mindzieStudio On-Premise Installation Guide

Overview

mindzieStudio's AI-Driven Process Mining and Automation platform offers a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of an organization's workflows within your organization, providing unparalleled visibility into processes, identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and areas for optimization. By leveraging process mining tools, users can gain real-time insights, enabling them to streamline operations, improve compliance, and enhance overall efficiency. mindzieStudio empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions, optimize processes for maximum productivity, reduce operational costs, accelerate process execution, and ensure a seamless, standardized workflow across their enterprise.

Key Benefits

• Improve Process Times - Optimize workflows for faster execution
• Reduce Waste - Identify and eliminate inefficiencies
• Monitor and Ensure Compliance - Maintain regulatory standards

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Installation Type

This guide covers both online and offline installations. Choose based on your environment:

Installation Type	When to Use
Online	Server has internet connectivity
Offline	Server has no internet access (air-gapped)

For offline installations, all required files must be downloaded on a machine with internet access and transferred to the target server.

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Pre-Installation Checklist

Complete all items below BEFORE your scheduled installation. Print this page and check off each item.

SSL Certificate

• SSL certificate obtained from IT/Security department
• Certificate file(s) ready for import into IIS
• Certificate matches the planned domain name

DNS Configuration

• DNS entry created (e.g., mindzie.[yourcompany].com)
• DNS record points to the VM's IP address
• DNS propagation verified (can resolve the hostname)

SQL Server (Choose One)

Option A: Use Existing SQL Server

• SQL Server instance identified and accessible from the VM
• Database administrator available who can:
  • Create a new database called "mindzie"
  • Create appropriate login with db_owner permissions (see Authentication Mode below)
  • Provide connection credentials
• Authentication mode determined (see next section)

Option B: Install SQL Server Express on the VM

• SQL Server Express installer available (download if online, or transfer if offline)
• IT person available to install SQL Server Express
• Understood: SQL Express is free but lacks enterprise features (backup, mirroring)
• See Install SQL Server Express guide

SQL Server Authentication Mode

Choose one of the following authentication modes:

Mode	Requirements	Best For
Mixed Mode (SQL Server + Windows Auth)	SQL login with username/password	Recommended. Simpler setup - the Windows Service and the IIS application pool can stay on the default Local System account
Windows Authentication Only	A Windows service account with SQL permissions, used by both the Windows Service and the IIS application pool	Environments whose security policy does not permit SQL logins

For Mixed Mode:

• SQL Server has Mixed Mode authentication enabled
• SQL login credentials will be created (username/password)

For Windows Authentication Only:

• Windows service account identified or will be created
• Service account will have db_owner access to mindzie database
• Permission to configure both the Windows service and the IIS application pool to run under this account
• Service account will be granted read/write access to the IIS website, service, and storage directories (see Step 4)

Virtual Machine

• Windows Server 2019 or later provisioned
• Meets minimum specs: 4+ cores, 8GB+ RAM, 100GB+ storage (see Technical Requirements)
• Administrator with full access available for:
  • Installing software
  • Configuring IIS
  • Managing Windows services
• Internet connectivity available (for online installation only)

Additional Items

• mindzieStudio license key received from mindzie
• Scheduled downtime window communicated to users (if applicable)

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Installation Steps

Step 1: SQL Server Configuration

Requirements:

1. Permission to create databases on your SQL server
2. SQL Server Management Studio (recommended)

Setup Process:

1. Launch SQL Server Management Studio
2. Create the mindzie database with the correct collation

Then choose based on your authentication mode:

If Using Mixed Mode (SQL Server Authentication)

3. Ensure SQL Server has Mixed Mode authentication enabled
4. Create a SQL login called "mindzie"
5. Grant the "mindzie" login db_owner access to the "mindzie" database

If Using Windows Authentication Only

3. Identify or create a Windows service account (e.g., DOMAIN\mindzieService)
4. In SQL Server, create a login for this Windows account
5. Grant the Windows login db_owner access to the "mindzie" database
6. Note: In Step 4 you will configure both the mindzieStudio Windows Service and the IIS application pool to run under this account

Step 2: Internet Information Services (IIS)

Configuration:

1. Make sure the server has IIS enabled prior to installing .NET
2. If you already installed .NET then please repair the .NET install
3. Add "WebSocket Protocol" under Web Server -> Application Development

Note: Ensure IIS is properly configured before proceeding to the next step.

Step 2a: Remove WebDAV

WebDAV must be removed from the server. This feature intercepts HTTP requests (PUT, DELETE, MOVE) before they reach mindzieStudio, causing API failures.

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

Remove-WindowsFeature Web-DAV-Publishing

A server restart may be required. See Disable WebDAV for full details.

Step 3: .NET Runtime Installation

Step 4: Install mindzieStudio

License Configuration (All Installations)

1. After installation, run the EnterpriseConfiguration app
2. Paste your license into the text box and click "Activate New License"

Database Configuration

1. Click the "Database Settings" button
2. Click "Change SQL Server"
3. Configure based on your authentication mode:

If Using Mixed Mode (SQL Server Authentication):

• Ensure the correct SQL Server name is entered
• Set Authentication to "SQL Server Authentication"
• Enter the SQL username and password
• Click "Update Database"

If Using Windows Authentication Only:

• Ensure the correct SQL Server name is entered
• Set Authentication to "Windows Authentication"
• Click "Update Database"
• Then change both service accounts as described below

To change both accounts:

1. In the Enterprise Configuration tool, find the Service / IIS Status section and click Settings...
2. The dialog contains two independent sections, each with its own Change Account... button - one headed Windows Service: mindzieStudioService, the other IIS Application Pool: mindzieStudioAppPool. Both must be set to the same Windows service account.
3. For each section in turn, click Change Account..., choose Custom Account (recommended for Windows Auth), enter the account name and password, and click OK.
4. Confirm the Account field in both sections now shows your service account. If either still reads LocalSystem, NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM, or ApplicationPoolIdentity, it has not been changed.

You can also set the Windows Service account from Windows Services (services.msc) -> right-click mindzieStudioService -> Properties -> Log On tab. There is no equivalent in services.msc for the application pool - change it in the Configuration tool, or in IIS Manager -> Application Pools -> mindzieStudioAppPool -> Advanced Settings -> Identity.

Permissions the service account needs:

Requirement	Where it is granted
SQL login with db_owner on the mindzie database	SQL Server (Step 1)
Read/write access to the IIS website directory	Windows folder permissions
Read/write access to the service directory	Windows folder permissions
Read/write access to the storage directory	Windows folder permissions

Use an account with a stable password, or establish a procedure for updating the Windows Service and application pool credentials whenever the password changes - the site stops working once the stored password is out of date.

Verify the Database Configuration

Confirm the installation actually works before handing the server over:

1. The Windows Service reaches "Running". In the Settings dialog, or in services.msc, the status of mindzieStudioService must read Running. A status stuck at StartPending, or one that returns to Stopped shortly after starting, means the account cannot open the database.
2. The application pool is Started, and its Account shows your service account.
3. The site loads. Browse to the mindzieStudio URL and sign in. A start-up database failure produces an error page instead of the sign-in screen.

Step 4a: Install Python (Optional)

If you plan to use Python enrichments or Python Script actions, install Python now.

See Install Python for detailed installation instructions.

Step 5: Configure SSL in IIS

SSL Configuration:

1. Configure SSL Certificate in Internet Information Services (IIS)
2. Add https binding using the SSL certificate from step 1
3. This should not be localhost for production installations

Recommended DNS:

• mindziestudio.[companyname].com

Important Notes:

• SSL configuration is required for production environments
• Ensure proper certificate management for security

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Updates

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Additional Configuration

Upgrades

When upgrading your Enterprise server, note that you will need to re-add your certificate to the website in IIS.

Licensing Updates

If you have upgraded your license, you will need to take the following steps for it to take effect:

1. Run the Enterprise Configuration tool and click refresh license
2. Restart the mindzie website in IIS

LLM AI Integration

To utilize an on-premise LLM for mindzie's AI copilot and other features, please contact support@mindzie.com for details.

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Troubleshooting

"Cannot open database mindzie requested by the login. Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM'"

Symptom: The installation completed and the licence is valid, but the site fails at start-up with an error similar to:

SqlException 4060: Cannot open database "mindzie" requested by the login.
Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM'.

Cause: You chose Windows Authentication, but the mindzieStudio Windows Service and/or the IIS application pool are still running as Local System. NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM is the Local System account, and it has no login on your SQL Server. The database itself is fine - the application simply has no identity permitted to open it. This most often happens when only the Windows Service account was changed and the mindzieStudioAppPool application pool was left on its default.

Fix:

1. Open the Enterprise Configuration tool -> Service / IIS Status -> Settings...
2. Read the Account shown in both sections. Any value of LocalSystem, NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM, or ApplicationPoolIdentity is the problem.
3. Use Change Account... in each section to set your Windows service account. Both must be changed - see Step 4, Database Configuration.
4. Confirm the account has a SQL login with db_owner on the mindzie database (Step 1).
5. Grant the account read/write access to the IIS website, service, and storage directories - the Configuration tool lists these paths but does not set the permissions.
6. Restart the Windows Service and recycle the application pool, then reload the site.

If the error names your service account (for example Login failed for user 'DOMAIN\mindzieService'), the identity change worked, but that account has no db_owner rights on the mindzie database. Correct it in SQL Server as described in Step 1.

Service Will Not Start After Configuration

If mindzieStudioService stays at StartPending or stops again immediately, the service account almost always cannot reach the database. Work through the steps above, and remember that a successful Check in the database dialog only validates the connection to the SQL Server - not access to the mindzie database, and not from the service account.

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Support

Need help with your installation? Contact us:

Email: support@mindzie.com

Our support team is here to help with any installation or configuration questions.

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For technical specifications and requirements, see the Technical Requirements page.