Components to install and configure

Server components:

MS SQL Server - We use this for the back-end data storage. We can use any instance running 2014 or later, but prefer to use the latest which is current 2019. Most customers use the free Express version, but some choose to invest in the Standard version for better performance. You can always start with Express and upgrade down the line if you want to ramp up performance and it seems like the limitation of the Express version is the bottleneck.

Crows Nest Email Service - This is a light-weight windows service that monitors the database and relays messages out to an SMTP server. You can provide your own SMTP credentials or I can provide you with credentials to relay through our Mailgun account.

Crows Nest API - This is an ASP.NET web app that runs under IIS and is the middleman between the mobile app and the SQL server. It is only necessary if the mobile app will be used (most customers do this). This can be configured with only intranet access for mobile devices on the Wi-Fi network. If you want to configure for mobile devices outside your network, you would configure port-forwarding from your gateway to the API and create a public DNS record to make it easier to enter the site address in settings on the mobile app. If setting up for internet connections I also recommend installing an SSL certificate on the API. You can purchase your own certificate for this. I have a wildcard certificate you could use but it would be using the crowsnestsoftware.com domain so I would need to manage the DNS record

Client Components:

Desktop client - The main desktop client will be installed on workstations with a valid network path to the SQL server instance. This will typically be used on office PCs and shop PCs.

Timeclock - This app is typically used for shared walk-up timeclock stations.