Extensis Portfolio Server 9 for Microsoft Windows
Version 9.0
Release Notes
June 2009

Thank you for purchasing Extensis Portfolio Server! Portfolio Server makes it easy to organize your files into catalogs that are available across your entire workgroup.
Extensis Portfolio Server
Installation
System Requirements

These are the minimum system requirements, and are designed for a small creative workgroup with modest sized files. Your implementation may require a more powerful system.

Portfolio Server Windows

  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 or Server 2008 SP2 (32 & 64-bit***)
  • 1.6 GHz server-class processor or faster**
  • 1 GB available system memory
  • 500 MB of free hard disk space
  • 100 megabit or faster network connection
  • Appropriate storage, backup, power management and network bandwidth
  • 1024 x 768 or larger display*
  • Internet Explorer 7.0 or Firefox 3.0 or higher*
  • Adobe Reader 8 or higher to read PDF documentation
  • Apple QuickTime v7 or higher
  • OpenOffice.org 3.1 or higher to allow text indexes and thumbnail creation for Office file types.

* Required on the machine that is used to administer the server through the web interface. May be administered remotely.

** While lower-grade processors are supported, it is not recommended for installations serving catalogs with a large number of assets (and AutoSync folders) or supporting more than 5 concurrent client connections. For optimal performance, choose a processor capable of supporting Java 6. See the following site for more information:

Java SE 6 release notes and supported configurations: http://java.sun.com/javase/6/webnotes/install/system-configurations.html

*** 32-bit emulated mode only, under Windows Server 2008 64-bit Edition.

SQL Connect Windows

Minimum Hardware Requirements

  • 2 GHz Server-class processor or faster
  • 1 GB available system memory
  • 1 GB available of initial hard drive space for each catalog

Recommended Hardware Requirements

  • CPU: 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent
  • RAM: 2 GB

For cross-platform environments, Extensis recommends that Services for Macintosh (SFM) be installed.

MySQL Requirements

  • MySQL Database v5.1.30
  • 1 GB available hard drive space for each catalog database, initially
  • 1 GB available system memory
  • 2 GHz or faster processor(s)
  • MySQL Connector/ODBC v3.51.27

Microsoft SQL Server Requirements

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SP3, 2008 SP1
  • Microsoft SQL Server ODBC Driver v9.0.3068
  • 2 GHz or faster processor(s)
  • 1 GB available system memory
  • 1 GB available hard drive space for each catalog database, initially

Oracle Database Requirements

  • Oracle Database 10gR2 with Oracle Instant Client 10.2.0.3
  • Oracle ODBC Driver for Windows v10.02.00.01

NOTE: Newer database engines and ODBC drivers may function properly, but have not been verified. Use alternate or newer database engines and ODBC drivers at your own risk.

Other Recommendations

  • For SQL Connect implementations, Extensis recommends installing the SQL database server on a separate system, to take advantage of dedicated system resources. When the SQL database server is installed on the same machine as the Portfolio Server, consider adding additional system memory (RAM), processor and faster hard disks.
  • Increase memory and adjust database settings for the configured SQL database server to improve performance.
  • Use the backup management provided by your SQL database server.
  • While lower-grade processors are supported, it is not recommended for installations serving catalogs with a large number of assets (and AutoSync folders) or supporting more than 5 concurrent client connections.
  • SQL Connect catalogs vary in size, depending on the options configured by your SQL database server. Choose a server with adequate disk space for your implementation. Monitor and optimize your server and databases regularly, as this data will grow with the number of asset records.
Installing Portfolio Server

To install Portfolio Server, double click the installer icon and allow the installer to guide you. For complete installation and setup details, see the Portfolio Administration Guide.

Installing Portfolio SQL Connect

Portfolio SQL Connect is automatically installed by the Portfolio Server Installer. Please see the Portfolio Administration Guide for configuration details.

Installed Files 

Files are installed to the directory chosen during installation. The default install location is:
  Windows - <system disk>:\Program Files\Extensis\Portfolio Server 9
Previous Versions

It is recommended that you uninstall any earlier version of Portfolio Server before installing Portfolio Server 9.
What's new in Portfolio Server 9

Portfolio Server Portfolio Server 9 is built on a Java-based J2EE server platform that provides increased stability as well as centralized catalog and user management. Portfolio Server features server-side media-processing built on Equilibrium's MediaRich Server platform. This offers consistency and improved performance in demanding workflows.

Portfolio Server hosts and provides administration for the Portfolio Web Client. Administrators can centrally configure the Web Client experience for users, including view and search settings, as well as access to functions like download and file-conversion.

The Portfolio Server Admin web application offers remote access for the most common server-administration tasks:

  • Server Management: Log-in remotely to check status and even stop/start your server for hardware or system maintenance.

  • Catalog Management: Create, delete, configure settings and manage the online status of all of your catalogs, in one place.

  • User Management: Manage all of your users in a central location, change their Access Level and "grant membership" to catalogs in batch.

  • Server Settings: Administer ports, view log information and monitor user connections to catalogs.

  • Configurable Access Levels: Access is easy to configure, on the server, allowing administrators to prevent access to high-level tasks, even access to originals.

Other features of Portfolio Server 9.0 include:

  • Support for Windows Server 2008.

  • Optional SSL (HTTPS) offering encryption for Web Client users.

  • Improved support for Digital Camera RAW files. (Visit the Extensis website for the latest supported formats.)

  • Improved Microsoft Office support, including new support for Microsoft Office Open XML formats.

  • Improved logging, offering insight into Portfolio Server, AutoSync and Media Engine operations. Change user access and passwords for all catalogs, without use of the Desktop Client.

  • Centralized management of QuickFind settings for Web Client users.

  • Improved installation on Windows, including service account configuration.

What's new in Portfolio SQL Connect 9?

The optional Portfolio SQL Connect add-on module now supports the following database servers:

  • MySQL 5.1* (Mac and Windows)
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and 2008 (Windows)
  • Oracle 10gR2 (Windows)
Known issues

The following issues are known, but have not yet been addressed in this version of Portfolio. The list is intended to cite the most serious problems known. It is not an exhaustive list of all known problems.

For the most up-to-date information about Portfolio support, please see the following page on the Extensis website:

http://www.extensis.com/en/support/psknown


ID Description
A Portfolio Server 9.0 includes a new server-based, central Media Engine for media processing and cataloging. This means that some file types may produce different results when cataloged, including (for some legacy filetypes) no thumbnail or preview. Please check the Extensis website for the latest information on file format support.
B As all cataloging and metadata operations are handled server-side, Portfolio Server is required to have access to original files to perform these operations.
C Portfolio Server and Client 9.0 is the a true client/server version of the product. Accordingly, many operations which could be done as a single-user version of the application are no longer possible. These include such operations and features as Background Cataloging, the ability for clients to open or create non-served catalogs, ability to publish non-served catalogs to NetPublish and certain user preferences, like QuickFind. The product also includes a full-featured Web Administration interface, so many common administration tasks can no longer be performed by clients. Please review the product documentation for additional information.
D Level-based user access is no longer supported. Portfolio Clients and NetPublish sites are required to use a catalog-member accounts on Portfolio Server.
E Project Sync for Adobe Version Cue CS3, originally introduced with Portfolio Server 8.5, is not included in this release. If you have questions about this module, please contact your Corporate Sales Representative.

Contacting Extensis
To reach us for technical support or general questions please use the following method:
Web/email:  http://www.extensis.com/support/

If you have an annual service agreement, you are entitled to priority support. Please use the contact information on your service agreement.

For customer service please use one of the following methods:
Web/email: http://www.extensis.com/customerservice/
Phone:(800)796-9798

 © 2009 Extensis, a division of Celartem, Inc. This document and the software described in it are copyrighted with all rights reserved.

06/16/2009 JK