Supported Environments for Chronicle

This document explains the supported environments and technical specifications for a Chronicle Server, QuickBooks Integration server, and user workstation. Following these specifications give you a good experience with Chronicle and QuickBooks Integration. 

That being said, your legacy Chronicle environment may still run and not be causing you any problems. If problems arise with your legacy hardware, it is likely you will need to upgrade to one of our recommended configurations.

1. Supported Chronicle Server Environment
   The Chronicle server constantly passes information to and from every computer where Chronicle is used, and getting the best performance is worth every dollar you invest. The right server and network infrastructure makes the difference between Chronicle being efficient and responsive instead of overwhelmed and sluggish. We support two configurations:
   
   1. Hosted Chronicle Server. We provide a hosted Chronicle server in Amazon's cloud environment. We strongly recommend the hosted server for most customers upgrading their server or first starting with Chronicle. Hosted servers run just like physical servers: they have multiple drives, nightly backups, offsite backups, and antivirus software. Customers realize a cost savings on maintenance and the expenses of caring for a physical server, and this has proved to be very stable and secure. If you have adequate bandwidth (we recommend a minimum of 150k dedicated for every user), this is likely the best option.
   2. Physical Chronicle Server. If you have more than 40 users, or if you don't have reliable and abundant internet bandwidth (again, we recommend a minimum of 150k dedicated for every user), then a physical server may be the better way to go.  Minimum specs for the server (2-5 users) are:
      
      • Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard or later. Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard is recommended.
      • 2.2 GHz Dual Core processor, Intel only
      • 4GB RAM
      • Hard drive configuration should be a physical drive for Chronicle backups, and a hardware based RAID 1 array for the Chronicle environment and data storage
      • UPS for surge protection and graceful shutdown in the event of a power failure
      • Microsoft Security Essentials for antivirus protection
      • LogMeIn for remote access (provided by Chronicle)
      • This is a dedicated environment – no other software should be installed on the Chronicle server
      There are very specific set-up and maintenance requirements for a physical server environment; choosing the right hardware is critical. For a more detailed understanding of what the Chronicle physical server environment should be, please click here. (You don't need to worry about any of this if we are hosting Chronicle for you.)
      We offer limited support for Chronicle when used in virtual environments. Virtualization requires a high level of expertise; if it’s not set up and managed properly, it may substantially slow down Chronicle’s responsiveness. If you are interested in virtualization or want to eliminate a physical server, your implementation coordinator or Chronicle support can provide a Limited Support Waiver for Virtual Server Environments.
      
2. Supported QuickBooks Environments
   Supported Environments
   We currently support three different QuickBooks environments:
   

   1. A hosted QuickBooks server    We strongly recommend this solution for most customers. Our trusted vendor, Pro River Technologies, provides a hosted solution we have confidence in. Please go here for more information: http://www.gochronicle.com/quickbooks-hosting-made-easy-for-chronicle-users/
      

   2. A dedicated physical server    We support QuickBooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and Enterprise 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14 for US and Canadian customers. QuickBooks 2012 and Enterprise 12.0 are supported on Release 14 (R14), QuickBooks 2013 and Enterprise 13.0 are supported on Release 8 (R8), while QuickBooks 2014 and Enterprise 14.0 are supported on Release 4 (R3). Minimum specs for the server (2-5 users) are:
      
      • Windows Server 2008 R2 or Server 2012 (for QuickBooks 2014/14.0 only)
      • 2 GHz Dual Core processor
      • 6 GB RAM
      • Hardware RAID 1 is strongly recommended for hard drive configuration
      • UPS for surge protection and graceful shutdown in the event of a power failure
      • Microsoft Security Essentials for antivirus protection
      • LogMeIn for remote access (provided by Chronicle)
      • This is a dedicated environment –  no other software should be installed on the QuickBooks server
      For a more detailed understanding of what the QuickBooks server environment should be, please click here.
   Why we specify a dedicated server environment for QuickBooks
   We are often asked why a dedicated QuickBooks server is necessary to connect QuickBooks to Chronicle. Intuit provides software that lets third-party programs (like Chronicle) read and write to the QuickBooks file; this is the only way to talk with QuickBooks. We use that connector to share information between QuickBooks and Chronicle. Intuit's connector is both resource hungry and intolerant of any other applications or processes. If it doesn't have enough processor or memory resources, as is the case when other applications are running, the connector's most common response is to just end the connection, which causes the integration to fail. From the user's perspective it feels and looks like a Chronicle problem; all the user knows is that financial data isn't showing up in Chronicle, but it's almost always an issue with Intuit's connector.
   Since the connector is delicate by nature, the best way to ensure a reliable QuickBooks Integration is to require a dedicated environment so no other program or process can use resources or interfere. Other than the operating system, antivirus software, LogMeIn, and scheduled backup software, the QuickBooks server should never have any other software installed. It should never run terminal services or be set up as a network server or domain controller.
3. Supported Chronicle Workstation Environments
   Hardware Requirements
   
   • Dual Core, 2.0+ GHz processor
   • 2 GB RAM (4+GB Recommended)
   • 1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor (dual monitors recommended)
   • We don't support Terminal Services, Citrix XenApp, and other terminal type platforms, but some customers with IT expertise have had success with this.
   Software Requirements
   
   • We strongly recommend Windows 7 and Windows 8 Professional 64-bit editions as the workstation OS. We do not support Windows XP or Vista, nor any home edition OS that is networked. Home OS’s such as Windows Home Premium work if they are not connected to a network.
   • Microsoft Office 2007, 2010, or 2013 (x86 only). Office Starter & viewing applications are not supported.
   • Adobe Reader X or later
   • Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable Package (x86)
   • Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0 & 4.0
   Configuration Requirements
   
   • Must have administrator user rights on the local machine
   • UAC Disabled (Windows 7 and 8 Only)