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A very powerful feature of appRules is the appRules Desktop Application (appRules.Desktop.exe) which allows you to run appRules as a traditional Windows Desktop Application without a web server or an internet connection. The application runs inside a window and it is self-hosted. You can also use appRules.Desktop to quickly explore the features of appRules without having to use IIS or appRules HostService .
The appRules Desktop application uses the latest build of Chromium (Chrome) browser. The browser is embedded into the application.
Just launch the executable (appRules.Desktop.exe) and the appRules application will load automatically. Note: appRules.Desktop.exe must be run from the root of your appRules Portal installation, at the same level as web.Config.
The appRules Desktop application is a powerful solution that allows you to hit-the-ground running with appRules without having to configure IIS or the appRules.HostService application. Basically, this powerful implementation can fully replace IIS in a single executable
To run appRules, your computer must meet the following criteria:
OS – Windows 10/11, Windows Server 2008/2019 and higher
.NET Framework 4.8 and higher (Required) - installed by the setup program if not present or no higher version available
IIS7 and above (optional, appRules includes its own web server – see HostService Settings)
ASP Net 4.x or above must be activated in windows for using appRules Desktop, Host Service (Check Windows Features installed) or IIS
The following may be required to be configured depending on the target machine platform:
Due to UAC, and File permissions in Windows, it will be required to run the Installer “As Administrator” to perform the installation process.
Run the appRules.HostService executable (located in the [Install Folder]\appStrategy folder) and it will immediately serve the appRules application to port 8080 by default.
A sample cmd file to install and uninstall the host service is available in the appStrategy\Services_Installation folder)
Note: You may get an “Access Denied” error if you are not running on a Windows Server and don’t have Administrator privileges because Windows blocks attempts at listening to all domains (*). In which case add “-d:localhost” to accept local connections, or run as administrator.
COMMAND LINE ARGUMENTS
Argument
Description
(none) or -start
Starts the host process for appRules Portal
-stop
Stops the process for appRules Portal.
-p:{port} or -port:{port}
Changes the port. The default port is 8080.
-d:{domain name} or -domain:{domain name}
Limits the domain: i.e. * = all, or localhost to accept local connections only. The default is *.
-i or -install
Installs appRules.HostService as a Windows service appRules Portal You can mix “-i” with “-p:” and “-n:” and “-d:”.
-u or -uninstall
Uninstalls appRules.HostService from the Windows services.
The appRules application configuration settings are stored in the Default.json file in the root folder.
All settings in the Default.json file are optional
startup:
Full name of the startup method. i.e. "MyApp.Program.Main, MyApp".
mainWindow:
Full name of a view (Page or Form) created automatically at startup. i.e. "MyApp.MainView, MyApp".
theme:
Name of the theme, without the extension, to load at startup.
url:
Destination URL. If null, the request must match a web page.
allowedRoutes:
Allows the application to handle different Url routes, separated by a semicolon. i.e. "api;admin;query/users".
culture:
The default culture of the application. Default: "auto" (detects the culture from the browser.)
rightToLeft:
Enables or disables Right to Left mode: true, false or auto. Default: "auto".
sessionTimeout:
Timeout of the session in seconds. Default: 120. Minimum: 60. Disable: 0.
responseTimeout:
Timeout of the requests in seconds. Default: 300. Minimum: 300. Increase this value if you expect your application to process long running requests.
pollingInterval:
Interval for the automatic polling of the server in milliseconds. Default: 0 (disabled). Minimum: 1000. This option is ignored for WebSocket connections.
autoReload:
When true, the application is automatically reloaded when the session expires or Application.Exit() is called. Default: false.
secure:
Forces the client to use SSL. Default: false.
showLoader:
Loads the ajax loader. Default: true.
loaderTimeout:
Timeout before the appearance of the Ajax loader in milliseconds. Default: 5000. Minimum: 1000. Disable: 0.
browserCheck:
Custom expression to validate the browser, i.e. "navigator.platform == 'Win32'".
enablePWA:
Enables PWA mode in browsers that support it. Default: false.
offlineUrl:
URL to navigate to when the client loses connectivity with the application. Default: "".
debug:
Enables logging on the client browser console. Default: false.
enableWebSocket:
Enables the user of WebSocket if available. Default: true.
enableWebSocketCompression:
Enables compression of incoming WebSocket data. Default: true.
maxModalStack:
Maximum number of nested modal dialogs. Default: 10.
dropDuplicateClicks:
+ are still queued and will be executed. Default: false.
disableClientObjectModel:
Disables the creation of the JavaScript object model on the client.
impersonate:
Set impersonate:true to impersonate the user on the server. Default: false.
threadPool:
Configures the thread pool without having to modify the machin.config file. All values are optional. i.e. {minWorkerThreads:100}. Default: null.
options:
Map of platform options. i.e. {"automation.mode": true, "mobile.mode": true, ...}.
settings:
Map of custom application settings
deployment: "aws", "azure", "onpremise"
portaldatafoldersdirectory: "", "<your portal data folder>"
Default: "" (ProgramData folder)
If you have defined some embedded database project databases, you can edit and modify them directly using the appRules Embedded Database DBA Tool.
It is recommended that you use SQL Server, SQL Azure or other supported enterprise database engine as your project database for major projects. The appRules Embedded Database is only recommended for small projects or for prototypes.
You can use the appRules CheckIn/CheckOut utility to copy the contents of one project database into another.
The DBA Tool is accessible directly from the root folder by running the executable:
Some test sample databases are delivered in the appRules Embedded Database format:
Run the setup program for the appStrategy product you have purchased or that you are evaluating to install the software. appStrategy’s product installers follow the same format. The example below shows the appRules Portal installer - appRulesPortalSetup.exe.
Run the program “As Administrator” and follow the instructions of the installer wizard.
You can change the installation directory (Default is C:\Program Files\), a folder called appStrategy will be created in this directory (containing the web application appRulesPortal). Another folder called appStrategy will be created in the current windows ProgramData folder (folder shared by all computer users). Agree to the License terms and conditions and click the INSTALL button.
Optionally a window displays the list of mandatory prerequisites to install (this window is not displayed if the prerequisites are already present on the current computer).
Configure the appRules Host Service (appRules Web Server) by specifying a URL and port (the installer will check if this port is opened and available)
The windows service will be installed and started automatically.
You will be able to stop and or remove it or change the port after installation if you prefer to run on IIS (see related section in the following pages of the current document)
Configure the appRules Web Api URL by specifying a URL and port (the installer will check if this port is opened and available) The windows service will be installed and started automatically.
You will be able to stop and or remove it or change the port after installation (see related section in the following pages of the current document)
Click the Install Button to confirm the Installation.
After Installation, see Web Site Installation on IIS or Using HostService to start using appRules Portal.
Open your browser and navigate to the address provided for the host service (default is localhost:8080).
From the AppRules login page, you will be asked to authenticate your license.
Click the "Activate License" button.
Enter your activation key, then click the "Activate" button.
Click "OK," and you will be redirected to the login page.
If the "Activate License" button continues to display, check the properties of the "ProgramData/appstrategy" folder under the Security tab to ensure that Users have Read/Write permissions.
The Web Api service is a http service that can be remotely called to execute a project.
The appRules.WebApiService service is normally created by the appRulesSetup exe.
If not, you can manually install it running 'As administrator' the related cmd located in the appStrategy\PortalData\Services_Installation folder (install_webapi_service.cmd) You can also run [Install_path]\appRules\bin\appRules.WebApiService.exe -i to install (or -u to uninstall)
The http address and port of the webapi is indicated in the config file appRules.WebApiService.exe.config in [Install_path]\appRules\bin
You can also indicate an ApiKey for security purpose, the webapi will launch a project only if the client specifies it in the call.
see Using Web Api to learn how to use the webapi.
The appRules scheduler service must be installed and setup before Scheduling a project.
The appRules.SchedulerService is normally created by the appRulesPortalSetup exe. If not, you can manually install it running 'As administrator' the related cmd located in the appStrategy\PortalData\Services_Installation folder (install_sched_service.cmd) You can also run [Install_path]\appRules\bin\appRules.SchedulerService.exe -i to install (or -u to uninstall).
To create a new project database in appRules , select “Master Admin settings” from the file menu, log in with the Admin credentials and select the Create New Project Database option from the Admin Settings menu
In the “Create New Project Database” window below, enter a unique name for the new project database, and follow instructions to complete other fields. The database type and connection string are required.
Database Type:
Select the database type to use. If you are unsure, you can utilize the
default type of SqlServerCE. SqlServerCE is included in appRules Portal so
no additional software is required. When you select SqlServerCE, the
connection string is automatically created for you (the database sdf file will be created in the appRulesPortal\PortalData\ProjectDatabases directory.
Connection String:
Enter the connection string to be used for accessing the database. You
can optionally click on the button to configure the connection string.
Authentication:
Select the authentication type to be utilized for gaining access to
appRules Portal while accessing this project database.
If you are unsure, you can utilize the default type of Basic which allows you to maintain appRules Portal users and passwords in the project database.
The default user Admin (password: Admin) will be automatically created.
Click the OK button to create the project database or to save changes to the project database.
The appRulesPortal folder under the appStrategy directory contains the web site that you need to set up in IIS
First Create an Integrated v4.0 dedicated application pool
In the Pool Advanced Settings, associate the Pool to a specific dedicated windows User (in this example we have created a user called appRules) with admin rights on the required web site folder and subfolders.
You can also use the Network Service account that will allow all the permissions you need without exposing your system too much. Please do some reading on the Network Service account and other accounts (Local System) that are available to you.
If your system is connected to an Active Directory, you might need to consult your System Administrator for assistance if company security policy does not allow the Network Service account to be available.
Important: If you use a SQL Server Database as appRules Project Database, this user will need owner access if default windows authentication is selected.
If you intend to use a SQL Server Database as project database, create a login on the above user and set it as Database dbowner.
Create a web site (you can copy the appRulesPortal folder under your web site folder or use it directly from the installation location (ProgramFiles\appStrategy or your installation folder))
Enable Anonymous Authentication
Set Default Document (Default.html)
Check that .net 4.6 Extensibility is checked in the IIS windows Features
(type Turn Windows features on or off in windows search)
Some of the processes if not run in the background can cause timeout, increase the sessions timeout in the web site advanced settings (default is 120s)
Includes the user associated to the IIS pool to the Performance Logs Users Group
To do so, go to Computer Management:
Select Local Users and Groups:
Select Performance Logs Users:
Add the user to the Group
You are now ready to start using appRules Portal in your favorite browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge...).