# Installation

# Requirements

Windows — the provisioning service runs as a Windows service
.NET Framework 4.8 — must be installed on the host machine
Full-control NTFS permissions — the account running the service must have full control on the installation directory

# Choosing the right package

Two builds are published per release:

Package	SharePoint target	Use when
`SiteProvisioning_ReleaseOnline_<version>_public.zip`	SharePoint Online	Customer is on Microsoft 365
`SiteProvisioning_Release2016_<version>_public.zip`	SharePoint 2016 (on-premises)	Customer is on SharePoint 2016

Customer-specific plugins are distributed separately in a _private.zip alongside the public zip.

# Installation steps

Download the appropriate zip file for the target SharePoint version.
Extract the zip to the installation directory (e.g., C:\Epona\SiteProvisioning). Full-control NTFS permissions are required on this folder for the service account.
Unblock the extracted files. Windows marks files downloaded from the internet as blocked, which prevents them from loading. Run the included script:
```
.\_unblock.ps1
```
Or run this command from the installation directory:
```
Get-ChildItem -Recurse | Unblock-File
```
Start the Configurator (Epona.Configurator.exe) and configure the service. See Configuration for the available settings. Run the Configurator as the same Windows account that will run the service — credentials are encrypted using that account and cannot be decrypted by a different one. See Secrets and encryption for details.
Register and start the Epona Provisioning Service. See Running the service below.

# Running the service

Epona.ProvisioningService.exe can run as a Windows service or interactively as a console application.

# As a console application

Run Epona.ProvisioningService.exe without arguments. Useful for initial setup and troubleshooting.

# As a Windows service

Register the service using the install command. Run from an elevated command prompt in the installation directory. Use the same account you used in the Configurator — see Secrets and encryption.

Epona.ProvisioningService.exe install -username DOMAIN\svcaccount -password <password>

Common options:

Option	Description
`-username`	Service account username (e.g., `DOMAIN\svcaccount`)
`-password`	Password for the service account
`-servicename`	Custom Windows service name (useful for multiple instances)
`-displayname`	Display name shown in the Services console
`-description`	Service description
`-instance`	Instance identifier for running multiple service instances side by side
`--autostart`	Start automatically at boot (default)
`--delayed`	Automatic start with a delay after boot
`--manual`	Manual start only
`--disabled`	Service is disabled
`--localsystem`	Run as Local System account
`--localservice`	Run as Local Service account
`--networkservice`	Run as Network Service account
`--sudo`	Request UAC elevation during installation

After installation, manage the service with:

Epona.ProvisioningService.exe start
Epona.ProvisioningService.exe stop
Epona.ProvisioningService.exe uninstall

# Installing plugins

Plugins are optional integration DLLs. Each plugin is distributed in a Plugins/<PluginName>/ subfolder inside the zip.

To install a plugin:

Copy all files from Plugins/<PluginName>/ to the service root directory.
Restart the service (or configurator).
The service auto-discovers the plugin — no manual registration needed.
If the plugin has configuration properties, they appear in the Configurator under the relevant SharepointCfg.

See Plugins for the list of available plugins and their configuration.

# Updates

To update an existing installation:

Download the new zip file for the correct SharePoint target.
Stop the Epona Provisioning Service (and close the Configurator if running).
Extract the zip, overwriting all existing files in the installation directory.
Update installed plugins by copying the updated files from Plugins/<PluginName>/ to the service root. Repeat for each plugin in use.
Unblock the extracted files:
```
Get-ChildItem -Recurse | Unblock-File
```
Start the Configurator. It automatically extends existing configuration files with any new optional settings introduced in the new version. Review the new settings before starting the service.
Restart the Epona Provisioning Service.

Configuration — configure the service after installation
Plugins — available integration plugins