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Upgrading to Essentials

Use this page to upgrade from Ecrion Develop or EngageCX Create to NorthStar CCM Essentials, the latest version of the same API-driven rendering engine.

Who This Page Is For

If you have... Versions
Ecrion Develop 12.0 (Nido), 13.0 (Onyx)
EngageCX Create 12.0 (Nido), 13.0 (Onyx), 14.0 (Ruby)

If you're already using NorthStar CCM Essentials 14.0 (Ruby), R2025, or R2026, you don't need to migrate. Download the latest version from the MHC Community Portal (login required) and see the Release Notes.

Using Ecrion Engage or EngageCX Converse?

Upgrade to NorthStar CCM Enterprise or Enterprise Plus instead, to keep your current functionality. See Upgrading to Enterprise.

What Stays the Same

  • Core rendering. Essentials is still an API-driven, template-based rendering engine. You compose documents from your own or predefined templates and render them to PDF, Word, and more than 20 other output formats.
  • Document features. E-signatures, digital signatures, QR codes, and barcodes work as before.
  • Your templates. Existing templates are backwards compatible. To use newer features, such as PDF 2.0 or embedded files, you may need to update your templates.
  • Your code and configuration. The upgrade introduces no breaking changes to your code or configurations. You'll need to reconfigure the new version after you install it, including the HTTP(S) and folder whitelists and the Web API settings.

What's New

"Since" shows the first version or release that included each feature.

Feature Since
.NET Framework 4.8–compatible SDK for legacy and enterprise applications R2026.02.1 (Mar 2026)
AES 256-bit PDF encryption 14.0 (Ruby), Aug 2024
Move from .NET Framework to .NET 10 14.0 (Ruby)
API upgraded from Swagger 2.0 to OpenAPI 3.0, with a .NET 10 SDK 14.0 (Ruby)
PDF 2.0 output 14.0 (Ruby)
Files and data sources embedded inside a rendered PDF 14.0 (Ruby)
Automatic downsizing of large images for faster performance 14.0 (Ruby)
Single-click checkboxes in Word output 14.0 (Ruby)
Faster API-based downloads 14.0 (Ruby)

For details of recent releases, see the Release Notes.

Renamed Components and Concepts

Earlier term Current term
Ecrion Develop / EngageCX Create NorthStar CCM Essentials (still called MHC Create in the installer, Windows services, and installation folders)
XF Rendering Server Publishing Engine
Data Aggregation Server Data Engine
EngageCX API v1.0 (Ultrascale Client) API v2 (v1 compatibility is an installation option)
C:\ProgramData\Ecrion C:\ProgramData\MHC Software

System Requirements by Version

Requirement 12.0 (Nido) 13.0 (Onyx) 14.0 (Ruby) and later
Operating system (minimum) Windows Server 2016 Windows Server 2016 Windows Server 2019
Operating system (recommended) Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2019
CPU (minimum) 1 CPU / 4 cores i5 @ 2 GHz 1 CPU / 4 cores i5 @ 2 GHz 1 CPU / 4 cores i5 @ 2 GHz
CPU (recommended) Xeon E5, 8 cores 2 CPU / 8 cores Xeon @ 3 GHz 2 CPU / 8 cores Xeon @ 3 GHz
RAM (minimum / recommended) 4 GB / 16 GB 4 GB / 16 GB 4 GB / 16 GB
Storage (minimum / recommended) 10 GB / 1 TB 10 GB / 1 TB 10 GB / 1 TB
.NET .NET Framework 4.7.2 .NET Framework 4.7.2 .NET Framework 4.8, .NET 10 Runtime, ASP.NET 10 Runtime, ASP.NET 10 Hosting Bundle
Visual C++ Redistributable — 2015–2022 (x64) 2015–2022 (x64)

For full current requirements, see Essentials Requirements.

Before You Begin

  • Confirm your server meets the Essentials Requirements.
  • Download the latest Essentials installer from the MHC Community Portal (login required).
  • Back up your templates and assets.
  • Note any custom settings in PublisherSvc.config and DASSvc.config so you can reapply them.

Upgrade Steps

  1. Uninstall the previous version. Uninstall Ecrion Develop or EngageCX Create from the server.
  2. Rename the configuration folder. Go to C:\ProgramData and rename the Ecrion folder to MHC Software.
  3. Install Essentials. Run the installer and select the components you need. See the Installation Guide.
  4. Configure whitelists. To allow the Publishing and Data Engines to make HTTP(S) calls or access local folders, configure the whitelists. See Additional Configuration.
  5. Configure the Web API. Review the ports, HTTPS certificate, and API key in webServerSettings.json. See Post-Installation Configuration.
  6. Migrate your assets.

After Upgrading

  • Open the live REST API inspector at http://localhost:50100/swagger (or https://localhost:50101/swagger) and confirm the service responds.
  • Render a test document with one of your existing templates. See the API Guide.
  • If your application uses the .NET or Java SDK, download the current SDK from the /sdk page of your installation.

For help, contact northstarccmsupport@mhcautomation.com.

Considering Enterprise?

If you also want centralized project management, browser-based design tools, workflows, or AI-assisted authoring, see Moving from Essentials to Enterprise.