Post-install configuration

After the platform installation and FastAPI service setup, complete these steps before handing the system to users.

Link storage between Metadata Editor and FastAPI service

Both components must agree on where project data files live.

Metadata Editor

File: editor/application/config/editor.php

$config['editor']['storage_path'] = '/var/www/metadata-editor/editor/datafiles';

Adjust to your actual path. On Windows, use a full path such as C:\inetpub\metadata-editor\editor\datafiles.

Writable folders under the editor root (default layout):

• datafiles/ — project data and uploads
• files/ — application files
• logs/ — application logs

FastAPI service

File: fastapi/.env

STORAGE_PATH=/var/www/metadata-editor/editor/datafiles

Use the same absolute path as (or a parent of) the editor storage area. The FastAPI service validates file paths against STORAGE_PATH in production.

The web server user and the FastAPI service account both need read/write access to this directory.

Connect Metadata Editor to the FastAPI service

File: editor/application/config/editor.php

$config['editor']['data_api_url'] = 'http://127.0.0.1:8000/';

Or set the environment variable (trailing slash required):

export EDITOR_DATA_API_URL=http://127.0.0.1:8000/

The config key is data_api_url; use 127.0.0.1, not a public hostname, when both services run on the same host.

Email (SMTP)

Many features (registration, password reset, notifications) require outbound email.

File: editor/application/config/email.php

$config['useragent']        = 'PHPMailer';
$config['protocol']         = 'smtp';
$config['smtp_host']        = 'your-smtp-server.example.org';
$config['smtp_auth']        = true;
$config['smtp_user']        = 'your-account@example.org';
$config['smtp_email']       = 'your-account@example.org';
$config['smtp_pass']        = 'your-password';
$config['smtp_port']        = 587;
$config['smtp_crypto']      = 'tls';

Setting	Description
smtp_host	SMTP server hostname
smtp_auth	true if authentication is required
smtp_user / smtp_email	Account or from-address
smtp_pass	Password (empty if not required)
smtp_port	e.g. 25, 587, 465
smtp_crypto	tls, ssl, or empty

Test email

1. Forgot password — log out, use forgot password with a known account email.
2. Site admin — Settings → SMTP settings → Test email configurations (reads from email.php when configured).

Smoke tests

Run these checks before go-live:

#	Test	Expected result
1	Open Metadata Editor URL	Login page loads
2	Log in as Site Administrator	Dashboard / projects page
3	Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000 on the server	FastAPI docs or health response
4	Create a test microdata project; import a small CSV or Stata/SPSS file	Import completes without FastAPI service errors
5	(Optional) Enqueue a background job or generate PDF	Job completes if background worker is running
6	(Optional) Click Assess metadata on a test project Issues page	New issues appear if metadata reviewer is installed and enabled — see Metadata reviewer
6	Send test email	Message received or admin test page reports success

If microdata import fails, verify the FastAPI service is running, STORAGE_PATH matches editor storage, and data_api_url is correct.

Production services

Service	When	Guide
FastAPI service (editor-fastapi)	Always, for data features	Run the FastAPI service
Background worker (metadata-editor-worker)	Batch / API jobs only	Jobs and background workers

Ensure services start on boot (systemctl enable / Windows service Automatic).

Backups

The Metadata Editor is often a central metadata repository. Plan regular backups of:

• MySQL database — full dump of metadata_editor (or your database name)
• datafiles/ — project uploads and derived data
• Configuration — application/config/database.php, editor.php, email.php, fastapi/.env (store secrets securely)

Test restore procedures periodically.

Security reminders

• Do not expose the FastAPI service (port 8000) to the internet; use HOST=127.0.0.1.
• Use HTTPS in front of the Metadata Editor for production user access.
• Restrict file permissions on config files containing passwords.
• Keep PHP, Python, and MySQL patched.

Optional: clean URLs

To hide index.php from browser URLs (e.g. /projects instead of /index.php/projects), configure URL rewriting and set $config['index_page'] = '' in config.php.

Full steps for Apache, IIS, and NGINX: Clean URLs.