Advanced installation: Install WhatsUp Gold using the included local SQL Server Express instance
- Last Updated: April 22, 2026
- 4 minute read
- WhatsUp Gold
- Version 2026
If your license includes Distributed and/or Failover features, you'll be presented with a dialog where you can indicate which of these methods you'd like to deploy. Enable one or both options, then proceed as needed with the following instructional topics.
- Additional steps to configure Failover during installation and Finalize Failover configuration following installation
- Additional steps to configure Distributed (Central Site) during installation and Additional steps to configure Distributed (Remote Site) during installation
If you do not plan to deploy WhatsUp Gold with either Failover or Distributed features, simply click Next without selecting either option to continue installation.

Use the radio button provided to Generate a new Master Secret Key. Or, if you are restoring a previous instance of WhatsUp Gold, select the option to Enter an existing Master Secret Key, then enter the decrypted master secret key generated by the original WhatsUp Gold installation. Please note, you can click the "eye" icon to the right of the obscured characters to view the actual key.
Enter and confirm a password for the new SQL Server Login WhatsUp Gold will use to access the databases, then click Next.
Please note, WhatsUp Gold uses port number 443 by default. If this port is in use by another website, you will be prompted to either click Yes to have the installation program take over port 443 for use by WhatsUp Gold or to click No and specify an alternate port number before proceeding.
Select the certificate option to be used and the source of the certificate required for binding. You may select a certificate from a certificate store, navigate to and select a certificate file on your local machine, or generate a self-signed certificate. Then, click Next to proceed.
Please note, at this point in the workflow, if your license includes Log Management, please review the information found under Configure your Elasticsearch instance for use with Log Management in addition to the remaining procedure steps presented here.
Enter a password for the new Windows account created for dedicated WhatsUp Gold use, then click Next.
Please note, you will only be presented with the Windows account dialog if you are updating the application from a version prior to WhatsUp Gold 2022 and the existing IIS configuration references the Windows account and that configuration has been modified from what was configured by the initial WhatsUp Gold installation prior to upgrade.