# Prerequisites

StifleR consists of several interconnected components (Server, ActionHub, Dashboard, Beacon, WMI Agent and Client). Each requires compatible OS versions, frameworks, and communication access.
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Before installing the StifleR components, please ensure the following pre-requisites are in place:

## Permissions

StifleR controls access to the two main server components the SignalR Hub and the Web service. This control applies to both users (who access StifleR Dashboards) and StifleR Clients (who access the SignalR Hub).

Access is managed through Active Directory Global groups, which must be created in advance. It is recommended to define two groups:

* StifleR Global Admins - Full read and write right access to ALL objects.
* StifleR Global Read - Gives read only rights to ALL locations and statistics. Including WMI.

***

## Firewall Configuration

{% hint style="danger" %}
Please review it carefully before installation.
{% endhint %}

Ensure that network communication between all StifleR components is not blocked by internal or external firewalls. Each service relies on specific ports for data exchange.

[Complete list of required Firewall ports and directions.](/stifler/setup/prerequisites/firewall-ports.md)

***

## Antivirus Exclusions

To ensure stable operation and prevent interference with communication or telemetry, configure antivirus or endpoint protection exclusions for all StifleR components. Exclude the common installation and data directories from active scanning:

* C:\Program Files\2Pint Software\\
* %ProgramData%\2Pint Software\StifleR\\
* Additionally, exclude each service executable corresponding to the installed components (for example StifleR.Server.exe)

***

## StifleR server 

* Windows Server 2019 or newer
* Minimum 4 vCPUs, 4 GB RAM (scale with client count)
* Minimum 10 GB free space for logs and telemetry
* .NET Framework: 4.8 (mandatory)
* Microsoft SQL Server 2016+ (Express, Standard, or Enterprise)
* db\_owner permissions required for StifleR DB account

System performance and capacity depend on deployment scale and client volume. [A complete overview of recommended specifications](/stifler/setup/prerequisites/hardware-requirements.md).

### Service Account

* Dedicated domain or local account
* “Log on as a service” right
* Read/write access to %ProgramData%\2Pint\StifleR
* Must have db\_datareader and db\_datawriter on StifleR DB

***

## StifleR dashboard

* Windows Server 2019 or newer
* 2 vCPUs, 4 GB RAM minimum (scale with concurrent users)
* .NET Framework: 4.8 (mandatory)
* IIS

### Certificates

* Valid SSL certificate required for HTTPS deployment
* Optional internal CA or self-signed acceptable for test environments

***

## Action Hub

* Windows 11 (Pro, Enterprise, Education), including ARM64-powered Windows 11 devices, and Windows Server 2016 or newer.  
* .NET Framework: 4.8 (mandatory)

### Service Account

Recommended to use a dedicated domain service account with:

* “Log on as a service” right
* Write permissions to %ProgramData%\2Pint\StifleR and log directories
* Account must have sufficient rights to execute configured scripts or API calls.

***

## Beacon

* Windows 11 (Pro, Enterprise, Education), including ARM64-powered Windows 11 devices, and Windows Server 2016 or newer. 
* .NET Framework: 4.8 (mandatory)

***

## StifleR Client

* Windows 10 and 11 (Pro, Enterprise, Education), including ARM64-powered Windows 11 devices, and Windows Server 2016 or newer. 
* .NET Framework: 4.8 (mandatory)

### Service Account

* Requires read/write access to: 
  * %ProgramData%\2Pint\StifleR (for local cache and logs)
  * HKLM\Software\2Pint\StifleR (for configuration and telemetry keys)

***

## WMI Agent (optional)

* Windows 11 (Pro, Enterprise, Education), including ARM64-powered Windows 11 devices, and Windows Server 2016 or newer. 
* .NET Framework: 4.8 (mandatory)

### Service Account

Recommended to run under a dedicated domain account with:

* Local Administrator rights on target endpoints
* “Log on as a service” permission
* Remote WMI access rights in root\cimv2 and root\Microsoft\Windows\DeliveryOptimization
* If SQL reporting is enabled, the account must have db\_datawriter on the StifleR database.


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