dormakaba Canada, Inc.

Ambiance™
Installation Guide
Version 2.3.1

CONFIDENTIAL: This document is proprietary and confidential. No part of this document may be disclosed in
any manner to a third party without the prior written consent of dormakaba.

© dormakaba Canada, 2019, All rights reserved. dormakaba and Ambiance are trademarks of dormakaba
Canada. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

PK# 3701 Rev 20191128

TOC
Welcome 3

Requirements 3

Pre-Installation Checklist — Server 9

Prepare for Using an Existing SQL Server Instance 10

Ambiance Server Installation 17

Pre-Installation Checklist — Workstations 31

Ambiance Client Installation 32

Ambiance Upgrades 38

Getting Started with Ambiance 39

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Welcome

Welcome
Ambiance™ is dormakaba’s latest software entry into the access control market.
Described as the next-generation software solution to manage the hospitality
access control market. Ambiance has been developed to provide users with
enhanced flexibility and system control.

The application integrates seamlessly into any hotel IT infrastructure and provides
hotels with a user friendly and efficient method of managing and controlling access
and collecting both system and lock data. Ambiance is an integrated and
configurable access management system with full audit reporting, capable of
managing guest rooms, access points and common areas in a secured and controlled
environment.

Requirements
This section lists minimum requirements for installing and using Ambiance.

Fresh installations require a new activation key for Ambiance 2.3.1.

Device Requirements

This section lists the embedded devices required to use Ambiance and the latest
supported firmware versions.

Ambiance is backwards compatible with all previous firmware versions.

Encoders

The following table shows the encoders that Ambiance supports and the latest
supported firmware version.

KABA RFID 1.012

Maintenance Units

The following table shows the M-Units that Ambiance supports and the latest
supported firmware version.

HH6 2.21

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Requirements

Locks

The following table shows the locks that Ambiance supports and the latest
supported firmware versions.

Boot Main Quantum BLE Zigbee

MT4, Pixel 04.01.19.2 04.01.19.2 09.17.16.1 1.1.1.0 1.10x

RCU4 04.01.19.2 04.01.19.2 09.17.16.2 1.1.1.0 1.10x

RT+ 07.26.19.4 07.26.19.4 N/A 1.1.1.0 5.12

Saffire LX 07.26.19.4 07.26.19.4 N/A 1.1.1.0 5.12

Confidant 08.08.17.2 08.08.17.2 N/A 1.1.1.0 1.10x

RT 06.14.18.2 06.14.18.2 N/A 1.1.1.0 1.10x

Elevator Controllers

The following table shows the elevator controllers that Ambiance supports and the
latest supported firmware versions.

Boot Main Quantum BLE Zigbee

MFC N/A 0.017 N/A N/A N/A

EMCC N/A 20090929 N/A N/A N/A

MCC 8/12 N/A 0.031398 N/A N/A N/A

ECU/RCU4 06.11.18.2 06.11.18.2 09.17.16.2 1.1.1.0 1.10x

Server Requirements

This section lists the minimum requirements for the Ambiance Server. Additional
hardware resources may be required based on site configuration and usage.

Server Hardware Requirements

Dedicated server
CPU—2GHz/64-bit/quad core or faster
RAM—16 GB or more
Disk Drive Free Space—30GB (additional free space may be required depending
on database backup and archiving settings)
Network Controller—Gigabit Ethernet - 1Gb/second or more

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Requirements

Server Software Requirements

Operating system—The following operating systems are supported:

Before installing Ambiance, make sure that your Windows O/S

installer is available.

Microsoft Windows Server 2019/2016/2012 R2 Standard (English)—Suitable for

large and small-scale implementations and Online functionality.
Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise (English)—Use for small-scale implementations
only (recommended maximum of 200 access points and two encoders).

Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise does not support Ambiance RX remote

lock management, the online functionality implemented by deploying
hubs.

Database—SQL Server Express 2014/2017 or SQL Server 2014/2016. The Microsoft

OLE Database Driver for SQL Server is also required. Ambiance prompts to install
the driver if it is not detected.

Microsoft reports issues that prevent SQL Server from installing

successfully on a Domain Controller. Avoid installing SQL Server on a
Domain Controller.

Supported Web browsers

Recommended Web browser resolution: 1366 x 768 or greater.

Google Chrome (latest)

Microsoft Edge (latest)—Using Micorsoft Edge with Ambiance requires that
you add the Ambiance Server IP address as a trusted site. Go to Control Panel
> Network and Internet > Internet Options > Security > Trusted Sites. Click
Sites and add the Ambiance Server IP address.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Requirements

A Microsoft issue prevents the Edge browser from

detecting/connecting to the Maintenance Unit. Consequently, access
points cannot be programmed or audited without intervention. Open
the Command prompt and issue the following command:

C:\windows\system32\CheckNetIsolation.exe LoopbackExempt –a -
n=Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe

Microsoft Internet Explorer v11—Using Microsoft Internet Explorer with

Ambiance requires that Internet security options be modified. In Internet
Explorer, go to Tools > Internet options > Security tab > Custom level, enable
the following options, apply the changes, then close and restart Internet
Explorer:
Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins
Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting
Allow META REFRESH
Active scripting

The Ambiance Server and the locks installed at access points must be
configured for the same time zone.

Workstation Requirements

This section lists the requirements for Ambiance workstations.

Workstation Hardware Requirements

CPU—2nd-generation Core i5 (2GHz+), 3rd/4th-generation Core i5 processor, or

equivalent or faster
RAM—8GB
Disk Drive Free Space—50MB
Network Controller—Gigabit Ethernet - 1Gb/second or more

Workstation Software Requirements

Operating system—The following operating systems are supported:

Microsoft Windows 8.1 Basic/Pro/Enterprise
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise (English)
Supported Web browsers

Recommended Web browser resolution: 1366 x 768 or greater.

Google Chrome (latest)

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Requirements

Microsoft Edge (latest)—Using Microsoft Edge with Ambiance requires that

you add the Ambiance Server IP address as a trusted site. Go to Control Panel
> Network and Internet > Internet Options > Security > Trusted Sites. Click
Sites and add the Ambiance Server IP address.

A Microsoft issue prevents the Edge browser from

detecting/connecting to the Maintenance Unit. Consequently, access
points cannot be programmed or audited without intervention. Open
the Command prompt and issue the following command:
C:\windows\system32\CheckNetIsolation.exe LoopbackExempt –a -
n=Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe

Microsoft Internet Explorer v11—Using Microsoft Internet Explorer with

Ambiance requires that Internet security options be modified. In Internet
Explorer, go to Tools > Internet options > Security tab > Custom level , enable
the following options, apply the changes, then close and restart Internet
Explorer:
Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins
Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting
Allow META REFRESH
Active scripting

Network Requirements

If you have a firewall, configuration changes may be required to make

ports accessible to the Ambiance Server.

The following table lists the default Ambiance Server port settings.

Port Protocol Description

80 HTTP Ambiance Web User Interface

443 HTTPS Ambiance Web User Interface

28000 TCP KABA RFID IP encoder

8265 TCP PMS – Oracle FIAS Port configurable in KabaService.exe.config

8264 TCP PMS – SAFLOK IRS Port configurable in KabaService.exe.config

1619 HTTP PMS – SAFLOK Web Service Port configurable in KabaService.exe.config

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Requirements

Interface Requirements

Ambiance supports the following:

Keyscan Aurora—1.0.19

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

dormakaba’s privacy policy statement can be found on the server at the following
location: \Ambiance Server\GDPR. Clients are encouraged to print a copy of the
statement and have it available at your business premises for reference.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Pre-Installation Checklist — Server

Pre-Installation Checklist — Server

dormakaba recommends completing the following checklist before installing the
Ambiance Server.

Make sure that you have your Windows O/S Installer available.

Verify that you have a new activation key for Ambiance2.3.1 You must have a new key for this release
before proceeding with the installation.

Perform the installation as a Local Administrator (not Network Administrator).

Verify that the following settings on the server are correct (to ensure proper Ambiance system and
lock operations)

☐ Date & Time

☐ Time Zone

Verify all hardware requirements:

☐ CPU, 2GHz/64-bit/quad core or faster

☐ RAM, 16 GB

☐ Disk drive free space, 30GB (Additional free space may be required depending on database
backup and archiving settings.)

☐ Network Controller, Gigabit Ethernet - 1Gb/second or more

Verify all software requirements:

☐ Microsoft Windows Server 2019/2016/2012 R2 Standard (English only) and Windows 10

Pro/Enterprise (English only). Operating system must be up and activated.

☐ Microsoft Internet Explorer v11, Google Chrome (latest) or Microsoft Edge (latest)

☐ If using Microsoft IE, verify Security options are enabled. If using Microsoft Edge, add Server
IP as trusted site.

☐ Verify that all Windows updates are installed.

☐ Verify that Windows PowerShell 4.0 is installed.

Verify that the following programs are NOT installed:

☐ SQL Server

☐ Redis

☐ RabbitMQ

☐ Web Server (IIS)

If applicable, prepare to connect to an existing SQL Server instance.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Prepare for Using an Existing SQL Server Instance

Prepare for Using an Existing SQL Server

Instance
If you plan to connect to an existing SQL Server database (local or remote), you
must prepare before starting the installation.

1. In the Ambiance installation package, go to the AMBIANCE_PREREQUIS folder

and copy the master database file (Ambiance.mdf) to the remote computer
where Microsoft SQL Server is installed. Recommended path: C:\Program
Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQLX.SQLEXPRESS\MSSQL\DATA\ -> X is the
SQL instance name.
2. Attach the database:
a. In SQL Server Management Studio Object Explorer, connect to an instance of
the SQL Server Database Engine, then click to expand that instance view.
b. Right-click Databases and select Attach.
c. In the Attach Databases dialog box, click Add.
d. In the Locate Database Files dialog box, select the location where the
“Ambiance.mdf” file was previously copied and select Ambiance.mdf.
e. Click OK.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Prepare for Using an Existing SQL Server Instance

3. Right–click on the server and select Properties.

4. For Connections, select the Allow remote connections to this server, then click
OK.
5. Open the SQL Server Configuration Manager.
6. Right-click TCP/IP and select Properties.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Prepare for Using an Existing SQL Server Instance

7. In the TCP/IP Properties dialog, select the IP Addresses tab and scroll to IPAII.
8. Set the TCP Dynamic Ports to blank and TCP Port to 1433. (Port 1433 is the
default instance that SQL Server uses.)

5. Click Apply > OK.

If using a firewall, continue to the next section to open access for the database
engine.

Configure a Windows Firewall for Database Engine Access

If the firewall is turned on, you need to add an exception for the 1433 port to allow
TCP/IP traffic on Port 1433 and UDP traffic on Port 1434.

1. Go to Programs > Administrative Tools and select Windows Firewall with

Advanced Security.
2. Select Inbound Rules.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Prepare for Using an Existing SQL Server Instance

3. Under Actions, select New Rule.

4. For Rule Type, select Port, then click Next.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Prepare for Using an Existing SQL Server Instance

5. For Protocols and Ports, select TCP and specify 1433 for Specific local ports, then
click Next.

6. For Action, select Allow the connection (to specify the action to be taken when a
connection matches the conditions specified in the rule).

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Prepare for Using an Existing SQL Server Instance

7. For Profiles, select the profiles to which the rule applies, then click Next.

8. For Name, specify the name of the new rule, then click Finish.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Prepare for Using an Existing SQL Server Instance

You can now see the created rule in the list of inbound rules.

9. Repeat the same steps to add UDP port 1434.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

Ambiance Server Installation

This chapter is for first-time installations. If the installation is an upgrade, refer to
Server Upgrades.

Install the Ambiance Server in a secure physical location.

Prior to installation, refer to the following chapters:

"Requirements" on page 1
Pre-Installation Checklist — Server

Perform the installation as a Local Administrator (not Network

Administrator).

To install the Ambiance Server:

1. If possible, disable Windows Defender for the duration of the installation.

2. Restart the server to verify:
The server restarts without error.
There are no pending updates.
Make sure to run installer in ADMIN mode.
3. In the dormakaba/Ambiance folder, open the SERVER folder.
4. Double-click AmbianceServer.exe.
The installation wizard opens and prepares for setup. The wizard checks for
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2, and installs it if not found. The following screen
is displayed after launching setup when using the latest signing certificate. Click
Yes to continue.

5. (conditional) If the Microsoft OLE Database Driver for SQL Server is not
installed, click Install to proceed with the installation.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

6. Follow the instructions for each of the following wizard pages. When a restart is
required, confirm to proceed with the installation.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

Welcome Page

On the Welcome page click Next.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

License Agreement Page

On the License Agreement page:

1. Accept the terms of the license agreement.

You can optionally print the agreement.
2. Click Next.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

Choose Destination Location Page

On the Choose Destination Location page:

1. Choose where to install Ambiance Server files:

Accept the default location (recommended).
Click Change and navigate to a location on the server.
2. Click Next.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

IP Address / Server Name Selection Page

On the IP Address / Server Name Selection page:

1. Select the IP address or host name to use for the installation.

2. Click Next.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

Setup Type Page

On the Setup Type page:

Select whether to install a new instance of SQL Server or connect to an existing

local or remote SQL Server/Server Express database instance. If installing a new
instance, SQL Server Express 2017 is installed. Any instance to which you connect
must be a supported version (see Requirements).

If installing a new instance, click Next and proceed to Setup Status Page.
If connecting to an existing instance, click Next and proceed to SQL Database
Server Page.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

SQL Database Server Page

On the SQL Database Server page:

1. Click Browse, navigate to and select the .mdf (or .ndf) database file.
2. Specify valid SQL Server credentials
3. Click Next.

If there is no database attached to the selected instance, a message

informs to prepare for using an existing SQL Server instance. For
instructions, see the previous chapter.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

Setup Status Page

The Setup Status page displays the installation status. When prompted, click Next.

The following third-party applications are installed:

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2

Microsoft SQL Server Express 2017 (if selected)
Redis Server
Redis Desktop
Erlang Software
RabbitMQ
VC++ Redistributable

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

Setup Type Page

On the Setup Type page:

1. Select whether to install an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate.

dormakaba strongly recommends installing an SSL certificate to enable

the HTTPS protocol. Security is your responsibility. If you opt to install an
SSL certificate post-installation, you must also uninstall and reinstall the
Ambiance Server in Secure Mode. The process does not affect the
Ambiance database; however, dormakaba recommends backing up the
database prior to un-installing Ambiance as a precaution. The server path
must be changed from HTTP:// to HTTPS://.

2. Click Next.
If you did not agree to install an SSL certificate, a warning displays. If you
continue with the installation, proceed to Restart Message.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

Choose SSL Certificate

In File Explorer:

1. Navigate to and select the SSL certificate to install.

2. Click Open.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

Password Page

On the Password page:

1. Specify the password for the SSL certificate that you selected.
2. Click Next.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

Restart Message

When prompted to restart the server, click OK.

Installation Complete

When notified the installation is complete, click OK.

If necessary, re-enable Windows Defender.

Post-Install Processes

1. Activate the product.

Open Ambiance in a supported browser. Specify a valid activation key to activate
Ambiance 2.3.1. A new key is not required for supported upgrades.
2. Change the default passwords.
Log in to Ambiance using the following account: username=admin01,
password=Admin@01. Change the default password. Repeat the steps for
account: username=admin02, password=Admin@02.

Changing the default passwords is critical to ensure security. Until the

passwords for the admin01 and admin02 accounts are changed,
Ambiance issues a warning after every login to any Admin account.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Server Installation

Remember to ...

Go to System Settings > Database Backup & Archiving to configure

regularly scheduled backups and archiving. The recommendation is to
store backups at a secure external location.

After completing Site Configuration, go to System Settings > Failsafe

Keys to make backup guest keys.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Pre-Installation Checklist — Workstations

Pre-Installation Checklist — Workstations

dormakaba recommends completing the following checklist before installing the
Ambiance Client.

You are not required to install the Client if you are running Ambiance
from the localhost.

Perform the installation as a Local Administrator (not Network Administrator).

Verify that the following settings on each workstation are correct (to ensure proper Ambiance
system and lock operations):

☐ Date & Time

☐ Time Zone

Verify all hardware requirements:

☐ CPU, 2nd-generation Core i5 (2GHz+), 3rd/4th-generation Core i5 processor

☐ RAM, 8GB

☐ Disk drive free space, 50MB

☐ Network Controller, Gigabit Ethernet - 1Gb/second or more

Verify all software requirements:

☐ Microsoft Windows 8.1 or 10 Pro/Enterprise (English only)

☐ Microsoft Internet Explorer v11, Google Chrome (latest) or Microsoft Edge (latest)

☐ If using Microsoft IE, verify Security options are enabled. If using Microsoft Edge, add Server
IP as trusted site.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Client Installation

Ambiance Client Installation

This chapter guides you through the Ambiance Client installation. You must install
the Client on every workstation where a USB encoder and / or Maintenance Unit is
required.

Prior to installation, refer to the following chapters:

"Requirements" on page 1
Pre-Installation Checklist — Workstations

Perform the installation as a Local Administrator (not Network

Administrator).

To install the Ambiance Client:

1. In the dormakaba/Ambiance folder, open the CLIENT folder.

2. Double-click AmbianceClient.exe.
The installation wizard opens and prepares for setup. The wizard checks for
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2, and installs it if not found.
3. Follow the instructions for each of the following wizard pages.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Client Installation

Welcome Page

On the Welcome page:

Click Next.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Client Installation

License Agreement Page

On the License Agreement page:

1. Accept the terms of the license agreement.

You can optionally print the agreement.
2. Click Next.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Client Installation

Choose Destination Location Page

On the Choose Destination Location page:

1. Choose where to install Ambiance Client files:

Accept the default location (recommended).
Click Change and navigate to a location on the server.
2. Click Next.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Client Installation

Ambiance Server Name/IP Address Page

This page does not display when the Ambiance Client is downloaded and
installed from the Ambiance user interface. Instead, the installation
process automatically detects the IP address or host name.

On the Ambiance Server Name/IP Address page:

1. Specify the IP address or host name of the Ambiance Server.

2. Select the Use HTTPS checkbox if the Ambiance Server is SSL-enabled.
3. Click Next.

If an SSL certificate is installed on the Ambiance Server post-installation,

the client must be uninstalled and reinstalled or reconfigured on all
workstations to communicate with the Server.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Client Installation

Setup Status Page

The Setup Status page displays the installation status. When prompted, click Next.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Ambiance Upgrades

Installation Complete Page

When notified the installation is successful, click Finish.

Ambiance Upgrades
The following upgrade paths are supported:

2.2.0 to 2.3.1
2.2.2 to 2.3.1
2.2.3 to 2.3.1
2.3.0 to 2.3.1

This server upgrade requires upgrading any workstation client installation as well.

After the upgrade, restart the Ambiance Server and log in to Ambiance. The upgrade
process preserves the Ambiance database.

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 Ambiance 2.3.1 Installation Guide, Getting Started with Ambiance

Getting Started with Ambiance

The Ambiance workflow is an excellent resource to guide your deployment. The
document provides an overview of the application flow and the first steps to take in
each module to set up Ambiance.

The Ambiance User Guide is a new resource that provides information and
instructions for all Ambiance Operators.

The "Site Configuration" section provides an easy-to-follow workflow and step-

by-step instructions for setting up Ambiance.
The "Using Ambiance" section provides instructions for day-to-day work after Go
Live and includes Troubleshooting and Working with ... topics that address some
of the more complicated situations.

Look for the guide in your installation folder.

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