Introduction

This guide will walk you through preparing a Microsoft Windows Server 2022 server for installing Cerb, including IIS, PHP, and MySQL.

• Provision a Microsoft Windows Server 2022 server
• Connect to your server
• Install IIS
• Install PHP with Web Platform Installer
  • Install PHP
  • Install Git
• Install the PHP mailparse extension
• Install the YAML extension
• Install MySQL
  • Create a database and user
• Configure PHP
• Download Cerb from Git Shell
• Permissions
• Run the Cerb installer
• Next Steps

Provision a Microsoft Windows Server 2022 server

If you don’t already have a server, you can create an EC2 instance in Amazon Web Services.

This guide uses the following Amazon Machine Image (AMI):

Windows_Server-2022-English-Full-Base-2022.07.13 (ami-0648d932874575779)

Connect to your server

Connect to your server using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).

If you’re using AWS, go to the EC2 console, Instances, select your instance, and choose Security » Get Windows Password from the instances menu.

Install IIS

1. Start » Server Manager

2. Add roles and features

3. Role-based or feature-based installation

4. Web Server (IIS)

5. Include Application Development » CGI

Install PHP with Web Platform Installer

1. Navigate to: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/iis/install/web-platform-installer/web-platform-installer-direct-downloads

2. Download and install WebPI 5.1 x64

Install PHP

1. Start » Microsoft Web Platform Installer

2. Search » PHP 8.0.0 (x64) » Add

3. Click the Install button.

Install Git

1. Start » Microsoft Web Platform Installer

2. Search » Git for Windows

3. Click the Install button.

Install the PHP mailparse extension

https://windows.php.net/downloads/pecl/releases/mailparse/3.1.3/php_mailparse-3.1.3-8.0-nts-vs16-x64.zip

Copy php_mailparse.dll to C:\Program Files\PHP\v8.0\ext\

Install the YAML extension

https://windows.php.net/downloads/pecl/releases/yaml/2.2.2/php_yaml-2.2.2-8.0-nts-vs16-x64.zip

Copy php_yaml.dll to C:\Program Files\PHP\v8.0\ext\

Install MySQL

(Windows Platform Installer / Server Manager)

https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/installer/

Download MySQL 8.0.29+.

Install MySQL Server.

Server Configuration: Server Computer

Use Legacy Authentication Method (MySQL 5.x compatible)

Set a MySQL root password.

Create a database and user

Start » MySQL 8.0 Command Line Client

Enter your root password.

CREATE DATABASE cerb CHARACTER SET utf8;

CREATE USER cerb@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 's3cr3t';

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON cerb.* TO cerb@localhost;

QUIT;

Configure PHP

Edit C:\Program Files\PHP\v8.0\php.ini

extension=php_curl.dll
extension=php_gd.dll
extension=php_mbstring.dll
extension=php_mysqli.dll
extension=php_openssl.dll
extension=php_mailparse.dll
extension=php_tidy.dll
extension=php_yaml.dll

Start » Command Prompt

iisreset /restart

exit

Download Cerb from Git Shell

Start » Git Bash

cd /c/inetpub/wwwroot/

git clone https://github.com/cerb/cerb-release.git cerb

cd cerb

Permissions

Start » File Explorer

Navigate to C:\inetpub\www\root\cerb\storage\

Properties » Security

IUSR » Full Control » Recursively

Run the Cerb installer

Type the hostname of your server (e.g. http://localhost/cerb/) into a browser and follow the guided installer.

Next Steps

Set up Friendly URLs.

Read the Security Best Practices.