Installation Guide

Alloy Navigator Express Cloud (SaaS)

Updated in 2023.2

Alloy Navigator Express Cloud (or SaaS) is best for small, medium, and large companies of all industries looking for an all-encompassing solution accompanied by a powerful process automation system, third-party integration, and a flexible API. The cloud solution of Alloy Navigator Express can dynamically scale to meet the needs of your business. As a service provider, we supply all the essential hardware and software components, including data storage and backup solutions, web-based email services, database processing, managed technical support services, and more. This page provides an overview of the Alloy Navigator Express cloud (SaaS) solution, highlights the distinctions from the on-premises version, and lists the necessary open ports for seamless communication.

INFO: You can obtain additional information through the Alloy Support Portal.

Administrative tools and downloadable packages

In addition to links to your Alloy Navigator Express web apps in the cloud, you receive downloadable links to these tools and components:

Component File Name
Alloy Administrative Tools installation package AlloyAdminTools Express -24.1.x.exe
Alloy Audit Agent installation package AlloyAuditAgent.msi
Alloy Snapshot Viewer installation package AuditViewer-24.1.x.msi
Database Access Key

AlloyNavigatorExpressKey.zip

Alloy Administrative Tools

The Alloy Administrative Tools installation package (AlloyAdminToolsExpress24.1.x.exe) includes these administrative apps and tools:

Component Description Documentation File and Location

Settings App

The Settings App is the administrative desktop app that enables you to perform administrative tasks, such as customizing business logic, creating and maintaining user accounts, configuring the email and Active Directory integration, accessing logs, etc.

Compared with web-based Admin Center, which gives access all the main administrative tasks, this desktop app provides access to additional administrative tasks available in Alloy Navigator Express.

Help: Settings App

\Bin\AlloyNavigatorExpressMngr.exe

Import tool

The Import tool that enables you to import data from external files and third-party database applications, such as CRM, HR, and network inventory systems, directly into Alloy Navigator Express cloud.

Help: Import \Bin\ImportWizard.exe

Active Directory Import tool
(Import Contacts)

The Active Directory Import tool that imports user data from the on-prem Active Directory or other directory services into your cloud-based Alloy Navigator Express in accordance with Active Directory Synchronization jobs that you create in the Settings App.

Help: Active Directory Import \Bin\ImportContacts.exe
Scheduled Task Agent The Scheduled Task Agent runs workflow Scheduled Tasks in your local environment, without the need to grant Alloy cloud applications access to your local resources that some Scheduled Tasks may need to access. Help: Scheduled Task Agent \Bin\ScheduledTask.exe
Alloy Audit Agent

The Audit Agent installation package (AlloyAuditAgent.msi) includes a preconfigured, ready-to-use audit agent for Windows computers. Once you install the agent on the computers you want audited, it will regularly run the audit and automatically deliver audit results to your cloud-based Alloy Navigator Express.

Alloy Audit Snapshot Viewer

The alloy Audit Snapshot Viewer package (AuditViewer-24.1.x.msi) installs the Audit Snapshot Viewer, a tool for viewing audit snapshots directly, outside of Alloy products. During the installation, keep the Associate .adt files with Alloy Audit Snapshot Viewer checkbox selected. For details on using the viewer, see Help: Audit Snapshot Viewer.

Database Access Key

Before you log in to Alloy Navigator Express Settings for the first time, you need to import the Database Access Key to your local computer. Typically, the key is delivered as a zipped .reg file (AlloyNavigatorExpressKey.zip).

For instructions on how to import your key, see Importing the Database Access Key.

Comparison of cloud and on-premises features

In comparison with our on-premises solution, the on-prem and cloud-based solutions have the following differences.

Feature Configuration Details

Automated notifications

Once a minute or less frequently

Settings App Help: Customizing global notification settings

Sync with the Active Directory or other directory services

Every 4 hours or less frequently

Settings App Help: Integration with Active Directory and other directory services

Incoming mail processing

Every 5 minutes or less frequently

Settings App Help: E-mail processing

Recurring tickets

Every 15 minutes or less frequently

Web App Help: Managing Recurrent Tickets

Automation & Workflow Log

Failed executions only; the retention period is 7 days

Settings App Help: Automation & Workflow Log

Log retention policy

30 days

Settings App Help: Configuring log settings

Scheduled reports

Once a day or less frequently

Settings App Help: Scheduling reports

Attachment size limit

25 MB

Settings App Help: Attachments

A few of on-prem features, which are not available in the cloud-based hosted solution:

  • Force-sending outgoing notifications from the queue
  • On-premises Network Inventory module
  • The ability to redeploy the online documentation

Ports

The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication of the Alloy Navigator Express Cloud components.

Port Purpose

Port 80 (HTTP)

Standard port for HTTP traffic. Internally, all communication to this port is being redirected to port 443 to enforce encryption.

Port 443 (HTTPS)

Standard port for HTTPS traffic. Used by product’s web components, including Web Portal, Self Service Portal, API.

Port 51967 (custom port for SQL Server)

Custom port configured for SQL Server. Used by locally installed Windows applications, such as Settings.

Port 22 (SFTP)

Standard port for SSH (Secure Shell) communication, including SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol). Used by network inventory components for delivering audit snapshots to the product’s repository using the SFTP protocol.

Port 21 (FTP Secure)

Standard port for FTP Secure (FTPS) communication. Used by network inventory components for delivering audit snapshots to the product’s repository using the FTP protocol.

Ports 49152 - 65535 (Passive FTP)

Dynamic or ephemeral ports used for passive FTP connections, facilitating data transfer in passive FTP mode. Used by network inventory components for delivering audit snapshots to the product’s repository using the FTP protocol in passive mode.