Collect! Credit and Collection Software™

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How To Install And Setup Apache

Preparation

This document is for the newer portals and API. If you are running the legacy web host, please refer to this page: How to Setup Apache with Web Host

After Wamp has been installed, please refer to the applicable Help pages on installing the API and portals.

If not already done, setup the Domain Names in your DNS Server (EX: sub.yourdomain.com). For Premise sites, you want to create A record(s) that points to your public IP address. For cloud sites, you want to create CNAME record(s) that point to the domain that you use to connect to our server. Typical portals that will need domain names are api, client, dashboard, & consumer or debtor. Please refer to the portal specific Help documents:

In your Firewall, open ports 80 and 443 to all traffic. If applicable, setup port forwarding for ports 80 and 443 on your external gateway to the Collect! server.

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Domain Configuration

Useful Note Setting up external access requires either a static IP address from your Internet Service Provider, or for you to keep an eye on your external IP address and update it as needed.

  1. In a web browser, login to your domain or hosting provider that manages your DNS settings.
  2. Go to your DNS Zone editor for your domain.

    3. Warning Note WARNING: Different providers have different requirements. These instructions are based on the most common DNS Zone Editors in the market.

  3. Create an A Record for api.yourdomain.com.
    • Host: api
    • IP Address: Your external IP address.
    • Time to Live (TTL): Select the lowest option.

    4. Useful Note If you already have an domain pointed to your External IP, such as for your Client Portal, or if you are an existing Collect! Cloud-Hosted customer, then create a CNAME Record.

  4. If applicable, create an CNAME Record for client.yourdomain.com.
    • Host: client
    • Points To: api.yourdomain.com
    • Time to Live (TTL): Select the lowest option.
  5. If applicable, create an CNAME Record for consumer.yourdomain.com.
    • Host: consumer
    • Points To: api.yourdomain.com
    • Time to Live (TTL): Select the lowest option.
  6. If applicable, create an CNAME Record for dashboard.yourdomain.com.
    • Host: dashboard
    • Points To: api.yourdomain.com
    • Time to Live (TTL): Select the lowest option.

Useful Note The domains names above are suggestions. You can pick your own domain names and update Apache as needed.

Warning Note WARNING: If your network has its own DNS Server, you may have to update it too.

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Install Wampserver

Wampserver Home Page: http://www.wampserver.com/en/
Wampserver All-in-One Page: https://wampserver.aviatechno.net/

Useful Note We recommend that you use the Default Location: C:\wamp64, but it is not required if you want to use a data drive or have experience with Wampserver.

  1. Navigate to the Wampserver All-in-One page above.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and install all of the "Visual C++ Redistributable Packages" for x86 and x64. If you get a message that they are already installed or to repair the installation, that is fine, just cancel the installer.
  3. Scroll back to the top of the page and install Wampserver from the "Installers Wampserver full install version" section. Make note of the Apache and PHP versions in the installer's link.
  4. Run the Wampserver Manager (wampmanager.exe) from the installed directory.
  5. If there is a newer version of Wampserver under the "Updates" section, install it and re-launch the Wampserver manager.
  6. Scroll down to "Addons Wampserver" and look for new versions of Apache and PHP.
  7. If there is a newer version of Apache, install it and re-launch the Wampserver manager.
  8. If there is a newer version of PHP, install it and re-launch the Wampserver manager.
  9. In the System Tray section (next to the Windows Clock), look for the Green "W" icon.
  10. Left click the Wampserver icon and go to Apache, then Version, and select the latest version.
  11. Left click the Wampserver icon and go to PHP, then Version, and select the latest version.
  12. Left click the Wampserver icon and go to MySQL, then Service Administration, and select "Remove Service."
  13. Left click the Wampserver icon and go to MariaDB, then Service Administration, and select "Remove Service."
  14. Right click the Wampserver icon and go to Wamp Settings and uncheck "Allow MySQL."
  15. Right click the Wampserver icon and go to Wamp Settings and uncheck "Allow MariaDB."

Warning Note WARNING: The instructions below are specific to Wamp's version of Apache, not Apache directly or any other web service tool.

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Editing Files

Open using a plain-text editor such as Notepad++. Dot not use Notepad or Word as they add characters or strip hard returns. https://notepad-plus-plus.org/download/

C:\wamp64\bin\Apache\Apache2.4.#\conf\httpd.conf

Modify and Add the following to lines 26-28 (line numbers approx.)

ServerSignature Off ServerTokens Prod TraceEnable Off

In the Define's section near the top, add the applicable domains to define from each of the Help pages of the portals that you are configuring. Also, add the below to define a path for the SSL files.

Define SSL_FILE_PATH "C:/Collect/bin" Define ADMIN_EMAIL admin@yourdomain.com

Uncomment (remove the # symbol) from the beginning of the lines in the Dynamic Shared Objects (DSO) section:

LoadModule headers_module modules/mod_headers.so LoadModule lbmethod_byrequests_module modules/mod_lbmethod_byrequests.so LoadModule proxy_module modules/mod_proxy.so LoadModule proxy_balancer_module modules/mod_proxy_balancer.so LoadModule proxy_http_module modules/mod_proxy_http.so LoadModule slotmem_shm_module modules/mod_slotmem_shm.so LoadModule socache_shmcb_module modules/mod_socache_shmcb.so LoadModule ssl_module modules/mod_ssl.so

At the bottom of file, add the following line:

Header edit Set-Cookie ^(.*)$ $1;HttpOnly;Secure <IfModule mod_headers.c> Header unset X-Forwarded-Host </IfModule>

Useful Note Do not uncomment this line yet: "Include conf/extra/httpd-ssl.conf"

C:\wamp64\bin\Apache\Apache2.4.#\conf\extras\httpd-vhosts.conf

Copy and paste the code from the applicable Help pages for the portals that you want to setup.

C:\wamp64\bin\Apache\Apache2.4.#\conf\extras\httpd-ssl.conf

Delete the default vhost. It starts with: <VirtualHost _default_:443>

Copy and paste the code from the applicable Help pages for the portals that you want to setup.

RESTART All Wampserver Services (Apache).

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Using Lets Encrypt To Automatically Create And Renew Certificates

If you want to have your SSL certificates automatically managed for free, you can use LetsEncrypt to maintain your certificates.

Useful Note You can use Collect! to generate the CSR with the Security Certificates menu as defined above under Creating a Self-Signed SSL Certificate.

Useful Note Our examples below will assume the CSR and key files are in the Collect\bin folder and that Wamp was installed at C:\wamp64.

Using Win-Acme

  1. Download latest release of win-acme from https://github.com/win-acme/win-acme/releases/. The links are at the bottom of the page. Pay attention to the link. You will need to select x64 or x86 depending on the version of Wamp you installed. All of our examples have been based on x64. The Pluggable versus the Trimmed does not matter. We don't use any plug-ins, so you can use the Trimmed, if you want.
  2. Extract the zip to C:\win-acme (create the folder, if you don't have it)
  3. Run C:\win-acme\wacs.exe
  4. Type M then Enter to create a certificate with full options.
  5. Type 2 the Enter to manually enter a domain name.
  6. Enter the domain name to create the certificate for.
  7. Hit Enter to accept the suggested friendly name retrieved from the CSR.
  8. Type 1 then Enter to save the verification files on a network path.
  9. Enter the path to the Wamp public folder. EX: C:\wamp64\www
  10. Type N to not have the web.config file.
  11. Type 2 then Enter to select RSA key.
  12. Type 2 then Enter to create PEM files.
  13. Type the path that you want to save the PEM files and hit Enter. You can save them anywhere, but for simplicity, we recommend the Collect\bin folder. EX: C:\Collect\bin
  14. Press 1 for None to the request for the password for the private key.
  15. Type 5 then Enter to not save the files in any other Stores.
  16. Type 3 then Enter to indicate no additional installation steps.
  17. Type y or n if you wish to read the Terms of Service.
  18. Type y to agree to the Terms.
  19. Enter an email to be notified of abuse or leave blank and hit Enter.
  20. Type n to specify a user.
  21. Type Q then Enter to quit the win-acme application.
  22. Navigate to the Collect\bin folder and make note of the PEM file names. Examples:
    SSL Certificate File: yourdomain-crt.pem
    SSL Key File: yourdomain-key.pem
    SSL Certificate Chain File: yourdomain-chain.pem
  23. Open C:\wamp64\bin\Apache\Apache2.4.#\conf\extras\httpd-ssl.conf and update the file names for the following variables: SSLCertificateFile, SSLCertificateKeyFile, SSLCertificateChainFile
  24. Repeat for any other certificates that you have to setup.

Useful Note The win-acme application will automatically create a Task in the Windows Scheduler to renew the certificate periodically.

Useful Note If you are using multiple domains (EX: client, dashboard, portal, api, etc.), you can create multiple virtual hosts, multiple CSR files, and run the wacs.exe file for each domain. Alternatively, advanced users of Win-Acme can create wildcard certificates.

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Enable Https

Open the C:\wamp64\bin\Apache\Apache2.4.#\conf\httpd.conf file.

Find the "Include conf/extra/httpd-ssl.conf" line near the bottom and uncomment it.

Restart Apache.

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Running Collect! On A Dedicated Web Server

If you are running Collect! on a dedicated web server that is not the application server where the Collect! Companion Server is running, you can do so, but there are special considerations:

  • The connection from the web server to the app server will be unencrypted, so data will be accessible over the network. Any references to "localhost" in the applicable SSL vhost configuration will need to be updated with the applicable IP addresses of the Application server. If this is a concern, then you will need to setup a dedicated VPN between the 2 servers.
  • The SSL certificates can be put in any location, except the Wampserver\www folder.
  • The web server applications can be put in any location, except the Wampserver\www folder.
  • The contents of the companion\cli folder must be copied to the {Collect}\bin\companion\cli directory on the Application server. Any changes to one file must be copied to it's counterpart.
  • You will need to contact us for the scripts to Update and Seed the database, discussed in the applicable Portal pages.

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Troubleshooting

If the icon is red or orange, a service didn't start. Go to the Windows Event Viewer and bring up the application log to review the errors.

If you've resolved all your errors, you can now click on the WampServer "W" icon in the bottom right of the Windows desktop, and choose "Restart All services".

If everything goes well it should go Red -> Orange -> Green and you can begin testing.

If it does not go green, go into C:/wamp64/logs/ and review the logs that were last written to, for errors. Or go to the Windows Logs. Once you've fixed the errors, click the W, Restart All services and when the W goes green, you can begin testing.

Check the Windows Application Log and look for Warnings. Typical issues are either misconfiguration in the files or missing files like SSL certificates.

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