Technical Requirements for the Self-Hosting Deployment

On this page you can find the recommendations on the software and hardware specifications in order to seamlessly use the FORM's Data Collection Platform for your business needs.

System Software Requirements

The FORM Data Collection Platform can be deployed on a single server with minimum requirements including an operating system with the Java runtime, an application server, and the database server installed on it.

For security and performance reasons, we recommend using a web server that would route the traffic to the application.

Some of the application functions require SMTP servers to distribute emails, resolve domain names, validate email addresses, etc.

Although all of the system components may be installed on a single physical server, it is highly recommended to have both the database server and the web server (if used) deployed on some separate physical hardware.

Minimum Hardware Requirements

The choice of the hardware required to run the FORM Data Collection Platform largely depends on the anticipated amount of system activity (e.g. number of respondents, forms, reports, and forms/reports complexity), as well as, the maximum number of concurrent requests that the system may experience during the peak hours.

The hardware requirements outlined below correspond to the minimal hardware setup required to get the system running while collecting a few thousand form submissions daily.

If firewalls or any other software or hardware is installed to prevent the Platform from being able to communicate with the required services (such as databases, NS servers, SMTP servers, etc.) or from being accessed by users, such hardware and software should be configured before the installation.

If the web server is being used, communication between the application and the web servers should be allowed as well.

The detailed requirements will be provided in the installation instructions shipped with the installation package. Please read these instructions carefully before rolling out the application.

Standard Installation Packages

Typically, FORM delivers its self-hosted solutions as a custom package, with the software configuration and the installation instructions provided according to the unique environment configuration that customers may have.

However, delivering such a custom deployment package may take some time needed to put together the package and compile the proper installation instructions.

The FORM’s Data Collection platform is also available in pre-configured installation packages, which are readily available for certain environment configurations. They can be delivered much faster than a custom package build. 

The FORM’s Data Collection Platform installation packages are currently available for the following configurations and platforms:

Packages include application binaries, configuration templates, database data structures, initial installation data, instructions, and the manual for the installation. All files are compressed and available for downloading per request.

For all other systems configurations, FORM will provide a custom deployment package, with optimized configuration settings and detailed installation instructions.