Install Primentra

Run the installer

The Primentra installer sets up the application as a Windows Service that starts automatically on boot. It handles Node.js installation, service registration, and firewall configuration for you.

1. Download Primentra-Setup-vX.X.X.exe from primentra.com and run it as Administrator
2. The installer wizard opens:
   • Accept the license agreement
   • Choose installation folder (default: C:\Program Files\Primentra)
   • Choose port (default: 3001) — the installer checks if the port is free and suggests an alternative if not
   • Select optional tasks: Add Windows Firewall rule (recommended) and Open browser after install
3. Click Install

What the installer does automatically:

• Installs or updates Node.js LTS if not already present (or if older than v18)
• Registers Primentra as a Windows Service named "Primentra" — starts automatically on every boot
• Configures service logging to {install folder}\logs\
• Grants write permissions for the service account on the install folder
• Starts the Primentra service immediately
• Opens your browser at http://localhost:{port} after installation

First-time setup

When you open Primentra in your browser for the first time, the application guides you through a setup wizard. You go through three screens, one after the other:

1. Connect to the database

The first screen asks for the database connection details. Fill in the credentials for the database and service account you created in the previous step.

• Hostname — The server address where SQL Server runs (e.g., 127.0.0.1 for the local machine, or a network name like SQLSERVER01)
• Instance — Leave empty for the default instance, or enter the instance name (e.g., SQLEXPRESS). Check SSMS: the title bar shows SERVERNAME\INSTANCE — the part after the backslash is your instance name. If there is no backslash, leave this field empty
• Port — Leave empty in most cases (auto-detected). Default instances use port 1433 automatically. Named instances use SQL Server Browser to discover the port. Only fill this in if your DBA configured a non-standard port
• Database — Primentra (the database you created earlier)
• Username — primentra_svc (the service account you created earlier)
• Password — The password you set in the setup script

Click Test Connection to verify everything works, then Save.

2. Deploy the schema

Once connected, Primentra detects that the database is empty and shows a Setup Database button. Click it — the application automatically creates everything it needs: 18+ tables, 80+ stored procedures, indexes, and the full audit trail structure. This takes about 5-10 seconds.

All data access in Primentra goes through stored procedures — the API server never sends raw SQL. This keeps business logic centralized in the database, makes it easier to audit, and prevents SQL injection by design.

3. Create the administrator account

After the schema is deployed, Primentra shows a one-time setup screen where you create the first user account. This becomes the administrator who can sign in and manage the application.

• Email — Your email address (this becomes your login name and must be unique)
• Display Name — Your name as shown in the app
• Password — Minimum 8 characters (use the Generate button for a strong random password)

Click Create account & continue. You are automatically signed in and redirected to the dashboard.

Done!

You are now signed in as administrator. From here you can:

• Go to Settings → Models to create your first model and entities
• Go to Settings → Access Management to create additional user accounts
• Configure your SMTP server in Settings → General Settings → Email to enable welcome emails and license expiry alerts (see Email & Notifications)