Hardware Requirements for Academy Software
This policy is effective January 15, 2011 and full compliance required by April 15, 2011. Revised August 1, 2011.
A standard PC (workstation) is designed and built to provide a nominal 20,000 hours of operation between failures. Whether that failure is a hard disk drive failure, a motherboard failure, or anything else, you should be prepared. Since the recommendation is to leave all PCs running all of the time to facilitate nighttime backups, system automatic maintenance, etc. that is 2.38 years. It is usually not a sound business decision to repair a broken computer at that age. This does not mean your PC will die in 2.38 years, it may be 4 years, or it could be 1 year, as this is the "mean time between failures" or the average. (Note: PCs identified as a "server" by the manufacturer, are typically built with much sturdier components that may provide 40,000 hours between failures, hence the much higher price).
Equipment requirements vary based upon the tasks that you intend to perform with any given workstation. First, you musts get educated about computers in order to properly make a purchase.
While virtually all software will run with minimal equipment resources (RAM) it is the cumulative effect of these simultaneously operating software packages that dictate the minimum requirements. You must add all of the minimal software package requirements together to determine your minimal workstation hardware requirements. This is best shown by example:
Windows 7 – 512 MB of RAM required
MS-Word - 384 MB of RAM required, if running, 24 MB of RAM if in standby
CounselPro™ - 512 MB of RAM required
Network connectivity – 65 MB of RAM required
MS-Outlook – 40 MB of RAM required
MS-Office Live – 1.3 MB of RAM required
MSN Messenger – 15 MB of RAM required
Anti-Virus software – 5 MB of RAM required
The above is 1534 MB of RAM required (plus another 50 MB of RAM for miscellaneous utilities running), and also represents a fairly typical workstation. As you can see, 2000 MB (2 GIG) would be the minimum acceptable amount of RAM for this setup. If you want to print, use MS-Access, MS-Excel, Adobe, or any utility, you need more resources (RAM).
Operating systems impose their own RAM limitation by virtue of whether they are a 32-bit operating system, or a 64-bit operating system. A 32-bit operating system can only address 3 GIG of RAM maximum, no matter how much RAM is installed. The rest simply goes to waste without a top notch IT person putting it to use for other functions. A 64-bit operating system can address RAM far in excess of Terabytes, up to (1 x 1043). It is unlikely that you will encounter a purchase offer for a 32-bit operating system, unless a manufacturer is cleaning out their old shelves. It should be noted that CounselPro™ is not a 64-bit software, nor will you probably run any 64-bit software other than the operating system.
Central Processing Unit (CPU) – core 2 duo, dual-core, quad core, dual processors, I3, I5, I7, and Pentium, are all different nomenclatures utilized to identify various types of CPU. There are two major manufacturers of CPU: Intel and AMD, and while there are pros and cons of each, the Academy uses both, mix-and-match. One core can do one process at any given time. Two cores can do two processes simultaneously; four cores can do four processes simultaneously. This does not mean that CounselPro™ can utilize 4 cores and run faster – CounselPro™ will only ever use a single core. If you are performing a mass mail merge and a document assembly simultaneously, only 1 core will be utilized. However, other software programs may be utilizing the other core(s) so they do not have to share. Example: CounselPro™ might not have to share its central processing unit with the anti-virus software as they can each utilize their own core. Bottom line, quad-core (4 cores) is the most commercially available central processing units today within your budget constraints. Although there are sixteen core central processing units readily available, they are expensive, and you have no practical application for them.
Networking in a nutshell – whether you have a peer-to-peer, or a dedicated server based network, the function of the network is to provide a central repository and processing center for information. Or, in short, it’s like a traffic cop and a file cabinet. A typical network employs a server (dedicated or non-dedicated), a mapped drive sharable by all workstations, and an ingress/egress point to this information. This ingress/egress is your network interface and it allows only 1 item to pass at a time (serial communications). If you have 2 workstations trying to get to the server, one has to wait until the other is done before it gets a turn. Similarly, if you have 4 workstations trying to get to the server, 3 have to wait until the one is done, before they can have a turn, or any given workstation is always waiting on three other workstations. There are 2 ways to get around this "waiting" problem: put in a faster network which could be quite costly in an already wired building; or, provide more ingress/egress points by having multiple network interface units; your network consultant should be able to assist you in this area.
Workstation
Processor |
Core 2 duo 2.4 GHz, minimum |
Operating System |
Windows Vista, or Windows 7 REQUIRED |
Hard Drive |
10 GB free hard drive space REQUIRED |
RAM |
2GB REQUIRED |
Other Software |
Licensed Microsoft Office Suite 2003/2007 or MS-Office 2010 Professional, on each workstation. Microsoft Access required on at least 1 workstation for system maintenance procedures (Compress Database / "MS Access Compact & Repair"). |
Monitor |
Required – high resolution (minimum 1400 x 900) Recommended – dual digital monitors |
Anti-Virus |
Microsoft Security Essentials – free |
WARNING – failure to meet the above minimum Workstation requirements will result in the Tech Support Department refusing to install CounselPro™ and/or CounselPro™ upgrades/updates.
Monitor
- Required - Monitors must be able to handle graphics-intensive applications and need to be able to support a high resolution of pixels. The minimum resolution for CounselPro™ is 1400 pixels. Anything less than 1400 and some CounselPro™ screens will not appear correctly or in full view. Typically, this means no monitor older than 2001 will suffice.
- Recommended - We recommend dual monitors because studies have shown that having dual monitors does increase productivity. This helps promote the concept of a paperless office by increasing the quantity of simultaneous media that can be viewed digitally.
Printer
- Any Windows-compatible printer will work with CounselPro™. However, since you will be using CounselPro™ for all client management, including generation of mass mailings and document production (which means you will be printing very large documents), we recommend you use a printer capable of 15 pages per minute (ppm) or faster. However, not all older printers are compatible with Windows 7.
- If you will be doing mass mailings, in house, more than 2-3 times per year, you should strongly consider investing in a larger printer with an envelope bin, and has a duty cycle of at least 5,000 pages per month or more. A typical Married Joint Intervivos Portfolio could be up to 350 pages, depending upon your state and the options selected.
Network
- Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Widows Server 2008 R2; Windows SBS 2003, Windows SBS 2008, SBS 7
- Windows Peer-to-Peer Networking using Windows Vista Ultimate or Windows 7 (recommended). Special setup may be required for optimal operation. You must have your consultant set up one dedicated drive letter for Academy software to be mapped to each workstation, including the host, as the same drive letter
- At least 10 GB free drive space on server plus space for assembled client files
*For all new workstations, below is the minimum acceptable configuration.
*New Workstations
Processor |
64-bit Quad-core or better |
Operating System |
Windows 7 |
Hard Drive |
10 GB free hard drive space REQUIRED |
RAM |
4GB or MORE (64-bit required) |
Other Software |
Licensed Microsoft Office 2010 Professional on each workstation. Microsoft Access required on at least 1 workstation for system maintenance procedures (Compress Database / "MS Access Compact & Repair"). |
Monitor |
Required – high resolution (minimum 1400 x 900) Recommended – dual digital monitors |
Anti-Virus |
Microsoft Security Essentials – free |