Installation and configuration Sitecore Email Experience Manager Part-1

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 EXM Part 1:   Install&Configure EXM

EXM module divided in to two series.

 EXM Part 1:  Install&Configure EXM.
EXM Part 2:  Explore EXM emails and reporting Data.



Recently I got a chance to configure EXM at my instance so I think I should be capture all the steps. So let's start to configure Sitecore Email Experience Manager and send emails.

I am using Sitecore 8.2 update 7 so I have download EXM as per my version. For download the EXM you can go with this URL

So when you finish downloading and extract folder you see many files but you have to pick below highlited file.
  


Before installation we have to put some configuration like connection string and authenticated key under connection String file

 Installation Pre-requisite

Here I am going to mention what we need to do before installation EXM. We have to do steps in connection string to add empty connection and authentication key.

a.   Go inside the website/App_config and open connection string file and put the below connection string.

<!—EXM Connection -->
  <add name="exm.master" connectionString="" />
  <add name="exm.web" connectionString="" />

b.   Add two connection string EXM.CryptographicKey and EXM.AuthenticationKey. copy below connection string and paste. Remove highlighted key and re generate new key from here.

<add name="EXM.CryptographicKey" connectionString= "35338a6180f18188ec8ef8900b54be9c1e7c8dab24bd156545a59962a6d5b14f" />
  <add name="EXM.AuthenticationKey" connectionString= "e1d2baab29c12768d2f2543830040a9f358c08d1834d4addf46035330a8e6201" />
 
Note:  Just remember both are different you have to generate two keys and second thing select hexadecimal and put 32 in text box when you generating new key.




After generating key just copy and put on notepad and remove all spaces between keys and put in connection string. Save your connection string file and moving on installation EXM package.
So all set we are moving to install EXM package. So choose below file to install EXM package by installation wizard.
Email Experience Manager 3.5.2 rev. 180411






Configuration

Once you complete the installation just restart the server and we have to attach EXM database with Sql server. So where the EXM Database?
EXM data base will present in data folder.



So for attaching database moving on Sql server. Right click on database and choose attach and select Sitecore.Exm.mdf and Sitecore.Exm_web.mdf database. Modify connection string whatever we have define earlier for those database.



Note:  we have to do some permission for both databases to granting execute tight to stored procedures. so write click on database and choose properties and go inside permission and choose execute and give Grant permission.





Next step you have to go in this file /App_config/Include/Sitecore.Analytics.Tracking.config and change ClusterName value and set your local instance host name.
<setting name="Analytics.ClusterName" value="yourlocalinstance" />

Lastly we have to setup MTA(message transfer agent). Exm has two option available for setting up an agent.
     a.   Sitecore Email Cloud
     b.  Custom SMTP
Sitecore Email cloud need subscription so most of the cases we use this on prod environment. To read more about Sitecore Email Cloud just go through this URL

For now we are choosing Custom SMTP to test on local EXM

Configure SMTP

      a. In this path \App_Config\Include\EmailExperience you will find below file. Just add the suffix    .disabled in below file.

1.       Sitecore.EDS.Providers.SparkPost.config.disabled
2.       Sitecore.EDS.Providers.SparkPost.Sync.config.disabled
b. In this path \App_Config\Include\EmailExperience you will find below file. Just remove the           suffix .disabled in below file.

1.        Sitecore.EDS.Providers.CustomSMTP.config
2.       Sitecore.EDS.Providers.CustomSMTP.Sync.config

     c. Open this Sitecore.EDS.Providers.CustomSMTP.config  file and update custom smpt setting            looks like.



    d.  Open this Sitecore.EDS.Providers.CustomSMTP.Sync.config file and update your pop setting.

       



Note:  I used GMAIL SMTP  configuration to send out emails so put your user name under user name section and password in password section.

    f.  One more thing we have to update in web.config file under root folder. Copy below line and paste under appSetting  section.

                <add key="eds:define" value="CustomeSMTP" />
                <add key="exmEnabled:define" value="yes" />

So configuration part done moving on Sitecore and verify its install properly or not. When you click Sitecore and go under content then you will see Email campaign folder.





Testing MTA Connection

In Sitecore EXM Manager Root Item there is a test connection button to test server. Just click on that it will verify your connection to MTA. This will work for both Email cloud and CustomSMTP providers.
When you establish successful connection then it will show looks like.





If you see the green status, then you are ready to send emails.
Sometimes MTA connection failed so for that firstly check your log file under data folder.

 a.     Eds.log
b.     Exm.log

And second thing what I have faced. Gmail blocks signing in from unsecure apps so when you are using EXM then you have to on this “allow less secure apps”  through your google account.
URL for allow less secure app

Hopefully this will be helpful.

in next artical we will setup emails with tokens and multilingual email and explore reporting data.

Happy coding!


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