Overview
Bizagi offers the possibility to configure from an opened project the web server you want to use to run your processes, while automating them for quick prototyping and tests.
This setting does not apply directly for the final working environment. It is set in Bizagi Studio to allow you to launch the Work Portal anytime, just as it would be presented to the end users on that working environment.
Which server should you choose?
You may choose to configure to execute the Work Portal either in a fully setup Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS), or in a local IIS Express installation.
•For a teamwork collaboration setup, it is strongly recommended to choose Internet Information Services (IIS) as the web server.
•For a quick start setup, fast prototyping purposes or demos, you may choose IIS Express instead. Nevertheless, a set of limitations apply when using IIS Express as described in the section below.
Using IIS
Internet Information Services (IIS) requires Microsoft's .NET Framework.
Bizagi sets IIS by default when it is already installed. To use it, make sure you have properly configured the IIS as the server hosting the project (for questions about how to set up the IIS, refer to IIS configuration).
Using IIS Express
IIS Express is a lightweight version of Internet Information Server that runs locally on Windows operating systems, and also requires the Microsoft .NET framework.
IIS Express does not require any previous configuration, as it is installed by default when installing Bizagi Studio. The IIS Express version installed is:
•IIS Express 10.0: For Windows 10.
•IIS Express 8.0: For Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1, Windows 8.
Choosing this option as your web server is useful in a Development environment, where only one user is working on the project and doing quick tests to the processes.
Before moving on, be sure to review the IIS Express known limitations.
LIMITATIONS |
|---|
It can only serve the Work Portal on the local computer (it does not publish content for access from a remote browser). |
It can only serve one Work Portal at a time. |
It does not support the One-click deployment feature of Bizagi. |
It is not be possible to use the IIS' SMTP services for e-mail notifications with advanced options. |
It is not be possible to invoke Bizagi API (Bizagi SOA layer web services) in a remote manner. |
It is not possible to use testing options in Bizagi, such as testing the provider's connection for Virtualization and Replication configurations, or testing the Virtual entity configuration. |
Depending whether there is already a self-signed certificate in your local machine, if it was generated by Bizagi or not, and if you have installed the IIS Manager in your computer, you can configure your project's web server and set the HTTPS protocol following the steps described in these configuration scenarios:
3.Set HTTPS using IIS and a certificate different from the one generated by Bizagi.
4.Set HTTPS using IIS Express.
In all the configuration scenarios, you must open first the Web Server Configuration menu. To do this, click the Configuration tab and then click the Web Server option.
1. Set HTTPS using IIS and a Bizagi self-signed certificate, when the latter does not exist in the project's local machine
To create a new Bizagi self-signed certificate for your project to support the HTTPS protocol, select the IIS option in the Web Server Configuration menu. Bizagi automatically shows in the Work Portal URL field the URL associated to the certificate you are about to create (in the following example, https://wp-danielh:444). Moreover, a Bizagi self signed certificate label is displayed next to this URL to let you know that the certificate is going to be generated by Bizagi.
Click the Finish button to continue with the certificate creation process.
A pop-up window opens with a list of considerations you must review before creating the certificate. Once you have read thoughtfully these considerations, click Create.
Bizagi initiates the creation of the self-signed certificate and displays a confirmation message after successfully completing the process.
The recently created certificate is now available for selection in the Work Portal URL drop-down list, and each time you select it, Bizagi shows its information under the Certificate Information box.
Click Finish to accept the configuration.
2. Set HTTPS using IIS and a Bizagi self-signed certificate, when the latter already exists in the project's local machine
To set the HTTPS protocol in your project using an existing Bizagi self-signed certificate, select the IIS option in the Web Server Configuration menu. Then, in the Work Portal URL drop-down list, look for the existing certificate. If the certificate was indeed generated by Bizagi, the Bizagi self signed certificate label must be displayed next to its URL.
Select the certificate by clicking it.
Once you have done this, Bizagi shows the certificate's information under the Certificate Information box.
If everything is correct, click Finish to accept the configuration.
3. Set HTTPS using IIS and a certificate different from the one generated by Bizagi.
To create a custom self-signed certificate for you project to support the HTTPS protocol, select the IIS option in the Web Server Configuration menu. Notice that below the Work Portal URL field there is a message with the link create a custom https certificate.
Click this link to open the Creating a custom self-signed certificate article. Follow the instructions described in it to create your customized self-signed certificate. After its creation, you can select the certificate in the Work Portal URL drop-down list.
|
When creating the certificate, it is of utmost importance that you assign a name to the binding's host, as it is used to identify the certificate inside Bizagi Studio. In this example, the local machine's host is wp-danielh and thus the certificate appears in the Work Portal URL drop-down list as https://wp-danielh/. |
Recalling that this certificate was not generated by Bizagi, the Bizagi self signed certificate label does not appear next to the certificate's Work Portal URL, and neither does the certificate's information.
If everything is correct, click Finish to accept the configuration.
4. Set HTTPS using IIS Express
When you do not have the IIS Manager installed on your computer, or you do not want to generate a self-signed certificate on your own, you can set the HTTPS protocol in your project using the IIS Express. To do this, simply select the IIS Express option in the Web Server Configuration menu. In this way, you automatically allow Bizagi to handle the HTTPS configuration for your project.
Click Finish to accept the configuration.
|
Bear in mind that when you use the IIS Express option, your project opens using a URL that has a structure similar to the next one: https://localhost:44324/TestProject. In this example, localhost is the name of the binding's host, 443 is the binding's port, and TestProject is the name of your Bizagi project. |
Switching the web server
You may change the web server used by your Bizagi project at any time. If you installed the IIS after creating the project, it is likely that your project is already configured to use IIS Express. Therefore, if you want to use IIS, you must explicitly set IIS as the web server on your project.
By changing this setting, Bizagi will update this information for your project, and it will automatically re-create the Work Portal for the existing project (as a web application in the IIS). This web application is created in the IIS at the site named Default Web Site.