# System Configuration

> Configuring the application server behind a self-hosted Cascade CMS instance: memory and ports, TLS, logging, proxying, load balancing, and the license key.

URL: https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/index.html
category: Cascade Administration
article-type: concept
content-kind: article
release-availability: all
tags: installation
updated: 2026-10-06

These articles cover the Tomcat instance and host that a self-hosted Cascade CMS runs on, rather than anything configured inside the CMS itself. Most involve editing a file on the server and restarting the instance.

## Memory and runtime

- [Modifying the heap size](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/modify-heap-size.html)
- [Modifying the thread stack size](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/modify-thread-stack.html)
- [Modifying application ports](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/modify-ports.html) — including running more than one instance on a host.
- [Pointing Cascade CMS at a Java installation](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/java-configuration.html)
- [Configuring the heap dump on out of memory option](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/heap-dump-oom.html)
- [Upgrading Tomcat independently of Cascade CMS](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/upgrade-tomcat.html)

## Security and TLS

- [SSL/TLS configuration](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/ssl-tls-configuration.html) — preparing a keystore and configuring the connector.
- [Forcing connections to use SSL/TLS](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/force-ssl-tls.html)
- [Enabling or disabling TLS versions](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/enabling-or-disabling-tls-versions.html)
- [Enabling HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS)](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/enabling-http-strict-transport-security-hsts.html)
- [Securing session cookies](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/securing-session-cookies.html)
- [Firewall considerations](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/firewall.html) — the inbound and outbound connections to allow.

## Infrastructure and logging

- [Load balancing](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/load-balancing.html) — running several instances against one database.
- [Using Apache 2.4 to proxy Cascade CMS](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/apache-2.4-proxy.html)
- [Configuring outbound proxy support for system-generated emails](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/email-proxy-support.html)
- [Configuring log rotation and compression](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/logging-rotation-compression.html)
- [Modifying the database configuration](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/modify-db.html)
- [Updating the license key](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/system-configuration/update-license.html)