A SmartSimple dedicated server is a private, exclusive hosting environment that runs an organization’s SmartSimple instances on resources that are not shared with other clients. It gives administrators control over system configuration, security, custom domain URLs, and the timing of SmartSimple releases.
Who: Global administrators
Custom Domain URLs for SmartSimple
SmartSimple supports custom, client-owned domains in front of a SmartSimple environment, such as grants.yourorganization.org.
A custom domain requires:
- A domain that the organization owns, with access to manage its Domain Name System (DNS) records.
- A CNAME record that points the chosen subdomain to a value provided by Foundant. This record routes traffic from the domain to the SmartSimple environment.
- DNS validation TXT records for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate issuance. Foundant manages SSL certificates through AWS Certificate Manager (ACM), and ACM requires one or more TXT records in the DNS to prove domain ownership before the certificate is issued.
Once the DNS records are in place and the certificate is validated, Foundant configures the environment to respond on the custom URL. Foundant renews the certificate automatically, so no ongoing action is required.
How Dedicated Server Releases Work
Clients on dedicated servers receive SmartSimple release updates in one of two ways: automated managed releases or manual self-managed releases.
Automated Managed Releases
With automated managed releases, SmartSimple applies updates automatically according to the global release schedule. To subscribe to this option, contact your SmartSimple administrator.
Production release packages are applied to the backup server before the production and development servers, so the latest release can be verified first.
Manual Self-Managed Releases
It is recommended to remain on automated managed releases. Self-managed releases fit organizations with very strict change management policies that cannot follow the automated release schedule. Releases regularly include important security updates, so falling behind means missing those updates.
With manual self-managed releases, the organization controls when each update is applied. Timing is managed from the Upgrade icon in the action bar on the Global Settings page, which is available only to global administrators on the root instance of the server. Production release packages become available according to the global release schedule.
Support coverage for SmartSimple issues requires a release version within six months of the latest production release.
Apply a Manual Release
Global administrators apply manual releases while signed in to the root instance of the server, which is typically the only instance on the server.
To apply a manual release to a dedicated server:
- Click the System Administration gear in the upper navigation bar, and then select Global Settings from the drop-down menu.
- Click the Upgrade [up arrow] icon in the Action Bar.
- The Upgrade page lists the release packages available to install. The Production Release list includes only final release packages deployed to production environments.
- Select the release to install, and then download it.
- The download can take several minutes. Return to this screen or refresh it after five minutes.
- Click Apply Upgrades to install all packages up to and including the selected release.
- Wait several minutes for the server to restart.
- The server disconnects anyone who is signed in and displays a message that SmartSimple is unreachable.
- Once the installation is complete, refresh the browser and sign in again.
- Installation typically completes after several minutes.