System Requirements
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Technical Specifications & User Requirements
HSPnet is a web-enabled system for coordination of student placements in all health sciences disciplines across a practice education. As a web-enabled application, introducing HSPnet in an organization has negligible IT impact. User support is provided by the HSPnet Help Desk and system requirements are limited to access to a web-browser, Adobe Reader, and an email account.
This document provides information on system requirements to support organizations in assessing the system requirements for user access to HSPnet.
System Specifications and User Requirements
| Component | User System Requirements & Setup |
|---|---|
| Client Interface HTML pages with significant use of JavaScript, DHTML and CSS. SSL encryption (128-bit) is used on all pages and transmissions. The application is designed for use within IE 8 or higher or equivalent browser. | Internet Explorer version 8 or higher is recommended, with the following settings: Enable JavaScript Enable Session cookies (To maintain a high level of security on HSPnet screens) - see Note [1] Set Popup blocker (Windows XP SP2 )to "Medium" or HSPnet should be added to the "allowed" sites list - see Note [2] |
| Email Interface - HSPnet permits users to generate context-appropriate email through "mailto" links embedded throughout the application; no email automation (scripting) is performed. | Local email client such as Outlook or Gmail Internet Explorer must be set to use the correct email client under Tools / Internet Options / Programs. |
| Web Server - Windows 2008 Server running IIS version 6. Most application pages are written in ASP.Net (C#) and communicate with the database via ADO.Net. Some page generation is via ASP pages which use a COM DLL written in Visual Basic 6.0. The COM DLL communicates with the database using ADO. | |
| Database Server - Windows 2008 Server running SQL Server 2008. All database operations are performed using SQL Server stored procedures. | |
| Print Server - Windows 2008 Server running IIS version 6 | |
| Reporting - Uses Crystal Reports 9 and PDFPrepTool 2.35. Crystal Reports runs on the Print Server, communicating with the database using ADO. Reports are scheduled and run periodically using a scheduled EXE application, using Crystal Reports to generate a PDF file. Reports can be batched, resulting in several PDF files being combined in a single file. | Adobe Reader with the following settings: Allow sending PDF files as an email attachment May require adjustment to allow PDF files to be viewed within the browser |
Support for Other Browsers
HSPnet has been developed for use in industry-standard browsers such as Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Safari. The system is tested extensively in IE and Chrome, but is not designed for or tested on mobile devices.
Weekly Maintenance Schedule
- 1600 to 1700 hours each Friday (Pacific time), later in other provinces – approx. 10 minutes/server
- 0900 to 1100 each Sunday (Pacific time) for server utilities
NOTES:
[1] To maintain a high level of security on HSPnet screens, each user�s web browser must be setup to accept a browser �cookie� to secure their session.
[2] HSPnet will occasionally popup a secondary window, at the request of the user only (never automatically).
Last updated: July 24, 2015