Windows Installation Guide for digna Release 2026.06¶

Release: 2026.06

Last Updated: August 30, 2026

Table of Contents¶

1. Introduction
2. System Requirements
3. Pre-Installation Setup
4. PostgreSQL Server Setup
5. Web Server Configuration
6. Initial Installation
7. Backend Configuration
8. Dashboard Configuration
9. Running digna as a Windows Service
10. Upgrading to a New Release

Introduction¶

About digna¶

digna is a comprehensive AI-driven platform designed to optimize data quality management across various data environments such as warehouses, lakes, and lakehouses. Built to be highly scalable and adaptable, digna addresses modern data challenges through automation, real-time monitoring, and anomaly detection.

digna consists of two main components:

• digna: The core engine of the application, responsible for processing data and performing quality checks. It combines the backend and the command line interface in a single executable, replacing the separate dignabackend and dignacli of earlier releases.
• dignadashboard: A web-based interface hosted on a web server, providing a user-friendly way to interact with the digna platform and visualize data quality metrics.

What's New in Release 2026.06¶

This release brings data observability capabilities directly into your code, enabling developers to monitor data quality at the source. See the release notes for complete details.

Looking for macOS or Linux?¶

This guide covers Windows. For other platforms, see the macOS Installation Guide or the Linux Installation Guide.

System Requirements¶

Before you begin the installation, ensure that your system meets the following minimum requirements:

Database Installation Options¶

If PostgreSQL is already installed: You can add a new database for digna to your existing PostgreSQL Server.

If installing PostgreSQL on the same machine as digna:

Pre-Installation Setup¶

Before installing digna, ensure that two key prerequisites are in place:

1. PostgreSQL Server – for storing calculated metrics and performance data
2. Web Server – for hosting the digna Dashboard

If these components are not already set up, follow the sections below to install and configure them.

PostgreSQL Server Setup¶

If You Already Have PostgreSQL¶

If PostgreSQL is already installed and running on your local machine or if you are using a managed remote PostgreSQL server, you can skip to the next section.

Installing PostgreSQL¶

Follow these steps to install PostgreSQL on Windows:

Step 1: Download PostgreSQL¶

1. Visit the PostgreSQL Downloads page
2. Select Windows
3. Download the latest installer

Step 2: Run the Installer¶

1. Double-click the downloaded installer file
2. Follow the prompts in the setup wizard

Step 3: Choose Installation Directory¶

Select the directory where PostgreSQL will be installed. The default location is usually appropriate.

Step 4: Select Components¶

For a standard setup, keep the default component options selected.

Step 5: Set PostgreSQL Superuser Password¶

Enter and confirm a password for the PostgreSQL superuser (postgres). Save this password securely — you will need it later.

Step 6: Configure Port Number¶

The default PostgreSQL port is 5432. You can use the default or specify a different port if needed.

Step 7: Choose Locale¶

Select the locale for your database. The default is usually suitable for most installations.

Step 8: Complete Installation¶

Click Next through the remaining steps, then click Finish.

Step 9: Verify Installation¶

Open Command Prompt and verify PostgreSQL is installed:

psql --version

You should see the PostgreSQL version if the installation was successful.

Web Server Configuration¶

digna requires a web server to host the dashboard. Choose one of the following options:

• Internet Information Services (IIS)
• Apache Tomcat

You only need to install and configure one of these servers.

IIS Setup¶

Overview¶

Internet Information Services (IIS) is Microsoft's web server for hosting websites and web applications.

Enabling IIS¶

1. Open Control Panel
2. Press Win + R

3. Type control and press Enter

4. Navigate to Windows Features

5. Click Programs

6. Select Turn Windows features on or off

7. Enable Internet Information Services

8. Scroll down and find Internet Information Services (IIS)
9. Check the checkbox to enable it

10. Click the + to expand and verify these subcomponents are selected:

    • Web Management Tools
    • World Wide Web Services

11. Click OK to apply changes

12. Verify IIS Installation

13. Open your browser
14. Navigate to http://localhost
15. You should see the IIS Welcome page

Required: URL Rewrite Module¶

IIS requires the URL Rewrite component. Download and install it from the official Microsoft page.

Required: MIME Type for Markdown Files¶

To ensure Markdown files (.md) are served correctly by IIS:

1. Open IIS Manager (press Win + R, type inetmgr, press Enter)
2. Navigate to Your Site > MIME Types
3. Click Add...
4. Configure:
5. File name extension: .md
6. MIME type: text/markdown

Apache Tomcat Setup¶

Overview¶

Apache Tomcat is an open-source Java servlet container and web server.

Installation¶

1. Download Apache Tomcat
2. Visit Apache Tomcat Downloads

3. Download the Windows ZIP distribution

4. Extract the Archive

5. Extract the ZIP file to a directory on your system

6. Example: C:\Program Files\Apache Tomcat

7. Verify Tomcat is Running

8. Open your browser
9. Navigate to http://localhost:8080
10. You should see the Apache Tomcat welcome page

Initial Installation¶

Step 1: Set Up the digna Repository¶

The digna repository stores all metrics calculated by digna. It acts as the central database for analytical and performance data.

Create Repository Schema and User¶

Open your PostgreSQL client (pgAdmin, psql, or similar) and execute the following SQL commands:

CREATE SCHEMA <digna_repo_schema>;

CREATE USER <digna_repo_user> WITH PASSWORD '<digna_repo_password>';

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON SCHEMA <digna_repo_schema> TO <digna_repo_user>;

Replace the following placeholders:

• <digna_repo_schema> — Your desired schema name (e.g., dignarepo)
• <digna_repo_user> — Your desired username (e.g., digna_user)
• <digna_repo_password> — A secure password for this user

Example:

CREATE SCHEMA dignarepo;

CREATE USER digna_user WITH PASSWORD 'YourSecurePassword123!';

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON SCHEMA dignarepo TO digna_user;

Step 2: Extract the digna Installation Package¶

1. Locate the digna installation ZIP file provided to you
2. Extract it to your desired installation location
3. After extraction, you should see the following items:
4. dashboard/ — Web dashboard interface
5. digna — Main executable (backend + CLI combined)

Step 3: Install the License File¶

1. Locate the license.toml file provided to you
2. Copy it into the root digna installation directory (where config.toml and the digna executable are located)

Why this matters: The license file contains your customer information, license expiration date, and digital signature. Do not modify this file — any changes will invalidate it.

Directory structure after setup:

digna_installation/
├── config.toml         (configuration file)
├── license.toml        (YOUR LICENSE FILE - copy here)
├── digna               (main executable)
└── dashboard/          (web interface)
    └── (dashboard files)

Backend Configuration¶

Step 1: Create and Edit the Configuration File¶

The config_template.toml file is provided in your digna installation directory. You only need to rename it to config.toml.

Location: digna_installation/config.toml

Open config.toml in a text editor and configure each section below.

[app] Section¶

This section configures the digna backend application settings:

[app]
digna_APP_CORS_ALLOW_ORIGINS = ["http://localhost:5173"]
digna_APP_CORS_ALLOW_CREDENTIALS = true
digna_APP_CORS_ALLOW_METHODS = ["*"]
digna_APP_CORS_ALLOW_HEADERS = ["*"]

[repo] Section¶

This section configures the connection to the PostgreSQL database:

[repo]
digna_REPO_HOST = "localhost"
digna_REPO_PORT = 5432
digna_REPO_DB = "postgres"
digna_REPO_SCHEMA = "dignarepo"
digna_REPO_USER = "digna_user"
digna_REPO_PASSWORD = "YourSecurePassword123!"

[base] Section¶

This section contains security and cookie settings:

[base]
DIGNA_FERNET_KEY = "DU4a0yJ-OqvbKCL4hNQn_CsknH-V1vWmHZqBUl-AY44="
digna_COOKIE_DOMAIN = "localhost"
digna_COOKIE_PATH = "/"
digna_COOKIE_SECURE = false
digna_COOKIE_HTTPONLY = true
digna_COOKIE_SAME_SITE = "lax"
digna_TOKEN_EXPIRES_IN = 86400
digna_MAX_WORKERS = 4
DIGNA_SCHEDULER_MAX_DELAY = 100
DIGNA_CLEANUP_TIME = "12:00"

[encryption] Section¶

This section holds the key used to encrypt sensitive values stored in the repository. It is required — config check reports the [encryption] section as FAILED if the key is missing.

[encryption]
DIGNA_ENCRYPTION_KEY = 'ycELf6IbcO55dYIZHpPv6kQv/bbnUXoIaHLh2bh1kMg='

[logging] Section¶

This section configures logging behavior:

[logging]
digna_LOGGING_MODE = "INFO"
digna_LOGGING_BACKUP_COUNT = 10

Step 2: Validate the Configuration¶

Before initializing the repository, check that config.toml is complete and well formed. In your digna installation directory, run:

digna config check

Every section is validated on its own, so a single mistake does not hide the state of the rest:

Configuration validation report (source: config.toml):
 - App config: OK
 - Repository config: OK
 - Base config: OK
 - Logging config: OK
 - Encryption config: OK
 - OIDC config(s): OK

Overall: OK

Fix anything reported as FAILED and run the command again before continuing. See the CLI reference for the full list of options.

Step 3: Initialize the Repository¶

1. Open Command Prompt
2. Navigate to your digna installation directory (where config.toml and the digna executable are located)
3. Run the connection test:

digna repo check

You should see a confirmation that the connection is established (the repository itself hasn't been initialized yet).

Step 4: Install the Repository Schema¶

In the same directory, run:

digna repo install

This command installs the necessary tables and schema in your PostgreSQL database.

Step 5: Create an Admin User¶

The admin user is created directly against the repository schema, so the server does not need to be running yet. In the digna installation directory, run:

digna user add <email> <password> "<display_name>" --admin

Example:

digna user add admin@example.com "AdminPassword123!" "Admin User" --admin

This creates a user with full administrative privileges.

Step 6: Start the digna Server¶

In the digna installation directory, start the server with:

digna serve --address <host> --port <port>

Parameters: - --address — Server hostname/IP - --port — Server port

You should see startup messages confirming the server is running:

INFO:     Started server process [1234]
INFO:     Waiting for application startup.
INFO:     Application startup complete
INFO:     Uvicorn running on http://localhost:8082

Dashboard Configuration¶

Step 1: Deploy Dashboard to Web Server¶

The digna dashboard reads its own configuration from dashboard/dashboard_config.toml. That file does not ship with the installation — you create it in the dashboard/ directory alongside the dashboard files.

Its contents are described under Single Sign-On, which is also where the file is needed: it carries the login options the dashboard offers and, for multi-instance deployments, the backend connection.

Choose your web server and follow the corresponding deployment steps.

Deploying to IIS¶

1. Open IIS Manager

2. Press Win + R, type inetmgr, press Enter

3. Create a New Website

4. In the left panel, right-click Sites

5. Select Add Website...

6. Configure the Website

7. Site Name: Enter a name (e.g., "dignaDashboard")
8. Physical Path: Click Browse and select your dashboard folder

9. Binding: Set IP address and port (default port 80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS)

10. Start the Website

11. Click OK to create the site

12. Right-click the new site and select Start

13. Test the Installation

14. Open your browser
15. Navigate to http://localhost (or your configured URL)
16. You should see the digna dashboard login page

Deploying to Apache Tomcat¶

1. Copy Dashboard to Tomcat
2. Copy the dashboard folder to your Tomcat webapps directory
3. Rename it if needed (e.g., to digna)

4. Example: C:\Program Files\Apache Tomcat\webapps\digna

5. Verify Deployment

6. Refresh or reload the Tomcat management page (http://localhost:8080)

7. You should see "digna" (or your chosen name) listed in the deployed applications

8. Access the Dashboard

9. Open your browser
10. Navigate to http://localhost:8080/digna
11. You should see the digna dashboard login page

Running digna as a Windows Service¶

Why Use a Windows Service?¶

Running the digna backend as a Windows service ensures it: - Starts automatically when the server boots - Runs in the background without an open Command Prompt - Restarts automatically if it crashes - Can be managed through Windows Services

The windows Commands¶

The service is managed by the digna executable itself, through the digna windows subcommands. There are no batch files to run.

Every command takes --name to address a service registered under a non-default name. The full option list is in the CLI reference.

Installing the Service¶

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
2. Right-click Command Prompt

3. Select "Run as Administrator"

4. Navigate to your digna installation directory

   cd C:\path\to\digna
   

5. Register the service

   digna windows install
   

digna windows install --address 0.0.0.0 --port 8082

The service is registered with automatic startup, so it will start with Windows. It does not start immediately — see the next section.

Install Options¶

Starting and Stopping the Service¶

To Start the Service¶

digna windows start

To Stop the Service¶

digna windows stop

Moving the Service to a New Directory¶

If you need to relocate the digna installation:

1. Stop and unregister the current service

   cd C:\old\path\digna
   digna windows stop
   digna windows uninstall
   

2. Move the Application Files

3. Move the entire digna installation folder to the new location

4. Register the service again from the new location

   cd C:\new\path\digna
   digna windows install
   

Repeat any --address, --port or --account values you used the first time — the previous registration is gone.

1. Start the Service

   digna windows start
   

Uninstalling the Service¶

1. Stop the Running Service

   cd C:\path\to\digna
   digna windows stop
   

2. Unregister the Service

   digna windows uninstall
   

The digna server is now unregistered as a Windows service.

Upgrading to a New Release¶

Before You Upgrade¶

Verify All Database Connections First

From Release 2026.06, digna reaches every source technology over ODBC. Earlier releases offered a choice between a per-technology driver and ODBC, selected with a Use ODBC switch. The digna team decided to build on ODBC alone, because a single, standard interface gives you more than a set of bespoke drivers can:

• Authentication — authentication is part of ODBC, so a connection can use whatever its driver supports: passwords, tokens and PATs, Kerberos and Active Directory, MFA and browser-based single sign-on, cloud identity, client certificates and TLS. New methods arrive with a driver update, rather than waiting for a digna release.
• Drivers maintained by the database vendors — the vendor's own driver tracks new server versions and security fixes, and you can update it on your own schedule, independently of digna.
• One way to configure everything — every technology is a list of key/value properties, with the same interface, the same encryption of sensitive values and the same troubleshooting, instead of a different set of fields per source.
• Tuning and reach — driver-level options such as timeouts, TLS settings, proxies and fetch sizes are available for every source, and any technology with a compliant ODBC driver can be connected, including ones digna does not publish a dedicated guide for.

In practice this means the Use ODBC switch and the separate host, port, database, user and password fields no longer exist. Every connection that does not already use ODBC must be changed to ODBC — there is no automatic conversion, so plan for this before you upgrade:

1. Review every database connection defined in your installation and list the ones that are not yet using ODBC — each of these has to be reconfigured.
2. Install the matching ODBC driver on the digna host — connections are opened from the server that runs the digna backend, not from the browser. See Install the ODBC Driver on the digna Host.
3. Have the ODBC properties ready for each affected connection. The technology guides list a known-working property set per source.

After the upgrade, change each affected connection over to ODBC and test it from the dashboard — see Create a Database Connection and Testing a Connection.

Creating a digna Repository Backup is Mandatory

Before upgrading digna, back up your repository (PostgreSQL) to protect against data loss. A backup ensures you can recover if the upgrade encounters unexpected issues.

Upgrade Process¶

Step 1: Stop and Unregister the Old Service¶

If digna is running as a Windows service, stop it with the batch files of your current installation — the digna windows commands belong to the new release and are not available yet:

cd C:\path\to\digna\bin
stop_service.bat

Then unregister the service, again with the old batch file. The registration points at the old executable and its scripts, both of which this upgrade replaces, so it cannot be reused:

uninstall_service.bat

Step 2: Backup Current Installation¶

In your digna installation directory, rename the folders of your current installation so that the new release can be deployed alongside them:

# Rename the folder containing dignabackend
ren dignabackend dignabackend_old

# Rename the folder containing dignacli
ren dignacli dignacli_old

# Rename dashboard
ren dashboard dashboard_old

Step 3: Extract and Deploy New Version¶

1. Extract the new digna installation ZIP file
2. Copy the new digna executable, dashboard folder to your installation directory

Step 4: Restore Your Configuration Files¶

copy dashboard_old\dashboard_config.toml dashboard\dashboard_config.toml

[base]
DIGNA_SCHEDULER_MAX_DELAY = 100
DIGNA_CLEANUP_TIME = "12:00"

[encryption]
DIGNA_ENCRYPTION_KEY = 'ycELf6IbcO55dYIZHpPv6kQv/bbnUXoIaHLh2bh1kMg='

[[oidc_clients]]
DIGNA_OIDC_KEY = 'microsoft'
DIGNA_OIDC_CLIENT_ID = '<client_id>'
DIGNA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET = '<client_secret>'
DIGNA_OIDC_REDIRECT_URI = 'http://localhost:3000/oidc/callback'
DIGNA_OIDC_CONFIGURATION_URL = 'https://login.microsoftonline.com/<tenant_id>/v2.0/.well-known/openid-configuration'

[oidc_clients.microsoft]
DIGNA_OIDC_CLIENT_ID = '<client_id>'
DIGNA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET = '<client_secret>'
DIGNA_OIDC_REDIRECT_URI = 'http://localhost:3000/oidc/callback'
DIGNA_OIDC_CONFIGURATION_URL = 'https://login.microsoftonline.com/<tenant_id>/v2.0/.well-known/openid-configuration'

Step 5: Reload the Web Server¶

The dashboard is a set of static files, so your web server — and the browser — may still be serving the previous version. Reload or restart whichever web server hosts the dashboard folder, then reload the page with a hard refresh (Ctrl+F5).

Step 6: Validate the Configuration¶

Confirm that the updated config.toml is complete before touching the repository:

digna config check

Every section must report OK. Fix anything reported as FAILED and run the command again before continuing.

Step 7: Replace the License File¶

Each release is licensed separately. Copy the license.toml that the digna team provided for this release into the installation directory, replacing the old one:

copy /Y C:\path\to\new\license.toml license.toml

digna license check

Step 8: Upgrade the Repository Schema¶

Navigate to your digna installation directory and run:

digna repo upgrade

This updates the PostgreSQL schema to the latest version while preserving all existing data.

Step 9: Register and Start the Service¶

The old registration was removed in Step 1, so the service is registered again — this time with the digna executable, which has no batch files:

cd C:\path\to\digna
digna windows install --address <address> --port <port>
digna windows start

Give --address and --port the values the old service served on, unless you want the new defaults of 127.0.0.1 and 8000; they are recorded in the registration and are no longer read from config.toml. Add --account and --password if the old service ran under a domain account. See Running digna as a Windows Service for the full option list.

If running manually, restart the server:

cd C:\path\to\digna
digna serve --address <address> --port <port>

If using IIS or Tomcat, restart the respective web server.

Step 10: Verify the Upgrade¶

1. Access the digna dashboard
2. Verify that the interface loads correctly
3. Check the server logs for any errors
4. Change every connection that did not already use ODBC over to ODBC, then test all connections — see Testing a Connection