NorthStar CCM R2025 Upgrade Guide

Before you Install

This document outlines the necessary steps for upgrading the NorthStar CCM platform effectively. Before initiating the upgrade, please ensure the following conditions are met:

• All users have stopped performing operations or generating documents during the scheduled maintenance window;
• No active jobs are running on the system;
• The NorthStar CCM Database has no ongoing operations. The upgrade installer may modify database settings to accommodate the platform’s new features.

System Requirements

NorthStar CCM is optimized to process multiple requests in parallel and can make use of more than one processor to handle the load.

In addition, each document can be processed on more than one CPU, if available. While it is highly desirable to use Dual or Quad CPU server class machines, the following are the minimum system requirements:

	Optimal	Minimal
Operating System	Windows Server 2019	Windows 10
Hardware	2 CPU/8 Cores XEON @ 3GHZ	1 CPU/4 Cores i5 @ 2 GHZ
	16 GB RAM	4 GB of RAM
	1 TB disk space	10 GB disk space

Other Software Required
.Net 8 Runtime x64, ASP.NET Core 8 Runtime x64, and ASP.NET Core 8 Hosting Bundle
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x64)
.Net Framework 4.8

Upgrade Process

This section describes some examples of a general upgrade process and certain particularities that differentiate one version from another. The steps in this section are for guidance only, as the step processes might change based on your organization’s profile.

Review of Hardware and Software Requirements

Before you start the upgrade, ensure that the hardware meets the minimum specifications required for the updated version of NorthStar CCM. Confirm compatibility with your existing operating system and software.

Back Up

It is best practice to back up your data before a software upgrade. This section provides information of the Ecrion components that requires a backup.

Storage Backup

First, create a copy of the Storage Folder. It is located, by default, at the following location:

%Application_Data%\Ecrion\EOSStorage (i.e. C:\ProgramData\Ecrion\EcrionStorage).

The backup consists of creating a manual copy of the NorthStar CCM Storage folder and saving it on a remote location where you can access it later.

Database Backup

Secondly, create a backup of your NorthStar CCM Database. By default, its name will be EOSDB4.

If you are using the Search component, make sure to create a backup copy of the Ecrion Search database as well. By default, its name will be EOSDBSearch.

Please use the appropriate guidelines to create a manual back up of a database, based on your version of SQL Server.

Important Note: To avoid any data loss, make sure that backups of database and storage are done at the same time.

Backup Config Files

It is best practice to save a copy of your main configuration files, along with the backup for future references.

The files will be located, by default, at the following location:

%Application_Data%\Ecrion\ (i.e. C:\ProgramData\Ecrion)

The mandatory configuration files names will be: EOS4.config and PublisherSvc.config. Optionally, if necessary, create a copy for the following files: DASSvc.config and BISvc.config.

Additionally, create a copy of the web config files. The web config files are located by default, at %Installation_Folder%\Ecrion\Engage\Websites. You will see three Web.config files associated with the three Ecrion IIS Websites.

Stop Services and Websites

Stop all NorthStar CCM services and shut down any associated websites. Ensure that the users using the platform are notified in advance of the maintenance window.

To stop NorthStar CCM services, open Task Manager, go to Services and stop the following services (it might differ based on Ecrion components deployed on your server): Ecrion Omni System 4 Service, EOS Analytics Engine, EOS Data Engine, EOS Publishing Engine.

To stop Ecrion websites, open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager tool, go to Sites and stop the following websites: ADMINEOS4, EOS4 and PORTALEOS4.

Uninstall NorthStar CCM

1. On the server that runs the NorthStar CCM software, log in as a local or domain administrator. Open Control Panel.

2. Select Uninstall a program from the Programs area.

3. In the Uninstall or change a program window, select Ecrion (Engage/NorthStar CCM). Click Uninstall from the toolbar.

4. A confirmation message appears. Select Yes to remove the Ecrion software from your machine.

5. A warning message appears. Click Yes to continue, then wait until the software finishes the un-installation.

Rename configuration folder name

Rename the folder containing the old NorthStar CCM configuration data to differentiate it from the new installation. Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Ecrion and rename the “Ecrion” folder to “MHC Software”.

Set up Whitelist Folders

Configure the whitelist folders as needed for the new NorthStar CCM version. These folders should allow specific permissions and ensure smooth operation while maintaining security.

Whitelist for HTTP(s) Calls

In the latest version, to enable the Publishing/Data Engines to make HTTP(s) calls, additional configuration is required.

1. Navigate to C:\ProgramData\MHC Software. Create a file named appSettings.json and add the following content

   {
   "address" : "*"
   }

   Note: The configuration above will whitelist all URLs.

2. Add the following parameter to the configuration files for both the Publishing Engine (i.e.: PublisherSvc.config) and Data Engine (i.e.: DASSvc.config)

   AppSettingsPath=appsettings.json

Enable Folder Whitelist for Publishing Engine and Data Engine

This configuration allows you to whitelist specific folders by allowing the Publishing Engine and Data Engine to access them.

1. Navigate to C:\Program Data\MHC Software
2. Open and edit the following files PublisherSvc.config and DASSvc.config

3. Add the parameters below; by default the whitelisting is enabled (= true). If there is no specific security requirements related to access to local resources, you can disable it by setting it to false.

   EnableFolderWhiteList=true | false

   WhiteListedFolders=C:/path/folder1; D:/path/folder2

   Note: * If multiple folders are available, separate them by “;” * If a parent folder is whitelisted, all the subfolders will have access.

Additional Optional Configuration

All configurations described below can be found at C:\ProgramData\MHC Software.

EOS4.config Config Parameters

MaxAllowedRequestSize

• Specifies the .zip size limit for the Environment imports.
• Default value: 100 MB

Request Body Limitation Parameters

These parameters are used to limit the request body size to prevent timeout due to data arriving too slowly

• MinRequestBodyDataRate = 240 bytes per second (default)
• MinRequestBodyDataRateGrace = 5 seconds (default)

Install NorthStar CCM version

Run the installer for the new version of NorthStar CCM. Follow the setup wizard or the installation guide to complete the process successfully.

Check & Test

Verify that all NorthStar CCM services and websites are operational. Run tests to ensure data integrity, functionality, and performance. Address any issues before declaring the upgrade complete.