SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Users Guide Revision 39 10/22/2012 Solatech, Inc.
Contents Introduction... 5 Installation... 5 Installing on a server with the Solatech Window Covering Software... 5 Running the Server Manager... 5 Addressing Important Tasks... 5 Create Data Folders... 6 Creating the folders yourself... 6 Setting security on your folders... 6 Sharing the folders for your workstations... 6 Activate your Software License... 6 Select/Install a SQL Server... 6 Install a Solatech Instance of SQL Server 2005 Express... 7 Install a custom Instance of SQL Server 2005 Express... 7 I will install SQL Server on this machine later... 7 I will use a SQL Server installation on another machine... 7 Create a New Company Database... 7 Company Database Tasks... 7 Creating a New Company... 7 To create a company database... 8 Attaching a Company... 8 To attach a company database... 8 Detaching a Company... 8 To detach a company database... 9 Verifying a Company... 9 To verify a company database... 9 Viewing a Company Event Log... 9 To view the log file... 9 To view these text files... 9 Backup and Restore... 10 Backing up the SWCS Company Database... 10 SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 2 of 16
Steps... 10 Backing up the SWCS Database and Product Files... 10 Steps... 10 Backing up all of the SWCS Data Files... 10 Steps... 11 Restoring a SWCS Backup... 11 Steps... 11 Sharing and Security... 12 Share the SWCS Data with Other Users... 12 Adjust Security on SWCS Data Folders... 12 Setup Windows Firewall for SQL Server... 12 File Management... 12 Manage File Locations... 13 Changing the location of a folder... 13 Copy, move or delete files... 13 Share the root data folder... 13 Set the minimum level file and folder security... 14 Validate File Locations... 14 Show the Companies folder in Windows Explorer... 14 Show the Products folder in Window Explorer... 14 Using the tools in the right sidebar... 14 License Tools... 14 Activate a License... 14 Reset a License... 14 View my SWCS License... 15 Validate my SWCS License... 15 SWCS Tools... 15 Windows Tools... 15 System Information... 15 System Overview... 15 Window Event Logs... 15 SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 3 of 16
Windows Scheduler... 15 Windows Firewall... 16 Windows Security Center... 16 Resources... 16 SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 4 of 16
Introduction The SWCS 4.2 Server Manager is a utility that will assist in managing a server installation of the Solatech Window Covering Software. With this tool you can create and manage the database and data folders for SWCS without the need to install the full version of SWCS. In addition to making it easier to get a SWCS server setup, you can use this tool for ongoing SWCS server management tasks such as security maintenance, backups and other database maintenance tasks. Installation The SWCS 4.2 Server Manager can be installed on any system running Windows XP Service Pack 3 or higher. To install the software just run the setup program swcs42svrmgr.exe and follow the prompts. Once installed you will have an icon on the desktop that can be used to run the program. Download the setup program from http://www.solatech.com/downloads/swcs42svrmgrsetup.exe. Installing on a server with the Solatech Window Covering Software The SWCS 4.2 Server Manager cannot be installed on a computer that has the Solatech Window Covering Software already installed, however, the server manager software is installed with the Solatech Window Covering Software. Look in the Start menu for the shortcut, located at Start, All Programs, Solatech, Solatech Window Covering Software 4, SWCS 4.2 Server Manager. Running the Server Manager To run the SWCS 4.2 Server Manager, double-click it s icon on the Desktop or click it s Start menu shortcut at Start, All Programs, Solatech, SWCS 4.2 Server Manager, SWCS 4.2 Server Manager. When it starts you will be presented with various links to perform tasks on your computer. These links and their functions are addressed below. Note: The Server Manager checks for updates automatically. If an update is found you will be notified and we suggest you download and install it as soon as possible. Addressing Important Tasks Each time the Server Manager starts it will perform a quick system check, looking for any missing software components or setup and configuration tasks that need to be addressed before the Solatech Window Covering Software can be used. There are four items that the Server Manager looks for and those that are found are show under the task heading Important Tasks. These important tasks section will only appear if the server manager determines that there are important tasks to be performed on this server, and only the required tasks will be shown. It s recommended that you address the tasks in the order they are listed. SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 5 of 16
Task: Create Data Folders The Solatech Window Covering Software uses many different types of data files such as database files, product files, reports, etc. It stores all of these files in various folders to keep things well organized. On a new installation the first thing you should do is have the Server Manager create these folders for you. The Server Manager will create a folder called C:\Solatech Data and inside of this folder it will create a folder called WCS4. This WCS4 folder is the root data folders. When you share the data files to make them available for workstations, this root data folder is the folder you will share. Click on Create Data Folders in the server manager to have these folders created for you. Creating the folders yourself If you want to store the data files in a location other than the default you can skip the Create Data Folders step. Once you have created the folders and referenced the file locations in the File Manager, the Create Data Folders task will go away. Setting security on your folders After the folders are created you will be asked if you want to set the security on the folders. If you click Yes then the security will be set according to the steps in the section Sharing and Security below. It is recommended that you allow the Server Manager to set the security. Sharing the folders for your workstations After the folders are created you will be asked if you want to set the share the folders. If you click Yes then the folders will be shared according to the steps in the section Sharing and Security below. It is recommended that you allow the Server Manager to share the folders. Task: Activate your Software License The Solatech software requires a license to run; most functions will not work without a valid license on the local machine. In order to complete most of the further setup tasks you will need to have a valid license. Along with your software you should have received a CD Key. Click on the Activate your Software License in the Server Manager to enter your CD Key and unlock your software. Note: An Internet connection is required to activate your software. Task: Select/Install a SQL Server The primary purpose of the SWCS 4.2 Server Manager is to create and manage SWCS company files. Since these files are SQL Server databases you need to make sure that a version of Microsoft SQL Server is installed on the server. When the server manager runs it checks to see if Microsoft SQL Server is installed on the local machine. If not, the task to select or install SQL Server is presented. Click the Select/Install SQL Server link and then select one of the four options: SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 6 of 16
Install a Solatech Instance of SQL Server 2005 Express Choose this option to install an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. The instance installed can be used by the Solatech Window Covering Software without any specific setting changes by the user. When you select this option the server manager will download the SQL Server setup files and then install SQL Server automatically. Install a custom Instance of SQL Server 2005 Express Choose this option to install Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. During installation you will have the option to configure SQL Server with your own settings. In order to create SWCS 4.2 companies with this SQL Server installation you will need to indicate (when creating a company) the name of the SQL Server as well as the logon parameters. When you select this option the server manager will download the SQL Server setup files and then start the SQL Server setup process. I will install SQL Server on this machine later Choose this if you plan on installing SQL Server later. I will use a SQL Server installation on another machine Choose this option if you plan to use another SQL Server installation, on this machine or another machine. In order to create SWCS 4.2 companies with this SQL Server installation you will need to indicate (when creating a company) the name of the SQL Server as well as the logon parameters. Task: Create a New Company Database Once all of the software has been installed, the file locations setup and your software license activated, the task to perform before you can start using the Solatech Window Covering Software is to create a company database that will store the customers, orders, etc. 1. Click the link Click here to create a new company. 2. Enter the name of the company. 3. Click OK. The company database will be created. Once the database has been created you can setup the software on the workstations, connect them to the server and being using the Solatech Window Covering Software. Company Database Tasks The primary function of the server manager is to create and manage the company databases that the Solatech Window Covering Software will use. Creating a New Company One of the first tasks you ll want to do with the server manager is to create a company database. SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 7 of 16
To create a company database 1. Click the Create a New Company Database task. This will display the New Company dialog box. 2. Enter the name of the new company. 3. If you are using the SQL Server instance that was installed by the Solatech Window Covering Software or by the SWCS Server Manager you can proceed to the next step. Otherwise, you ll need to set the SQL Server connection properties by clicking the Advanced tab. 4. Click OK. The company database will be created. Note: During the new company upgrade process, you may notice the company is being backed up and upgraded. This is normal. If you are prompted to login, select the (Administrator) account. There is no password when the new company database is created. Attaching a Company If you have a company database that you want to use, it must first be attached to Microsoft SQL Server. Only databases that are attached to SQL Server can be used by SQL Server or the Solatech Window Covering Software. A SQL Server database is made up of at least two files, the database file (.mdf) and a log file (.ldf). You must have both of these to attach them to SQL Server. To attach a company database 1. Click the Attach a Company task. 2. Click the Select button to select a.mdf file. 3. Select the.mdf file you want to attach and click Open. 4. Click the Select button to select a.ldf file. 5. Select the.ldf file you want to attach and click Open. 6. Enter the name of the company. The name you enter here will be seen when you click File Open in the Solatech Window Covering Software. It s not the name that is used out your output. 7. Click OK. The database will be attached and the.psd file will be created. Detaching a Company A SWCS company file actually a Microsoft SQL Server database. As such, it cannot be moved, copied, deleted or otherwise accessed by other applications while SQL Server is using it. In order to perform tasks like moving the database from one computer to another, you must first detach the company from SQL Server. Once detached, the database files can be accessed by other programs. Once a company database has been detached, it cannot be used by Microsoft SQL Server or the Solatech Window Covering Software until it has been re-attached. Make sure the company database is not being used before you detach it. SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 8 of 16
To detach a company database 1. Click the Detach a Company task. 2. Select the company that you want to detach. 3. Click OK. Verifying a Company Use Verify a Company to make sure that a company database is setup correctly for the Solatech Window Covering Software to access it. Note: Verifying a company does not ensure that any network access issues are addressed. That is up to the network administrator. To verify a company database 1. Click the Verify a Company task. 2. Select the company that you want to verify. 3. Click OK. 4. Login if you are prompted. 5. If the company can be assessed then you will receive a The company is valid. message. If you don t see this then you will see various error messages that will indicate the problem or a source of the problem. Viewing a Company Event Log You will often find it useful to view the event log when diagnosing problems with a company. The event log contains not only a list of the problems the system encountered, but also notices of what is happening with the data, such as when a user creates an order or performs a Roaming Workstation sync. To view the log file 1. Click the View a Company Event Log task. 2. Select the company whose log you want to view. 3. Click OK. 4. Login if you are prompted. 5. The Event Log Viewer will appear. You can now change the date range of events to view by clicking on a date from the calendar on the left. As long as the Solatech Window Covering Software can access the company database, events will be written to the event log. If the software is unable to access the company database and an event needs to be logged, the event will instead be logged to a text file. To view these text files 1. Click Technical Support from the right sidebar. 2. Click Log Files. 3. Click View Other Logs. SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 9 of 16
Backup and Restore With the SWCS Server Manager you can make backups of all the data files that the SWCS system uses. Note: The backup does not backup the program files, only the data files used by SWCS. You cannot backup the database files by copying them to a folder using Windows Explorer; database files are locked by SQL Server. You must use SWC Server Manager or another SQL management tool to backup and restore the databases. The backup file that SWCS Server Manager crates is not a SQL Server backup file and cannot be restored with Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio. Backing up the SWCS Company Database Backing up the SWCS company database is the minimum backup that you should perform on a regular basis. It will back up the database only, which means it will back up the customers and orders but it won t back up the product files or reports. Steps 1. Click Backup the Company Database. 2. Select the company that you want to backup and click OK. 3. Login if you are prompted to do so. 4. When the Backup dialog box appears, select The active company database only. 5. Click the Save As button. 6. Select the folder where you want the backup file stored. 7. Enter the name of the backup file and click Save. 8. Click the Start button. Backing up the SWCS Database and Product Files This backup option does the same as the above backup, except that the product files are included. Steps 1. Click Backup the Company Database. 2. Select the company that you want to backup and click OK. 3. Login if you are prompted to do so. 4. When the Backup dialog box appears, select The active company database and all product files. 5. Click the Save As button. 6. Select the folder where you want the backup file stored. 7. Enter the name of the backup file and click Save. 8. Click the Start button. Backing up all of the SWCS Data Files This backup option does the same as the above backup, except that in addition to the company database and product files, all other files used by SWCS will also be backed up. SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 10 of 16
Steps 1. Click Backup the Company Database. 2. Select the company that you want to backup and click OK. 3. Login if you are prompted to do so. 4. When the Backup dialog box appears, select The active company database, product files, reports and all other data files. 5. Click the Save As button. 6. Select the folder where you want the backup file stored. 7. Enter the name of the backup file and click Save. 8. Click the Start button. Restoring a SWCS Backup In addition to making a backup of your SWCS data, you can also restore your SWCS data using the Restore function. The restore process requires a valid SWCS company. If you already have a working company and all you want to do is restore it to a prior state then proceed with the steps below. If you don t have a working company, for example you are restoring SWCS on a clean system, you should first create a new company, then restore your backup to the new company. Steps 1. Click Restore a SWCS backup. 2. Select the company that will be replaced with the backed up company and click OK. 3. Login if you are prompted to do so. 4. Click the Open button and select the backup file. 5. Under the section What do you want to restore, check the boxes for the type of data you want to restore. 6. Click Start. Note: You cannot restore part of a company database, such as customers only or only some orders. If you choose to restore the company database, all of the data in the database is replaced with that contained in the backup. You must select a company during the first part of the restore process, even if all you are doing is restoring products or reports. As long as you don t check the Company Database checkbox on the main Restore screen, the company database won t be replaced. When restoring the company database, only the data in the database is restored; the name of the.psd file or the database files(s) are not changed. SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 11 of 16
Sharing and Security Share the SWCS Data with Other Users In order for users on workstations to access the SWCS data files on the server the SWCS data folders must be shared. The server manager can share the data folders for you: 1. Click Share the SWCS Data folders with Other Users 2. The prompt will indicate what folders will be shared and what security will be used for sharing. 3. Click Yes to share the folders. Note: You will need Administrative permission to share the folder on Windows Vista or higher. Sharing the root data folder via File Manager is the recommended method for sharing the data used by SWCS. However, it s not the only way. If you are familiar with sharing and security in Windows then you can share the folders using Windows Explorer. Adjust Security on SWCS Data Folders In addition to sharing the data folders, the folders must have the correct Windows level security in order for the workstations to access the data. The server manager can adjust the security on the data folders for you: 1. Click Adjust Security on SWCS data Folders. 2. The prompt will indicate what folders will have their security adjusted and how it will be adjusted. 3. Click yes to adjust the security. Setup Windows Firewall for SQL Server In order for Microsoft SQL Server to have access to the network any Firewall software in used must be adjusted. The server manager can adjust Windows Firewall automatically: 1. Click Setup Windows Firewall for SQL Server. 2. The prompt will indicate how the firewall will be adjusted. 3. Click yes to setup the Windows Firewall. The server manager can only adjust Windows Firewall. If you are using third-party firewall software, it must be adjusted manually. File Management While the Solatech Window Covering Software uses a database to store customers and orders, it also uses files for various tasks, such as storing orders transferred for Roaming Workstations, Solatech Connect log files, product files, etc. Use the various tasks under File Management to help find and organize the files and folders used by the Solatech Window Covering Software. SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 12 of 16
Manage File Locations The File Manager module is used to create and manage the files and folders used by the Solatech Window Covering Software. Use this module to assign folders for the various file types, view and files and set security on the required folders. The following tasks can be performed from the File Manager: Changing the location of a folder Copy, move or delete files Share the root data folder Set the minimum level file and folder security for SWCS to function correctly Changing the location of a folder 1. Click the Manage File Locations task. The File Manager will open. 2. Select a file type whose location you want to change. 3. Click the Browse button and select the folder that contains the files for the respective file type. 4. If the folder is valid then files will be listed. 5. Repeat step 2 and 3 for each of the file types you want to adjust. Copy, move or delete files 1. Click the Manage File Locations task. The File Manager will open. 2. Select a file type whose files you want to copy, move or delete. 3. In the files list, select the file(s) you want to work with. Hold the Shift or Control keys to select multiple files. 4. Right-click on one of the selected files. 5. From the menu, choose the menu command for the task you want to perform. Note: Files deleted by the File Manager are not sent to the recycle bin; they are deleted permanently. Share the root data folder 1. Click the Manage File Locations task. The File Manager will open. 2. Click the Share the root data folder link at the bottom of the screen. 3. Read over the prompt, paying attention to what folder will be shared and what the name of the share will be. 4. Click the Yes button. Note: You will need Administrative permission to share the folder on Windows Vista or higher. Sharing the root data folder via File Manager is the recommended method for sharing the data used by SWCS. However, it s not the only way. If you are familiar with sharing and security in Windows then you can share the folders using Windows Explorer. SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 13 of 16
Set the minimum level file and folder security 1. Click the Manage File Locations task. The File Manager will open. 2. Click the Set security for the required folders link at the bottom of the screen. 3. Read over the prompt, paying attention to what security will be set for the various folders. 4. Click the Yes button. Note: You will need Administrative permission to set security on Windows Vista or higher. Setting security via the File Manager is the recommended method for sharing the data used by SWCS. However, it s not the only way. If you are familiar with sharing and security in Windows then you can set the security using Windows Explorer. Validate File Locations Validating the file locations will cause the File Manager to check that each folder setup to be used by SWCS exists and is accessible. If there are any invalid folders then you will be prompted with a message indicating the problem folder. Show the Companies folder in Windows Explorer If a valid folder has been assigned to the Companies folder, clicking the Show the Companies folder in Windows Explorer link will open the folder in Windows Explorer. The Companies folder is the preferred location of the SQL Server database files. Show the Products folder in Window Explorer If a valid folder has been assigned to the Products folder, clicking the Show the Products folder in Windows Explorer link will open the folder in Windows Explorer. Using the tools in the right sidebar The SWCS 4.2 Server Manager provides access to many different tools and utilities, from both Solatech and Microsoft Windows. License Tools The license tools make it easy to manage your software license for the Solatech Window Covering Software on the server. Activate a License Click Activate a License to start the Solatech License Activation Utility. Once started, just select the application for which you want to create a license and click Continue. When prompted, enter the CD Key and click Unlock. You will then be prompted to activate your license. Just click Next to activate over the Internet. Reset a License There are a few instances where you will need to reset your software license. For example, if you are moving your software from one server to another. To reset your software license, click the Reset SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 14 of 16
a License link. Select the application whose license you want to reset and then enter the Reset Code given to you by Solatech. Once the license is reset, you ll need to re-enter the CD Key and activate the license before you can use the software that requires the license. View my SWCS License Click View my SWCS License to view the installed license. If the license is valid, a dialog box will be displayed showing when the license expires, your Product ID and the number of seats available to the license. Validate my SWCS License Click Validate my SWCS License to have the server manage check the license to make sure it s accessible and that it has not expired. If the license has expired or will expire soon you will be prompted to re-activate it. SWCS Tools The Technical Support link under SWCS Tools will run the Solatech Window Covering Software Technical Support dialog box. From there you will have access to many different diagnostic tools, some specific to SWCS. Windows Tools There are many tools in Windows to help you configure your system and diagnose problems. Shortcuts for the tools that Solatech uses frequently for support are listed on the right sidebar and are: System Information This will open the Windows System Information utility. Use this utility to find very detailed information about your computer hardware. System Overview This will open the System Properties dialog box, which you can use to find your computer name (useful for network setup) as well as adjust remote access settings. Window Event Logs This will open the Windows Event Viewer where you can find information such as who has logged on to your system, what services are running a most importantly, what services, applications and hardware are having problems. Windows Scheduler This will open the Windows Scheduler where you can find out what programs are setup to run on a schedule. You can also setup your own programs to run on a schedule. SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 15 of 16
Windows Firewall This will open the Windows Firewall application where you can enable/disable the firewall and configure it to allow various programs specific access to your network and the Internet. The Solatech Window Covering Software is one program that requires specific rules to be setup in Windows Firewall (or other firewall software if you are using something other than Windows Firewall) in order to function over the network. Windows Security Center This will open the Windows Security Center where you can view and configure the various security related aspects of Windows, such as firewalls, anti-virus applications and backup/restore. Resources The links in the Resources section will take you to some commonly used pages on the Solatech.com web site. SWCS 4.2 Server Manager Solatech, Inc. Page 16 of 16