. 
Essential Windows Configuration for a Smooth Prism Install
1.    Log in using the Local Administrator account in the operating system.
2.    Ensure Windows 10 or 11 Pro is installed; Home edition is not supported.
3.    Clear the …\Windows\Temp\ folder.
4.    Disable Firewall.
5.    Disable User Account Control (UAC) and restart the system.
6.    Disable or create exceptions for your Antivirus or Windows Defender.
7.    Disable Smart App Control.
8.    Disable Reputation-based protection.
9.    Under Exploit protection, disable the following options:
10.    Control Flow Guard: Turn Off
11.    Data Execution Prevention (DEP): Turn Off.
12.    Apply all pending Windows updates.
Download Install Files
Download Prism install files from https://my.retailpro.com/Solutions/RPPrism/Downloads/
Extract the compressed files. 
Before installing Prism, verify system and hard disk requirements and required open ports.

Notes about Machine Names during Installation
When entering machine names during installation and configuration, you must enter either the fully qualified DNS domain name (FQDN) or a static IP address. The machine name must be 15 characters or less. Machine names of more than 15 characters are not supported at this time. For example, if installing to mymachinename.mycompany.com, the "mymachinename" segment is 13 characters and is supported. If you tried to install to "mylongmachinename.mycompany.com", the segment is 17 characters and not supported.
FQDN: For example, myhost.mycompany.com. Be sure to enter the FQDN in lowercase.
Static IP Address: Static IP addresses will not change (unless changed by the administrator). Dynamic addresses may stay the same for long periods but are subject to change. When the address changes (often without warning), the SSL certificate will no longer be valid; therefore, dynamic IP addresses should not be used.
FQDN Requirement for Workgroups
Windows computers can be networked together in Domains and Workgroups. Domains are used for large scale deployments with dozens of computers connected to the network. The FQDN for a domain is in the format myhost.mydomain.com.  Workgroups are typically used when there are only a few computers connected to the network. The FQDN for a workgroup computer combines the Host Name and Primary DNS Suffix. For a PC with a host name of PCJOE and Primary DNS Suffix of "local", the FQDN would be PCJOE.local. 
"Unmanaged" Networks and FQDNs
Issues can result when operating Prism in an "unmanaged" network and using Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs). An unmanaged network is one that does not manage the distribution and resolution of IP Addresses through the standard tools Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Domain Name System (DNS). In a standard network, each machine is automatically assigned a network address by the DHCP server. In addition to a network address, the DHCP server tells each machine about one or more DNS servers that can be reached to resolve domain names.
In an unmanaged environment, IP addresses are statically configured. The machines do not receive an IP address from DHCP and thus do not learn about any DNS servers. This becomes a problem if using FQDNs when installing Prism or configuring replication. Without DNS, there will be no way for the network to resolve the FQDN to a valid IPV4 or IPV6 address. When using Prism in an unmanaged network with FQDNs, you have two options:
1. Reconfigure the network to use a DNS server.
OR
2. Edit the hosts file on each machine (C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts.txt). This option has two major drawbacks. First, it creates an administrative burden. Second, iOS does not use a hosts file so this option is only available for Windows OS.
 
Install Oracle Database
(Note: This section assumes you downloaded the corrected version of Prism, i.e., one that includes Oracle)
Navigate to the downloaded Prism files and launch Autorun.exe. 
 
Click Prism Oracle Database.
 Select "I accept the agreement" to accept the end user license agreement. Click Next >. 
 Next, the default installation drive and disk space settings are displayed. Click Next >.
 Click Install to proceed with the installation of Oracle. A message is displayed when the process is finished. Click OK. 
 Restart the computer to finish the process. Select the radio button "Yes, restart the computer now" and then click Finish. 
The Oracle database files are installed by default to the root C:\ and C:\Program Files (x86) folders.

Install Prism Components
After installing the Prism Oracle database and restarting the computer, install the other Prism components in the order listed. 
Apache: Prism 2.3 requires Apache 2.4.58. Uninstall any previous versions of Apache before installing 2.4.58. Install Apache before installing the Prism server.
Prism Server: The Prism server is the data repository used by web clients. Be sure to choose the correct database type (Oracle or MySQL) when installing the Prism Server.
Prism Proxy: The Prism Proxy enables a Prism web client to communicate with printers, cash drawers and other hardware devices that are on a workstation connected to a Prism server. Launch RP Prism via the Proxy. 
Prism Document Designer: (optional)  The Prism Document Designer enables users to edit the default Prism document designs (e.g., receipt designs) used when printing documents. 
Initial Configuration after installing Prism
1.    Launch the Prism Proxy using the desktop shortcut and log in using sysadmin/sysadmin credentials.

• Join the server to the enterprise in TTK.
• Admin Console > Connection Manager > Prism Dashboard > Profiles: Create a Prism-to-Prism initialization profile.
• Admin Console > Connection Manager > Prism Dashboard > Initializations: Initialize the Prism server using the created profile.
• Admin Console > Connection Manager > Prism Dashboard > Connections: Select the connection to the server's POA. Link the Profile to the connection. 

2.    Log out and log back in using your Prism username and password.
3.    Configure any Prism preferences and permissions that you want to propagate to the POAs or Store servers that will subsequently be installed.
4.    Install subordinate servers in a similar manner. Each subsequent server that is installed must be joined to the enterprise via Tech Toolkit.
Install Apache
The Apache installer will first check to make sure that you have the required Visual C++ runtime library. Click Yes to install the runtime library.
On the Welcome screen, click Next >. 
On the next screen, select I accept the agreement. Click Next >.
Enter an email address. Click Next >.
Click Install. When the install is finished, click OK and then install the Prism Server.
Stopping/Starting the Apache Service
When applying certain configuration changes (e.g. turning on logging), users are required to stop the Apache service and then start it again (aka "bounce" the service). Please note that choosing the "Restart" option is not sufficient. Users must select the "Stop" option, wait for the service to stop, and then select the "Start" option. 
 
Install Prism Server
The Prism Server can be installed using either Oracle or MySQL for the database. Installing the Prism server requires entry of the Client ID and Product Key.
On the Autorun.exe menu, click the Prism Server button.
The Prism Server installer launches. Click Next >.

Accept the end user license agreement. Click Next.
 
Enter your Client ID and Product Key, then click Validate.
Enter a FQDN, IP Address or hostname of the Prism HQ server machine. Leave the default port 80. Click Next >.

 Select the type of database to be used with the Prism server: Oracle or MySQL. 

The next screen asks if you have a server identity file. The server identity file contains key information about the server that is needed if you ever need to uninstall and reinstall Prism on a machine. If this is the first time you are installing Prism on the machine, leave the check box cleared and click Next >.
 The next screen asks if you have Erlang installed. If you click Yes, browse to the location of the Erlang files. Unless you are sure you have Erlang installed, leave the default selection of "No" and click Next >. 
The next screen asks if you have RabbitMQ installed (RabbitMQ uses Erlang).
Unless you are sure you have RabbitMQ installed, leave the default selection of "No" and click Next >. 
The next screen asks you to navigate to the directory for the RabbitMQ database. If you are unsure about the location, leave the default selection and click Next >. 
Click Install.  
When the installation nears completion, the user is prompted to select the language that will be used with Prism. Select the desired language from the dropdown. Click Next >.
 Next, the user is prompted to select regional settings (used for displaying things like currency, dates, times, etc.). Click Next >.
 Click Finish.
 
Install Prism Proxy
Click the Prism Proxy button on the Autorun.exe menu. 
 The install program checks if you have Visual C++ installed. If not installed, the program will display a prompt to install Visual C++. Click "Yes" to install if prompted.
The Welcome screen is displayed. Click Next >.
 
The server name is automatically populated with the name of the Prism server on the machine. You can edit the server name to point to a different server if necessary. Click Next >.
Enter the number of proxies that the workstation will use (Default=1). Each Proxy will need to be assigned to a separate port on the following screen.
The default port is 8080. Assign a different port to each proxy (e.g., 8080, 8081)
Click the "Create a desktop icon" checkbox This will place an icon on the desktop that you can use to launch Prism. (Note: If you forget to create the desktop icon or don't want it on the desktop, you can launch the Proxy from the C:\Program Files (x86)\RetailPro\PrismProxy\ folder.)
Click Install. Click Finish when the installation is complete. 
 
Start RP Prism
Always launch Prism using the Proxy shortcut (if installed). The Proxy can also be launched from the C:\Program Files (x86)\RetailPro\PrismProxy\ folder.
Double-click the icon for the desired Prism Proxy. Windows 10 users must use the right-click "Run as Administrator" option.
Prism launches using the default browser and connects to the Prism server via port 80 (or the Port entered during installation of the Proxy).
The Prism Login screen is displayed.
In Prism 2.3, new installations start off unlicensed. To log in at a newly installed server, the following must occur:

• The new server (except the Root Authority) joins the enterprise
• The new server's parent (either the RA or a POA) allocates licensing
• The licensing is consumed via data replication at the new server.

See the Prism Licensing topic for information about activating licensing and allocating sites/seats.

SYSADMIN User and Administrator group
When you first install Prism, a single default employee group called the Administrator group is created. This default group enables users to log in to Prism the first time and initialize the system using the SYSADMIN user (default login credentials are sysadmin/sysadmin). When you initialize a server, employee groups are copied from the RA (or POA) to the server. The default Administrator group, having served its purpose, is overwritten during initialization. You should change the password of the SYSADMIN user at the earliest opportunity and store it securely. The SYSADMIN user password is not replicated.

Exit Prism (Logout)
It is important to always log out when you are finished using Prism. Logging out frees the seat license. 
Click the Retail Pro button in the lower-right corner and click Logout.

Join Server to Enterprise
All servers (other than the Root Authority (RA)) must join the enterprise via a Tech Toolkit process. Joining the enterprise adds the server as a new node to the enterprise hierarchy. The user adding the server to the enterprise must have IP Address or FQDN of the new server and its Point of Authority (POA). The machines must have online connectivity.
At the RA, launch Tech Toolkit from the Prism menu and log in. 
Select "Add a Subordinate Server to [Server Name]" from the server menu.
Enter the FQDN or IP address of the server that will be joined to the root.
Enter the username and password that will be used to connect to the server.
Click the arrow button to proceed.
On the next screen, enter login information for the new server's Point of Authority (e.g., the root authority or an intermediate level POA). You can edit the Controller Name and Controller Number.
When you click the next arrow, the JTE process starts. During JTE, "Core Resources" are replicated to the new server.
When the process is finished, click the check mark to close the modal. 
The new server will be listed under its POA. In the example below, the RA server is the root authority. The POA1 server is subordinate to the RA server.
Sample enterprise hierarchy after server joins the enterprise:

After a server joins the enterprise, you can initialize the server with data. As part of the initialization, you will create a profile that includes the resources you want to send to the newly joined server. This can be a subset of the data at the RA.
JTE Notes - Core Resources
When you join the enterprise, the system performs a type of mini-initialization and copies a group of resources known as the Core Resources from the POA to the subordinate system. As a result, when you go into the Profiles area on the Prism Dashboard, you will see a Core Resources profile already exists. The Core Resources profile is read-only. The Core Resources profile includes the following resources: controller, tenant, subsidiary, custom schema, transform design, season, tax area, price level, currency, store type and store.
 
Allocate Site and Seat Licenses
After a server is joined to the enterprise, allocate site and seat licenses to it.
To access the Licensing area, click the menu for a controller and select Licensing.
The Allocations table lists the sites and seats available for allocation. In our example, we can see two controllers: RA and its subordinate node POA1. The enterprise has purchased 10 sites and 50 seats, all of which are currently allocated to the RA.
To allocate sites/seats, select the desired subordinate controller in the Allocations table and click Edit Allocation.
Sample Allocations table before allocating sites/seats:
 
If allocating sites/seats to a POA, remember to allocate enough sites/seats to allow the controller to assign sites/seats to any nodes below it. The number of available sites and seats for allocation are displayed below the text boxes.

In our example, we will allocate two sites and five seats to the POA1 controller. Note that even though the RA has 10 sites and 50 seats, in the Edit Allocation modal, we can see that only 9 sites and 49 seats are available for allocation. This is because the RA reserves one site and one seat for itself. Enter the desired number of sites and seats then click the bluck check mark.
After allocating sites and seats to subordinate controllers, licensing information will be replicated downstream.
 
Initialization
Initialization can take a long depending on the size of the database and the machine's resources. A system with 2 CPU cores and 4GB of RAM system can install and run Prism; however, initialization often is very slow on such systems. Initialization goes much faster when using a machine with at least 4 CPU cores and 8GB of RAM. In addition, the more CPU cores and RAM, the more improvement you will see when using advanced features to improve initialization performance (e.g., Server Mode).

• For initialization, make sure the machine has adequate CPU cores and RAM.
• The servers must be up and running and there must be online connectivity.

Create Initialization Profile
Navigate to Admin Console > Connection Manager > Prism Dashboard > Profiles. 
Click the Add button.
 Enter a name for the profile and select the resources to send to the subordinate server. You can select to send data from specific subsidiaries or all subsidiaries.
Save the changes.
Sample Initialization Profile:
 
Start Initialization
Click the Initializations tab.
In the From Server dropdown, select the server that will be the data source. In our example, that is the Root Authority (RA) server.
Click Start Initialization.
 On the next screen select the initialization profile you created and the server(s) to include in the initialization (you can initialize more than one server at a time).
Click Start. The amount of time required to initialize Prism will depend on the size of your database, especially the size of inventory and customers. The larger the data set, the more time is required. Please set aside enough time for initialization to complete. 
You can monitor the progress by viewing the Messages Sent and Total Messages fields and the progress bar. Keep in mind that the sending of messages can finish relatively quickly while the processing of those messages (as shown in the progress bar) takes longer. Any errors that occur during initialization are listed beside the flame icon.  
Sample sent messages:
  
Create Test Transaction after Initialization
 After initialization completes, log out of Prism and log back in using your Prism username and password. You should land on the POS main menu. 
Click the New Transaction button. Scan or type an item and enter a customer to confirm everything is working and then cancel the document. Conduct further testing to ensure data was replicated correctly.

Failed/Stopped Initializations
Initialization can take a long time for larger databases and can sometimes fail to complete successfully. If an initialization fails or is stopped for whatever reason, here is what you should do:
Create a new Sender profile that starts from the resource after the last COMPLETED resource. For example, if the initialization was in the middle of the Inventory resource when the failure occurred, the new Sender profile should include Inventory and the rest of the resources to the bottom of the list. Run initialization again using the new Sender profile.
When you create a new Sender profile and restart, it may take a while to process the first resource (the resource that was being initialized when the failure occurred). This is because the program must do a slower UPDATE operation on each of the resource's records that are already in the tables. Once the program finishes the updates and reaches the unprocessed records for the resource, it switches to the much faster INSERT operation. There currently is no way to restart a failed/stopped initialization from the specific point of failure. The entire resource in which the failure occurred must be sent again.

Additional Getting Started Info
This section has information about topics that need to be considered when you first install and configure Prism:

• Configure Employee Management and Security
• Configure Preferences
• Create Profiles for Day-to-Day Replication
• Hardware 
• Apply SSL Certificates
• Exclude Prism from anti-virus scans
• Running Prism on Windows 10
• Uninstall Prism
• Stop/start Apache
• Generate Server Identity File

Employee Management and Security
Verify information like Employee Max Discount % and Employee Store Assignments

Employee Subsidiary and Store Assignments
Prism tracks the subsidiary and store to which each employee is assigned. It is important to assign employees to the correct subsidiary and store. Specifically, employees can only create documents for stores to which the employee is assigned. Edit an employee's subsidiary and store assignments in the employee record. 

Modify Group Security Permissions
Log in to the Prism server using the sysadmin/sysadmin default credentials. Select the Retail Pro button and select Store Operations from the Prism Menu. Click the Employees button on the top menu.
Click the Group Management button.  
A screen for searching/filtering employee groups is displayed. If you have many groups defined, you can enter search criteria to find the group. Otherwise, just click the Search button to display the list of groups.  
Select a Group by clicking the check mark on the left column. 
Click the Details button on the bottom toolbar. 
Click the Edit button on the bottom toolbar. 
The permissions are grouped by area. Scroll the list to find specific permissions. Click the desired radio button (Allow, Deny, or Override). The Allow All and Deny All buttons can be used to add or deny all permissions. If the Override check box for a security permission is selected, and a user without rights tries to perform that task, the Security Override dialog displays. When a user with permission logs in and clicks Override, the user can perform the task.  
Preferences
Preferences enable retailers to customize various aspects of the program workflow and interface. Configuration of preferences is required for using certain RP Prism features, such as Promotions, Loyalty, EFT, Centrals and Send Sale. 
Prism preferences can be defined at the corporate (global), subsidiary, store, or workstation level.

• Global Preferences apply to all nodes in the enterprise.
• Node Preferences apply only to the selected node and all child nodes. For example, some retailers may want to define preferences at the subsidiary level and others at the store level.

In the Admin Console > Node Preferences > Node Selection area, drill down to the desired Subsidiary, Store or Workstation to define preferences at that level.  Any changes made to Node Preferences will cascade down to all child nodes within the selection. For example, if you have selected Subsidiary 1 in the Node Selection area, then any changes made to Node Preferences will affect all stores within Subsidiary 1. If you change Node Preference settings at a child node, those changes will be overwritten by the parent node's settings during data replication. Keep in mind that Connection Manager settings and the designated Point of Authority (POA) will play a major role in determining how preference changes are replicated and applied.
Verify the following:

• Lookup Method is set to UPC by default. Change to ALU if needed.
• Tax Method is set to Sales Tax by default. Change to VAT if needed.
• Price Levels have been defined.
• Tenders must be explicitly set for Take, Give and Return. (Node Preferences > Transactions > Tenders > Tender Requirements). If tender rounding is used, those instructions must be configured in Tender Requirements, too.
• Exchange Rates (and denominations) must be configured in Global Preferences.
• Verify that Discount Reasons, Fee Types, UDF fields and POS Flags replicated correctly.
• You will have to configure document sequences. You can set sequences at the Subsidiary, Store or Workstation level. You set the desired level Prism Node Preferences. You then set the desired specific starting numbers for each document type in the Subsidiary, Store, or Workstation record.

For information see the Prism Admin Console Guide.
Create Profiles for Day-to-Day Replication
Create replication profiles to send the desired data between the RA and its subordinate controllers. At the subordinate controllers like store servers, the profile should send documents, customers and other resources created at the stores upstream to the RA. Link this profile to the connection with the RA server. At the RA (or POA), create a separate Prism-to-Prism profile for each SBS+Store combination. This profile will send most of the available resources from the POA to the Store; however, notice that the profile DOES NOT INCLUDE the document or adjustment resources. There is no need to send these resources from the POA to individual stores.
When linking profiles, if the Linked check box is selected, data will be sent (in the specified direction) during Day-to-Day replication. If the Linked check box is cleared, no data will be sent over the link. However, a profile that is not linked can be used for initialization (because Initialization is considered a one-time event). 
  
Hardware

• Install the necessary drivers for the hardware device on a Prism workstation and connect the hardware device. 
• In the Workstation record > HAL Settings, edit settings for the specific hardware device type as needed. (Note: If you don't see the device listed, right-click the Proxy icon in the taskbar and select Reload Hardware Config).
• For printers, adjust Print Actions in Hardware > Print Preferences, if needed.

SSL Certificates
Users are responsible for providing their own SSL certificates to run Prism using HTTPS. Users who want to run Prism over HTTPS must purchase their own SSL certificates from a certificate authority and then install the certificates using the SSL Manager tool in Tech Toolkit. 
Exclude Prism from Anti-Virus Scans
This section provides information about excluding Prism folders from scans performed by anti-virus programs. This includes but is not limited to Windows Defender. If users fail to exclude Prism folders from the scans performed by anti-virus programs, program performance can be severely impacted. 
Anti-virus programs scan files anytime they are opened, unless the folder holding the file is excluded from the program's scan list. This becomes a problem because technicians will often edit Prism configuration files to have a LOGLEVEL=3 and BUFFERSIZE=0. These settings slow system performance.
LOGLEVEL=3 provides the greatest level of detail to assist in troubleshooting, resulting in more log entries. 
BUFFERSIZE=0 (zero) means that each time a log event occurs, the log file is opened, an entry is written, and then the file is closed. 
To avoid this situation, exclude the Prism folders from any anti-virus programs.

Server version	Folders to exclude
Oracle
Exclude Prism	C:\ProgramData\RetailPro
Exclude Apache	C:\Program Files (x86)\Apache Software Foundation
Exclude RabbitMQ	C:\Program Files (x86)\RabbitMQ Server
Exclude Oracle	C:\Oracle
MySQL
Exclude Prism	C:\ProgramData\RetailPro
Exclude Apache	C:\Program Files (x86)\Apache Software Foundation
Exclude RabbitMQ	C:\Program Files (x86)\RabbitMQ Server
Exclude MySQL	C:\ProgramData\MySQL

Generate Server Identity File
A server identity file is a special file that helps a store recover from a hard-drive failure or other catastrophic failure to a server machine. Using the identify server file, the Prism install program will do the work needed so that the machine can claim its former node in the enterprise. If you do not use an identity script to rebuild a controller it will not be able to claim its former node when joining the enterprise. The file contains the necessary SID information to re-install Prism using the same controller, store, subsidiary as before. 
Because of the crucial role it plays in restoring a system, you should create the server identity file at the first opportunity. A good time to create the file is when you add the connection (to the server itself) in Technician's Toolkit. After you add the connection, you can then go and export the identity script.
From the server menu, select Export Identity (Oracle) or Export Identity (MySQL). 
The file is exported to the C:\Users\\Documents folder and can be referenced when running the Prism server installation program.

Post Installation Checklist
Here are some key settings to review after installing Prism and joining the enterprise. Note: This is not meant to be a comprehensive list as each retailer's specific needs will differ.
Preferences Checklist

• Lookup Method is set to UPC by default. Change to ALU if needed.
• Tax Method is set to Sales Tax by default. Change to VAT if needed.
• Price Levels have been defined.
• Tenders must be explicitly set for Take, Give and Return. (Node Preferences > Transactions > Tenders > Tender Requirements). If tender rounding is used, those instructions must be configured in Tender Requirements, too.
• Exchange Rates (and denominations) must be configured in Global Preferences.
• Verify that Discount Reasons, Fee Types, UDF fields and POS Flags replicated correctly.
• You will have to configure document sequences. You can set sequences at the Subsidiary, Store or Workstation level. You set the desired level Prism Node Preferences. You then set the desired specific starting numbers for each document type in the Subsidiary, Store, or Workstation record.

Employees

• Make sure employees have been imported or defined. Verify things like the
• Employee Max Discount %
• Employee Store Assignments
• To create transactions, the employee must be assigned to the store. You can verify store assignments in the employee record.

Customers
Make sure customers have been replicated. Verify any key settings that you use like customer discount %, tax area, store credit balance, user-defined fields, etc.
Subsidiary Settings
Price Level, Base Currency and Season. Configure Document Sequences if sequences are set at subsidiary level.
Store Settings

• Subsidiary - Make sure the store assigned to the correct subsidiary
• Tax Area
• Price Level
• Document Sequences (if sequences are set at store level).

Hardware Checklist

• Install the necessary drivers for the hardware device on a Prism workstation and connect the hardware device.
• In the Workstation record > HAL Settings, edit settings for the specific hardware device type as needed. (Note: If you don't see the device listed, right-click the Proxy icon in the taskbar and select Reload Hardware Config).
• For printers, adjust the Print Actions in Hardware > Print Preferences, if needed.
• Replication checklist 
• Be sure to install each server in the proper top-down order.Make sure each non-root server points to the correct POA.
• In Admin Console > Connection Manager, verify a connection exists for each server that needs to talk directly to another server.
• Make sure a profile is assigned to each side of the connection.
• Test each connection by sending some test data. For example, create a test profile for a single resource, say customers. Next, create a new customer at one server and then replicate the data using the test profile. Check to make sure the new customer record arrived at the other server.
• Generate a server identity file and save it for later use if the server crashes or has to be reinstalled.

SSL Certificates
Users are responsible for providing their own SSL certificates to run Prism using HTTPS. You must purchase your own SSL certificates from a certificate authority and then install the certificates using the SSL Manager tool in Tech Toolkit.
Employee Management and Security
When you first install Prism, a single default employee group called the Administrator group is created. This default Prism Administrator group enables users to log in to Prism the first time and initialize the system (default login credentials are sysadmin/sysadmin). When you initialize Prism, employee groups are copied from the Point of Authority (POA) to the new server. The default Administrator group, having served its purpose,  is overwritten during initialization.
Preferences
After initialization is complete and permissions are assigned, you can customize Prism preferences to best meet the needs of your business. Preferences enable retailers to customize various aspects of the program workflow and interface. Configuration of preferences is required for using certain RP Prism features, such as Promotions, Loyalty, EFT, Centrals and Send Sale. Key settings that you will want to define right away include:
•    Document sequence numbers
•    Tax Method (Sales Tax or VAT)
•    Tender Requirements (allowed tenders for payment, change, returns, etc.)
For information see the RP Prism Admin Console document.
Exclude Prism from Anti-Virus Scans
This section provides information about excluding Prism folders from scans performed by anti-virus programs. This includes but is not limited to Windows Defender. If users fail to exclude Prism folders from the scans performed by anti-virus programs, program performance can be severely impacted.
Exclude the following folders from any anti-virus programs.

Excluded Program	Location
Exclude Prism	C:\ProgramData\RetailPro
Exclude Apache	C:\Program Files (x86)\Apache Software Foundation
Exclude RabbitMQ	C:\Program Files (x86)\RabbitMQ Server
Exclude Oracle	C:\Oracle
Exclude MySQL	C:\ProgramData\MySQL

Limitations on Windows 10, Windows 11

• The Proxy must be launched using right-click "Run as Administrator" option.
• Windows World Wide Web Publishing Service must be disabled

Proxy Configuration
For effective communication between web clients and the Proxy, the Proxy should point at a server on the local network. This enables the proxy to fulfill its primary purpose, which is enabling web clients in the POS lanes to communicate with printers and other POS hardware. If you need to change the server to which the Proxy points, first uninstall the Proxy and then reinstall the Proxy, this time pointing to the desired local server.