Settings.xml Overview
  • 19 Feb 2024
  • 8 Minutes to read
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Settings.xml Overview

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Article Summary

Feature Modification

Introduced in Version

--

Modified in Version

8.17

The Settings.xml file contains adjustable parameters about server administration within an Installation

Such parameters include the ability to adjust the size of the System Logs, Email Server settings, and settings specific to the database the platform is hosted on. The following document discusses how to access and edit the Settings.xml file.

Deprecated Setting:

  • Removed the setting <DefaultAccountEmailAddress/> from settings.xml. Users can configure this setting in Portal Settings.

  • Starting from version 8.17 and above, <Offline/> is no longer supported in Settings.xml. Users can use <MaintenanceMode/> instead. For more information, refer to Maintenance Mode.


Locating and Adjusting Settings.xml

The file can be found by navigating to the Decisions Server folder within the primary installation location (typically C:\Program Files\Decisions\Decisions Server).
Settings can be altered as desired by opening the file in a Text Editor and replacing the contents between each open tag and its respective close tag with the desired/applicable value.
 
Many settings use a Boolean value of true or false to indicate whether they are enabled or disabled, whereas others require a more specific configuration.


System Settings Chart

The following table alphabetically lists all settings in the Settings.xml file with default values for a local install.

Setting Name

Default Value

Description

AllowedFileAccessPaths

<blank>

Allows to specify File Paths to which the Decisions Server can write files. The primary purpose of this setting is to prevent File Path Traversal.


This setting should be used if users get an error "{FilePath} is outside the allowed directory paths."

AllowedIPAddresses

<blank>

Prompts for permitted client IP addresses to access the server.

AllowProxyFrom

False

Toggles permitting proxy headers. Set this to True to set up a proxy. The ProxyFromWhiteList option must also be set with the appropriate ‘schema:host’ value. For more information, refer to Proxy Configuration.

ApplicationName

Decisions

Prompts for a name that any created cookies can use.

AspNetLogsFileCountLimit

30

Prompts for the maximum number of ASP NET logs to store. Newer logs will override the oldest logs.

AspNetLogsFileSizeLimit

104857600 (bytes, i.e., 100MB)

Prompts for the maximum size of an ASP NET log file. A log that exceeds this size then rolls over into a new file.

AsyncCheckPeriod

2000


AsyncNumChecks

7


AutoProfileApiThreshold


InSeconds

-1

Prompts for a time duration for API calls that, if exceeded, will turn off the Profiler.

AutoProfileTimespan


InSeconds

90

Prompts for a time duration to run the Profiler before stopping.

AutoStartProfiler

True

Toggles automatically start the Profiler to capture the session.

CaptureAspNetLogs

False

Toggles capturing HTTP requests and responses in a log file saved under /Logs/Asp.NET Core with the prefix "w3clog".

CaptureW3CLogs

False

Toggles capturing W3C logs in the log file.

CertificateThumbPrint

<blank>

Prompts for certificate thumbprint of SSL certificate when using the certificate store option.

ClientStorageQuota

1

Specifies the client storage quota, limiting the amount of data stored on the client side.

ClusterAddressableIP

<blank>

Prompts for IP addresses to allow cluster server connections. If blank, then the server is not clustered.

ClusterPortalBaseUrl

<blank>

Prompts for the Portal base URL of the clustered environment. This should match the Instance URL generated from the Control instance's Add Instance window.



If blank, then the server is not clustered.

ControlInstanceURL

<blank>

Prompts for the control instance URL in multi-tenancy environments.

CustomHeaders

CustomHeader[] Array

Check cross-origin.


Refer to the article Decisions Platform in iFrame for detailed information on the CustomHeaders tag.

DatabaseConnectionString

[encrypted value]

Prompts for the connection string to the Decisions database.


This is typically defined during installation, but this may be changed. Any changes will be automatically encrypted.

DataBaseType

[Supported DB type]

Allows selection of the supported database connecting to Decisions. This is typically defined during installation, and changes are generally not recommended.

DefaultAccountEmailAddress

admin@decisions.com

This is the default account email address reflected from the installer when clean installing the Decisions instance. This is used to send system-related emails for communication. This can also be configured in Portal Settings.



Note: This setting is not available from v8.17 and above.

DefaultDatabaseQueryTimeout

60

Prompts for a time duration for database queries that, if exceeded, will automatically fail.

DefaultExpireDays

7


DefaultSameSiteCookieMode

Lax

Allows selection of the cookie behavior for the server.

DeniedIPAddresses

<blank>

Prompts for IP addresses to block access to the Decisions server.

DeploymentLockEnabled

False

Toggles block users from creating or modifying any Designer Elements in the server.

DisableAutoSSOSign


InParameter

False

Toggles permitting SSO environment user logins with/without "?AutoSSOSignIn=false" in the URL. If set to true, the parameter will fail and redirect the user to the sign-in SSO page instead.

DuplicateLogMessage


TimingInSeconds

300

Prompts for timeout limit

DynamicLocalModuleLoading

True

Toggles loading local module libraries and their functions into memory.

EnableHSTS

False

Toggles restrict all server connections to HTTPS. When set to True, all HTTP connections will be refused.

EnableHTTP

True

Toggles using the default web traffic port for connections to the server.

EnableHTTPS

False

Toggles using the secure web traffic port for connections to the server.

EnableHTTPToHTTPSRedirection

False

Toggles HTTP to HTTPS redirection for any server connections.

EnableSingleSignOn

False

Toggles enable single-sign-on (SSO) for user logins for added security to the instance.

EnableStaleFlowsDataStore

False

Toggles using a datastore for Flow storage in a single node and clustered environment.

EnvironmentName

Production

Prompts for the environment name of the installed instance. This will often match the license.

FileStorageLocation

C:\Program Files\


Decisions\FileStorage

Prompts for file path on the local file system to store the server and its files.

ForceBaseUrl

<blank>

Prompts for SLL termination behind a load balancer when clustering (interlink to Setting up Cluster doc)

FullTextSearch

Enabled

Toggles full text searching in the server.

HideCreatedByOnImport

True

Determines whether to hide the 'created by' information on import.

HideDetailedErrorMessages

False

Controls whether detailed error messages are hidden.

HideSystemValidationWarning

False

Toggles visibility of System validation warnings.

HostingConfiguration


ServerBaseURL

<blank>


HTTPPort

8080

Prompts for the port number for HTTP connections.

HTTPSCertificateLocation

PhysicalFilePath

Allows the HTTPS certificate location selection between the file path and the certificate store.

HTTPSCertificatePassword

<blank>

Prompts for the HTTPS certificate's password.

HTTPSCertificatePath

<blank>

Prompts for the file path to the certificate on the local file system.

HTTPSPort

443

Prompts for the port number for HTTPS connections.

IgnoreAllCertificateErrors

False

Toggles respecting certificate errors such as trust errors from self-signed licenses. 

InstanceAuthenticationKey

<blank>

Prompts for the authentication key are generated from a Control instance's Add Instance window.

InstanceBaseDirectory

C:\Users\[Username]\


Downloads\Instances

Prompts for file path

InstanceName

Primary

Prompts for the name of the installed server instance referenced in the connection string, e.g., "localhost:80/Primary/".

InterServerCommunicationMode

HTTP

Allows selection of how objects within the server communicate changes with each other.


Could be internal service calls?

IsMultiTenantServer

False

Toggles if the installed server is a Multi-Tenant server. Recommended to edit via the EDIT SETTINGS in the installer.

IsTenantServer

False

Toggles if the installed server is a Tenant server. It is recommended to edit via the EDIT SETTINGS in the installer.

LaunchDebuggerOnUnitTestFail

False

Toggles initializing the Debugger upon unit test failure

LocallyAddressableIIS


WebsiteIPOrDNSName

localhost

usually matches the DNS name on the certificate, used in IIS and clustering install (add in HTTPS IIS docs)

LogAPICallsTaking


MoreThanSeconds

5

Prompts for a time duration for API calls that, if exceeded, will be added to the log file for troubleshooting.

LogCheckFieldTypes

False

Toggles logging field types checks into the log file.

LogFileMaxSize

10485760 (bytes)


The maximum allowed size is 2,147,483,647, aka 2.14 GB 

Prompts for the maximum size of a log file. A log that exceeds this size then rolls over into a new file.

LogFlowStepsTaking


MoreThanMilliseconds

1000

Prompts for a time duration for Flow step execution that, if exceeded, will be added to the log file for troubleshooting.

LoginPageAllowedIPs

<blank>

Prompts for permitted IP addresses for users to log in to the server. 

LogMaxBackups

10

Prompts for the maximum number of log files to keep.

LogPriorMessagesOnThread

False


LogsDirectory

C:\Users[Username]


\Downloads\Logs

Prompts for file path location where server logs are stored in the local file System.

LogSqlStatementsTaking


MoreThanSeconds

5

Prompts for a time duration for SQL statements that, if exceeded, will be added to the log file for troubleshooting.

Mail

DecisionsFramework.Utilities.


Notifications.MailSettings

Enter settings for the server to send email notifications to users and workflow task assignees.


ByPassSmtpServer

True

Toggles bypassing below SMTP settings instead of using direct mail. It is not recommended to set it to True unless for testing purposes.


SmtpServer

Unknown

Enter configuration settings to connect to an SMTP server to the server to send and receive emails.



ClientDomain

<blank>

Prompts for the address of the SMTP server. It is used to send, receive, and relay outgoing emails between senders and receivers. If blank, then this is not used nor needed in the server.



EncryptedPassword

[hidden password]

Prompts for the password for the email account specified in the Username setting.



Port

25

Prompts for the port number of the connecting SMTP email service. 



RequiresAuthentication

False

Toggles user authentication when logging into the SMTP account specified in the Username setting.



ServerAddress

<blank>

Prompts for the server address of the connecting SMTP email service.



SkipCertificateRevocationCheck

False




UseImplicitSSL

<blank>




Username

<blank>

Prompts the SMTP email user account username to log in to manage emails.



UseSSL

False

Toggles the secure-sockets layer (SSL) to secure the connection between the server and the SMTP server.

MaintenanceMode

False

Toggles setting the server into Maintenance Mode. Any jobs will pause, and only Administrators can log in until this is turned off.

MaxWritableSizeInBytes

-1

Specifies the maximum size, in bytes, for writable operations. 'MaxWritableSizeInBytes' is set to -1, which suggests that there is no maximum size imposed on writable operations

MSSqlReplication


PublicationName

<blank>


NoLockReads

False

Toggles No Lock allows SQL to read data without regard to locks and other blockers.

NumberOfExclusiveApiThreads

1

This setting reserves threads to the system, ensuring that these reserved threads are not used to run the Thread jobs if the system is under heavy load. It is not recommended to change this setting unless required.

Offline

False

Indicates whether the system is in offline mode.


Note: This variable has been deprecated in version 8.17 and newer. Users can use <MaintenanceMode/> instead.

OptimizeDataMemberAccess

False

Controls optimization of data member access.

ORMSaveByMerge

True

Flags whether the Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) system should save data by merging changes.

OutputSQLProfileLog

False

This variable activates the output of SQL profile logs. SQL profiling provides detailed insights into the execution of SQL queries.

PasswordHashEncryptionType

SHA256

Specifies the encryption algorithm used for hashing passwords.

PortalBaseUrl

http://localhost:80

Prompts for URL to the Portal. This is typically defined during installation.

ProductTitle

<blank>

Prompts for the name of the product.

ProxyFromWhiteList

<blank>

This setting is a comma-separated list of "protocol://host" values that make up a whitelist. The whitelist defines the addresses (protocols and hosts) the platform allows proxying. If this list is empty and AllowProxyFrom is set to true, it allows proxying from any source.

PushMode

Enabled


RecoverablePassword


EncryptionType

DES

Sets the encryption type for recoverable passwords, such as DES.

RestartStoppedInstances

True

If set to true, enables the automatic restart of stopped instances. Automatic restart helps maintain continuous availability and responsiveness.

SecondaryDatabase


ConnectionString

<blank>

Prompts for the secondary connection string to the Decisions database. Changes will be automatically encrypted.

SelfHostingVirtual


DirectoryName

<blank>


SendWakeUpUsing


OneWayCall

False


ServerAdministratorEmail

support@decisions.com

Prompts for which email will be contacted by actions such as Send Logs to Support and Send Notification to Server Admin.

ServerHeartBeatInterval


InSeconds

5

Prompts for the frequency of server health heartbeats.

ServerName

<blank>

Prompts for the name of the installed Decisions server.

ServerType

[Installation Server Type] 

Allows selection of the server installation type. Recommended to edit via the EDIT SETTINGS in the installer.

ServiceAccountPassword

<blank>


SettingsFileLocation

C:\Users\[Username]


\Downloads\..\


FileStorage\Settings

Prompts for file path location of where settings files are stored within the specified File Storage Location setting.

ShareAccountSessions

False


ShowDraftModeApps

False

Toggles the visibility of draft apps in the App Store.

ShowUnhandledExceptionDialog

False

Toggles display an error window when catching an unhandled exception.

SkipEnforceDBExistsStep

False

When set to true, this variable instructs the server to skip enforcing the existence of the database during certain steps. This can be useful in scenarios where the database structure is managed externally or dynamically.

SkipTypeCheckOnInitialization

False

Toggles skipping JavaScript type check at runtime.

SplashScreenText

Decisions OS is Loading...

Prompts for text to display when the Portal loads/reloads.

SplitInstancesToProcesses

True


StudioBaseUrl

<blank>

Prompts for the URL to the Studio. This is often left blank.

UseLuceneFullTextSearch

False

If set to true, enables the use of Lucene for full-text search capabilities. Lucene is a powerful search engine library, and activating this variable enhances the platform's ability to perform efficient full-text searches.

UsePrototypeInstance

True

Toggles using a template instance. Mainly used for multitenant environments.

UserIdCaseSensitive

False

Toggles case sensitivity for username during login.

UseTimeZoneTranslation

False

Toggles time zone translation.

WaitForDebugger

False


WarnOnSystemValidationIssues

True


WatcherSocketPort

20999

Sets the port for the watcher socket. The watcher socket facilitates communication and coordination between different components of the Decisions system, and configuring the port allows for proper network communication.

For more information and questions regarding Settings.xml, see Decisions Forum: Settings.


Feature Changes

Description

Version

Developer Task

Removed the setting DefaultAccountEmailAddress from settings.xml. Users can configure this setting in Portal Settings.

8.17

[DT-037050]



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