Set up once. Keep it running.
Install the signed application, connect the computer to KCCS, and choose which background services should continue operating when the local manager is closed.
Before you begin
Have the computer, account, and any physical Keep Connect devices available before installation. Initial setup is local even though day-to-day device management is available through KCCS.
Eligible KCCS account
Use the KCCS username and password associated with an active Pro or Commercial Use subscription.
Administrator access
Installing, updating, or removing background services requires a Windows administrator or macOS administrator password.
Supported release
Download the Windows x64 build or Apple silicon macOS build supplied by Johnson Creative.
Deployment plan
Decide whether you need only KCCS heartbeat, or also scheduled speed tests and KC Pipelines connection policy.
Your KCCS credentials authorize access. The endpoint name is the friendly name that identifies this computer in the Keep Connect app.
Install on Windows
The Windows download is a ZIP containing the application and its private runtime. Keep the folder together.
Download the Windows ZIP
Download Keep Connect Server Edition-Windows-x64.zip from the Johnson Creative customer download location.
Extract the complete archive
Right-click the ZIP, choose Extract All, and select a permanent local location. Do not run the EXE from inside the ZIP, and do not copy only the EXE out of its folder.
Open the local manager
Open the extracted Keep Connect Server Edition folder and run Keep Connect Server Edition.exe. Windows should identify the publisher as Johnson Creative, LLC.
Allow service changes when requested
The app does not need to run permanently as administrator. Windows UAC appears only when you install, update, start, stop, or remove a system service.
The local manager depends on files inside its _internal directory. Installed services are copied to the protected system location, but the GUI still needs its complete extracted folder.
Install on macOS
The Mac release is signed with Johnson Creative's Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple.
Download the macOS ZIP
Download Keep Connect Server Edition-macOS.zip from the Johnson Creative customer download location.
Open the ZIP
Double-click the ZIP to reveal Keep Connect Server Edition.app.
Move the app to Applications
Drag the application into the system Applications folder before configuring background services.
Launch the application
Open the application normally. macOS should validate the Developer ID signature and stapled notarization ticket without requiring a security bypass.
Approve administrator prompts when needed
macOS requests administrator approval when you install or manage system launch services. This is expected.
A current production download is already signed and notarized. If macOS reports that the app is damaged, unidentified, or cannot be verified, stop and contact support rather than disabling Gatekeeper.
Connect the server to your KCCS account
Sign in to KCCS
Enter the same KCCS credentials used for your Keep Connect cloud account. The application checks that the account has an eligible subscription.
Review Overview
The Overview summarizes the KCCS endpoint, KC Pipelines, Speed Test, and the machine's stable identity.
Name and register the computer
Open Cloud & Device, enter a clear endpoint name such as “Main Office Server,” set a valid heartbeat interval, and choose Register device.
Confirm it in Keep Connect
Refresh your KCCS app. The new computer should appear as another managed Keep Connect endpoint under the signed-in account.
Server Edition derives a locally administered, MAC-shaped ID from the computer's firmware identity. It is not tied to one Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter, so replacing a NIC should not create a different KCCS endpoint. Cloned virtual machines should be assigned unique VM firmware UUIDs before deployment.
Keep the computer visible to KCCS
The KCCS Core component sends the computer's heartbeat and maintains its cloud endpoint presence.
| Control | Purpose | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Endpoint name | Friendly name displayed in the Keep Connect apps. | Include the site and role, not a person's password or private data. |
| Computer MAC | Stable identity used to distinguish this endpoint. | Do not manually change it after registration. |
| Heartbeat interval | Controls how often the KCCS heartbeat component runs. | Start with the supplied default unless your deployment plan specifies otherwise. |
| Start / Stop | Runs KCCS communication in the current GUI session. | Useful for initial validation; use the service for unattended operation. |
Measure performance and trigger a selected device
Speed Test monitors the connection on a schedule. Repeated measurements below the configured thresholds can signal the selected Keep Connect target.
Select the target device
Choose a registered Keep Connect device from the list. Use Refresh if a newly added device is missing.
Set performance floors
Enter the minimum acceptable download and upload speeds in Mbps.
Set timing and failure count
Choose the check interval, post-event re-arm delay, and number of failed tests required before an action is triggered.
Validate locally, then install the service
Use Start to observe a local-session test. When the behavior is correct, install Speed Tester from the System page for unattended use.
Define a connection policy and response sequence
KC Pipelines provides the deeper monitoring path. Save the policy before starting it or installing its service.
| Section | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Monitoring method | Keep Connect HTTPS roundtrip, full TCP/HTTPS success, ping-only validation, or monitoring disabled. |
| Domains & timing | Primary and backup test domains, check cadence, backup delay, reconnection delay, maximum continuous resets, and sustained-retry timing. |
| Notifications | No notification, email, SMS, or both, with the destination information used by the policy. |
| Power-cycle targets | Keep Connect MAC addresses that should receive a power-cycle signal when the policy triggers. |
| Health-signal targets | Registered devices that should receive a health signal when the monitoring check passes. |
| Response actions | Optional local computer reboot and an optional custom health-check script. |
“Reboot this computer when monitoring triggers” can restart an unattended production server. Validate domains, timing, failure handling, active workloads, maintenance expectations, and customer approval before enabling it.
Choose and review the monitoring method
Use the validation depth appropriate for the network. Ping alone does not prove that DNS, TLS, or an application path works.
Enter targets and response timing
Add only the Keep Connect device IDs that this computer is authorized to signal.
Save settings
Select Save settings and confirm the page reports that the settings were saved.
Test in the local session
Start the policy and confirm healthy and failure behavior without relying on a production outage.
Install KC Pipelines as a service
After validation, use System to install the KC Pipelines service for unattended operation.
Install only the background services you need
Closing the local manager does not stop installed services. Each service has a separate purpose and retains the configuration saved from its feature page.
| Service | Purpose | Typical deployment |
|---|---|---|
| KCCS Core | Cloud registration heartbeat and endpoint communication. | Install for cloud use |
| Speed Tester | Scheduled performance measurements and selected-device response. | Install only after Speed Test is configured. |
| KC Pipelines | Connection policy, health signals, notifications, and configured responses. | Install only after the pipeline is saved and locally tested. |
The local manager requests elevated permission for the requested install, uninstall, start, or stop operation. It does not need to keep the full GUI running as an administrator.
Update or remove Server Edition safely
Before installing an update
Record the current configuration
Note the enabled services, target devices, thresholds, and pipeline response settings.
Uninstall active services from System
This removes the old protected service copies and their operating-system registrations while leaving the release update process explicit.
Replace the application with the new signed release
On Windows, extract the new complete folder. On macOS, replace the application in Applications.
Launch, verify settings, and reinstall services
Confirm saved settings, then reinstall each service that should continue unattended.
To remove the product
Open System and uninstall all three services before deleting the application. If the original app is no longer available, contact support for platform-specific cleanup help rather than deleting protected service files manually.
Verify the publisher and download
Windows signature
Right-click Keep Connect Server Edition.exe, choose Properties, and open Digital Signatures. The signer should be Johnson Creative, LLC and Windows should report that the digital signature is valid.
Get-AuthenticodeSignature ".\Keep Connect Server Edition.exe" | Format-List Status,SignerCertificate,TimeStamperCertificate
macOS signature and notarization
Advanced users can verify the application after moving it to Applications:
codesign --verify --deep --strict --verbose=2 "/Applications/Keep Connect Server Edition.app"
spctl --assess --type execute --verbose=4 "/Applications/Keep Connect Server Edition.app"
xcrun stapler validate "/Applications/Keep Connect Server Edition.app"
The Gatekeeper assessment should report accepted and identify a notarized Developer ID release.
Each release download should include a version-specific SHA-256 checksum on its download entry. Do not use a checksum from an older build merely because the filename is similar.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| Sign-in says a subscription is required | Confirm the username owns an active KCCS Pro or Commercial Use subscription. Signing into a different KCCS account changes which devices and plan are visible. |
| A registered device is missing from Speed Test | Use Refresh on the Speed Test page and verify that the physical Keep Connect belongs to the same KCCS account. |
| A service will not install | Accept the administrator prompt, confirm the production app is in a stable local location, and verify that security software did not quarantine a signed service executable. |
| Closing the GUI stops monitoring | The feature may be running in local-session mode. Install its corresponding service from System. |
| The Windows app will not open after moving the EXE | Restore the complete extracted folder. The EXE cannot run without its adjacent _internal directory. |
| macOS says the publisher cannot be verified | Confirm the file came from Johnson Creative and is the current notarized build. Do not disable Gatekeeper; contact support. |
Log locations
When support requests logs, send only the relevant files and review them for site-sensitive information first.
| Platform | Local-manager logs |
|---|---|
| Windows | %APPDATA%\Keep Connect Server Edition\keep-connect-server-edition.log and keep-connect-server-edition-console.log |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/Keep Connect Server Edition/keep-connect-server-edition.log and keep-connect-server-edition-console.log |
| macOS services | /tmp/keep-connect-server-edition-<service-name>.out and .err |
Still need help?
Include your operating system, Server Edition version, affected service, exact error message, and whether the feature works in local-session mode.