Installation Guide

This guide provides detailed instructions for deploying the SPSA appliance in production environments.

Deployment Overview

SPSA is delivered as a ready-to-run virtual appliance. The deployment process:

  1. Obtain SPSA appliance from Skillplan
  2. Deploy to VMware ESXi or Microsoft Hyper-V
  3. Complete initial console setup
  4. Access SPSA Portal web interface
  5. Configure SSL certificate
  6. Set up authentication and connections

Step 1: Obtain SPSA Appliance

Contact Skillplan to obtain the SPSA appliance:

  • Email: sales@skill-plan.com
  • Website: https://www.skill-plan.com

You will receive:

Platform File Format
VMware ESXi OVA template
Microsoft Hyper-V ZIP archive with VM files

Plus: - Initial credentials for console (spadmin) and portal (spadmin) - License file (for Pro edition)

Step 2: Deploy Virtual Machine

VMware ESXi Installation

Supported Versions

SPSA installation on ESXi requires version 7.0-U1 or higher.

Deploy OVA Template

  1. Log in to the ESXi web interface or vSphere Client
  2. Select Create/Register VM > Deploy a virtual machine from an OVF or OVA file
  3. Enter a name for the VM (e.g., spsa-portal)
  4. Upload the SPSA OVA file (spsa-esx-*.ova)
  5. Select the datastore for the VM
  6. Configure deployment options:
Option Recommended Setting
Network mappings Select your VM network
Disk provisioning Thin (recommended) or Thick
Power on automatically Enable
  1. Review settings and click Finish
  2. Monitor the deployment progress in the task list

ESXi Deployment Screenshots Reference

The deployment wizard guides you through:

  • Step 1: Select creation type → Deploy from OVF/OVA
  • Step 2: Select OVF/VMDK files → Upload the OVA
  • Step 3: Select storage → Choose datastore
  • Step 4: Deployment options → Network mapping, disk provisioning
  • Step 5: Ready to complete → Review and confirm

Do Not Refresh

Do not refresh your browser while the VM is being deployed. Wait for the import to complete.

Microsoft Hyper-V Installation

Supported Versions

SPSA supports Microsoft Hyper-V 2016 or higher.

Prepare Installation Files

  1. Extract the SPSA ZIP archive to a local folder (e.g., D:\Templates\spsa-hyperv-*)
  2. The archive contains the VM configuration and virtual disk files

Import Virtual Machine

  1. Open Hyper-V Manager
  2. Right-click the host and select Import Virtual Machine
  3. Click Next on the "Before You Begin" page

Locate Folder:

  1. Browse to the extracted template folder
  2. Click Next

Select Virtual Machine:

  1. Select the SPSA virtual machine from the list
  2. Click Next

Choose Import Type:

  1. Select Copy the virtual machine (create a new unique ID)
  2. This allows deploying multiple instances if needed
  3. Click Next

Choose Folders:

  1. Configure storage locations:
    • Virtual machine configuration folder
    • Checkpoint store
    • Smart paging folder
  2. Click Next

Choose Storage Folders:

  1. Select the location for virtual hard disks
  2. Click Next

Summary:

  1. Review the import settings
  2. Click Finish to begin the import

Post-Import Configuration

After import completes:

  1. Open VM settings in Hyper-V Manager
  2. Configure network adapter to connect to your virtual switch
  3. Adjust resources if needed (CPU, RAM)
  4. Start the virtual machine

VM Resource Configuration

Production Specifications

Component Foundation Pro
CPU 2-4 vCPUs 4-8 vCPUs
RAM 4-8 GB 8-16 GB
Disk 50-100 GB SSD 100-500 GB SSD
Network 1 Gbps 1-10 Gbps

Demo Appliance Specifications

The SPSA Demo installation is a fully functional SPSA Foundation appliance with the following limitations:

Parameter Value
Runtime 30 days after deployment
Network Adapters 1 (DHCP configured)
RAM 4 GB
CPU 2 cores
Disk 64 GB
Upgrade to Production Not possible (new deployment required)

Demo Limitations

The demo appliance cannot be converted to a production license. A fresh deployment is required for production use.

Step 3: Initial Console Setup

After the VM starts, complete the initial setup via the console. See the Quick Start Guide for detailed console setup instructions including:

  • First login as spadmin
  • Keyboard layout configuration
  • Password reset
  • IP address verification

Step 4: Network Configuration

Network Requirements

SPSA requires network access to:

Destination Port Purpose
Users 443/TCP inbound SPSA Portal web interface
Target Windows 3389/TCP outbound RDP connections
Target Linux 22/TCP outbound SSH connections
Target VNC 5900+/TCP outbound VNC connections
DNS Server 53/UDP outbound Name resolution
NTP Server 123/UDP outbound Time sync

Firewall Configuration

SPSA includes an integrated host firewall that blocks all unnecessary network access by default. Only the ports required for SPSA operation are open.

External Firewall Rules:

Configure your network firewall to allow:

Inbound to SPSA:

TCP 443 from user networks → SPSA

Outbound from SPSA:

TCP 3389 to Windows targets
TCP 22 to Linux targets
TCP 5900-5910 to VNC targets
UDP 53 to DNS servers
UDP 123 to NTP servers

Step 5: Access SPSA Portal

  1. Open browser to https://<spsa-ip>/
  2. Log in with portal credentials provided by Skillplan
  3. Complete MFA setup (scan QR code with authenticator app)
  4. Change default password immediately

Recommended Browsers

Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge are recommended for accessing the SPSA Portal.

Step 6: SSL Certificate

By default, SPSA uses a self-signed certificate. For production use, configure a trusted SSL certificate.

Refer to the SSL/TLS Setup guide for certificate configuration.

Post-Installation Checklist

  • [ ] VM deployed and running
  • [ ] Console password changed
  • [ ] Portal accessible via HTTPS
  • [ ] MFA configured for admin account
  • [ ] Portal password changed
  • [ ] Network connectivity to target systems verified
  • [ ] SSL certificate configured (production)
  • [ ] First connections created
  • [ ] User accounts created

Next Steps