Good administration of Enfocus Switch starts with a few key prerequisites. Below are the points that keep your workflow stable and fast.
Key prerequisites
UNC paths: Switch on Windows works only with UNC paths (\\server\volume\data…), not mapped drive letters — as a service there is no logged-in user.
User: Switch needs its own user (not a system user) that can log in, install apps and run with admin rights. Graphic apps (Tilia Phoenix, PitStop Server, ColorLogic ZePrA) run in that user context.
Virus scanner: exclude the folder [C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Enfocus\Switch Server] from scanning — files are moved here quickly and frequently.
Node.js: must be executable.
Open ports
51089 – Switch Web Portal (HTTP/s)
51088 – Switch Web service (API connections)
51007 – Switch Designer (remote open)
51087 – Switch Server Watchdog
51057 – Watchdog (start/stop Switch)
51080 – Switch Webhook (legacy; new is 51088)
51120 – Remote Processing
Firewall
Activation: allow licensingservices.esko.com (ports 80 and 443);
App Store: access to external-services.enfocus.com:443;
Test via external-services.enfocus.com/switch/ping in your browser.
Do the Messages load slowly? That is often due to blocked Google Fonts APIs. Remove the two fonts.googleapis.com links in index.html (in the SwitchSite/client folder). Note: upgrades may overwrite that change.
Switch as a Windows service
The Switch Watchdog can run as a Windows service, so Switch processes after you log out and restarts automatically after errors. Downside: service users have no desktop access, so apps that use an interface (Adobe, Quite Hot Imposing, Imp) cause problems. Best is a single "Switch Administrator" user that has all rights and is also a desktop user.
Edit > Preferences > User interface: "Start Switch Server automatically at login" = No; "When exiting the flow designer" = Ensure processing is started.
Start > Control Panel > Administrative tools > Services.
Find "Enfocus Switch Watchdog", right-click > Properties.
General tab: startup type Automatic (start on reboot) or Manual.
Log on tab: enter the user credentials (the same user that configured Switch, otherwise all flows are gone).
General tab: click Start.
Note: on shutdown the system waits up to 30 minutes for the Watchdog. Stop all workflows before shutting down or restarting.
Reporting, antivirus and backups
Have Switch email error messages via a dedicated address (e.g. automation@domain.com) with an SMTP account;
Store log files for monitoring (Nagios, Zabbix, Solarwinds) via Preferences > Logging;
Exclude the Enfocus folders from Windows Defender/antivirus (incl. Switch Server/Temp and the Enfocus Prefs folders);
Make backups; a snapshot makes recovery after a failed upgrade quick.