System Requirements and Recommendations:

CSTARS can run well in many environments, including some older Operating Systems, however features are no longer tested in those environments due to discontinued vendor support for those products.
CSTARS features are currently tested and fully supported in the following:

For Windows:

  • Operating System Requirements:
    • Vista SP3 or higher
    • Windows 7 (SP1 Preferred)
  • Software Requirements:
    • Adobe Reader 8.2+ (recommended Adobe Reader X 10.0.1)
    • Internet Explorer 9+ or Firefox 11+ or Safari 4.0+ or Chrome 20+
  • Hardware Requirements:
    • 1GB of RAM minimum (2GB+ Recommended)

For Macintosh:

  • Operating System Requirements:
    • OSX 10.2+
  • Software Requirements:
    • Firefox 11+ or Safari 4.0+ or Chrome 20+
    • Adobe Reader 8.2+ (recommended Adobe Reader X 10.0.1)
  • Hardware Requirements:
    • 1GB of RAM minimum (2GB+ Recommended)

Pop-Ups:

Many features in CSTARS require the use of Pop ups. Pop ups need to be unblocked for the CSTARS website with any blocker that may be installed on the user’s computer such as in their internet browser or virus protection software. This will ensure that users are able to View and Print all of their Forms in CSTARS.

Bandwidth / Internet Requirements:

  • A minimum of 128Kb dedicated bandwidth for each 2 concurrent CSTARS users.
  • As far as Internet connections go, faster connections provide a better user experience. With this in mind, usage of a Cable, DSL or T-1 connection is preferable. Dial up connections may be used for CSTARS, however, they will cause pages to load slowly.

Local County Office and School District Networks can also have an effect on how well an Internet-based system will function for users. It is helpful for new CSTARS District’s to involve their IT department in the process.

CSTARS Nightly Management Tasks:

CSTARS undergoes nightly management tasks from the hours of 1am to 4am, which include maintenance/backups/re-indexing. Due to these jobs, CSTARS is under quite a large load between ~1am and ~4am. All tasks are needed to maintain both the performance and recoverability of the system. We have taken care to schedule these items around other required jobs and our users as much as feasible.