Databases

Neo4j on Windows User Guide

| Product: Neo4j on Windows

Overview

This guide covers the deployment and configuration of Neo4j on Windows Server using cloudimg AMIs from the AWS Marketplace. Neo4j is the world's leading graph database, designed for storing and querying highly connected data using the Cypher query language. It is ideal for applications such as social networks, recommendation engines, fraud detection, and knowledge graphs.

What's included in this AMI:

  • Neo4j graph database with browser console on port 7474
  • Neo4j Graph Database Windows Service for automatic startup on boot
  • Default credentials (neo4j/neo4j) with mandatory password change on first login
  • Windows Server with Remote Desktop access
  • 24/7 cloudimg support with guaranteed 24 hour response SLA

Prerequisites

Before launching this AMI, ensure you have:

  1. An active AWS account
  2. An active subscription to the Neo4j on Windows listing on AWS Marketplace
  3. An EC2 key pair for password decryption
  4. A Remote Desktop client application

Recommended Instance Type: t3.medium (2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM) or larger. The minimum requirements are 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, and 30 GB disk space.

Step 1: Launch the AMI

  1. Navigate to the AWS Marketplace and search for "Neo4j Windows cloudimg"
  2. Click Continue to Subscribe, accept the terms, then Continue to Configuration
  3. Select your preferred Region and Software Version
  4. Click Continue to Launch
  5. Choose Launch through EC2 for full control over instance configuration
  6. Select your instance type (t3.medium recommended)
  7. Configure storage: 30 GB gp3 minimum, increase for large graphs
  8. Configure your Security Group with the following inbound rules:
Port Protocol Source Purpose
3389 TCP Your IP Remote Desktop (RDP) access
7474 TCP Your IP Neo4j Browser console (HTTP)

Important: Restrict port 7474 to trusted IP addresses only.

  1. Select your EC2 key pair and launch the instance

Step 2: Retrieve the Windows Password

Wait for the EC2 instance to pass 2/2 status checks.

  1. Open the AWS Console and navigate to EC2 > Instances
  2. Select your instance
  3. Click Actions > Security > Get Windows password
  4. Click Browse and upload your EC2 key pair .pem file
  5. Click Decrypt password
  6. Note the Username (Administrator) and the decrypted Password

Step 3: Connect via Remote Desktop

Open your Remote Desktop client:

On Windows: 1. Press Win + R, type mstsc, and press Enter 2. Enter the public IP address of your instance 3. Click Connect

On macOS: 1. Open Microsoft Remote Desktop 2. Click Add PC and enter the public IP address 3. Double click the connection to connect

When prompted: - Username: Administrator - Password: The decrypted value from Step 2

Step 4: Access the Neo4j Browser Console

The Neo4j service starts automatically on boot. Open a web browser on the instance (Firefox or Internet Explorer) and navigate to:

http://localhost:7474

Or from your local machine:

http://<public-ip-address>:7474

You will see the Connect to Neo4j screen.

Step 5: Log In and Change Password

Enter the default credentials:

  • Username: neo4j
  • Password: neo4j

Click Connect.

You will be immediately prompted to change the default password. Enter a new password and confirm it, then click Change password.

You are now connected to the Neo4j Browser and ready to create and query graph data.

Step 6: Create Your First Graph

In the Neo4j Browser command bar (preceded by $), enter Cypher queries:

Create nodes:

CREATE (alice:Person {name: 'Alice', age: 30})
CREATE (bob:Person {name: 'Bob', age: 25})
CREATE (company:Company {name: 'Acme Corp'})

Create relationships:

MATCH (a:Person {name: 'Alice'}), (b:Person {name: 'Bob'})
CREATE (a)-[:KNOWS]->(b)

MATCH (a:Person {name: 'Alice'}), (c:Company {name: 'Acme Corp'})
CREATE (a)-[:WORKS_AT]->(c)

Query the graph:

MATCH (p:Person)-[r]->(target)
RETURN p, r, target

This will display a visual graph showing the nodes and relationships you created.

Managing the Neo4j Service

Neo4j runs as a Windows Service named Neo4j Graph Database and starts automatically on boot.

To manage via Windows Services:

  1. From the Start Menu, search for Services and click to open
  2. Locate Neo4j Graph Database in the list
  3. Right click to Start, Stop, or Restart the service

Using PowerShell:

# Check Neo4j service status
Get-Service -Name "Neo4j Graph Database*"

# Stop Neo4j
Stop-Service -Name "Neo4j Graph Database*"

# Start Neo4j
Start-Service -Name "Neo4j Graph Database*"

Server Components

Component Version
Neo4j Various

Filesystem Layout

Drive Description
C:\ System drive with Windows and Neo4j installation

Key directories:

Directory Purpose
C:\neo4j Neo4j installation root
C:\neo4j\data Graph database files
C:\neo4j\conf Configuration files
C:\neo4j\logs Neo4j log files

Troubleshooting

Cannot access Neo4j Browser on port 7474

  1. Verify the Neo4j service is running in Windows Services
  2. Check your security group allows port 7474 from your IP
  3. Test locally at http://localhost:7474 from within the RDP session
  4. Check Windows Firewall is not blocking port 7474

Authentication fails

  1. Use the default credentials neo4j/neo4j on first login
  2. If you changed the password and forgot it, stop Neo4j and delete the auth file in the data directory, then restart

Neo4j service fails to start

  1. Check Windows Event Viewer for error details
  2. Verify Java is installed (required by Neo4j)
  3. Check disk space availability
  4. Review logs in the Neo4j logs directory

Cannot connect via RDP

  1. Verify the instance has passed 2/2 status checks
  2. Check that your security group allows port 3389 from your IP
  3. Wait up to 15 minutes for the Windows password to be available

Security Recommendations

  • Change the default password immediately on first login
  • Change the Administrator password for Windows after first login
  • Restrict port access: Only allow ports 3389 and 7474 from trusted IPs
  • Enable HTTPS for the Neo4j Browser by configuring SSL in the Neo4j configuration
  • Use role based access control to create users with minimal privileges
  • Monitor database activity through the Neo4j Browser system information panel
  • Back up regularly: Use Neo4j backup tools to create database snapshots
  • Enable Windows Update: Keep the OS patched with the latest security updates

Support

If you encounter any issues with this product, contact cloudimg support:

  • Email: support@cloudimg.co.uk
  • Website: www.cloudimg.co.uk
  • Support hours: 24/7 with guaranteed 24 hour response SLA