Prod Self-managed Environment Readiness Checklist

joel.larin — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 14:16:02 GMT

Current Revision posted to Article by joel.larin on 11/2/2023 2:16:02 PM

Compliance with the items in this checklist is required for all self-managed installations of Appian to ensure that the system and the hosts are configured as per Appian recommendations and best practices.

Appian Settings in Configure Script

The section below lists all the configuration settings to put in place with the Appian Configure Script. These settings must be configured once in their specific environment/server configuration files in the Configure Script and saved in a version control tool. These settings must be deployed on all corresponding servers running Appian using the Configure Script.

☐	Configure the site URL for the environment in the file custom.properties
☐	Generate a unique security token for each environment
☐	Increase the execution load metric to 120+ in the file custom.properties
☐	Copy Appian license files into the corresponding folders
☐	Configure outgoing email settings in the file custom.properties
☐	For non high availability environments, set the automated checkpointing frequency in the file custom.properties to be executed outside of core business hours and at least once every 24 hours
☐	Setup all configuration settings with the Appian Configure Script and add settings to version control using your preferred Version Control System

Logging and Monitoring

☐	Deploy and configure the Appian Health Check tool to run automatically once a month
☐	Use the Appian Health Check reports to monitor the system health once a month

Load Balancer

☐	Enable the sticky session setting in the load balancer module

Web Server

☐	Configure HTTP access over TLS
☐	Disable directory browsing for the Appian document root
☐	Disable or redirect access to ports other than 443
☐	Disable or redirect access to non Appian paths (e.g default CGI scripts and index files)
☐	Do not expose session tokens in the URLs (JkStripSession On)
☐	Enable HTTP compression
☐	Deploy Appian static content to be served by the web server
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines

Application Server

☐	Apply the latest available Appian hotfix
☐	Secure, disable or restrict to local access the application server management interfaces
☐	Disable the application server HTTPS interface
☐	Disable or restrict to local access the HTTP interface
☐	Restrict to local access the AJP interface when the web server is running on the same host
☐	Allow remote access to AJP port when web server is running on a different host
☐	Do not deploy default web applications and index files
☐	Deploy all configuration settings using the Appian configure script and the Appian configuration settings stored in version control
☐	(Linux Only) Raise the file descriptor limit above the default setting. Set the ulimit to 100,000
☐	Configure the clean up of the Appian system logs to delete log files that are older than 60 days
☐	Configure the application server logs to be written to the Appian /logs folder
☐	Configure the application server access logs to be written to the Appian /logs folder
☐	Setup the shared-logs folder to share the Appian system logs across all nodes in the environment
☐	Back up the application data at least once every 24 hours
☐	Confirm that the environment is configured per the outputs of the sizing exercise
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines

Search Server

☐	Apply the latest available Appian hotfix
☐	Restrict access to port 9300 by remote application server or other search server host
☐	(Linux Only) Raise the file descriptor limit above the default setting. Set the ulimit to 100,000.
☐	Deploy all configuration settings using the Appian configure script and the Appian configuration settings stored in version control
☐	Setup the shared-logs folder to share the Appian system logs across all nodes in the environment
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines

Engine and Services Server

☐	Apply the latest available Appian hotfix
☐	Configure a strong password for the Service Manager per environment
☐	Configure the Anti-virus software to exclude Appian KDB files on servers running the Appian engines and the Appian services like Kafka
☐	If VMWare VMotion is installed, configure VMotion to NOT migrate VMs between hosts while Appian is running
☐	(Linux Only) Raise the file descriptor limit above the default setting. Set the ulimit to 100,000.
☐	Deploy all configuration settings using the Appian configure script and the Appian configuration settings stored in version control
☐	For non high availability environment, configure the engine checkpoints to run outside of core business hours using a cron job or similar at least once every 24 hours
☐	Back up the Appian Engines KDB files at least once every 24 hours
☐	Configure the clean up of the Appian Engines KDB files on a schedule using a cron job or similar (minimum of 3 kdbs are maintained, maximum of 10)
☐	Configure the clean up of the archived processes to move the archives to a long term storage using a cron job or similar
☐	Configure the clean up of the Appian system logs to delete log files that are older than 60 days
☐	Configure network firewalls to limit access to Appian Engines, Kafka, Zookeeper and Data Server ports by other Appian hosts
☐	Setup the shared-logs folder to share the Appian system logs across all nodes in the environment
☐	Confirm that the environment is configured per the outputs of the sizing exercise
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines
☐	Access to ports restricted to ports listed

Tags: checklists, Configuration Management, Platform

Prod Self-managed Environment Readiness Checklist

matt.cosenza — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 20:59:15 GMT

Revision 4 posted to Article by matt.cosenza on 10/31/2023 8:59:15 PM

Appian Settings in Configure Script
Logging and Monitoring
Load Balancer
Web Server
Application Server
Search Server
Engine and Services Server

Appian Settings in Configure Script

☐	Configure the site URL for the environment in the file custom.properties
☐	Generate a unique security token for each environment
☐	Increase the execution load metric to 120+ in the file custom.properties
☐	Copy Appian license files into the corresponding folders
☐	Configure outgoing email settings in the file custom.properties
☐	For non high availability environments, set the automated checkpointing frequency in the file custom.properties to be executed outside of core business hours and at least once every 24 hours
☐	Setup all configuration settings with the Appian Configure Script and add settings to version control using your preferred Version Control System

Logging and Monitoring

☐	Deploy and configure the Appian Health Check tool to run automatically once a month
☐	Use the Appian Health Check reports to monitor the system health once a month

Load Balancer

☐	Enable the sticky session setting in the load balancer module

Web Server

☐	Configure HTTP access over TLS
☐	Disable directory browsing for the Appian document root
☐	Disable or redirect access to ports other than 443
☐	Disable or redirect access to non Appian paths (e.g default CGI scripts and index files)
☐	Do not expose session tokens in the URLs (JkStripSession On)
☐	Enable HTTP compression
☐	Deploy Appian static content to be served by the web server
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines

Application Server

☐	Apply the latest available Appian hotfix
☐	Secure, disable or restrict to local access the application server management interfaces
☐	Disable the application server HTTPS interface
☐	Disable or restrict to local access the HTTP interface
☐	Restrict to local access the AJP interface when the web server is running on the same host
☐	Allow remote access to AJP port when web server is running on a different host
☐	Do not deploy default web applications and index files
☐	Deploy all configuration settings using the Appian configure script and the Appian configuration settings stored in version control
☐	(Linux Only) Raise the file descriptor limit above the default setting. Set the ulimit to 100,000
☐	Configure the clean up of the Appian system logs to delete log files that are older than 60 days
☐	Configure the application server logs to be written to the Appian /logs folder
☐	Configure the application server access logs to be written to the Appian /logs folder
☐	Setup the shared-logs folder to share the Appian system logs across all nodes in the environment
☐	Back up the application data at least once every 24 hours
☐	Confirm that the environment is configured per the outputs of the sizing exercise
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines

Search Server

☐	Apply the latest available Appian hotfix
☐	Restrict access to port 9300 by remote application server or other search server host
☐	(Linux Only) Raise the file descriptor limit above the default setting. Set the ulimit to 100,000.
☐	Deploy all configuration settings using the Appian configure script and the Appian configuration settings stored in version control
☐	Setup the shared-logs folder to share the Appian system logs across all nodes in the environment
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines

Engine and Services Server

☐	Apply the latest available Appian hotfix
☐	Configure a strong password for the Service Manager per environment
☐	Configure the Anti-virus software to exclude Appian KDB files on servers running the Appian engines and the Appian services like Kafka
☐	If VMWare VMotion is installed, configure VMotion to NOT migrate VMs between hosts while Appian is running
☐	(Linux Only) Raise the file descriptor limit above the default setting. Set the ulimit to 100,000.
☐	Deploy all configuration settings using the Appian configure script and the Appian configuration settings stored in version control
☐	For non high availability environment, configure the engine checkpoints to run outside of core business hours using a cron job or similar at least once every 24 hours
☐	Back up the Appian Engines KDB files at least once every 24 hours
☐	Configure the clean up of the Appian Engines KDB files on a schedule using a cron job or similar (minimum of 3 kdbs are maintained, maximum of 10)
☐	Configure the clean up of the archived processes to move the archives to a long term storage using a cron job or similar
☐	Configure the clean up of the Appian system logs to delete log files that are older than 60 days
☐	Configure network firewalls to limit access to Appian Engines, Kafka, Zookeeper and Data Server ports by other Appian hosts
☐	Setup the shared-logs folder to share the Appian system logs across all nodes in the environment
☐	Confirm that the environment is configured per the outputs of the sizing exercise
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines
☐	Access to ports restricted to ports listed

Tags: checklists, Configuration Management, Platform

Prod Self-managed Environment Readiness Checklist

matt.cosenza — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 20:59:11 GMT

Revision 3 posted to Article by matt.cosenza on 10/31/2023 8:59:11 PM

Appian Settings in Configure Script
Logging and Monitoring
Load Balancer
Web Server
Application Server
Search Server
Engine and Services Server

Appian Settings in Configure Script

☐	Configure the site URL for the environment in the file custom.properties
☐	Generate a unique security token for each environment
☐	Increase the execution load metric to 120+ in the file custom.properties
☐	Copy Appian license files into the corresponding folders
☐	Configure outgoing email settings in the file custom.properties
☐	For non high availability environments, set the automated checkpointing frequency in the file custom.properties to be executed outside of core business hours and at least once every 24 hours
☐	Setup all configuration settings with the Appian Configure Script and add settings to version control using your preferred Version Control System

Logging and Monitoring

☐	Deploy and configure the Appian Health Check tool to run automatically once a month
☐	Use the Appian Health Check reports to monitor the system health once a month

Load Balancer

☐	Enable the sticky session setting in the load balancer module

Web Server

☐	Configure HTTP access over TLS
☐	Disable directory browsing for the Appian document root
☐	Disable or redirect access to ports other than 443
☐	Disable or redirect access to non Appian paths (e.g default CGI scripts and index files)
☐	Do not expose session tokens in the URLs (JkStripSession On)
☐	Enable HTTP compression
☐	Deploy Appian static content to be served by the web server
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines

Application Server

☐	Apply the latest available Appian hotfix
☐	Secure, disable or restrict to local access the application server management interfaces
☐	Disable the application server HTTPS interface
☐	Disable or restrict to local access the HTTP interface
☐	Restrict to local access the AJP interface when the web server is running on the same host
☐	Allow remote access to AJP port when web server is running on a different host
☐	Do not deploy default web applications and index files
☐	Deploy all configuration settings using the Appian configure script and the Appian configuration settings stored in version control
☐	(Linux Only) Raise the file descriptor limit above the default setting. Set the ulimit to 100,000
☐	Configure the clean up of the Appian system logs to delete log files that are older than 60 days
☐	Configure the application server logs to be written to the Appian /logs folder
☐	Configure the application server access logs to be written to the Appian /logs folder
☐	Setup the shared-logs folder to share the Appian system logs across all nodes in the environment
☐	Back up the application data at least once every 24 hours
☐	Confirm that the environment is configured per the outputs of the sizing exercise
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines

Search Server

☐	Apply the latest available Appian hotfix
☐	Restrict access to port 9300 by remote application server or other search server host
☐	(Linux Only) Raise the file descriptor limit above the default setting. Set the ulimit to 100,000.
☐	Deploy all configuration settings using the Appian configure script and the Appian configuration settings stored in version control
☐	Setup the shared-logs folder to share the Appian system logs across all nodes in the environment
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines

Engine and Services Server

☐	Apply the latest available Appian hotfix
☐	Configure a strong password for the Service Manager per environment
☐	Configure the Anti-virus software to exclude Appian KDB files on servers running the Appian engines and the Appian services like Kafka
☐	If VMWare VMotion is installed, configure VMotion to NOT migrate VMs between hosts while Appian is running
☐	(Linux Only) Raise the file descriptor limit above the default setting. Set the ulimit to 100,000.
☐	Deploy all configuration settings using the Appian configure script and the Appian configuration settings stored in version control
☐	For non high availability environment, configure the engine checkpoints to run outside of core business hours using a cron job or similar at least once every 24 hours
☐	Back up the Appian Engines KDB files at least once every 24 hours
☐	Configure the clean up of the Appian Engines KDB files on a schedule using a cron job or similar (minimum of 3 kdbs are maintained, maximum of 10)
☐	Configure the clean up of the archived processes to move the archives to a long term storage using a cron job or similar
☐	Configure the clean up of the Appian system logs to delete log files that are older than 60 days
☐	Configure network firewalls to limit access to Appian Engines, Kafka, Zookeeper and Data Server ports by other Appian hosts
☐	Setup the shared-logs folder to share the Appian system logs across all nodes in the environment
☐	Confirm that the environment is configured per the outputs of the sizing exercise
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines
☐	Access to ports restricted to ports listed

Prod Self-managed Environment Readiness Checklist

matt.cosenza — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 19:31:50 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Article by matt.cosenza on 10/18/2023 7:31:50 PM

Appian Settings in Configure Script
Logging and Monitoring
Load Balancer
Web Server
Application Server
Search Server
Engine and Services Server

Appian Settings in Configure Script

☐	Configure the site URL for the environment in the file custom.properties
☐	Generate a unique security token for each environment
☐	Increase the execution load metric to 120+ in the file custom.properties
☐	Copy Appian license files into the corresponding folders
☐	Configure outgoing email settings in the file custom.properties
☐	For non high availability environments, set the automated checkpointing frequency in the file custom.properties to be executed outside of core business hours and at least once every 24 hours
☐	Setup all configuration settings with the Appian Configure Script and add settings to version control using your preferred Version Control System

Logging and Monitoring

☐	Deploy and configure the Appian Health Check tool to run automatically once a month
☐	Use the Appian Health Check reports to monitor the system health once a month

Load Balancer

☐	Enable the sticky session setting in the load balancer module

Web Server

☐	Configure HTTP access over TLS
☐	Disable directory browsing for the Appian document root
☐	Disable or redirect access to ports other than 443
☐	Disable or redirect access to non Appian paths (e.g default CGI scripts and index files)
☐	Do not expose session tokens in the URLs (JkStripSession On)
☐	Enable HTTP compression
☐	Deploy Appian static content to be served by the web server
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines

Application Server

☐	Apply the latest available Appian hotfix
☐	Secure, disable or restrict to local access the application server management interfaces
☐	Disable the application server HTTPS interface
☐	Disable or restrict to local access the HTTP interface
☐	Restrict to local access the AJP interface when the web server is running on the same host
☐	Allow remote access to AJP port when web server is running on a different host
☐	Do not deploy default web applications and index files
☐	Deploy all configuration settings using the Appian configure script and the Appian configuration settings stored in version control
☐	(Linux Only) Raise the file descriptor limit above the default setting. Set the ulimit to 100,000
☐	Configure the clean up of the Appian system logs to delete log files that are older than 60 days
☐	Configure the application server logs to be written to the Appian /logs folder
☐	Configure the application server access logs to be written to the Appian /logs folder
☐	Setup the shared-logs folder to share the Appian system logs across all nodes in the environment
☐	Back up the application data at least once every 24 hours
☐	Confirm that the environment is configured per the outputs of the sizing exercise
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines

Search Server

☐	Apply the latest available Appian hotfix
☐	Restrict access to port 9300 by remote application server or other search server host
☐	(Linux Only) Raise the file descriptor limit above the default setting. Set the ulimit to 100,000.
☐	Deploy all configuration settings using the Appian configure script and the Appian configuration settings stored in version control
☐	Setup the shared-logs folder to share the Appian system logs across all nodes in the environment
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines

Engine and Services Server

☐	Apply the latest available Appian hotfix
☐	Configure a strong password for the Service Manager per environment
☐	Configure the Anti-virus software to exclude Appian KDB files on servers running the Appian engines and the Appian services like Kafka
☐	If VMWare VMotion is installed, configure VMotion to NOT migrate VMs between hosts while Appian is running
☐	(Linux Only) Raise the file descriptor limit above the default setting. Set the ulimit to 100,000.
☐	Deploy all configuration settings using the Appian configure script and the Appian configuration settings stored in version control
☐	For non high availability environment, configure the engine checkpoints to run outside of core business hours using a cron job or similar at least once every 24 hours
☐	Back up the Appian Engines KDB files at least once every 24 hours
☐	Configure the clean up of the Appian Engines KDB files on a schedule using a cron job or similar (minimum of 3 kdbs are maintained, maximum of 10)
☐	Configure the clean up of the archived processes to move the archives to a long term storage using a cron job or similar
☐	Configure the clean up of the Appian system logs to delete log files that are older than 60 days
☐	Configure network firewalls to limit access to Appian Engines, Kafka, Zookeeper and Data Server ports by other Appian hosts
☐	Setup the shared-logs folder to share the Appian system logs across all nodes in the environment
☐	Confirm that the environment is configured per the outputs of the sizing exercise
☐	Setup an system/resource usage monitoring tool per the CPU, memory and disk usage guidelines
☐	Access to ports restricted to ports listed

Prod Self-managed Environment Readiness Checklist

joel.larin — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 14:30:35 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Article by joel.larin on 9/6/2023 2:30:35 PM

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