> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pads4.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# PADS4 installation prerequisites

> Components the PADS4 Foundation installer adds to your server, including the reverse proxy, message broker, .NET runtimes, and WebView2.

During the installation process, PADS4 will install the following prerequisites:

### Included in PADS4 Installer

All the prerequisites will be installed/updated by the PADS4 Foundation installer. Do not pre-install these components beforehand on a server or workstation for white listing or other project related matters, this can disrupt the functional operation of the PADS4 Foundation product.

| Package                                                                        | Description                                                                                               |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| PADS4 Reverse Proxy                                                            | YARP‑based reverse proxy load balancer with better performance than NGinx                                 |
| PADS4 Message Broker                                                           | Default messaging system; it handles internal communication between PADS4 microservices                   |
| PADS4 Package Manager                                                          | Core tool for installing, updating, or removing PADS4; uninstalling it separately prevents PADS4 removal. |
| Microsoft ASP.NET 10                                                           | .NET framework for PADS4 middleware                                                                       |
| Microsoft .NET Runtime 10                                                      | .NET framework for PADS4 middleware                                                                       |
| Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime                                                | Web element rendering engine                                                                              |
| Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 <br />Redistributable (x64 & x84) - 14.32.31332 | Runtime components for C++ apps                                                                           |
| Dokan 1.5.1.1000 bundle                                                        | Virtual drive library for Content Library                                                                 |
| NGinx Reverse Proxy                                                            | High‑performance load balancer used by PADS4                                                              |
| Microsoft ASP.NET 8 (deprecated since 2026.1)                                  | .NET framework for PADS4 middleware                                                                       |
| Microsoft .NET Runtime 8 (deprecated since 2026.1)                             | .NET framework for PADS4 middleware                                                                       |
| Microsoft .NET Runtime 6 (deprecated since 2025.1)                             | Legacy .NET framework for middleware                                                                      |
| Microsoft ASP.NET 6   (deprecated since 2025.1)                                | Legacy .NET framework for middleware                                                                      |
| Erlang 24.0 (deprecated from 2022.3)                                           | Concurrency and fault tolerance library.                                                                  |
| RabbitMQ Server 3.9.1 (deprecated from 2022.3)                                 | Legacy messaging broker                                                                                   |

### Downloaded During Installation

These may be fetched automatically if missing on older systems

| Package                        | Description                            |
| ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------- |
| Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 | Common framework; downloaded if absent |
| Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2 | Common framework; downloaded if absent |

### Optional requirements

These depend on your configuration and modules.

| Package              | Description                                                                                  |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| IIS                  | Required for PADS4 Digital Signage CMS 1.0 & PADS4 Workspace,                                |
| SQL Server           | Default is SQLite (no install needed); use SQL for PADS4 FIDS and PADS4 CMS 1.0 if preferred |
| Microsoft Powerpoint | Needed on PADS4 Server for converting PPT to HTML5 Viewer format                             |