Prerequisites and Installation

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8

If the component is not already installed on the machine, you can download it here: Download .NET Framework 4.8

If this component is not installed before launching the installation program, an error message will appear.

Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2015-2022 (x86)

This component is necessary only for the BACnet connector. If you use this connector and the component is not already installed, you can download it here:

Download Visual C++ Redistributable

It can be installed after AREE.

Web Server

By default, AREE uses the integrated Windows web server: Internet Information Services (IIS). It is recommended to enable this feature before launching the AREE installation to allow the creation of the corresponding virtual directory.

To enable IIS:

• Windows 7/8/10/11: Open “Turn Windows features on or off” and check “Internet Information Services” (IIS). If IIS is enabled after AREE installation, you must either reinstall AREE to create the “Innergy” virtual directory in IIS, or create this virtual directory yourself in the IIS management console, pointing to “C:\Program Files (x86)\Inneasoft\Innergy\wwwroot”.

• Windows Server: In the server manager, add the role “Web Server (IIS)”.

If you enable IIS after installing AREE, simply create a virtual directory pointing to the AREE wwwroot directory (by default “C:\Program Files (x86)\Inneasoft\Innergy\wwwroot”). For the shortcut to the web interface created by the setup to work, name the virtual directory “Innergy” (the old name of AREE), otherwise, you can name it as you like.

Database

AREE stores its data in a standard database that can be either Microsoft SQL Server/Microsoft SQL Server Express (2008-2022) or PostgreSQL.

The database can be hosted locally on the machine or on another machine. Upon its first startup, AREE will look for a local SQL Server instance and attempt to connect to it using Windows authentication. If successful, it will create its default database, named “Innergy,” and will be ready for use.

If no SQL Server instance is found, or if you use PostgreSQL, or if the database is hosted on another machine, you will need to configure AREE after its installation to access the database.

The AREE server is equipped with an abstraction layer for database connectivity, allowing interchangeable use of Microsoft SQL Server and PostgreSQL engines.

It is important to note that Express or Standard editions of SQL Server and PostgreSQL have distinct functionalities. PostgreSQL and SQL Server Express are free but are not suitable for high storage volumes. PostgreSQL’s performance can impact AREE’s operation during intensive use, and SQL Server Express is limited to 10 GB of database storage.

Therefore, it is recommended to use the SQL Server Standard version if you want to manage a large number of trends and meters.

Installation of AREE

Once the prerequisites are installed, launch the AREE installation program. During the installation, you can choose the installation path and opt to launch the application at the end of the process.

At the beginning of the installation, the program will check if your license is compatible with the version being installed. If not, a warning message will appear. If you choose to continue despite this, AREE will run in demonstration mode until you update your license.