Before you start to install the Docusnap software, make sure to complete the two following steps:
- Create a new folder on the file server where the documents belonging to your IT documentation will be stored.
- Define a separate user for the SQL database.
Central filing location for your IT documentation
Each user who is supposed to use the Docusnap software later must have access to this filing location. This directory will hold the IT concepts and reports created from within Docusnap, the configuration and team settings, the encryption file for the password container, and the license file for the Docusnap software. Give a thought to the read and write permissions for this central folder. Here again, apply the “need-to-know principle”. Later on, you can use this folder to also store digitised license and contract documents. This, however, will depend on the general filing structure and the data storage guidelines in place at your company. If possible, store all this data in a central location, making it easier to backup your IT documentation later.
Database server for the Docusnap database
For the database that will be created during the initial Docusnap setup, an existing SQL server may be used. If possible at all, do not use an Access database. If you do not have a Microsoft SQL Server available, you can download the free Express version from the Microsoft website. Create a separate database user for your database. Never connect to the database using the default SQL “sa” account. This account should be reserved for administrative tasks, not for normal operation. Instead of a database user, you can create and use an account in the Active Directory directory service, if one exists. When doing so, please observe any guidelines applicable at your company.
When you create the folder on the file server and the SQL Server database, keep in mind the disk space that will be required in the future. Depending on the archiving depth you will later select for the inventory data and the scope of the documentation, you will need a lot of disk space. For the file server, this might even amount to several gigabytes. However, it is easy to change the filing locations later in the Docusnap setup. All settings may be changed later in the Docusnap Options window. This ensures that your IT documentation can grow at the same pace as your business.
