MIPAR Checkpoint v1.0 © TotalLab Ltd 2024

MIPAR Checkpoint Installation Guide

MIPAR Checkpoint is powered by TotalLab AuditSafe

MIPAR Checkpoint is a distributed application that hosts a HTTPS server (running under a Windows Service) to multiple desktop clients. This document will detail the setup process for the server component.

Prerequisite: Windows

Windows 10 is supported, but 11 is recommended.

Similarly, "Home" editions of Windows are supported, but "Pro" is (strongly) recommended.

Prerequisite: MySQL

MIPAR Checkpoint records a lot of data, and to do that in a performant and secure way we use a database. While there are many databases to choose from, MySQL provides a compelling intersection of price ($0), performance, and industry/community support.

Install MySQL
- Download and run the latest version of MySQL, e.g.: https://dev.mysql.com/get/Downloads/MySQLInstaller/mysql-installer-community-8.0.34.0.msi
Provide these options to the setup
- Setup Type: Server Only
Type and Networking
- Config Type: Server Computer
- Everything else leave as default
Authentication Method: accept all defaults
Accounts and Roles
- MySQL Root Password: supply a password and make sure to record it securely
- Add User
  - User Name: mipar
  - Role: DB Admin
  - Authentication: MySQL
  - Password: supply a password, record it securely - you will need this password later in the process
  - Follow the remainder of the setup to completion using all defaults

Secure Folder

AuditSafe needs a place to store large binary files. When users "commit" their work, the files are hashed, fingerprinted, and stored in the "secure folder". This folder can be located anywhere that the MIPAR Checkpoint server (or rather, the user account that is used to run the server) can "see". Hosting the secure folder on a remote server with slow network access will result in poor performance. As a best practice, try to host the secure folder somewhere the server has fast access to.

Secure Folder Permissions

MIPAR Checkpoint is architected such that all access to the secure folder goes through the server component. The server component will be run as a Windows Service under a specific user account. MIPAR Checkpoint needs read/write access to this folder, but all no other accounts need access. If desired, you can configure the folder with extremely strict access rights.

Installation (Windows)

Alongside this guide, you have been provided with a copy of the MIPAR Checkpoint installer. Run this installer to completion.

Upon successfull installation, the MIPAR Checkpoint server will be running in the background as a Windows Service. It will launch automatically on startup even before anyone signs into the PC.

Open the web admin interface in a web browser: https://localhost:19811

HTTPS Certificates - On first access your browser will alert you to the fact that the certificate our server is using to provide HTTPS encryption is untrusted. The specific messaging you receive will depend on your browser but in all cases it is necessary to override the warning in order to proceed. For more information about this issue, consult our full HTTPS documentation at https://localhost:19811/doc/https.html

You can access the MIPAR Checkpoint portal from any network connected PC, just substitute the localhost part in the URL with the hostname of the server pc, or its IP address. e.g. https://myserver:19811 or https://192.168.1.2:19811.

Database Setup

You should now presented with the "Database Connection" screen where you can connect MIPAR Checkpoint to the MySql instance prepared earlier. Use the following table to provide the necessary information:

Field	Value
Hostname	Network name of the PC that hosts the MySQL database instance (in most cases this will be this machine, so the hostname is `localhost`) followed by the port number, default being `3306`, resulting in the value `localhost:3306`.
Username	MIPAR Checkpoint will use this account for all of it's database operations. If you used the suggested usernames earlier, this will be `mipar`.
Password	Password for the account created at install time. MIPAR Checkpoint stores this password in a config file using strong encryption.

Click Update to connect to the database, Install Schema to initiailse the database with our schema, and then finally click Continue

Initial Login via Superadmin

Next you see a login screen. Of course, we have no users configured yet so we must proceed with the special maintenance account superadmin. Enter superadmin as the username, and click Next. superadmin is technically a new user, so the system follows standard procedure and assigns the new user a temporary password that must be changed on first login.

The temporary password for the superadmin user is simply admin. Enter admin into the Temporary Password field and then supply a new, strong password before clicking Confirm New Password.

While configurable later, MIPAR Checkpoint defaults to a relatively strict set of rules that define an acceptably complex password. Your initial superadmin password must:
- be at least 8 characters long
- contain a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters
- contain at least one number
- contain at least one symbol (%, $, ^, &, *, etc...)
Make absolutely sure to record this superadmin password, it will become essential for troubleshooting purposes in the future should mishaps occur.

Once the password is set, you will be dropped into login screen and asked to provide the password you just created. Do so and click Sign In.

With that, MIPAR Checkpoint server installation is complete. For help configuring the license and users, refer to the Admin Walkthrough document, which you will find linked in the Client tab of the admin portal (or use https://localhost:19811/doc/admin-walkthrough.html if the server is running locally).