Minimum System Requirements

The minimum system requirements for all Synthesis desktop applications are presented below. In addition, ReliaSoft provides an automated tool that determines whether your computer and Internet connection meet the requirements for running and activating Synthesis. It will also determine whether you could install the 64-bit version of Synthesis, if desired. [Download Requirements and Compatibility Test Tool...]

System Hardware Requirements

CPU Speed

1.5 GHz or higher

Processor

Intel Pentium or higher

Memory/RAM

2 GB or higher (32-bit)
8 GB or higher (64-bit)

Display Properties

24-bit color depth

Screen Resolution

1024 x 768 or higher at normal size (96 dpi)

Swap Space

Determined by the operating system, 500 MB or higher

Disk Space

1 GB for installing the Platform and Synthesis Applications

Video/Graphics Adapter

64 MB RAM or higher

Internet Access

Internet access is required for the License Manager and optional for using the Internet-enabled features in the software interface

Operating Systems Supported

Microsoft Windows®

XP - 32-bit (Service Pack 3 or higher). The 64-bit version of Windows XP is not supported.

Vista - 32-bit and 64-bit (Service Pack 1 or higher)

Windows 7 - 32-bit and 64-bit

Windows 8 - 32-bit and 64-bit

Microsoft Windows Server®
(Requires a license that specifically
allows server installations/deployments.)

2003 R2

2008 - 32-bit and 64-bit (Service Pack 2 or higher)

2008 R2

SBS (Small Business Server) 2011

Microsoft Office Integration and Version Requirements

Microsoft Office 2000 or higher (Excel®, Word® and Outlook®) are required for automated exports, report generation and e-mail/calendar integration. ReliaSoft recommends Microsoft Office 2010.

IMPORTANT NOTE: 32-bit and 64-bit Versions

As shown in the following table, you can choose which version of Synthesis to install if you have a 64-bit version of Windows and any version of Microsoft Office except Office 2010 (32-bit). When the installation program gives you a choice, the decision should be based on the capabilities of your computer (processor and RAM) and how you plan to use the software.

[See our 32-bit vs. 64-bit FAQ...]

		Microsoft Office Version
		32-Bit	64-Bit
Windows Version	32-Bit	32
Windows Version	64-Bit	32 or 64†*	32 or 64*

† If you have Microsoft Office 2010 (32-bit), you must install the 32-bit version of Synthesis.

*If you plan to use the optional Synthesis API (Application Programming Interface) to call Synthesis functions from a Microsoft Office application (e.g., use VBA in Excel to call the Weibull++ calculation engines), you must have the same version of Office and Synthesis (i.e., 32-32 or 64-64).

Enterprise Database Platforms

Microsoft SQL Server®

2005, 2008 and 2012
32-bit and 64-bit versions

Microsoft SQL Server Express Edition

2005, 2008 and 2012
32-bit and 64-bit versions

Oracle

10g and 11g
32-bit and 64-bit versions

Oracle Express®

11g
32-bit and 64-bit versions

A Note About Enterprise Database Servers

Although the enterprise database platform (Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle) could be installed on the same computer where the Synthesis applications reside, most organizations will choose to set up a separate server to host the database. Both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the Synthesis-enabled applications will work with either the 32-bit or 64-bit versions of a back-end database/server. The minimum hardware/software requirements for each server hosting the database should be obtained directly from the selected database vendor (i.e., Microsoft or Oracle). In general, ReliaSoft recommends a minimum CPU speed of 2 GHz and 4 GB of RAM.

Tip: If you're considering the option to use the free "Express" edition of Microsoft SQL Server, this document provides some information that may help you to get started.

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