RMS for Windows Hardware Requirements

 

It is strongly recommended that you seek advice from a qualified technician before purchasing any computer system.

RMS provides this document as a guide ONLY. Please feel free to discuss you individual needs with our sales/support team.

These requirements are current as of April 2009 and relate to those customers who may be purchasing new computers or performing upgrades to facilitate the use of RMS Version 8.

 

There are two methods of installing/using RMS

 

1. RMS Hosted - whereby the RMS application is hosted on our own servers.

    This option has many advantages:

  •     RMS is not installed on your own computers so there is often no need to upgrade existing computers

  •     Full advantage can be taken of our servers speed and capacity to run quickly and efficiently without requiring a fast server at your property

  •     We effectively manage your RMS solution, ensuring maximum uptime and data reliability

  •     Add new users with a simple phone call - all licensing is taken care of automatically

  •     Access RMS remotely from any location in the world just as if you are using at your own desk

  •     No more backups - we do your RMS backup for you, ensuring that your data is safe and secure

  •     Extremely cost effective; no more costly hardware upgrades

 

RMS Hosted will operate on any PC with broadband cable or DSL internet access (satellite or dial-up connections are not supported) running Windows 98/2000/XP/VISTA/7 or OSX and has no specific hardware requirements.

 

For more information about RMS Hosted please contact RMS sales in your country using the details found here.

The information below is not relevant for the RMS Hosted solution

 

2. RMS Non Hosted - whereby RMS is installed onto your own infrastructure

 

How many computers do you need to run RMS on?

1 computer - see sections (a) and (b) below

2 - 10 computers - see sections (c), (d) and (e) below

You can also host RMS on your own Terminal Server/Citrix/2X Host - see section (f) and (g) below

 

(a) Single Computer (minimum requirement)

 

Please note. These hardware specifications are the minimum required to run RMS.

RMS will not run to the speed that it was designed. You may find it necessary to upgrade this computer in a shorter period of time.

 

Pentium 4 or equivalent CPU

1GB RAM

10GB Hard Disk Drive (or sufficient size to accommodate the RMS program 140Mb and your database 50Mb with room to spare)

7 USB Keys (256MB or greater) or CD Burner with Blank CD's for RMS backups

CD Rom Drive

Video Card capable of running in 1024x768 resolution

15 inch monitor, although 17inch is better as RMS runs in 1024x768 resolution

Windows XP, Vista or 7 (Windows 95/98/ME/2000 or NT not supported)

56 K BPS Modem or Broadband

Access to Internet for Browsing and Email (used for software updates and support)

 

(b) Single Computer (recommended requirement)

 

Intel  Core2Duo, 2Ghz or faster CPU or equivalent

3 GB RAM

10Gb Hard Disk Drive, CD-Rom (RMS Program files require approx 130Mb, Database requires between 50Mb and 1Gb)

7 USB Keys (256MB or greater) or CD Burner with Blank CD's for RMS backups

CD Rom Drive

PCI/AGP, 2Mb Video Card

17 Inch Monitor (RMS requires 1024x768 resolution)

Mouse/Keyboard

Windows XP, Vista or 7 (Windows 95/98/ME/2000 or NT not supported)

56 K BPS Modem or Broadband

Access to Internet for Browsing and Email (used for software updates and support)

It is strongly recommended that you invest in a UPS device to assist in the event of power failure.

Please discuss this with your hardware supplier.

 

(c) Server Computer (Network - up to 5 computers)

 

Intel  Core2Quad, 2.4Ghz or faster CPU or equivalent

4 Gb RAM

7 USB Keys (256MB or greater) or CD Burner with Blank CD's for RMS backups

CD-Rom Drive

80GB 7200 RPM Hard Disk Drive  (RMS Program files require approx 130Mb, Database requires between 50Mb and 1Gb)

PCI/AGP 2Mb Video Card

17 Inch Monitor (RMS requires 1024x768 resolution)

Mouse/Keyboard

Windows 2003/2008 Server, Windows XP SP2, Vista or 7 (Windows 95/98/ME/2000 or NT not supported)

100Mbit network Card

56 K BPS Modem or Broadband

Access to Internet for Browsing/Email  (for software updates and real time support)

It is strongly recommended that you invest in a UPS device to assist in the event of power failure.

Please discuss this with your hardware supplier.

 

(d) Server Computer (LAN Network - up to 5-10 computers)

 

Dual Intel Xeon (Dual Core 2.1Ghz) or faster CPU or equivalent

4 Gb RAM

7 USB Keys (256MB or greater) or CD Burner with Blank CD's for RMS backups

CD-Rom Drive

80GB 7200 RPM Hard Disk Drive  (RMS Program files require approx 130Mb, Database requires between 50Mb and 1Gb)

PCI/AGP 2Mb Video Card

17 Inch Monitor (RMS requires 1024x768 resolution)

Mouse/Keyboard

Windows 2003/2008 Server

Microsoft SQL Server 2005/2008 Standard Edition

100Mbit network Card

56 K BPS Modem or Broadband

Access to Internet for Browsing/Email  (for software updates and real time support)

It is strongly recommended that you invest in a UPS device to assist in the event of power failure.

Please discuss this with your hardware supplier.

 

For installations for more that 5 computers it may be wise to consider using Thin Clients/Terminal Services/Citrix Metaframe.
Please feel free to contact us for advise.

 

(e) Terminals / Workstations (Suited to Servers above)

 

Intel  Core2Duo, 2Ghz or faster CPU or equivalent

1 GB RAM (Windows XP) / 2GB (Windows Vista or 7)

CD-Rom Drive

20Gb Hard Disk Drive (RMS Program files require approx 130Mb)

PCI/AGP 2Mb Video Card

17 Inch Monitor (RMS requires 1024x768 resolution)

Mouse/Keyboard

Windows XP, Vista or 7 (Windows 95/98/ME/2000 or NT not supported)

100Mbit network card

It is strongly recommended that you invest in a UPS device to assist in the event of power failure.

Please discuss this with your hardware supplier.

 

(f) Server Computer - Utilising Terminal Services/Citrix Metaframe

 

While it is not mandatory, in order to deliver a fast and reliable product it is possible to run RMS using Windows Terminal Services or Citrix Metaframe.

The benefits of operating in this environment include

  1. Increased performance due to less data activity over network
  2. Simplified software upgrade procedure (it is not necessary to apply an upgrade to each terminal, only the server)
  3. Lower total cost of ownership
  4. Database access limited to one computer (server) only
  5. No risk of network data damage or loss
  6. Terminals can be of very low hardware and software specification
  7. Ability to remote access system from off site locations while not interrupting normal operations (if desired)

 

The hardware requirements for a Terminal Server are increased exponentially depending on the number of workstations/concurrent connections

 

If you intend to deploy RMS to a large scale corporate environment of more that 10-15 workstations please contact RMS for advise.

 

The recommendations below are based on a system with 5-10 terminals.

 

Intel Xeon (Dual Core 2.1Ghz) or faster CPU or equivalent

Motherboard providing support for a second CPU, if required, to boost performance at a later date.

Motherboard should support ATA100/133 IDE devices (unless using raid)

4Gb RAM or more depending on specific requirements

CD-ROM Drive

500GB 7200RPM Hard Disk Drive (unless using raid - please seek technical advice), (RMS Program files require approx 130Mb, Database requires between 50Mb and 1Gb)

Standard Video Card

Standard Monitor (RMS requires 1024x768 resolution)

Standard Mouse/Keyboard

Windows 2003/2008 Server Edition with 6 User Licenses and 6 Terminal Services User Licences (extra licences would need to be purchased for additional terminals)

Microsoft SQL 2005/2008 Standard Edition

100Mbit network card (Intel Chipset Recommended)

UPS Power Backup and Filter system

Suitable backup system - RMS Recommends a Zip or CD Burner (the RMS backup is NOT compatible with Tape Drives)

 

Note.. Terminal services should be setup to be run in Application Mode and each workstation login MUST have its own username and password, thus creating a unique user profile on the server for each workstation/user.

 

Careful consultation with a qualified computer technician should be sought for all Terminal Server installations.

 

(g) Terminals Suited for Terminal Server

 

Any Pentium class computer running windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista/7, or any system capable of running Windows Terminal Client software

Reasonable amount of RAM

1.2 Gb Hard Disk Drive

Standard Video Card

17 inch Monitor

Standard Keyboard/Mouse

100Mbit Network Card (Intel Chipset Recommended)

 

Thin Clients may also be used

Linux/Mac OSX may also be used with either Microsoft Remote Desktop (or compatible)/Citrix or 2X clients (depending on your infrastructure)

 

Note. You will need to ensure that you have the required licences from Microsoft when using Windows Terminal Services.

Please consult a reputable advisor for full details.

 

  

Important Notes

  • RMS for Windows will NOT run on Windows 95, 98, ME, NT or 2000 - RMS is not supported on these platforms.
  • For systems operating on a Network, please consult your network administrator for their recommendations regarding the network setup and hardware supply.
  • The Microsoft .NET framework version 1.1, 2.0 and 3.5 MUST be installed from Windows Update prior to RMS installation
  • Before RMS can be installed it is necessary to have any network installed and operational
  • In ALL cases you must have access to the Internet for Email and Browsing purposes. This will allow you to receive updates of software and allows us to offer a more efficient support package
  • RMS Recommends HP, Brother or Canon Laser or Inkjet printers as these have been tested with RMS - We do not guarantee other brands. RMS does not support multi-bin or Multi Function printers. Specifically, RMS does not recommend Kyocera and Lexmark printers.
  • If you intend to use either the PABX or Boom Gate interface it is imperative to use the Optimum Hardware Requirements. You may also require extra serial ports to be installed depending on how many devices are required, i.e. 1 port for Modem, 1 port for each Boom Gate & 1 port for PABX
  • RMS has its own backup program built in to the system. We do not encourage the use of 3rd party backup programs or devices such as Tape or DAT drives, as these are not compatible with RMS, however if you must use a third party backup solution you will need to ensure that it is SQL database compliant

    • RMS uses an SQL database and as such requires an SQL server to be installed. By default RMS comes with a free version of SQL that will allow the operation of a reasonably sized property using a small number of workstations (1-5). For large properties, or for those with more than 5 workstations the full SQL product should be purchased.

  • RMS is currently compatible with the following SQL versions - SQL 2005/2008 (Full Version) or SQL Express 2005/2008 (RMS packaged version only)

  • Regardless of version, SQL has reasonably high memory requirements - please adhere to the RAM specifications.

  • RMS does not provide support for configuring or installing SQL on Windows SBS (Small Business Server) computers. It is recommended that you use Windows Server 2003/2008 Standard or higher as the operating system for your RMS SQL server unless your technicians are fully comfortable with managing SQL in an SBS environment.

  • If you are unsure of your current system specifications and would like a piece of software to do it for you RMS recommends the following free software http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

  • CA Antivirus, Resident Shield and Parental Controls have known issues with SQL Server 2005/2008. RMS does not support Servers with CA installed.

 

ALL points outlined above must be read and actioned carefully, if you have any queries or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the RMS Support Desk.