Install Rock

Now that your server is set up, you can install Rock. The installer downloads Rock, builds your database and starts Rock for the first time. After that, you'll turn on snapshot isolation and lock down your error pages.

What you'll need

• The RockUser login and password from Configure SQL Server
• Your organization's internal and public web addresses
• Your organization's name, email address, phone number and website

Run the Rock installer

1. Go to rockrms.com/self-hosting and select Download Rock. Extract the zip file.

2. Copy Start.aspx and web.config from the zip into the root of your web folder. By default that's C:\inetpub\wwwroot.

3. Open a web browser on the server and go to http://localhost/Start.aspx.

4. Enter your database details. If SQL Server is on this server, enter localhost for Database Server. Enter a name for the Rock database (for example, Rock) and the RockUser login and password. Select Next.

5. The installer checks that your server is ready. When you see Pass!, select Next.

6. Create Rock's admin account. This becomes the default administrator, so use a strong password and limit who has it. Select Next.

7. Enter your organization's web addresses, then select Next.

Internal URL - The address staff use to reach Rock inside your organization (for example, http://admin.rocksolidchurchdemo.com).

Public URL - Your organization's public website (for example, http://www.rocksolidchurchdemo.com).

8. Enter your organization information, then select Next to start the install.

Organization Name - Your organization's name.

Organization Default Email Address - The address Rock sends email from by default.

Organization Phone Number - Your main phone number.

Organization Website - Your organization's website.

9. Rock downloads its files and builds your database. Select Show Console to watch the progress.

10. When it finishes, select Flip the Switch. The first load takes the longest because Rock is starting for the first time.

11. Sign in with the admin account you created.

Once you sign in, you'll see the Administrator Checklist, a list of recommended first steps. There's no rush to finish it today. It disappears once every item is checked off, and it may come back after an update if a new setting needs your attention.

Snapshot isolation settings

Turn on read committed snapshot isolation for the Rock database. It keeps reads from waiting on writes, so pages stay fast while Rock saves changes.

1. In SSMS, right-click the Rock database and select Properties.

2. Select Options. Under Transactions and Recovery, set Is Read Committed Snapshot On to True and select OK.

Secure your error pages

When something goes wrong on a page, IIS can show a friendly error page or a detailed one. Detailed errors help when you're troubleshooting at the server, but on a public site they show visitors file paths, framework versions and code, which is exactly what someone probing your server looks for. Your visitors should only ever see Rock's error pages.

A new Rock install sends detailed errors to everyone. Change one setting in IIS Manager and confirm two others.

1. Open Server Manager > Tools > Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager and select your Rock site (usually Default Web Site).

2. Double-click Error Pages, then select Edit Feature Settings... in the Actions pane.

3. Under Error Responses, select Custom error pages. Leave the Default Page path empty, because Rock already maps its own 404 and 500 pages. Select OK.

4. Go back to the site and double-click .NET Compilation. Under Behavior, make sure Debug is False. If it's True, change it and select Apply. Debug mode adds detail to errors and slows your site down.

5. Go back to the site, double-click .NET Error Pages and select Edit Feature Settings.... Confirm Mode is On, Redirect Mode is ResponseRewrite and Absolute URL is /Error.aspx. Select Cancel.

Rock is installed and ready for your organization.