IT Installation & Setup Guide

Retail Pro Prism 2.5

A plain-language guide for new IT staff. Covers everything from first install to handing the system off to store teams.

🗄️ Database: MySQL 8.0

🪟 OS: Windows 11 Pro / Server 2022

🌐 Client: Web browser (Chrome, Edge)

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Section 01

How Prism Works

Prism is a web-based retail management system. It runs as a server application that staff access through a browser. Here are the key concepts you need to understand before touching anything.

🏢

Point of Authority (POA)

The master server. Controls licensing, enterprise data, and pushes settings downstream. Always install this first.

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Store Servers

One server per store location. They sync sales data up to the POA and receive inventory/settings down from it.

🖥️

Prism Proxy

Installed on each workstation (POS terminal). It connects the browser client to the Prism Server.

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Licensing

Controlled by sites (store count) and seats (concurrent users). Activated at the POA, then allocated down to stores.

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Section 02

Architecture & Data Flow

Data moves in two directions. You need to understand this before configuring replication profiles.

Direction	What travels	Why
POA → Stores ↓	Inventory, vendors, price levels, settings, employee data	Stores need current product & config data
Stores → POA ↑	POS transactions, Z-Out reports, drawer events	POA consolidates all sales & reporting

Install order is non-negotiable — always top-down:

1. POA Server

→

2. Activate License

→

3. Store Servers

→

4. Join Enterprise

→

5. Initialize Data

→

6. Proxies

⚠️

Section 03

Prerequisites — Do This First

🚫

Critical: The account running the installer must be a local Administrator on the server machine — NOT a domain account. Domain accounts will fail silently or cause registry permission errors.

Complete all of these on every machine before running any installer:

1

Log in as local Administrator

Use the machine's own admin account. In a domain environment, you may need to prefix it: .\Administrator

2

Clear the Windows Temp folder

Delete all contents of C:\Windows\Temp\ — leftover files can block the Oracle installer.

3

Disable Windows Firewall

Turn off all profiles (Domain, Private, Public) during installation. Re-enable and open the required ports afterwards.

4

Disable UAC and restart

Set User Account Control to Off in Control Panel → User Accounts. Restart the machine before continuing.

5

Disable Antivirus / Windows Defender

Antivirus quarantines Oracle installer files. Either disable completely or add exclusions for the install directories before running the installer.

6

Disable Smart App Control & Reputation-based protection

Windows Security → App & Browser Control → turn both off.

7

Disable Exploit Protection options

Windows Security → App & Browser Control → Exploit Protection → Program settings. Disable Control Flow Guard (CFG) and Data Execution Prevention (DEP).

8

Apply all pending Windows Updates

Reboot if required. The OS must be fully patched before Oracle installs correctly.

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Section 04

System Requirements

These assume Prism is the only application running on the machine.

Component	Minimum	Recommended	Ideal
OS	Windows 11 Pro	Windows Server 2019	Windows Server 2022
CPU	2 GHz / 4 cores	2 GHz / 8 cores	2 GHz / 16 cores
RAM (standard)	8 GB	16 GB	32 GB+
RAM (Oracle 19c EE)	16 GB	32 GB	64 GB+
Disk	1 TB SSD	2 TB SSD	3 TB SSD
Network	1 GB Ethernet	10 GB Ethernet	10 GB Fiber

Proxy Workstation (POS Terminal)
OS	Windows 11 Pro
CPU	Intel Core i7
RAM	16 GB
Storage	1 TB SSD
Browser	Chrome or Edge (HTML5 + JavaScript required)

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Section 05

Required Open Ports

Open these on all firewalls between the servers. Missing ports are the #1 cause of Prism connectivity issues.

Service	Port(s)	Notes
Apache	`80`, `443`	443 only needed if using SSL
Oracle Database	`1521`	Between Prism Server and Oracle DB
Prism License Server	`6470`	Must reach RPOrders online
RP Prism	`443`, `8080–8089`	One port per Proxy installed
AMQ	`5671`, `5672`	Message queue
RabbitMQ	`4369`, `5671–5672`, `25672`, `35672–35682`, `61613–61614`
RabbitMQ Console	`15672`	Admin web UI
Prism Reports	`8090`

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Install Step 1 of 5

Install Prerequisites

📥

Download first: Get the Prism installer from my.retailpro.com → Solutions → RP Prism → Downloads. Choose the No Oracle Installer version. Extract the zip. Also download the MySQL Community installer separately.

Install all of these Visual C++ runtimes and .NET before touching MySQL or Prism. Run each as Administrator.

1

Install vc_redist.x64 (2015–2019)

Agree to the license terms → click Install → Close.

2

Install vc_redist.x86 (2015–2019)

Same steps as above.

3

Install vcredist_x64 (2013)

4

Install vcredist_x86 (2013)

5

Install .NET Framework 4.7

If already installed, you may need to enable it via Windows Features instead. Reboot the PC after this step — you may see a Windows Update error on the first boot, which Windows Update will automatically fix.

6

Extract the 32-bit MySQL client folder

Copy the folder mysql-5.7.32-win32 to the root of C: so the path is exactly C:\mysql-5.7.32-win32. Prism requires this specific 32-bit client folder — do not skip this.

🗄️

Install Step 2 of 5

Install MySQL 8.0

1

Run MySQL-installer-community-8.0.28.0

If prompted for a mandatory upgrade, click No. Choose Custom installation type.

2

Add the following two products

MySQL Server 8.0.21 x64 — found under MySQL Servers → MySQL Server → MySQL Server 8.0
MySQL Workbench 8.0.21 x64 — found under Applications → MySQL Workbench → MySQL Workbench 8.0

3

Next → Execute → Next when complete → Next to start configuration

4

Leave as "Standalone MySQL Server" → Next

5

Change Config Type to "Server Computer" → Next

6

Select "Use Legacy Authentication Method" → Next

⚠️

Prism requires legacy authentication. Do not choose the strong password encryption option.

7

Set the MySQL Root password

Enter PpitAdm as the root password (or your organisation's standard). Note it down — you will need it during Prism Server installation. Click Next.

8

Leave as "Standard system account" → Next → Execute

Configuration runs. When finished, click Finish → Next.

9

Select "Start MySQL Workbench after Setup" → Finish

10

Verify MySQL is working in Workbench

Select Local Instance MySQL → enter the root password → click OK. If you can connect, MySQL is installed correctly. Exit Workbench when done.

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Install Step 3 of 5

Install Apache Web Server

📥

From the extracted Prism zip: Run AutoRun.exe as Administrator.

1

Click "Apache 2.4.55" in AutoRun.exe → Next

If prompted to install the Visual C++ runtime library, click Yes.

2

Accept the license → Next

3

Enter admin email, leave port as 80 → Next → Install → Finish

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Restarting Apache later: Always click Stop, wait for it to fully stop, then click Start. Using "Restart" is not reliable and can leave the service in a broken state.

⚠️

Apache not starting? Check that the World Wide Web Publishing Service is not running. If it is, stop it and set its startup type to Manual — it conflicts with Apache on port 80.

⚙️

Install Step 4 of 5

Install Prism Server

1

Click "Prism Server for Oracle 12c / MySQL" in AutoRun.exe → Next

2

Accept the license → Next

3

Enter Client ID and SA Key → Validate → Next

These come from your Retail Pro reseller or the RPOrders portal.

4

Leave the Server Name as-is → leave port 80 → Next

⚠️

Machine name must be 15 characters or fewer. Use a static IP or lowercase FQDN — never a dynamic IP (it will break SSL certificates).

5

Select Database: MySQL → Next

6

Enter MySQL credentials

MySQL path: C:\mysql-5.7.32-win32
MySQL Server INI: leave as default
Root username: root
Root password: the password you set during MySQL installation

Click Next. You should see "Connection successful" — click OK to proceed.

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If connection fails: Verify the password in MySQL Workbench, confirm the MySQL service is running in Windows Services, and check the path to the 32-bit client folder is exactly correct.

7

Server Identity File: leave unchecked → Next

If this is a reinstall of a known server, check this box and provide the identity file saved from the original install.

8

Erlang: No → RabbitMQ: No → leave default RabbitMQ path → Next

9

Click Install → select Language (English) → select Region → Finish

🖥️

Install Step 5 of 5

Install Prism Proxy (on each workstation)

1

Click "Prism Proxy" in AutoRun.exe → Next

Install Visual C++ if prompted.

2

Server name auto-fills → leave port as 80 → Next

3

Set number of proxies → assign port to each

Default is 1 proxy on port 8080. Multiple proxies use 8081, 8082, etc.

4

Check "Create a desktop icon" → Next → Install → Finish

To launch Prism: right-click the Proxy icon → Run as Administrator. Also set the shortcut Properties → Advanced → Run as Administrator so it always launches with the right permissions.

5

Verify: open Prism and log in

Make sure the proxy opens in the browser and you can reach the login screen before moving on.

💾

Install Step 6 of 5 — Do immediately after install

Take a Baseline Backup

Before you do anything else, take a clean backup of the freshly installed system. This gives you a known-good restore point before any data is loaded.

1

Back up the Prism WebClient folder

Copy C:\ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\WebClient to C:\prism_backup.

xcopy "C:\ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\WebClient" "C:\prism_backup\WebClient" /E /I /Y

2

Export a MySQL database dump (blank/baseline)

Open MySQL Workbench → connect to Local Instance MySQL
Go to Server → Data Export
Select the schema rpsods
Choose Export to Self-Contained File
Set the path to C:\prism_backup and file name to BlankMySQL
Check Create Dump in a Single Transaction
Click Start Export

💡

Repeat this export after initialization completes so you also have a post-data backup.

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Post-Install 01

Activate Licensing at the POA

1

Launch Prism → log in as `sysadmin / sysadmin`

Right-click the Proxy desktop icon → Run as Administrator.

2

Click "Tech Toolkit" on the Unlicensed Installation prompt

3

Enter Client ID + Product Key → Validate → Activate License

Confirm on the dialog. Activation takes 20–60 seconds and requires internet access to RPOrders.

4

Allocate sites and seats to each controller

In the Licensing screen → Allocations table → select a store server → Edit Allocation → enter site and seat counts → save.

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Tip: If allocating to an intermediate POA, give it enough extra sites/seats to pass down to its child store servers too.

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Post-Install 02

Join Store Servers to the Enterprise

Every server except the POA must join the enterprise via Tech Toolkit. Both machines must be online and reachable.

1

At the POA: open Tech Toolkit → click the POA server menu (≡) → "Add Subordinate Server"

2

Enter the new server's FQDN or IP + login credentials → click the arrow

3

Confirm Controller Name and Number → proceed

The JTE (Join the Enterprise) process runs and copies Core Resources automatically. When the checkmark appears, the server has joined. It will now appear in the left panel of Tech Toolkit.

📋

Core Resources copied automatically during join: controller, subsidiary, store, tenant, tax area, price level, currency, season, custom schema, transform design, store type. A read-only "CoreResources" profile will appear in Connection Manager.

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Post-Install 03

Initialize Store Servers with Data

⏱️

Time warning: Initialization can take hours for large databases. A machine with fewer than 8 CPU cores / 32 GB RAM will be noticeably slow. Schedule this during off-hours.

1

Create an Initialization Profile

Admin Console → Connection Manager → Prism Dashboard → Profiles → Add. Name it, select the resources to send (inventory, customers, etc.), choose subsidiaries, save.

2

Start Initialization

Profiles → Initializations tab → select POA as From Server → Start Initialization. Choose your profile, select the target store servers, click Start.

3

Monitor until complete, then run a test transaction

Log out and back in → POS → New Transaction. Scan an item, add a customer, then cancel. If it works, initialization succeeded.

🔁

If initialization fails mid-way: Create a new profile starting from the last incomplete resource (not the last completed one). Re-run. Do not restart from scratch — already-received records will update via slower UPDATE operations before switching to faster INSERTs.

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Post-Install 04

Security & Users

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Change the SYSADMIN password immediately. Default is sysadmin / sysadmin. Go to Prism Menu → Change Password. Store it securely — it is not replicated to other servers, so each server has its own SYSADMIN password.

Prism 2.5 creates five default security groups on fresh installs:

Group	Typical Users	Key Permissions
Admin	IT / System admins	Full access
Managers	Store managers	POS + reports + employee mgmt
Backoffice	Back office staff	Inventory, purchasing, receiving
Buyers	Merchandise buyers	Purchase orders — no POS
POS	Cashiers, associates	Transactions only

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To edit permissions: Store Operations → Employees → Group Management → search → select group → Details → Edit. Log out and back in to apply changes.

🛡️

Post-Install 05

Antivirus Exclusions

⚠️

Skipping this will cause serious performance problems. Antivirus scanning Prism's database files and message queues in real time creates massive slowdowns and can corrupt data.

Oracle Installation

[DRIVE]:\Oracle\
[DRIVE]:\ProgramData\RetailPro\
[DRIVE]:\Program Files (x86)\Apache Software Foundation\
[DRIVE]:\Program Files (x86)\RabbitMQ Server\
[DRIVE]:\Program Files (x86)\RetailPro\
[DRIVE]:\Program Files\erl9.3\
[DRIVE]:\Program Files\Krunch-15\

MySQL Installation

[DRIVE]:\ProgramData\MySQL\
[DRIVE]:\Program Files\MySQL\
[DRIVE]:\ProgramData\RetailPro\
[DRIVE]:\Program Files (x86)\Apache Software Foundation\
[DRIVE]:\Program Files (x86)\RabbitMQ Server\
[DRIVE]:\Program Files (x86)\RetailPro\
[DRIVE]:\Program Files\erl9.3\
[DRIVE]:\Program Files\Krunch-15\

Proxy-Only Workstation

[DRIVE]:\Program Files (x86)\RetailPro\

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Section 06

Daily Store Workflow

For training store staff. Share this section with managers and cashiers.

START OF DAY

Check In (Time Clock)

Each employee logs in and records their start time.

POS → Check In

OPEN REGISTER

Open Cash Drawer

Required before transactions can be created (when using structured Z-Out).

POS → X/Z-Out → Z-Out → Open Register

DURING DAY

Ring Up a Sale

Scan items → add customer if needed → click Tender Transaction to take payment.

POS → New Transaction

Process a Return

Use the Return tab in a transaction. Prism auto-adjusts fees and shipping.

POS → New Transaction → Return tab

Add a New Customer

Click Quick Customer during a transaction for basic info. Full record can be completed later.

POS → New Transaction → Quick Customer button

Cash Drop

Remove excess cash from the drawer and log it.

POS → Disbursements → Cash Drop

END OF DAY

Z-Out (Close Register)

Count the cash, enter totals for each tender type, reconcile, click Finish.

POS → X/Z-Out → Z-Out → Audit/Close Register

Check Out (Time Clock)

Each employee records their end time before leaving.

POS → Check Out

🏬

Section 07

Back Office Tasks

Task	Navigation
View / edit inventory items	Store Operations → Merchandise → Inventory
Create a purchase order (order from vendor)	Store Operations → Purchasing → New Purchase Order
Receive merchandise (voucher)	Store Operations → Receiving → New Voucher
Transfer stock between stores	Store Operations → Transfers → New Transfer Slip
View / edit employee records	Store Operations → Employees → Employee Management
View active promotions	POS → Promotions
Look up past Z-Out reports	POS → X/Z-Out → Z-Out Lookup

✅

Section 08

Go-Live Checklist

Complete every item before handing the system off to the business.

All VC++ runtimes (2013 x64/x86, 2015–2019 x64/x86) and .NET 4.7 installed
32-bit MySQL client folder extracted to C:\mysql-5.7.32-win32
MySQL 8.0 installed with Legacy Authentication and connection verified in Workbench
Baseline MySQL dump (BlankMySQL) exported to C:\prism_backup
Apache, Prism Server (MySQL), and Proxy installed without errors
License activated at the POA — sites and seats allocated to all stores
All store servers joined the enterprise and appear in Tech Toolkit
Initialization completed — test transaction confirmed on each store server
SYSADMIN password changed and stored in a password manager
Server Identity File exported from Tech Toolkit and backed up offsite
Antivirus exclusions added on every server and workstation
All required firewall ports open and verified
Employee security groups configured with correct permissions
Tax method, price levels, currencies, and tenders set in Preferences
Day-to-day replication profiles created at POA and at each store
Hardware (printers, scanners, cash drawers) installed and tested per workstation
SSL certificates purchased and installed via Tech Toolkit → SSL Manager (if using HTTPS)

🔧

Section 09

Common Issues

Problem	Most Likely Cause	Fix
MySQL installer fails or won't connect	Wrong auth method selected, or VC++ runtimes missing	Confirm Legacy Authentication was chosen. Verify all four VC++ runtimes are installed. Check MySQL service is running in Windows Services.
Prism Server can't connect to MySQL during install	Wrong password, wrong path, or MySQL service stopped	Re-verify password in MySQL Workbench. Confirm the path is exactly `C:\mysql-5.7.32-win32`. Check MySQL service status in Services.msc.
Store server can't connect to POA	Firewall blocking a required port	Verify all ports in Section 05 are open between machines.
Initialization is very slow	Low RAM / CPU on the server	Ensure 8+ cores, 32 GB RAM. Use Server Mode if available.
Prism won't launch after proxy install	Not running as Administrator	Right-click proxy icon → Run as Administrator.
Apache won't restart correctly	Using "Restart" instead of Stop then Start	Always Stop → wait → Start. Never use Restart.
Server can't rejoin enterprise after reinstall	No Server Identity File was saved	Export identity file immediately after every new install. Recover by contacting Retail Pro support.
Inventory OH Qty not updating at POA	Initialization used to send historical transactions	Only Day-to-Day replication updates OH Qty. Do not use initialization to resend transactions.

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