4.3 Application Server Initialization (First Run)

January 24th, 2026

The BEAR application server has backend administration commands just like the other components (database, file server, and resource monitor). However, administration of the application server is performed primarily via the web GUI.

In order to get the application server into a state where it is fully initialized and capable of being managed online, the administrator must perform a one-time-only initialization procedure. This should be performed immediately after installation.

4.3.1 Before You Begin

In order to initialize BEAR, the following conditions must be met:

• The BEAR database must be running and configured to accept connections from the application server host.
• The BEAR database password is set.
• [optional] The BEAR file server is running and configured to accept connections from the application server host.
• [conditional] The resource monitor must be running and configured to accept connections from the application server host and the port must be known (if not the default TCP 8082).

The resource monitor will only exist on hosts that run bear components excluding the application server.

• The application server has been installed. It will be running in initialization mode by default.
• The administrator can access the application server IP address from a web browser over port TCP 8080.

4.3.2 Initialization Steps

1. Access the BEAR initialization page at http:// <IP_ADDRESS> :8080.
2. The "BEAR First Run" page will appear.
3. Set up the root user:
   i. Input a new root user password
   ii. Provide a valid email address.
4. Register the database:
   i. Input the database server IP address
   ii. Input the database's current root password.
   iii. Input the database server's resource monitor port and indicate whether TLS is enabled.
5. [optional] Register the file server:
   i. Input the file server IP address
   ii. Input the file server's resource monitor port and indicate whether TLS is enabled.
6. Set the preferred HTTP hostname and ports:
   i. Provide the general user facing hostname. Ideally this will be a FQDN1.
   ii. Provide the general user facing HTTP port and secure HTTPS port. Unless there is a specific reason to define non standard ports, 80 is recommended for HTTP and 443 for HTTPS (8080 and 8443 for a test host).
   iii. Provide the admin user facing hostname. Ideally this will be a FQDN and must be different from the general hostname.
   iv. Provide the admin user facing secure HTTPS port. 8444 is recommended though if BEAR will be deployed to host application with no general user interface, this can be 443.

All hostnames and ports must be different.

If DNS is not configured then the hostnames supplied can be any reasonable dummy name that BEAR can use to label the internal web servers.

7. Tick the Sign License Agreement check box and click Apply.

BEAR will make the configuration changes and restart after a couple minutes. You can then access the main admin interface via the admin port defined in step 6 and the host's IP address or, if registered to DNS, the hostname.