How to: Install and Configure Openfire Instant Messaging Server on Windows Home Server

Having a chat or instant messaging (IM) server running on a Home or Small business network is some-what a good idea, even if you are at work or school and other of your family is at home or even around the world.

The Chat server that I choose to install and run on my Windows Home Server has plug-ins that allow your clients/users to sign in using their mainstream accounts such as Yahoo, AOL and Windows Live (MSN).

You guessed it, I am talking about Openfire from ignite realtime – Jive Software.  They also have a desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux) and a Web-based client to allow users to login and chat.

Openfire is a real time collaboration (RTC) server licensed under the Open Source GPL. It uses the only widely adopted open protocol for instant messaging, XMPP (also called Jabber). Openfire is incredibly easy to setup and administer, but offers rock-solid security and performance.

Installing Openfire on Windows Home Server

You will need to download the Openfire software from http://www.igniterealtime.org/downloads/index.jsp select Windows platform and then the “openfire 3 6 4.exe Includes Java JRE (recommended)” put it on the \\Server\Sofware folder on your Windows Home Server.

Next, remote desktop into your Windows Home Server and Start the install off, it will prepare the files.

Select your language and then click OK

Now the main install will take place, as usual it will recommend that you close all other applications before you continue with the install, and if you require you can cancel the install by clicking on the Cancel button.

It is now time to read the License Agreement (EULA) and accept it to continue with the install, you need to select the “I accept the agreement” and then the Next button will be unlocked.

Next, you select the destination directory, this is important bit of information, if you are going to use the embedded database then select the destination (install) directory in the D drive but not in the shares.

If you have MySQL up and running then the default C:\Program Files\Openfire will do.

It will ask you where the program’s shortcuts should be.  I just leaved this as the defaulted as it will not cause any problems.  Click on the Next button.

The setup/install program will now extract and install all the files to the destination directory.

It will then complete/finish the install of Openfire and will ask you if you wish to start/run Openfire when you exit the setup program.

If you selected the “Run Openfire” on the last stage then it will start.  At the same time as the Openfire program starting up the Windows Firewall will pop up. With this Security Alert you wish to “Unblock” the Openfire Server so you can have access to the Chat server anywhere on your network and then the Internet when you sort out Port Forward on your router.

Configuring Openfire for Windows Home Server

After you installed the Openfire server, and you started it you cant either click on the “Launch Admin”

Or you can either on the WHS go to http://localhost:9090 or http://127.0.0.1:9090 but make sure that you have either disabled the advanced security on Internet Explorer or have another browser installed such as Firefox.  If you are using any computer on the network go to http://whs:9090 or the IP assigned to the WHS in you network for example http://192.168.1.2:9090.

When you go to the above address the setup will start and you would have to select your language, then click the Continue button.

On this step of the configuration you can change the domain and ports however as it automatically gets the server name most people can leave that as it is, click on the Continue button.

Now you can configure the database settings, you can pick the easy way and choose the Embedded Database or if you have got a WordPress instance of a forum running on your WHS then you would have a MySQL database and this is a Standard database connection in the Openfire Server world.  If you want to run a MySQL database keep checking this site as we will be uploading a guide.  But it is better running Openfire on a Standard database connection as there is more feature open to you.

You have to choose which external database (Standard database connection) once you select the database type then you will have to type in all the details such as the username and password.  Then click on the Continue button once you are finish completing the details, it may take up to 1 minute if you have everything correct.

On the Profile settings since the WHS can’t run Active Directory natively then select the Default option.

You will now need to setup an administrator account, try not to use the same password as your WHS administrator.  Enter an email address, note that you can enter something like: admin@whs.local if you do not want or trust the software but I used my real email address and have not collected any unwanted emails from Openfire.

Once you complete this you can click the Continue button.

Remember: if you prefer to use a hard to remember passwords then write them down

Once you specified the Administrator credentials, click on the continue button which will complete the installation and configuration of Openfire.

Click on “Login to the admin console” and authenticate using your previously configured administrator credentials.

Running Openfire as a service on the Windows Home Server

Openfire only works when a user has logged on.  So we need to configure it as a service, so that Openfire will start automatically if WHS is rebooted.

If you do not have Windows Resource Tools Kit then you would have to download it.  It is free and available from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9D467A69-57FF-4AE7-96EE-B18C4790CFFD&displaylang=en or AnyServiceInstaller by Marceln.

Now log into your Administrator account of your WHS either via Remote Desktop Connection, Advantage Admin Console Add-in or directly (Mouse, Keyboard and Monitor).  And install the Windows Resource Tools Kit.

With the AnyServiceInstaller on one of the shared folders (if downloaded on another computer) run that and change the Mode to Advanced and then you have to select the location of the Resource kit then you have to select the application that you want as the service the address of this is C:\Program Files\Openfire\bin\openfire.exe.  Now you will need to give the service a name, it is best to name the service as Openfire so you can see easy that it is running.  Now you will need to enter the username and password, this is the administrator account of your WHS, if you dont trust the program you can just leave the username and password blank and then click on Create.

To manual enter the Username and password you have to go to Administrative Tools and then Services, now you have to find the recently created service and select the Properties and then the LogOn tab and this is where you enter then username and password by select “This account” and then as the username have it as .\Administrator and with the password and confirm password enter the Administrator account’s password.  And click on Apply and make sure that the startup type is Automatic and restart the server.