> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://syteca.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Full Deployment Checklist

> A single, linear checklist from bare virtual machine to configured Client agents — hand this to a customer or partner so their team can prepare a deployment before the technical call.

<Info>
  **Use this when you need to:**

  * Hand a customer or partner a single document covering everything required before a deployment or demo call.
  * Confirm infrastructure readiness (VM, OS, .NET Framework, IIS, ports, database) without walking through every detailed sub-guide individually.
  * Give a pre-sales or solutions engineer a fast way to confirm "yes, this environment is ready" before the technical portion of a call begins.

  For the detailed step-by-step version of each item below, follow the linked guide. For what to do *after* installation (users, alerts, first session), see the [Getting Started Checklist](/docs/get-started/checklist) instead.
</Info>

## Before you start

<Steps>
  <Step title="Decide on-premises or SaaS">
    On-premises gives you full infrastructure control and is what the rest of this checklist covers. [SaaS](/docs/get-started/saas-deployment) skips most infrastructure steps below — Syteca hosts the Application Server and database for you.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Size the deployment">
    Review [deployment sizing](/docs/get-started/system-requirements#deployment-sizing) — PoC, Small, Medium, or Large — based on expected concurrent sessions. This determines the hardware specs used in the rest of this checklist.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm hardware and OS">
    Confirm the planned Application Server, Management Tool, and database machines meet the [system requirements](/docs/get-started/system-requirements) for your chosen size — vCPU, RAM, storage, and supported Windows Server version.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm network ports">
    Review [network port requirements](/docs/get-started/requirements/network-ports) and confirm your network team can open them between the Application Server, Management Tool, database, and Clients.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Have a serial key ready">
    Confirm you have a valid Syteca serial key (or know how to request a trial one) before starting installation.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Stage 1: Prepare the infrastructure

<Steps>
  <Step title="Provision the virtual machine(s)">
    Provision the Application Server VM (and a separate Management Tool VM, if not co-locating them) matching the specs confirmed above. A separate database server VM is optional — [MS SQL Server or PostgreSQL](/docs/administration/database/compare-databases) can run on the same machine for smaller deployments.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn on IIS">
    [Turn on Internet Information Services](/docs/administration/deployment/management-tool-prerequisites#1-turn-on-iis) on the Management Tool machine — the exact steps depend on your Windows version.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install .NET Framework">
    [Install .NET Framework](/docs/administration/deployment/management-tool-prerequisites#2-install-net-framework) (version 4.8) on the Management Tool machine.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure IIS">
    [Configure IIS](/docs/administration/deployment/management-tool-prerequisites#3-configure-iis) with the required modules and application pool settings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Provide an SSL certificate">
    Either [generate a self-signed certificate](/docs/administration/deployment/management-tool-prerequisites#4-provide-an-ssl-certificate) (and add it to Trusted Root) or import a purchased one — required for HTTPS access to the Management Tool.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Bind HTTPS">
    [Bind HTTPS on the default website](/docs/administration/deployment/management-tool-prerequisites#6-bind-https-on-the-default-website) using the certificate from the previous step.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Prepare the database">
    Confirm [MS SQL Server or PostgreSQL](/docs/administration/database/compare-databases) is installed and reachable. If your organization requires DBA-managed database creation instead of letting the Application Server installer create it, see [Creating databases manually](/docs/administration/database/moving-ms-sql-database).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Stage 2: Install the core platform

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install the Application Server">
    Run the [Application Server installer](/docs/administration/deployment/install-application-server), connecting it to the database prepared in Stage 1.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install the Management Tool">
    Run the [Management Tool installer](/docs/administration/deployment/install-management-tool) on the machine prepared in Stage 1.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Activate the serial key">
    [Activate your serial key](/docs/administration/licensing/activate-serial-key) — online or offline, depending on whether the Application Server has internet access.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign in and set a password">
    Sign in to the Management Tool as the default admin, set a new password when prompted, and (recommended) configure [two-factor authentication](/docs/administration/access/two-factor-authentication).
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  For a High Availability deployment with multiple Application Server nodes instead of a single instance, see [High Availability](/docs/administration/deployment/high-availability) and [Load Balancing installation](/docs/administration/deployment/load-balancing-installation) — these replace Stage 2 with a multi-node variant of the same steps.
</Tip>

## Stage 3: Prepare endpoints and install Clients

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check Windows Client prerequisites">
    Review [Windows Client installation prerequisites](/docs/administration/clients/windows-install-prerequisites) — required Windows system services, firewall rules, and permissions on target endpoints.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose an installation method">
    Windows Clients can be installed [remotely via the Management Tool](/docs/administration/clients/install-windows#remote-installation-via-the-management-tool), via [Group Policy](/docs/administration/clients/install-windows#group-policy-installation-using-an-msi-file), or [locally using an installation package](/docs/administration/clients/install-windows#local-installation-using-the-installation-package) — pick whichever matches your environment (domain-joined vs. workgroup, remote access vs. imaging pipeline).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install Clients on target endpoints">
    Install [Windows](/docs/administration/clients/install-windows), [macOS](/docs/administration/clients/install-macos), or [Linux](/docs/administration/clients/install-linux) Clients on the endpoints to be monitored, using the method chosen above.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm Clients are reporting">
    Confirm installed Clients appear online on the **Clients** page in the Management Tool, and that a test session records correctly.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## You're ready for the technical call

At this point, the infrastructure is provisioned, the platform is installed and licensed, and at least one Client is confirmed reporting data. From here, the conversation can move to configuring monitoring behavior, alerts, and reports — the parts of Syteca that are actually differentiated, rather than infrastructure setup.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Getting Started Checklist" icon="list-checks" href="/docs/get-started/checklist">
    What to configure next — licenses, Client groups, alerts, and reports.
  </Card>

  <Card title="System architecture" icon="network" href="/docs/get-started/system-architecture">
    A one-page mental model of how the components fit together.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Client Troubleshooting" icon="wrench" href="/docs/resources/troubleshooting/client-troubleshooting">
    If a Client isn't showing up or isn't recording, start here.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Installation Checklist" icon="list-checks" href="/docs/administration/deployment/installation-checklist">
    The detailed, IT-facing version of Stages 1–2 above.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>