System Requirements: What Do I Need to Run eDirectory on my Server?

Introduction

If you've acquired the source license for eDirectory, you have the flexibility to host your website on your own dedicated server. This offers greater control over your hosting environment. However, to ensure a smooth and successful deployment, it's crucial to understand and meet specific system requirements.

Self-Hosting Considerations and Our Standard Installation:

By default, to get you up and running quickly, we automatically handle the initial website installation on our optimized servers. This allows you to begin building your directory immediately. However, if you choose to self-host, the process involves transferring the website files to your server and meticulously configuring the necessary system components. This additional step requires dedicated time, which you should factor into your website's launch timeline.

Common Causes for Launch Delays with Self-Hosting:

Based on our experience, delays in self-hosted eDirectory deployments often stem from the following issues:

1. Incorrect Server Access Information: Providing inaccurate login details for your server prevents our team from accessing and configuring it.
2. Insufficient Server Permissions: We require root-level access to your server to perform the necessary file transfers and system configurations. Limited permissions can halt the process.
3. Meeting Minimum Hardware Requirements: Your server must possess adequate hardware resources to run eDirectory efficiently. Insufficient resources can lead to performance issues.
4. Missing Core Modules or Libraries: eDirectory relies on specific software modules and libraries to function correctly. Their absence will prevent proper installation and operation (a detailed list is provided below).
5. Web-Based Panel Access Only (e.g., cPanel): While web-based control panels like cPanel offer management tools, they typically restrict root-level configuration changes, which are essential for eDirectory installation. Therefore, root access via SSH (Secure Shell) is necessary.
6. Conflicting Software on the Same Server: Installing eDirectory on a server already running other software can lead to conflicts and instability. We strongly recommend setting up a clean, dedicated server exclusively for your eDirectory website.

The Recommended Approach: A Clean Server with Root Access:

To ensure the fastest and most seamless hosting transfer, we highly advise setting up a clean, dedicated Linux-based server. This allows our team to efficiently migrate the website files and configure all the necessary system requirements simultaneously. Providing us with the correct root access credentials (via SSH) is paramount for a timely and successful setup.

While it technically might be possible to attempt installation with web-based panel access like cPanel, this method significantly restricts our ability to upload the software and make crucial root-level configuration changes. Consequently, relying solely on cPanel access is known to cause substantial delays and is therefore not a recommended approach.

Self-Installation Option (Advanced Users):

Clients with the necessary technical expertise can choose to perform the eDirectory installation themselves. We provide a detailed installation guide (often found as a README.md file within the source code package) containing step-by-step instructions. However, this process can be complex and requires familiarity with server environments, command-line interfaces, and the specific software requirements of eDirectory. For non-technical users, attempting self-installation often leads to complications and subsequent delays. Therefore, we generally recommend that our experienced team handles the migration and initial server setup.

Essential System Requirements for Your eDirectory Server (Linux Environment):

Your server must be running a compatible Linux-based operating system from one of the following distributions:

• CentOS 7
• Ubuntu 22.04
• Debian 9
• CloudLinux

Important Note for cPanel/WHM Users: If you intend to use cPanel/WHM as your server management panel, CloudLinux is the only compatible operating system as it's the only one that natively supports PHP 7.4 installation within the cPanel environment.

Please note that a CloudLinux license for cPanel incurs a separate monthly fee of approximately $16 USD (this is a direct CloudLinux charge, not an eDirectory fee).

In addition to the operating system, your server must meet the following software and hardware requirements:

• Apache Web Server: Version 2.2 or 2.4 with the mod-rewrite and env modules enabled.
• MySQL Database: Version 5.7 OR MariaDB version 10.11.
• PHP: Version 7.4.
  • (Important Note for Older eDirectory Versions): If you are using an eDirectory version below 11.5, you must use PHP version 5.6.
  • PHP Standard Libraries: Plus the following additional PHP libraries: mcrypt , gd (should include WebP support), intl , mbstring , pdo , pdo_mysql , exif , apcu or apc .
• cURL: Enabled.
• JSON: Enabled.
• PHP <strong>php.ini</strong> Configuration:
  • date.timezone set to a valid timezone.
  • safemode set to <strong>Off</strong> (Disabled).
  • openbase_dir set to <strong>Off</strong> (Disabled).
  • short_open_tag set to <strong>On</strong> .
• Cron Jobs: The ability to set up at least 11 cron jobs for various eDirectory background processes.
• Elasticsearch: Version 2.3.4 (our internal Elasticsearch plugin needs to be installed alongside the core eDirectory software).
• OpenSSL: Enabled.
• Memory (RAM): At least 4GB is recommended for optimal performance.

If you require our team's assistance with the initial server installation and configuration, we will need root access via SSH (Secure Shell). Please contact our sales team to inquire about our dedicated server configuration package.

Conclusion

For system requirements pertaining to other eDirectory versions, please consult with our eDirectory support team directly.