Sage CRM System Requirements
This page outlines the recommended minimum software and hardware
requirements for running Sage CRM, but please check with us for the
latest version.
Client Software
No installation is required on the PC or laptop of networked
users for core CRM functions, as the Web browser is usually
preinstalled. Some features of CRM, such as Mail Merge, Reporting,
and Outlook Integration will require the installation of plugins
and external applications. These are outlined in the next
section.
Files and Applications you may need on the
Client
To use the mail merge functionality. The first time a user
encounters one of the features requiring the plugin (for example,
the My CRM | Calendar page displaying the Document Drop icon), they
are prompted to download a plugin. Instructions are provided
on-screen.
You must be an administrator or power user of your machine to
install the Mail Merge Plugin. Your browser must also be configured
to accept plugins. Contact your System Administrator if you do not
have these rights. To view CRM reports in Adobe PDF format, Adobe
Reader must be installed on the client machine. The Adobe Reader
can be downloaded from www.adobe.com.
To install CRM Outlook Integration, users download the Outlook
Plugin from within CRM in the My CRM | Preferences tab. You must be
an administrator or power user of your machine to install the
Outlook Plugin. Contact your System Administrator if you do not
have these rights.
Recommendations for Client Hardware
As the application uses a Web browser, the client hardware
specification is determined by the minimum Web browser requirements
for the client operating system.
Recommendations for Solo Clients
A Pentium III 600 MHz (or
comparable) processor with at least 256 MB of RAM is required. 40
MB of disk space is required for the Client installation, and 28 MB
of disk space required after the Client has been installed.
Access for Mobile
Users
Mobile users have a choice of
how to access the system.
-
Using a dial-up
connection via RAS or the Internet, they can connect to CRM as if
they were at their desk. The full functionality available to them
at their desk is available to them via dial-up, and the interface
is exactly the same. Because CRM only delivers HTML and JavaScript
to the user's Web browser, it is ideally suited to this type of
usage.
-
CRM Solo users can
download the CRM database, work offline, and synchronize with the
central database via a dialup connection. Typical data
synchronization times for Solo users is two or three minutes, but
this depends on the connection type, number of updates made to both
client and server databases, and amount of data transferred. Either
option has security implications, which can be overcome via
firewall software, ensuring the integrity of data at all times, and
by encrypting all data transferred.
Test Environment
We recommend a test
environment that mirrors the production environment is set up and
made available to test the system before it goes live.
Recommendations for Server Hardware
The following sections provide general recommendations for CRM
installations, as well as specifications for large CRM
installations.
General Recommendations
-
We strongly
recommend using a level 5 RAID disk array system. The level 5 RAID
allows you to swap out a failed Technical Specification 5 drive
with minimal disruption to your production environment. The RAID
disk array system also provides significantly better
performance.
-
Each site must have
adequate backup and recovery capabilities.
-
We recommend that
you use an Uninterruptible Power Supply.
-
We strongly suggest
that you have a "hot stand-by" system that has a backup database.
This standby system should have a very similar configuration to the
primary production system. The standby system can also be used for
development
and testing.
-
The amount of disk
space required varies widely based on the number of customer
records, archiving plans, and backup policies. The disk space can
also vary widely based on the amount of information held for each
customer. Therefore, it is important to try to estimate this prior
to installation and purchase sufficient disk storage to allow for
significant growth in the volume of data.
-
It is important to
keep in mind what type of user will be working with the system. For
example, 200 call center users use the system more intensively than
200 sales and marketing users.
Solo Installations
Regardless of number
of users, every Solo CRM system should have a dedicated database
server. The database is regularly used for heavier synchronization
processes coming from Solo Clients.
Installations with over 50 Users
-
Servers. Split the Database server and Web server
across
two machines.
-
Memory. The amount of memory in the Database
server should
be no less than 50 percent of the anticipated database size after
one year.
-
Processors. The processors in each of the machines
should
be high specification, for example 3.2 Ghz Xeon or 2.4 Ghz
Opteron.
Installations with over 100 Users
-
Servers. At a minimum, the Web server should be
dual
processor. Ideally both machines should be dual processor.
-
Memory. The amount of memory in the Database
server should
be no less than 50 percent of the anticipated database size after
one year.
Planning for a ratio of 75 percent provides additional performance
and room for
errors in the size estimate.
-
Processors. The processors in each of the machines
should
be high specification, for example 3.2 Ghz P4 Xeon or 2.4
Ghz
Opteron.
Installations with Several Hundred Users
The specifications below assume that users are fairly
interactive, for example, users working in a Call Center. You may
get more users on a lower specification if the users are
lighter-usage users.
Servers
At a minimum, the
Database server should be quad processor. Ideally both machines
should be quad processor.
Memory
The amount of memory in the Database server should be no less
than 50 percent of the anticipated database size after one year.
Planning for a ratio of 75 percent provides additional performance
and room for errors in the size estimate.
Processors
The processors in
each of the machines should be high specification, for example 3.2
Ghz P4 Xeon or 2.4 Ghz Opteron.
Multi-Server Option
See the System Administrator Guide for further information about
using multi-server CRM. Technical Specification 7
Test Servers
It is recommended to have one or more Test Servers to replicate
the above. One server is sufficient for this unless bench marking
is being run, in which case, you should replicate the server
specification and configuration as closely as possible. Future
phases of projects and change requests also need a test environment
after the initial "Go Live" is achieved. For every third-party
server involved in the deployment of CRM, there should also be an
equivalent testing server. For example Exchange server, Accounting
server.
To discuss Sage CRM in more detail, please call one of our
product specialists on 0845 850 1550, or email us
at info@pythagoras.co.uk.