Requirements

System Requirements

• PHP: ^8.4
• Node.js: v25.x
• pnpm: ^10.0
• PostgreSQL: 16+

PHP Extensions

The following PHP extensions are required to satisfy application dependencies:

ext-ctype       ext-curl        ext-dom         ext-fileinfo
ext-filter      ext-hash        ext-iconv       ext-intl
ext-json        ext-libxml      ext-mbstring    ext-openssl
ext-pcre        ext-pdo         ext-phar        ext-reflection
ext-session     ext-simplexml   ext-sodium      ext-tokenizer
ext-xml         ext-xmlreader   ext-xmlwriter   ext-zip

Database Requirements

PostgreSQL Only

PostgreSQL 16+ is the only officially supported database driver for this project. Further documentation will assume PostgreSQL is in use.

The application has not been tested with MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, or other database engines. Key limitations with other databases:

• Schema Compatibility - Certain migrations may use PostgreSQL-specific features
• Native Functions - Filament charts and analytics widgets rely on PostgreSQL functions

If you choose to use a different database driver, expect to modify migrations, seeders, and dashboard widgets.

Local Development Setup

Laravel Herd

Recommended

Laravel Herd provides an all-in-one development environment for macOS and Windows:

• PHP 8.4+ with extension management
• Nginx web server
• PostgreSQL, Redis, and MinIO services
• Automatic site provisioning

Laravel Valet

Alternative

Laravel Valet is a lightweight macOS environment requiring manual installation of PHP, PostgreSQL, and other dependencies.

Suitable as an alternative if you cannot use Laravel Herd.

Northwestern-Specific Requirements

API Access Required

Access to Northwestern integrations requires approval and credentials through the API Service Registry.

To make the most of this project, you’ll need access to the following integrations:

WebSSO / Entra ID

SSO configuration for Northwestern authentication. Credentials must be obtained through the Entra ID application registration process.

Required for user authentication via NetID.

Directory Search

Service responsible for user lookups, demographic sync, and organizational data.

Required for Northwestern user provisioning.

EventHub

Webhook configuration and HMAC shared secret for event subscriptions.

Optional - Only needed if consuming or publishing events.

NetID Updates Event Message

Subscription to the etidentity.ldap.netid.term topic for receiving NetID lifecycle events.

Optional - Enables automatic role removal when users leave Northwestern. Requires EventHub access.