Preparing a SQL Server Database

SilhouetteCentral stores all patient demographic and assessment data in a MS SQL Server database. The SilhouetteCentral and SilhouetteTokenService web applications both use the same database.

Typically, deployments use a database provisioned on existing dedicated database servers. However, deployments can be hosted with MS SQL Server running on the same server as the web applications if existing infrastructure is not available, see Appendix B: SQL Server Configuration. If choosing to run SQL Server and the website on the same server, the server needs to be sized appropriately for both systems to run well.

Before preparing the SQL Server database it is necessary to know the authentication mode and identities the SilhouetteCentral and SilhouetteTokenService web applications will be using to connect to the SQL Server. If the authentication mode is to be Windows Authentication, it is helpful to have already setup the identities before completing the SQL Server database setup.

If the IIS Application Pools are going to use the default ApplicationPoolIdentity with SQL Server Windows Authentication mode (only possible if the SQL Server instance is on the same server as IIS), create the Application Pools in IIS before attempting the setup.

You need to obtain the required connection details to access the database. These details include:

• SQL Server Instance name, i.e. serverName\instanceName.
• Authentication method (Windows Authentication or SQL Server). If the authentication method selected is "SQL Server," you need the associated username and password.
• Database name, e.g. silhouette.
• Confirmation that the SQL Server uses encrypted connections with a well-known (or organizationally trusted) CA or that the use of SQL Server fallback encryption (self-signed certificate) is approved.

Your Database Administrator (DBA) should be able to create the database and provide these details to you.

The identities used to run the SilhouetteCentral and SilhouetteTokenService IIS Application Pools need to be allocated the database ownership role for the database. The database can be created empty and the Silhouette applications populate it during the installation procedure.