Post installation

After successful installation there are some things worth knowing before starting the server. This article describes the key items.  

Start the PhenixID server

Windows

  • Make sure there is a license file in the license folder.  If not please follow this link.
  • Locate the Windows service PhenixID Server and select Start, in order to start the service
  • The startup sequence can be verified in the server.log and/or events.log

Linux

  • Make sure there is a license file in the license folder.  If not please follow this link.
  • Start service:  cd to [installation path]/PhenixID/Server/bin/ and run sudo ./start-PhenixID.sh
  • The startup sequence can be verified in the server.log and/or events.log.

Login into the PhenixID Configuration Manager

Folder structure

The folder structure after a installation should look like shown below. Base of this folder is referenced as phenixid server root.

 

Key folders and their purpose are:

  • .install4j - contains informationen written/used by the installer. Do not modify.
  • bin – contains startup scripts. Do not modify.
  • classes  - part of the class path. Contains the configuration files for Hazelcast.
  • config – contains configuration files. The most important file is the boot.json file, the main bootstrap file. It contains the bare minimum to get the server started. The phenix-store.json contains most PhenixID Server settings. The log4j2.xml file regulates the level of logging in the server. How logging works and is configured is described in detail in separate document which can be found here. By changing settings in the extraoptions.vmoptions file (can be created if it doesn't exist) custom boot behavior can be achieved. Please consult PhenixID support before changing anything in any file.
  • data - holds the reporting data and additional "non system configuration".
  • jre - the Java Runtime Environment in which the server runs. Do not modify, unless modifications to the JRE is needed.
  • lib - various important system libraries used by the server, part of the class path. Do not modify.
  • license – This the location of the license. How to replace the license is described here.
  • logs – Contains log files. A more deep documentation for logging can be found here. server.log – contains system information used for troubleshooting. event.log – contains server events like startup, deployment and more
  • mods – Contains the server modules. This will be overwritten on upgrade. Do not modify.
  • modsoverlay - In case the server modules needs to be customized, the modifications can be placed here using the same relative path as the original file in the mods directory, for example templates, translations, patches (class-files) etc.
  • overlay - where to put graphical customizations for certain modules. 
  • resources - where certain modules might read certain resources from, might be customized if needed.
  • thirdy-party-licenses - licenses for various third party libraries


Bootstrap configuration

PhenixID server relies on a bootstrap file, boot.json.  It contains initial configuration data used to start the server. File location must be <phenixid server root>/config and may not be changed . Changes to this file should only be done advised by PhenixID support or PhenixID documentation.

Configuration interface

After successful login four main headings are available.

Start page

The start page is a dashboard for the PhenixID Server which will contain information about the installation, connections and most recent events.

Reports page

The Reports page provides a number of default reports on system events. It is possible to create custom reports.  

Scenarios page

PhenixID Server ships with several scenarios to choose from. With these you will be able to create a number of configurations. Each scenario aims to quickly get admins going in terms of MFA. Typical usage is protecting a VPN login or web application SSO .

Once walked through a scenario the result will be found under the heading selected. To edit or delete just select the scenario and all possible options will presented on screen.

Advanced page

The Advanced page is a powerful module used when needing to move outside the capabilities of a Scenario. It gives a total control over the system configuration and is basically a way into the configuration file. Usage of this implies great knowledge about PhenixID server. When in doubt contact PhenixID support.

Backup / Restore

PhenixID server relies on files and folders created during the installation process. Maintain backup of the installation root directory. A recovery simply means replacing the current files and folders with the data from last backup. Replacing single files or directories should only be done if advised by PhenixID support.


Restoring data to the database require additional steps. Depending on the set up these steps may vary.