Serv-U 15.4.1 System Requirements
Release date: December 5, 2023
SolarWinds strongly recommends that you install Serv-U File Server on a server that is protected from unauthorized access by the public. If your use of Serv-U File Server does not need to be public or internet-facing, install it on a server that is neither public, nor internet-facing. To learn about best practices for configuring your Serv-U File Server installation securely, see Best practices to secure SolarWinds Products.
This topic contains:
- Software requirements for deployment
- Hardware requirements for deployment
- Ports that need to be open in your deployment
Review your product Administrator Guides and release notes for the exact product requirements beyond these minimums.
Software requirements
The following table lists software requirements and recommendations for a Serv-U installation.
| Software requirements | ||
|---|---|---|
| OS |
Windows:
|
Linux:
See limitations to using these operating systems, along with workarounds SolarWinds recommends using to make your experience seamless. |
| IP Address versions |
|
|
| Web console browser |
The following major browsers are supported with the basic web client, for file management and for web administration purposes:
Internet Explorer is not supported by Serv-U 15.4.1. To be able to use Web Client Pro and FTP Voyager JV, Java must be installed and enabled in the browser. Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 7 and 8 are supported for Web Client Pro and FTP Voyager JV. Web Client Pro does not work on Linux in Google Chrome version later than 35 due to an incompatibility between Chrome and the Java browser plug-in. Apple users must have at least Mac OS X 10.6 installed. |
|
| Database server (optional) |
ODBC-compliant databases such as MS SQL and MySQL |
|
| LDAP server (optional) |
|
|
Hardware requirements
Use the minimum hardware configuration if you are evaluating the product or do not anticipate heavy usage.
SolarWinds strongly suggests using the recommended hardware configuration to avoid potential performance issues caused by a heavy load or custom configurations.
| Minimum requirements |
Modest traffic |
High traffic (up to 10,000 configured users and 250 simultaneous transfers) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1 GHz | 2 GHz+ multi-core | Multiple 3.2 GHz+ multi-core |
| Memory | 256 Mb | 2 GB+ | 4 GB+ |
| Network | 10/100 Mbps NIC | 10/100 Mbps NIC | 10/100 Mbps NIC |
| Hard drive space | 30 MB | 120MB | 120 MB |
| Video | 128 MB Video RAM | 128 MB Video RAM | 128 MB Video RAM |
Port requirements
| Port | Protocol | Service/Process | Direction | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | TCP | FTP and explicit SSL/TLS | Bidirectional | FTP is the traditional protocol for transferring files over the Internet. Traditionally, FTP is handled in plain text. However, SSL connections are explicitly supported using the AUTH command. |
| 22 | TCP | SFTP Using SSH2 | Bidirectional | SFTP is a secure method of transferring files through a secure shell session. It performs all protocol communications and data transfers over the same port eliminating the need to open multiple ports in firewalls (as is commonly required when using FTP). SFTP sessions are always encrypted. |
| 80 | TCP | HTTP | Bidirectional | HTTP is the protocol used to browse websites. It is also a simple method for downloading and transferring files. One benefit to adding an HTTP listener to a domain is the availability of the Web Client, which allows users to transfer files to and from your file server without the need for a standalone client. |
| 443 | TCP | HTTPS (SSL encrypted HTTP) | Bidirectional | HTTPS is identical to HTTP except all communications are secured using SSL. Like FTPS, a secure connection is implied when connecting to a listener running the HTTPS protocol. |
| 990 | TCP | Implicit FTPS (SSL/TLS) | Bidirectional | FTPS is identical to FTP, although connecting to a listener configured for FTPS means an SSL connection is required before any protocol communication is performed. This is commonly referred to as Implicit FTPS. |
These are defaults: you can use any port between 1 and 65535. However, when using a non-standard port, clients must know the proper port in advance when they attempt to connect to the domain. If using a non-standard port, it is recommended you use a value above 1024 to prevent potential conflicts.