Installing @aGlance/IT on Microsoft Windows



User's Guide

@aGlance/IT Installation for Standard and Professional Editions

INTUITIVE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by Intuitive Technology Corporation.

The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement, and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of that license agreement.

Portions of this product incorporate technology licensed from Digital Equipment Corporation.

No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means for any purpose other than the purchaser's personal use, without the express written permission of Intuitive Technology Corporation.

Intuitive Technology Corporation 1993 - 1996. All Rights Reserved.

NetOLE is a registered trademark of Intuitive Technology Corporation. Intuitive Technology, the Intuitive Technology logo, and @aGlance/IT are trademarks of Intuitive Technology Corporation.

Microsoft, MS, and Visual Basic are registered trademarks, and Windows and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Corporation.

Lotus and 1-2-3 are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation.

PI is a trademark of Oil Systems, Incorporated.

Digital, DEC @aGlance, DECnet, PATHWORKS, and ObjectBroker are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.

This document created using MS Word V07 on a Dell Dimension XPS P100c.

Document Number AAG031-0006a-96

CONTENTS

Preface vii

Support and Training viii

CHAPTER 1 Introduction 9

Network Transports and Middleware 12

Network Software Preparation 12

@aGlance/IT and TCP/IP 13

CHAPTER 2 Installing on Windows 3.1 15

Network Transports and Middleware 15

Verifying Your TCP/IP Network Configuration 16

Configuring DECnet Phase IV on Your PC 19

Defining Your Node in the DECnet Permanent Database 20

Defining Server Nodes in the Permanent Database 21

Upgrading an @aGlance/IT 2.x installation 22

Installing @aGlance/IT without ObjectBroker 23

Configuring Server Hosts with the Administration Tool 23

Installing @aGlance/IT with ObjectBroker 25

Configuring Server Hosts with the Administration Tool 26

Configuring Your Spreadsheet Addin 28

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for MS Excel Version 4 28

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for MS Excel Version 5 28

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3 29

Configuring Your Professional Edition 30

Configure Visual Basic 30

Register NetOLE 30

CHAPTER 3 Installing on Windows for Workgroups 31

Network Transports and Middleware 31

Verifying Your TCP/IP Network Configuration 32

Establishing a TCP/IP Connection 35

Configuring DECnet Phase IV on Your PC 37

Defining Your Node in the DECnet Permanent Database 37

Defining Server Nodes in the Permanent Database 38

Upgrading an @aGlance/IT 2.x installation 39

Installing @aGlance/IT without ObjectBroker 40

Configuring Server Hosts with the Administration Tool 40

Installing @aGlance/IT with ObjectBroker 42

Configuring Server Hosts with the Administration Tool 43

Configuring Your Spreadsheet Addin 45

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for MS Excel Version 4 45

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for MS Excel Version 5 45

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3 46

Configuring Your Professional Edition 47

Configure Visual Basic 47

Register NetOLE 47

CHAPTER 4 Installing on Windows 95 49

Verifying Your Network Configuration 50

Defining Server Hosts with the Administration Tool 56

Configuring Your Spreadsheet Addins 58

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Microsoft Excel 58

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3 59

CHAPTER 5 Installing on Windows NT 61

Verifying Your Network Configuration 62

Defining Server Hosts with the Administration Tool 64

Configuring Your Spreadsheet Addin 66

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Microsoft Excel 66

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3 67

CHAPTER 6 Managing Servers and Sessions with the Administration Tool 69

Managing Servers and Sessions 70

APPENDIX A Miscellaneous Tips & Hints 75

Network Installation Considerations 75

Starting Sample Server 77

APPENDIX B Installing and Configuring on Macintosh 79

Network Setup 79

ObjectBroker Installation 80

@aGlance/IT Installation 82

ObjectBroker Configuration 83

Index 85

Preface

Intended Audience

This manual describes how to install the @aGlance/IT client software products on Microsoft Windows and on the Apple Macintosh. You should already be familiar with your personal computer operating system, and with the specific application you will be using with the @aGlance/IT software.

Conventions

[Square brackets] are used to denote optional parameters.

A monospaced font is used in sample program dialogs, code fragments, and macro examples.

A right angle bracket is used to indicate parts of a multi-step selection process. For example, to switch your printer from landscape to portrait mode while in Word 7, you select File on the menu bar, select Print... in the file pull-down menu, and click Properties in the initial Print dialog box. This would be described as follows: “In the File > Print… > Properties dialog box, click on Portrait.”

Support and Training

If you purchased your license to use @aGlance/IT software directly from Intuitive Technology or through a reseller, you received an Intuitive Technology Corporation Software Agreement along with the media and documentation. Intuitive Technology will answer @aGlance/IT product-related questions for registered users for 60 days from the date of purchase. Support contracts are available which extend your coverage to one year from the date of purchase, and provide for low-priced upgrades during that year.

If you have licensed @aGlance/IT from a company other than Intuitive Technology, then you must contact that company (OEM) for support and upgrades.

You may contact us by phone at 508 481-3992, by facsimile at 508 481-1802, or by Internet mail at support@. We're available from 8:15am to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Please provide your serial number (on your Software Agreement) when you contact us.

Intuitive Technology offers on-site courses for both system and application developers, system managers, support personnel, and end users. Please call to arrange a course tailored to your needs.

Chapter one

Introduction

1 Introduction"@aGlance/IT is a multi-platform, client-server enabling technology for process manufacturing. Through the use of @aGlance/IT, process data stored in Distributed Control Systems, Supervisory Control Software, and Process Data Historians is readily accessible by all @aGlance/IT capable client applications. Conversely, once a client application such as a spreadsheet, man-machine interface, manufacturing execution system, or electronic batch record system has been made @aGlance/IT capable, it will be able to access data in any and all @aGlance/IT enabled process information systems.

@aGlance/IT consists of a set of client software and a set of server software. The client provides you with the ability to select data of interest and to import it directly into your desktop application for further analysis and manipulation. The server, although not directly visible to you, does the work of extracting the requested information from a specific manufacturing system and passing it to your client.

@aGlance/IT clients and servers run on a variety of different hardware and software platforms distributed over a network. After the software is installed, the user does not need to know a server's node name, or what operating system, hardware platform, or network protocol is in use. A client can concurrently access data from several servers and a server can concurrently provide data to several clients.

The information within a manufacturing system consists of the parameters and measurements used to monitor and control the process. This data is typically organized into blocks that correspond to different parts of the process. Each block has a name or tag that is used to reference it. Within a block, individual data values such as control parameters and measured outputs are referred to as attributes. An example of this naming is a tag name that refers to a loop controller and has attribute names for the setpoint and the present value. @aGlance/IT provides directory services to help you determine the tag names and associated attributes known to a server.

[pic]Figure 1

System Overview

@aGlance/IT achieves plug and play interoperability through the use of a standard data model and a set of generic methods (functions). Client applications make local method invocations which are transmitted to the appropriate server by @aGlance/IT, where they are translated to and from the proprietary functions that are specific to that process information system.

The @aGlance/IT software implements a tag and attribute data model that is familiar to process professionals, and is embodied in ISA’s SP72 specification. The methods are an abstraction of the functions available in popular information systems; e.g., get/put real-time data, get/put historical data. There are also functions to facilitate browsing a process data base: clients can request a list of the tags and associated attributes available from a server. This is particularly useful for ad hoc data analysis.

For security purposes, users are identified by login name on multi-user systems (including Windows 95 and Windows NT), and by node or host name on personal computers. An outer level of security determines which users may access a given @aGlance/IT server, based on the proxy access granted on the server’s system. @aGlance/IT permissions, implemented at the discretion of the server provider, enable the protection of individual methods or even specific attributes; e.g., write protection for process setpoints.

Many suppliers of process information systems have developed servers for their systems, and offer the servers as products to their customers. In addition, Intuitive Technology offers servers for certain information systems.

An @aGlance/IT data value is accessed by providing its three identifiers:

Server name

Tag name

Attribute name (optional with some servers)

Data accessed by @aGlance/IT may represent current raw values or calculated or historical values. Using a single @aGlance/IT operation, a client can request that a server read or write an individual data value or a list or table of values.

On Microsoft Windows, Intuitive Technology offers a variety of ways to access process information, depending on your style of working and on the capabilities of your application program. @aGlance/IT spreadsheet addins allow you to browse through process data without the need to do any programming. For your custom applications, @aGlance/IT data is accessible to macro programs through both DDE and OLE. For the most demanding of applications, Visual Basic and C APIs are available. A Macintosh version of the @aGlance/IT Add-in for Microsoft Excel is also available.

These capabilities may be purchased in two forms: the @aGlance/IT Standard Edition and the @aGlance/IT Professional Edition. There are separate media for Windows 3.1x and for Windows 95/NT.

The Standard Edition for Windows 3.1x includes the basic Client RunTime, which provides access to all @aGlance/IT functions, @aGlance/IT DDE Bridge, the @aGlance/IT Addin for Excel 4/5, and the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3 Release 4/5.

The Standard Edition for Windows 95/NT, in addition to supporting new, 32-bit applications like Excel 7, also allows you to continue to use your existing 16-bit applications on the new operating system. The Standard Edition for Windows 95/NT contains 32-bit versions of the Client RunTime and the DDE Bridge, and an Addin for Excel 7, as well as the 16-bit Client RunTime and Addins for Excel Versions 4 and 5, and 1-2-3 Releases 4 and 5.

In addition to the capabilities of the Standard Edition, the Professional Edition for Windows 3.1x enables the development of programs using OLE automation, via NetOLE, Visual Basic 3 using the @aGlance/IT custom control (VBX), and Visual C/C++ using the @aGlance/IT C API.

The Professional Edition for Windows 95/NT includes all the capabilities of the Standard Edition for Windows 95/NT, enables development of 32-bit Visual Basic and Visual C/C++ applications, and supports the full range of @aGlance/IT capabilities through an OLE Automation interface with NetOLE.

Network Transports and Middleware

Network Transports and MiddlewareBy default, @aGlance/IT Version 3 uses the Open Network Computing Remote Procedure Call (ONC/RPC) mechanism as platform independent middleware over TCP/IP as a network transport. Previous versions of @aGlance/IT used Digital Equipment Corporation’s ObjectBroker V2.1 middleware. ObjectBroker also utilizes TCP/IP for its network transport, with DECnet support available on OpenVMS.

Window 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 clients can use any of the supported combinations of middleware and transport, and can even use ONC/RPC and ObjectBroker simultaneously, if they need to communicate with both Version 3 and Version 2 server hosts.

Windows 95 and Windows NT @aGlance/IT clients use ONC/RPC over TCP/IP to communicate with all Version 3 server hosts.

If you are adding Windows 95 or Window NT clients to an existing @aGlance/IT installation, you simply upgrade the server hosts to Version 3, install Version 3 on the new clients, and continue using @aGlance/IT Version 2 on the existing clients. (Of course, you should eventually upgrade the Version 2 systems to take advantage of Version 3’s improved performance and larger transfers.)

If you are adding a new server to an existing Version 2 installation, you can install Version 3 on those clients which must communicate with both the new and the old servers, and upgrade the rest of the configuration at your leisure.

Network Software Preparation

Network Software PreparationYour @aGlance/IT Software can not operate correctly unless your network software is functioning properly. While your file server may use Novell or Microsoft protocols to communicate with your PC, @aGlance/IT clients and servers usually communicate using TCP/IP network protocols. Some installations are still using DECnet to communicate between PC or MAC clients and @aGlance/IT servers on OpenVMS. Of course, all these protocols can coexist over the Ethernet or Token Ring that joins your computer to your site network.

You will be accessing data through @aGlance/IT server programs running on one or more remote computer systems. Before you can use @aGlance/IT to retrieve data from the remote systems, the network software on both the server host(s) and on your personal computer must be properly configured

Hostnames are used only at installation time. When server applications start, they pass their names to @aGlance/IT. Client applications specify these names to @aGlance/IT when they open connections with server applications. @aGlance/IT then connects to each server host in turn until it finds an application that has registered with the specified name.

@aGlance/IT and TCP/IP

@aGlance/IT and TCP/IP@aGlance/IT uses alphanumeric hostnames to identify server and client computers. Servers will use your hostname to locate your computer on the network, while you must specify the hostnames of the computers where @aGlance/IT servers are located (server hosts).

Hostnames are translated into IP (internet protocol) addresses by the network software. An IP address is a so-called “dotted quad”, a string of four numbers separated by periods; e.g., 21.0.44.199. Your computer must be able to recognize its IP address when it appears on the network in order to receive data from other computers.

When you install your network software, you define the hostname for your computer. Your IP address may be configured at the same time, or the IP address may be dynamically assigned when the computer is booted by a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server.

Similarly, when you send a message to another computer, your network software must be able to translate that computer’s hostname into the appropriate IP address.

If your network is small with infrequent changes, the simplest method is to define the correspondence between names and IP addresses in an ASCII hosts file. Typical hosts files are shown for each operating system. Your hosts file must specify the IP addresses and hostnames of your computer and all the computers with which you will communicate. Similarly, each server host must have a hosts file that correctly specifies your name and IP address.

In large, enterprise-wide TCP/IP networks, your computer will usually communicate with a Domain Name Server (DNS) to translate hostnames to IP addresses. In this situation, each computer has a unique, Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) such as zonk.aglance, and ncsa.uiuc.edu, composed of the computer’s hostname joined to the name of your network domain. In such situations, your computer has probably already been configured with the IP address of a DNS server.

Chapter two

Installing on Windows 3.1

2 Installing on Windows 3.1"This chapter explains how to install the @aGlance/IT Standard and Professional Editions on Windows 3.1. Both new installations and upgrades are explained. Both Standard and Professional Editions install spreadsheet Addins. The spreadsheet program itself must be installed before @aGlance/IT.

The Professional Edition installs @aGlance/IT for Visual Basic and NetOLE, as well as C include files and sample programs. You should have VB and/or Visual C++ installed before you install the Professional Edition.

Since @aGlance/IT utilizes your network software, the chapter first explains how to verify that your network is operational. Once you are able to communicate to the host computer(s) where the @aGlance/IT server(s) are running, you are ready to install the @aGlance/IT software.

The use of the Administration Tool to configure the server hosts is explained.

Network Transports and Middleware

Network Transports and MiddlewareBefore installing @aGlance/IT for Windows, you must determine which network transport and middleware you will be using. The usual answer for Version 3 is TCP/IP for network transport and ONC/RPC for middleware. However, if you need to communicate with a server on a host that is still using @aGlance/IT Version 2, or if you must communicate with a host that only has the DECnet network protocol, you will have other choices.

@aGlance/IT for Windows 3.1 can use both TCP/IP and DECnet Phase IV network transport software, simultaneously, if necessary. @aGlance/IT uses Digital Equipment Corporation’s Object Broker(OBB) V2.1 to communicate over DECnet, and either OBB or ONC/RPC over TCP/IP. The choice of transport software and middleware is largely dictated by the version of @aGlance/IT running on the server hosts you wish to communicate with.

|Server Operating System |@aGlance/IT Version on |Network Transport |Client Middleware Required|

| |Server | | |

|AIX |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|Digital Unix |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|HP-UX |2 |TCP/IP |OBB |

|HP-UX |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|IRIX |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|OpenVMS |2 |DECnet |OBB |

|OpenVMS |3 |DECnet |OBB |

|OpenVMS |2 |TCP/IP |OBB |

|OpenVMS |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|SCO Unix |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|Windows 95 |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|Windows NT |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

Table 1

Network Transports and Middleware

Verifying Your TCP/IP Network Configuration

Verifying Your TCP/IP Network Configuration@aGlance/IT Version 3 supports numerous TCP/IP implementations for Windows. In order to use the ONC/RPC middleware, your TCP/IP must conform to the V1.1 WinSock specification. Consult the @aGlance/IT product description and the release notes to determine which specific implementations have been tested.

@aGlance/IT requires that hostnames can be properly translated into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. In addition, the network software on both server and client systems must be capable of forming a connection. Thus you need to carry out two types of tests to verify that your network is operational.

In order to test the hostname to IP mapping, you must use the ping utility that is supplied with your TCP/IP software. Most vendors supply this as an MS-DOS program; a few, as a Windows program. In any case, you should verify that you can successfully ping your own system, first using the name localhost, and then using your hostname. Once that is successful, you should ping each of the server hosts, by hostname you will be communicating with. It is not sufficient to ping using IP addresses: you must do so by hostname.

If you cannot ping your own PC, either as localhost or by hostname, your TCP/IP software is not installed properly. You should consult the documentation from your TCP/IP supplier, and correct the problem before proceeding. The most frequent cause of error is a missing or inaccurate hosts file. This sometimes occurs when there are multiple hosts files on your path, perhaps as a result of installing multiple implementations of TCP/IP, perhaps for dialup internet access. A sample file is shown in Figure 2.

# Copyright (c) 1994 Microsoft Corp.

#

# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP-32 # for Windows for Workgroups 3.11

#

# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host # names. Each entry should be kept on an individual line. # The IP address should be placed in the first column # # # followed by the corresponding host name.

# The IP address and the host name should be separated by # at least one space.

#

#

127.0.0.1 localhost # always define localhost here

21.0.0.1 doit # @aGlance/IT server's def.

21.0.0.2 growth localhost # local PC's def

21.0.0.5 beatit # other server hostnames ...

21.0.0.15 blueit

21.0.0.14 iris

Figure 2

Sample hosts File

If you are unable to ping a server host from your PC, you may wish to verify that you can reach it from a different PC.

@aGlance/IT takes advantage of the connection-oriented, Transport Control Protocol(TCP). Since ping uses the connectionless, ICMP protocol, you must use another means to verify that your can make a connection between your PC and each of the server hosts which will be running @aGlance/IT servers.

File transport protocol (FTP) is implemented atop TCP. All implementations of TCP/IP for Windows 3.1 include an implementation of an FTP client: TCP/IP on Unix, WNT, and OpenVMS all include FTP servers as well as clients. Thus you can use your FTP program to verify that your TCP/IP system is ready for @aGlance/IT.

You will need a username and password on each server host in order to carry out the test. Once you have obtained the password(s), you must determine the name of the ftp client program on your PC. It may be in your Windows directory, or it may be in the directory which contains your TCP/IP software. The program names vary slightly, but always include ftp; e.g., WINFTP. Some are implemented as MS-DOS programs, and some as Windows applications.

Once your program is running, you specify the hostname of the server host. The command is typically open, or connect. You will be prompted for username and password. Once you are logged into the remote server, issue the list directory command, ls, to verify that you are fully connected. After you see the list of files, issue the close command, and test the connections to your other server hosts.

Configuring DECnet Phase IV on Your PC

Configuring DECnet Phase IV on Your PCIf you will be using DECnet to communicate to an @aGlance/IT server host running OpenVMS, you need to configure DECnet as your network. In the Windows Program Group MAIN, choose the Windows Setup accessory program. Then, in the Network drop down list of the Options>ChangeSystemSettings menu selection, choose

DEC PATHWORKS (version 4.1 or higher).

[pic]

Figure 3

Defining Your Network

[pic]

Figure 4

Specifying a DECnet Network

You must be sure that both your node name and the node name of your server host(s) are stored in the permanent DECnet database on your node.

Defining Your Node in the DECnet Permanent Database

Defining Your Node in the DECnet Permanent DatabaseThe DECnet PATHWORKS installation defines your PC as an "executor" node, but does not automatically create an entry in the "permanent node database". You must create an entry for your node in the permanent database.

From the DOS prompt, you can use the DECnet management program NCP to create the required entry. You can do this with the NCP command

DEFINE NODE nodeaddress NAME nodename

nodeaddress is the unique numeric address for the node, and

nodename is the one to six character identification string for the node.

You can use another NCP command

LIST EXECUTOR

to determine the nodename and nodeaddress that were entered during DECnet installation.

The following example shows the use of NCP to first determine the local node name and nodeaddress, then enter it into the permanent database, and finally to verify that you did so successfully. NOTE: It is important to use exactly the commands shown. Seemingly similar NCP commands may not have the desired behavior; i.e., you must use LIST and DEFINE, not SHOW and SET.

C:\>ncp

Network Control Program - v4.0.00

NCP>list exec

Executor node summary as of 12-Jan-1994 20:16:54

Executor node = 21.4 (INCOME)

State On

Executor Identification Pathworks for DOS V4.1

NCP>define node 21.4 name income

NCP>list node income

Known Permanent Nodes as of 12-Jan-1994 20:17:31

Node Node Active Account

Address Name Links MS-NET Information

21.4 INCOME 0

Defining Server Nodes in the Permanent Database

Defining Server Nodes in the Permanent DatabaseFor each server whose data you wish to access, you must have an entry in the DECnet permanent database. You will have to obtain the nodenames and node addresses from the network administrator for your site, and then use NCP to enter them; e.g.,

NCP>define node 19.1 name unit1

NCP>define node 19.2 name phouse

NCP>define node 23.8 name unit3

Upgrading an @aGlance/IT 2.x installation

Upgrading an @aGlance/IT 2.x installationThe first step in preparing for an update is to remove the Version 2 @aGlance/IT spreadsheet addins.

• If you have Excel 4, delete the XLAAG and XLAAGMEN files from the Addin Manager’s list by launching Excel, and selecting Options > Addins. Use Options > Toolbars to delete the @aGlance/IT toolface (factory icon.) Then choose File > Exit to terminate Excel.

• In Microsoft Excel 5, click the right mouse button on any toolface. In the popup menu that appears, choose Customize…, then drag the factory icon off the toolbar and drop it. Close the popup menu, and select File>Exit to terminate Excel.

Before upgrading your system, you must determine the answers to two questions:

1. Do you need to communicate with @aGlance/IT Version 2 servers?

2. Will you be using DECnet to communicate with Version 3 servers?

If the answer to both these questions is “No”, then you should delete the old @aGlance/IT and ObjectBroker files before installing Version 3. In particular, you should delete the files in the AAG and/or ACAS directory. Once you have removed these files, you can run Setup as described in the section Installing @aGlance/IT without ObjectBroker.

If the answer to either of these questions is “Yes”, then you must have both ONC/RPC and ObjectBroker middleware on your system. Follow the instructions in the section entitled Installing @aGlance/IT with ObjectBroker.

Installing @aGlance/IT without ObjectBroker

Installing @aGlance/IT without ObjectBrokerIn order to install the @aGlance/IT software, you must know the names and locations of the directories where your spreadsheet resides, and where your spreadsheet stores addins. You must have write access to those directories. You will also need write access to your Windows directory, and to a directory where the @aGlance/IT files may be stored. The installation procedure will add the @aGlance/IT directory to your path by modifying your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. In general, write access is only required during installation.

If you are installing a spreadsheet Addin, you should be sure that program is not running during the installation process. Insert the distribution diskette (Disk 1, if you are installing from an HDO kit) in the drive, select the File>Run option in File Manager or Program Manager, and type A:\SETUP.

Choose a directory to copy the @aGlance/IT files into. Next, in the Middleware Selection dialog box, select the RPC button. Choose which spreadsheet Addin(s) to install, and specify the appropriate directories. The installation procedure copies the necessary files to the specified directories, and then offers to update your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Unless the @aGlance/IT directory is already on your path, you should allow the update, and then manually reboot your PC before running the Administration Tool.

Configuring Server Hosts with the Administration Tool

Configuring Server Hosts with the Administration ToolThe entries in your hosts file and/or DECnet database include all the systems you will ever communicate with. You must specify which of the known remote systems may at some time be @aGlance/IT server hosts. From the Windows Program Manager, select the @aGlance/IT Standard or Professional Edition program group, and double click the Administration Tool icon.

Enter each server host’s hostname in the “Host” text box, press Add, and Update. Since you are installing with ONC/RPC support only, the ObjectBroker middleware option (ACA) is not available (“grayed out”.)

After entering a hostname, you can press List Servers to see if any @aGlance/IT servers are currently executing on the specified server host.

[pic]

Figure 5

Defining Server Hosts with ONC/RPC

At this point, the basic @aGlance/IT client software is ready to go. You can verify your ability to communicate with @aGlance/IT servers by starting @aGlance/IT on one of the server hosts, and then running the Sample Server program as described in the @aGlance/IT Installation and Operations Guide. Use the Administration Tool to verify that Sample Server is running, then double click on the Sample Client program in the @aGlance/IT Program Group.

Finally, you must configure your spreadsheet(s) for the Addin(s) you selected. Consult the instruction in the section Configuring Your Spreadsheet Addin.

Installing @aGlance/IT with ObjectBroker

Installing @aGlance/IT with ObjectBrokerYou should follow the instruction in this section if you must communicate to an @aGlance/IT Version 2 server, which will not be upgraded to Version 3, and/or if you must communicate to a Version 3 server over DECnet. You will install both ObjectBroker and ONC/RPC middleware.

@aGlance/IT uses ObjectBroker Version 2.1, sometimes referred to as ACAS, or ACA Services, or Application Control Architecture Services V2.1. There are several ways to obtain this software:

• You can purchase the @aGlance/IT Standard or Professional Edition with ObjectBroker. In this case, the last three characters in the part number on your diskette label should be HDO.

• If you are upgrading a working @aGlance/IT Version 2 or a DEC @aGlance system, then ObjectBroker is already installed.

• If you purchased an upgrade to an @aGlance/IT Addin for Excel or 1-2-3, then you received a Standard Edition with ObjectBroker.

• If you purchased an upgrade to an @aGlance/IT Application Developer’s Kit, then you received a Professional Edition with ObjectBroker.

• If you purchased DEC @aGlance from Digital Equipment Corporation, then you must have also purchased a copy of ACA Services at that time.

• Recent versions of Digital’s Pathworks include ObjectBroker V2.5, which includes ACAS V2.1 as the so-called “compatibility bits.”

If you do not have the HDO version of the @aGlance/IT software, then you must separately install ObjectBroker (ACAS) each time you reinstall @aGlance/IT. In this case, ObjectBroker must be installed before you install @aGlance/IT, so that the @aGlance/IT installation procedure can find it.

In order to install the @aGlance/IT software, you must know the names and locations of the directories where your spreadsheet resides, and of the directory where your spreadsheet stores addins. You must have write access to those directories. You will also need write access to your Windows directory, and to a directory where the @aGlance/IT files may be stored.

The installation procedure will add the @aGlance/IT directory to your path by modifying your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. In general, write access is only required during installation.

If you are installing a spreadsheet Addin, you should be sure that spreadsheet is not running during the installation process. Some @aGlance/IT for Windows kits have only one diskette; others have several. You should insert the first (only) diskette labeled @aGlance/IT for Windows 3.xx in the drive, select the File>Run option in File Manager or Program Manager, and type A:\SETUP. You must specify a directory which the @aGlance/IT files will be copied into.

In the middleware selection dialog box, you can choose to install support for ObjectBroker (ACA) only, or for both ObjectBroker and ONC/RPC. You should select ‘Both’, so that you can easily switch to ONC/RPC without reinstalling the software. However, if you are using a very old version of Pathworks (4.x) or Novell LAN Workplace for DOS (4.01), you must select ObjectBroker only.

Choose which spreadsheet Addin(s) to install, and specify the appropriate directories. The installation procedure copies the necessary files to the specified directories, and then offers to update your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Unless the @aGlance/IT directory is already on your path, you should allow the update, and then manually reboot your PC before running the @aGlance/IT Administration Tool.

Configuring Server Hosts with the Administration Tool

Configuring Server Hosts with the Administration ToolThe entries in your hosts file and/or DECnet database include all the systems you will ever communicate with. You must specify which of the known remote systems may at some time be @aGlance/IT server hosts. From the Windows Program Manager, select the @aGlance/IT Standard or Professional Edition program group, and double click the Administration Tool icon.

Enter each server host’s hostname in the “Host” text box, click the ObjectBroker (ACA) radio button, and press Add. When you have specified all the server hosts, press Update, and then File>Exit.

[pic]

Figure 6

Defining Server Hosts with ObjectBroker

Enter a hostname, then use the Administration Tool to see if any @aGlance/IT servers are currently executing on the server hosts. Consult the Chapter Managing Servers and Sessions for further instructions on the use of the Administration Tool.

At this point, the basic @aGlance/IT client software is ready to go. You can verify your ability to communicate with @aGlance/IT servers by starting @aGlance/IT on one of the server hosts, and then running the Sample Server program as described in the @aGlance/IT Installation and Operations Guide. Use the Administration Tool to verify that Sample Server is running, then double click on the Sample Client program in the @aGlance/IT Program Group.

Finally, you must configure your spreadsheet Addin as described in the next section.

Configuring Your Spreadsheet Addin

Configuring Your Spreadsheet AddinThis section explains how to configure your spreadsheet to use the @aGlance/IT spreadsheet Addin you just installed. Be sure to review the section in the Release Notes that discusses Addins before proceeding. (In Program Manager, double click on the @aGlance {Standard or Profession} Edition program group, then double click on the V3.0 Release Notes icon.)

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for MS Excel Version 4

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for MS Excel Version 4 Launch Excel and select Options>Addins… to locate the Addins Manager dialog box. You must twice select Add and specify the files XLAAG.XLA and XLAAGMEN.XLA. If you specified the Excel\Library subdirectory during Setup, then the files will be there. Exit the Addin Manager.

Excel is now configured to open the two sheets each time you launch the program. This makes the @aGlance/IT macro function available, and puts an @aGlance item on the Excel menu bar.

Select @aGlance>Utility Options…>Add AAG Toolbar and click OK. A Toolbar will appear with an @aGlance/IT Toolface (a factory icon) on it. You can move or customize the toolbar, or move the toolface to another toolbar.

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for MS Excel Version 5

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for MS Excel Version 5Launch Excel and select Tools>Addins… will result in the appearance of the Addins Manager dialog box. If you specified the Excel\Library subdirectory during Setup, then XLAAG and XLAAGMEN will appear near the bottom of the list box. If you specified a different directory, click on Browse, and use the file selection box to locate them. In any event, you must click on the check boxes beside these two entries, and then click OK. Exit the Addin Manager.

Excel is now configured to open the two sheets each time you launch the program. This makes the @aGlance/IT macro function available, and puts an @aGlance item on the Excel menu bar.

Select @aGlance>Utility Options…>Add AAG Toolbar and click OK. A Toolbar will appear with an @aGlance/IT Toolface (a factory icon) on it. You can move or customize the toolbar, or move the toolface to another toolbar.

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3Launch 1-2-3 for Windows.

• Select Tools>User Setup. The Run autoexecute macros box must be checked so that the @aGlance/IT Addin is loaded automatically whenever the AAGMENU.WK4 sheet is loaded. The Undo box should be cleared if you plan to write macros which contain loops.

• Select File>Open and specify AAGMENU.WK4 in the \123R5W\WORK\ directory if you have 1-2-3 Release 5, or the \123R4W\SAMPLE directory if Release 4. This will add an @aGlance option to the 1-2-3 menu bar.

• Select @aGlance>Utility Options>Add @aGlance SmartIcon to add the factory icon to one of your SmartIcon sets.

Any time you want access to @aGlance/IT capabilities from 1-2-3, including an extensive on-line help facility, you need only open the AAGMENU.WK4 sheet.

You have completed the installation of the Standard Edition components. The next section explains the steps necessary to finish the installation of the Professional Edition.

Configuring Your Professional Edition

Configuring Your Professional EditionIf you plan to use the @aGlance/IT Visual Basic API, you can tailor your VB environment to easily add @aGlance/IT client functions to your programs. If you will be using NetOLE, it must be registered in the System Registry.

Configure Visual Basic

Configure Visual Basic

Launch Visual Basic from the Program Manager or the File Manager.

Open a new project (FileOpenProject).

Using the FileAdd File ... menu option, select the file C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\AAGVB.VBX and click the OK button. This adds the @aGlance icon to the bottom of the Toolbox window, and makes the @aGlance/IT custom control available for use in the project.

Using the FileAdd File... menu options, select the file C:\VB\AAG\AAGDEF.BAS and click the OK button. This makes the definitions for the @aGlance/IT API available for use in the project.

You can make the @aGlance/IT capabilities automatically available to all your new projects by applying the above procedure to the VB project file AUTOLOAD.MAK in your C:\VB directory, then saving and closing the project. Since AUTOLOAD is the template, all new projects will include the custom control and the API.

Register NetOLE

Register NetOLEThe NetOLE server must be registered before it can be used. You need only execute the program, by double clicking on C:\AAG\AAGAUTO.EXE.

Chapter three

Installing on Windows for Workgroups

3 Installing on Windows for Workgroups"This chapter explains how to install the @aGlance/IT Standard and Professional Editions on Windows for Workgroups. It explains both new installation and upgrades. Standard and Professional Editions both install spreadsheet Addins, so the spreadsheet program itself must be installed before @aGlance/IT.

The Professional Edition installs @aGlance/IT for Visual Basic and NetOLE, as well as C include files and sample programs. You should have VB and/or Visual C++ installed before you install the Professional Edition.

Since @aGlance/IT utilizes your network software, the chapter first explains how to verify that your network is operational. Once you are able to communicate to the host computer(s) where the @aGlance/IT server(s) are running, you are ready to install the @aGlance/IT software.

The use of the Administration Tool to configure the server hosts is explained.

Network Transports and Middleware

Network Transports and MiddlewareBefore installing @aGlance/IT for Windows for Workgroups, you must determine which network transport and middleware you will be using. The usual answer for Version 3 is TCP/IP for network transport and ONC/RPC for middleware. However, if you need to communicate with a server on a host that is still using @aGlance/IT Version 2, or if you must communicate with a host that only has the DECnet network protocol, you will make other choices.

@aGlance/IT for Windows for Workgroups can use both TCP/IP and DECnet Phase IV network transport software, simultaneously, if necessary. @aGlance/IT uses Digital Equipment Corporation’s Object Broker (OBB) V2.1 to communicate over DECnet, and either OBB or ONC/RPC over TCP/IP. The choice of transport software and middleware is largely determined by the version of @aGlance/IT running on the server hosts you wish to communicate with.

|Server Operating System |@aGlance/IT Version on |Network Transport |Client Middleware Required|

| |Server | | |

|AIX |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|Digital Unix |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|HP-UX |2 |TCP/IP |OBB |

|HP-UX |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|IRIX |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|OpenVMS |2 |DECnet |OBB |

|OpenVMS |3 |DECnet |OBB |

|OpenVMS |2 |TCP/IP |OBB |

|OpenVMS |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|SCO Unix |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|Windows 95 |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

|Windows NT |3 |TCP/IP |ONC/RPC |

Table 2

Network Transports and Middleware

Verifying Your TCP/IP Network Configuration

Verifying Your TCP/IP Network Configuration@aGlance/IT Version 3 supports numerous TCP/IP implementations for Windows for Workgroups. In order to use the ONC/RPC middleware, your TCP/IP must conform to the V1.1 WinSock specification. A widely used solution on Windows for Workgroups is the Microsoft TCP/IP-32 software.

If you are using the Microsoft TCP/IP “stack” on your PC, you may run the IPCONFIG program in an MS-DOS Window to determine your own hostname.

[pic]

Figure 7

Displaying Your TCP/IP Configuration

@aGlance/IT requires that hostnames can be properly translated into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. In addition, both server and client network software must be capable of forming a connection. Thus you need to carry out two types of tests to verify that your network is operational.

In order to test the hostname to IP mapping, you must use the ping utility supplied with your TCP/IP software. Most vendors supply this as an MS-DOS program; a few, as a Windows program. In any case, you should verify that you can successfully ping your own system, first using the name localhost, and then using your hostname. Once that is successful, you should ping each of the server hosts, by hostname you will be communicating with. It is not sufficient to ping using IP addresses: you must do so by hostname.

[pic]

Figure 8

Using PING to Check Your Hosts File

If you cannot ping your own PC, either as localhost or by hostname, your TCP/IP software is not installed and/or configured properly. You should consult the documentation from your TCP/IP supplier.

If you are unable to ping a server host from your PC, you may wish to verify that you can reach it from a different PC. If IPCONFIG shows that DNS Resolution is enabled on your PC, then you should contact your network administrator to find out why you cannot reach the server hosts. If you are not using DNS name resolution, then you should examine the contents of the hosts file in your Windows directory.

Verify that you do indeed have exactly one hosts file. If you make changes to your hosts file that do not take effect, search your path for a second hosts file, possibly created when internet access software was installed. Make certain that the hostname localhost is defined, and that you have followed the formatting rules: no leading white space, no commas in a definition, etc. A properly formatted hosts file is shown in Figure 9

# Copyright (c) 1994 Microsoft Corp.

#

# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP-32 # for Windows for Workgroups 3.11

#

# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host # names. Each entry should be kept on an individual line. # The IP address should be placed in the first column # # # followed by the corresponding host name.

# The IP address and the host name should be separated by # at least one space.

#

#

127.0.0.1 localhost # always define localhost here

21.0.0.1 doit # @aGlance/IT server's def.

21.0.0.2 growth localhost # local PC's def

21.0.0.5 beatit # other server hostnames ...

21.0.0.15 blueit

21.0.0.14 iris

21.0.0.13 zonk

21.0.0.10 just

Figure 9

A hosts File for MS TCP/IP

Establishing a TCP/IP Connection

Establishing a TCP/IP Connection@aGlance/IT takes advantage of the connection-oriented, Transport Control Protocol (TCP). Since ping uses the connectionless, ICMP protocol, you must use another means to verify that you can make a connection between your PC and each of the server hosts that will be running @aGlance/IT servers.

File transport protocol (FTP) is implemented using TCP. All implementations of TCP/IP for Windows 3.1 include an FTP client: TCP/IP on Unix, WNT, and OpenVMS all include both FTP servers and clients. Except for @aGlance/IT servers on Windows 95, you can use your FTP program to verify that your TCP/IP system is ready for @aGlance/IT.

You will need a username and password on each server host in order to carry out the test. Once you have obtained the password(s), you must determine the name of the ftp client program on your PC. It may be in your Windows directory, or it may be in the directory that contains your TCP/IP software. The program names vary slightly, but always include ftp; i.e., WINFTP. Some are implemented as MS-DOS programs, and others as Windows applications.

[pic]

Figure 10

Testing Connectivity with FTP

Once your program is running, you specify the hostname of the server host. The command is typically open, or connect. You will be prompted for username and password. Once you are logged into the remote server, issue the list directory command, ls, to verify that you are fully connected. Once you see the list of files, issue the close command, and test the connections to your other server hosts.

In Figure 10, the ftp program supplied by Microsoft is used to test the ability to establish a connection with server host doit.

Configuring DECnet Phase IV on Your PC

Configuring DECnet Phase IV on Your PCIn order to use @aGlance/IT over the DECnet protocol, you must install the appropriate protocol driver. You can determine which protocols are installed on your system through the Windows Setup application, which is in the Main program group. (The same application may be invoked via the Network Setup icon in the Network program group.) Select Change Network Settings from the Options menu of Windows Setup to display the Network Setup popup menu. Pathworks DECnet should be listed in the Network Drivers: list.

Next you must be sure that both your node name and the node name of your server(s) are stored in the permanent DECnet database on your node.

Defining Your Node in the DECnet Permanent Database

Defining Your Node in the DECnet Permanent DatabaseThe DECnet PATHWORKS installation defines your PC as an "executor" node, but does not automatically create an entry in the "permanent node database." You must create an entry for your node in the permanent database.

From the DOS prompt, you can use the DECnet management program NCP to create the required entry. You can do this with the NCP command

DEFINE NODE nodeaddress NAME nodename

Nodeaddress is the unique numeric address for the node, and

nodename is the one to six character identification string for the node.

You can use another NCP command

LIST EXECUTOR

to determine the nodename and nodeaddress that were entered during DECnet installation.

The following example shows the use of NCP to first determine the local node name and nodeaddress, then enter it into the permanent database, and finally to verify that you did so successfully. NOTE: It is important to use exactly the commands shown. Seemingly similar NCP commands may not have the desired behavior; e.g., you must use LIST and DEFINE, not SHOW and SET.

C:\>ncp

Network Control Program - v4.0.00

NCP>list exec

Executor node summary as of 12-Jan-1994 20:16:54

Executor node = 21.4 (INCOME)

State On

Executor Identification Pathworks for DOS V4.1

NCP>define node 21.4 name income

NCP>list node income

Known Permanent Nodes as of 12-Jan-1994 20:17:31

Node Node Active Account

Address Name Links MS-NET Information

21.4 INCOME 0

Defining Server Nodes in the Permanent Database

Defining Server Nodes in the Permanent DatabaseFor each server whose data you wish to access, you must have an entry in the DECnet permanent database. You will have to obtain the nodenames and node addresses from the network administrator for your site, and then use NCP to enter them; i.e.,

NCP>define node 19.1 name unit1

NCP>define node 19.2 name phouse

NCP>define node 23.8 name unit3

Upgrading an @aGlance/IT 2.x installation

Upgrading an @aGlance/IT 2.x installationThe first step in preparing for an update is to remove the Version 2 @aGlance/IT spreadsheet addins.

• If you have Excel 4, delete the XLAAG and XLAAGMEN files from the Addin Manager’s list by launching Excel, and selecting Options > Addins. Use Options > Toolbars to delete the @aGlance/IT toolface (factory icon). Then choose File > Exit to terminate Excel.

• In Microsoft Excel 5, click the right mouse button on any toolface. In the popup menu that appears, choose Customize…, then drag the factory icon off the toolbar and drop it. Close the popup menu, and select File>Exit to terminate Excel.

Before Version 3, all @aGlance/IT systems required ObjectBroker. Thus before you upgrade, you need to decide if you need to keep the ObjectBroker software on your system. You must answers to two questions:

1. Do you need to communicate with @aGlance/IT Version 2 servers?

2. Will you be using DECnet to communicate with Version 3 servers?

If the answer to both these questions is “No," then you should delete the old @aGlance/IT and ObjectBroker files before installing Version 3. In particular, you should delete the files in the AAG and/or ACAS directory, and the AAG.INI file in your Windows directory. Once you have removed these files, you can run SETUP to install @aGlance/IT Version 3, using the instructions in the next section, Installing @aGlance/IT without ObjectBroker.

If the answer to either of these questions is “Yes," then you must have both ObjectBroker and ONC/RPC middleware installed on your system. You should follow the instruction in the section Installing @aGlance/IT with ObjectBroker.

Installing @aGlance/IT without ObjectBroker

Installing @aGlance/IT without ObjectBrokerYou should follow the directions in this section if you will be communicating exclusively with V3 @aGlance/IT servers, and will not be using DECnet to do so.

In order to install the @aGlance/IT software, you must know the names and locations of the directories where your spreadsheet resides, and where your spreadsheet stores addins. You must have write access to those directories. You will also need write access to your Windows directory, and to a directory where the @aGlance/IT files may be stored. The installation procedure will add the @aGlance/IT directory to your path. In general, write access is only required during installation.

If you are installing a spreadsheet Addin, you should be sure that program is not running during the installation process. Insert the distribution diskette (Disk 1, if you are installing from an HDO kit) in the drive, select the File>Run option in File Manager or Program Manager, and type A:\SETUP.

Choose a directory to copy the @aGlance/IT files into. Next, in the Middleware Selection dialog box, select the RPC button. Choose which spreadsheet Addin(s) to install, and specify the appropriate directories. The installation procedure copies the necessary files to the specified directories, and then offers to update your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Unless the @aGlance/IT directory is already on your path, you should allow the update, and then manually reboot your PC before running the @aGlance/IT Administration Tool.

Configuring Server Hosts with the Administration Tool

Configuring Server Hosts with the Administration ToolThe entries in your hosts file and/or DECnet database include all the systems you will ever communicate with. You must specify which of the known remote systems may at some time be @aGlance/IT server hosts. From the Windows Program Manager, select the @aGlance/IT Standard or Professional Edition program group, and double click the Administration Tool icon.

Enter each server host’s hostname in the “Host” text box, press Add, and Update. Since you are installing with ONC/RPC support only, the ObjectBroker middleware option (ACA) is not available (“grayed out”).

Once you enter a hostname, you can press List Servers to see if any @aGlance/IT servers are currently executing on the specified server host.

[pic]

Figure 11

Defining Server Hosts with ONC/RPC

At this point, the basic @aGlance/IT client software is ready to go. You can verify your ability to communicate with @aGlance/IT servers by starting @aGlance/IT on one of the server hosts, and then running the Sample Server program as described in the @aGlance/IT Installation and Operations Guide. Use the Administration Tool to verify that Sample Server is running, then double click on the Sample Client program in the @aGlance/IT Program Group.

Finally, you must configure your spreadsheet(s) for the Addin(s) you selected. Consult the instruction in the section of this chapter titled, Configuring Your Spreadsheet Addin.

Installing @aGlance/IT with ObjectBroker

Installing @aGlance/IT with ObjectBrokerYou should follow the instruction in this section if you must communicate to an @aGlance/IT Version 2 server, which will not be upgraded to Version 3, and/or if you must communicate to a Version 3 server over DECnet. You will install both ObjectBroker and ONC/RPC middleware.

@aGlance/IT uses ObjectBroker Version 2.1, sometimes referred to as ACAS, or ACA Services, or Application Control Architecture Services V2.1. There are several ways to obtain this software:

• You can purchase the @aGlance/IT Standard or Professional Edition with ObjectBroker. In this case, the last three characters in the part number on your diskette label should be HDO.

• If you are upgrading a working @aGlance/IT Version 2 or a DEC @aGlance system, then ObjectBroker is already installed.

• If you purchased an upgrade to an @aGlance/IT Addin for Excel or 1-2-3, then you received a Standard Edition with ObjectBroker.

• If you purchased an upgrade to an @aGlance/IT Application Developer’s Kit, then you received a Professional Edition with ObjectBroker.

• If you purchased DEC @aGlance from Digital Equipment Corporation, then you must have also purchased a copy of ACA Services at that time.

• Recent versions of Digital’s Pathworks include ObjectBroker V2.5, which includes ACAS V2.1 as the so-called “compatibility bits.”

If you do not have the HDO version of the @aGlance/IT software, then you must separately install ObjectBroker (ACAS) each time you reinstall @aGlance/IT. In this case, you must install ObjectBroker before you install @aGlance/IT, so that the @aGlance/IT installation procedure can find it.

In order to install the @aGlance/IT software, you must know the names and locations of the directories where your spreadsheet resides, and of the directory where your spreadsheet stores addins. You must have write access to those directories. You will also need write access to your Windows directory, and to a directory where the @aGlance/IT files may be stored. The installation procedure will add the @aGlance/IT directory to your path. In general, write access is only required during installation.

If you are installing a spreadsheet Addin, you should be sure that program is not running during the installation process. Some @aGlance/IT for Windows kits have only one diskette; others have several. You should insert the first (only) diskette labeled @aGlance/IT for Windows 3.xx in the drive, select the File>Run option in File Manager or Program Manager, and type A:\SETUP. You must specify a directory that the @aGlance/IT files will be copied into.

In the middleware selection dialog box, you can choose to install support for ObjectBroker (ACA) only, or for both ObjectBroker and ONC/RPC. You should select ‘Both,' so that you can easily switch to ONC/RPC without reinstalling the software. However, if you are using a very old version of Pathworks (4.x) or Novell LAN Workplace for DOS (4.01), you must select ObjectBroker only.

Choose which spreadsheet Addin(s) to install, and specify the appropriate directories. The installation procedure copies the necessary files to the specified directories, and then offers to update your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Unless the @aGlance/IT directory is already on your path, you should allow the update, and then manually reboot your PC before running the @aGlance/IT Administration Tool.

Configuring Server Hosts with the Administration Tool

Configuring Server Hosts with the Administration ToolThe entries in your hosts file and/or DECnet database include all the systems you will ever communicate with. You must specify which of the known remote systems may at some time be @aGlance/IT server hosts. From the Windows Program Manager, select the @aGlance/IT Standard or Professional Edition program group, and double click the @aGlance/IT Administration Tool icon.

Enter each server host’s hostname in the “Host” text box, click the ObjectBroker (ACA) radio button, and press Add. When you have specified all the servers hosts, press Update, and then File>Exit.

[pic]

Figure 12

Defining Server Hosts with ObjectBroker

Once you enter a hostname, you can use the Administration Tool to see if any @aGlance/IT servers are currently executing on the server hosts. Consult the Chapter Managing Servers and Sessions for further instructions on the use of the Administration Tool.

At this point, the basic @aGlance/IT client software is ready to go. You can verify your ability to communicate with @aGlance/IT servers by starting @aGlance/IT on one of the server hosts, and then running the Sample Server program as described in the @aGlance/IT Installation and Operations Guide. Use the Administration Tool to verify that Sample Server is running, then double click on the Sample Client program in the @aGlance/IT Program Group.

Finally, you must configure your spreadsheet Addin as described in the next section.

Configuring Your Spreadsheet Addin

Configuring Your Spreadsheet AddinThis section explains how to configure your spreadsheet to use the @aGlance/IT spreadsheet Addin you just installed. Be sure to review the section in the Release Notes that discusses Addins before proceeding. (In Program Manager, double click on the @aGlance Standard Edition or Professional Edition program group, and then double click on the V3.0 Release Notes icon.)

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for MS Excel Version 4

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for MS Excel Version 4 Launch Excel and select Options>Addins… to locate the Addins Manager dialog box. You must twice select Add and specify the files XLAAG.XLA and XLAAGMEN.XLA. If you specified the Excel\Library subdirectory during Setup, then the files will be in that directory. Exit the Addin Manager.

Excel is now configured to open the two sheets each time you launch the program. This makes the @aGlance/IT macro function available, and puts an @aGlance item on the Excel menu bar.

Next, add the @aGlance/IT icon to the Excel Toolbar.

Select @aGlance>Utility Options…>Add AAG Toolbar and click OK. A Toolbar will appear with an @aGlance/IT Toolface (a factory icon) on it. You can move or customize the toolbar, or move the toolface to another toolbar.

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for MS Excel Version 5

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for MS Excel Version 5Launch Excel from the Office Toolbar or via Start>Programs>Microsoft Excel. Once Excel is running, Select Tools>Addins… will result in the appearance of the Addins Manager dialog box. If you specified the Excel\Library subdirectory during Setup, then XLAAG and XLAAGMEN will appear near the bottom of the list box. If you specified a different directory, click on Browse, and use the file selection box to locate them. In any event, you must click on the check boxes beside these two entries, and then click OK. Exit the Addin Manager.

Excel is now configured to open the two sheets each time you launch the program. This makes the @aGlance/IT macro function available, and puts an @aGlance item on the Excel menu bar.

Select @aGlance>Utility Options…>Add AAG Toolbar and click OK. A Toolbar will appear with an @aGlance/IT Toolface (a factory icon) on it. You can move or customize the toolbar, or move the toolface to another toolbar.

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3Launch 1-2-3 for Windows.

• Select Tools>User Setup. The Run autoexecute macros box must be checked so that the @aGlance/IT Addin is loaded automatically whenever the AAGMENU.WK4 sheet is loaded. The Undo box should be cleared if you plan to write macros which contain loops.

• Select File>Open and specify AAGMENU.WK4 in the \123R5W\WORK\ directory if you have 1-2-3 Release 5, or the \123R4W\SAMPLE directory if Release 4. This will add an @aGlance option to the 1-2-3 menu bar.

• Select @aGlance>Utility Options>Add @aGlance SmartIcon to add the factory icon to one of your SmartIcon sets.

Any time you want access to @aGlance/IT capabilities from 1-2-3, including an extensive on-line help facility, you need only open the AAGMENU.WK4 sheet.

You have completed the installation of the Standard Edition components. The next section explains the steps necessary to finish the installation of the Professional Edition.

Configuring Your Professional Edition

Configuring Your Professional EditionIf you plan to use the @aGlance/IT Visual Basic API, you can tailor your VB environment to easily add @aGlance/IT client functions to your programs. If you will be using NetOLE, it must be registered in the System Registry.

Configure Visual Basic

Configure Visual Basic

Launch Visual Basic from the Program Manager or the File Manager.

Open a new project (FileOpenProject).

Using the FileAdd File ... menu option, select the file C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\AAGVB.VBX and click the OK button. This adds the @aGlance icon to the bottom of the Toolbox window, and makes the @aGlance/IT custom control available for use in the project.

Using the FileAdd File... menu options, select the file C:\VB\AAG\AAGDEF.BAS and click the OK button. This makes the definitions for the @aGlance/IT API available for use in the project.

You can make the @aGlance/IT capabilities automatically available to all your new projects by applying the above procedure to the VB project file AUTOLOAD.MAK in your C:\VB directory, then saving and closing the project. Since AUTOLOAD is the template, all new projects will include the custom control and the API.

Register NetOLE

Register NetOLEThe NetOLE server must be registered before it can be used. You need only execute the program, by double clicking on C:\AAG\AAGAUTO.EXE.

Chapter four

Installing on Windows 95

4 Installing on Windows 95"This chapter explains how to install the @aGlance/IT Standard and Professional Editions on Windows 95. Standard and Professional Editions both install spreadsheet Addins, so the spreadsheet program itself must be installed before @aGlance/IT.

The Professional Edition installs @aGlance/IT for Visual Basic and NetOLE, as well as C include files and sample programs. You should have VB and/or Visual C++ installed before you install the Professional Edition.

Since @aGlance/IT utilizes your network software, the chapter first explains how to verify that your network is operational. Once you are able to communicate to the host computer(s) where the @aGlance/IT server(s) are running, you are ready to install the @aGlance/IT software.

The use of the Administration Tool to configure the server hosts is explained.

The 16-bit Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs) required for Windows 3.1 clients are installed on Windows 95, so existing @aGlance/IT client software can run without modification on the new operating system. At installation time, you may choose to support Excel Version 5, intended for use on Windows 3.xx, or Excel Version 7, a part of Office 95.

On the 32-bit Windows operating systems, @aGlance/IT uses ONC/RPC middleware over the TCP/IP software supplied with the operating system. Thus existing, @aGlance/IT servers must be upgraded to Version 3 to communicate with clients on Windows 95.

Verifying Your Network Configuration

Verifying Your Network Configuration \l2In order to install @aGlance/IT, your Windows 95 system must be properly configured for TCP/IP networking. This means that the hostnames of your computer and of all other systems with which @aGlance/IT will communicate are mapped to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for your system.

Your computer’s hostname was defined when its network software was configured. The IP address may have been assigned at the same time, or it may be installed dynamically using DHCP. In small networks, the association between hostnames and IP addresses are made in the hosts file, typically found in the C:\WINDOWS directory. In larger networks, hostnames are frequently resolved through communication with a (DNS) name server.

You can determine how your system is configured by examining the attributes of your TCP/IP via the Windows TCP/IP configuration program. From the task bar, select Start>Run winipcfg, and click More Info>>

[pic]

Figure 13

Displaying Your Win95 TCP/IP Configuration

Note the hostname and IP address of your system, and verify that you can communicate with yourself.

You should verify that the hostname of your Windows 95 system and the hostnames of all the systems where server application might run are properly associated with their IP addresses. The easiest way to do so is to use the TCP/IP utility ping that is supplied with Windows 95.

Open an MS-DOS window (Start>Programs>MS-DOS Prompt) and attempt to ping yourself and all hostnames with which you will communicate. If you receive the error message “bad ip address”, you should consult your network administrator and correct the problem before attempting to install @aGlance/IT

[pic]

Figure 14

Testing Hostnames with Ping

The most frequent cause of problems is the hosts file, which may be found in your Windows directory. If winipcfg does not list any DNS Servers, then you are dependent on a hosts file for hostname to IP address translation. You should verify that your hosts file does exist, and that it is located in the Windows directory. Be sure that the file is properly formatted with neither leading white space nor commas, and verify that there is no other hosts file anywhere on your path. (Start > Find…) Figure 15 shows a well-formatted hosts file.

# Copyright (c) 1994 Microsoft Corp.

#

# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Chicago

#

# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each

# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should

# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.

# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one

# space.

#

# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual

# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.

#

# For example:

#

# 102.54.94.97 rhino. # source server

# 38.25.63.10 x. # x client host

21.0.0.47 jimsdell JIMSDELL localhost

21.0.0.1 doit, DOIT

21.0.0.14 iris

21.0.0.15 blueit

21.0.0.13 zonk

21.0.0.12 loseit

Figure 15

Windows 95 hosts File

If you will be communicating with Windows NT, Unix, or OpenVMS systems, you should also verify that you can access those systems with another Windows 95 TCP/IP utility program, ftp. Ping assures you that there is a mapping between hostnames and IP addresses, and that you can contact the systems using the internet control message protocol (ICMP). @aGlance/IT and ftp use the transport control protocol (TCP). You should not attempt to install @aGlance/IT if you cannot establish ftp connections.

[pic]

Figure 16

Testing Connectivity with FTP

ftp is an MS-DOS program, so you must open an MS-DOS Window (Start>Programs>MS-DOS) to run it. Use the open command to establish a connection with each server host. For each server host, login to any account and use any ftp command to verify that the connection is indeed solid. In Figure 16, the list directory command, ls, shows the files with extensions .txt in the default directory for the system account. Sever the connection to the first server host with the close command to ftp, and then test the next server host or terminate ftp via bye.

Unless your server host is another Windows 95 system, you should not proceed with the @aGlance/IT installation process until you can make the connections with ftp.

Running Setup

Running Setup"Once you have established that your network is functional, you are ready to install the @aGlance/IT software. If you are installing a spreadsheet Addin, you should be sure that program is not running during the installation process. Insert the distribution diskette for the Standard Edition (Diskette 1 of the Professional Edition kit) in your drive, choose Start>Run and enter A:\Setup, and click OK.

After you confirm that you do indeed wish to do the installation at this time, you must specify where the @aGlance/IT files should be stored. You are asked to specify which spreadsheet(s) you will be using with @aGlance/IT, and the directories associated with the spreadsheet(s).

You must have write access all the directories specified, as well as the Windows directory. In addition, the @aGlance/IT directory needs to be on your Path, so Setup (with your permission) modifies your AUTOEXEC.BAT directory. Once Setup is finished, you must reboot your system before running the Administration Tool to configure your server hosts.

After rebooting, run the @aGlance/IT Administration Tool.

Defining Server Hosts with the Administration Tool

Defining Server Hosts with the Administration Tool \l2The number of hosts accessible to your system may be restricted to the entries in your hosts file, or may be very large via a chain of DNS servers that enable you to reach the millions of hosts on the internet. You must specify which of these known remote systems may at some time be @aGlance/IT server hosts. From the Task Bar, select the Start>Programs and either the Standard or Professional Edition program group, and finally select the Administration Tool.

Enter each server host’s hostname in the “Host” text box, press Add, and Update. Since you are installing on Windows 95, the ObjectBroker middleware option (ACA) is not available (“grayed out”).

[pic]

Figure 17

Defining Server Hosts

Once you enter a hostname, you can use the Administration Tool to see if any @aGlance/IT servers are currently executing on the server hosts. Consult the Chapter Managing Servers and Sessions for further instructions on the use of the Administration Tool.

At this point, the basic @aGlance/IT client software is ready to go. You can verify your ability to communicate with @aGlance/IT servers by starting @aGlance/IT on one of the server hosts, and then running the Sample Server program as described in the @aGlance/IT Installation and Operations Guide. Use the Administration Tool to verify that Sample Server is running, then double click on the Sample Client program in the @aGlance/IT Program Group.

Finally, you must configure your spreadsheet Addin as described in the next section.

Configuring Your Spreadsheet Addins

Configuring Your Spreadsheet AddinsThis section explains how to configure your spreadsheet to use the @aGlance/IT spreadsheet Addin you just installed. Be sure to review the section in the Release Notes that discusses Addins before proceeding. (Select Start>Programs>@aGlance {Standard or Profession} Edition>V3.0 Release Notes from the Task Bar.)

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Microsoft Excel

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Microsoft ExcelLaunch Excel from the Office Toolbar or via Start>Programs>Microsoft Excel. Once Excel is running, Select Tools>Addins… will result in the appearance of the Addins Manager dialog box. If you specified the Excel\Library subdirectory during Setup, then XLAAG and XLAAGMEN will appear near the bottom of the list box. If you specified a different directory, click on Browse, and use the file selection box to locate them. In any event, you must click on the check boxes beside these two entries, and then click OK. Exit the Addin Manager.

Excel is now configured to open the two sheets each time you launch the program. This makes the @aGlance/IT macro function available, and puts an @aGlance item on the Excel menu bar.

Select @aGlance>Utility Options…>Add AAG Toolbar and click OK. A Toolbar will appear with an @aGlance/IT Toolface (a factory icon) on it. The toolbar can be moved or customized, or the toolface moved to another toolbar, just as any other Excel toolbar.

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3Launch 1-2-3 for Windows.

• Select Tools>User Setup. The Run autoexecute macros box must be checked so that the @aGlance/IT Addin is loaded automatically whenever the AAGMENU.WK4 sheet is loaded. The Undo box should be cleared if you plan to write macros which contain loops.

• Select File>Open and specify AAGMENU.WK4 in the \123R5W\WORK\ directory if you have 1-2-3 Release 5, or the \123R4W\SAMPLE directory if Release 4. This will add an @aGlance option to the 1-2-3 menu bar.

• Select @aGlance>Utility Options>Add @aGlance SmartIcon to add the factory icon to one of your SmartIcon sets.

Any time you want access to @aGlance/IT capabilities from 1-2-3, including an extensive on-line help facility, you need only open the AAGMENU.WK4 sheet.

Your @aGlance/IT installation is now complete.

Chapter five

Installing on Windows NT

5 Installing on Windows NT" This chapter explains how to install the @aGlance/IT Standard and Professional Editions on Windows NT. The same instructions apply whether you are installing on the Workstation or the Advanced Server version of Windows NT. Standard and Professional Editions both install spreadsheet Addins, so the spreadsheet program itself must be installed before @aGlance/IT.

The Professional Edition installs @aGlance/IT for Visual Basic and NetOLE, as well as C include files and sample programs. You should have VB and/or Visual C++ installed before you install the Professional Edition.

Since @aGlance/IT utilizes your network software, the chapter first explains how to verify that your network is operational. Once you are able to communicate to the host computer(s) where the @aGlance/IT server(s) are running, you are ready to install the @aGlance/IT software.

The use of the Administration Tool to configure the server hosts is explained.

The 16-bit Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs) required for Windows 3.1 clients are installed on Windows 95, so existing @aGlance/IT client software can run without modification on the new operating system. At installation time, you may choose to support Excel Version 5, intended for use on Windows 3.xx, or Excel Version 7, a part of Office 95.

On the 32-bit Windows operating systems, @aGlance/IT uses ONC/RPC middleware over the TCP/IP software supplied with the operating system. Thus existing, @aGlance/IT servers must be upgraded to Version 3 to communicate with clients on Windows 95.

Verifying Your Network Configuration

Verifying Your Network Configuration \l2In order to install @aGlance/IT, your Windows NT system must be properly configured for TCP/IP networking. This means that the hostnames of your computer and of all other systems with which @aGlance/IT will communicate are mapped to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for your system.

In small networks, these definitions are made in the hosts file, typically found in the C:\WINDOWS directory. In larger networks, hostname are frequently resolved through communication with a name server (DNS), or are dynamically established at the time the system is booted via a Windows NT-based, DHCP server. You can determine how your system is configured by running the ipconfig program. From an MS-DOS prompt, enter

c:\windows>ipconfig/all

You should verify that the hostname of your Windows NT system and the hostnames of all the clients you expect to serve are defined. The easiest way is to use the TCP/IP utility ping that is supplied with Windows NT. Open an MS-DOS window and attempt to ping yourself and all hostnames with which you will communicate. If you receive the error message “bad ip address”, you should consult your network administrator before attempting to install @aGlance/IT.

Ping assures that you that there is a mapping between hostnames and IP addresses, and that you can contact the systems using the universal datagram protocol (UDP).

Another Windows NT TCP/IP utility program, ftp can provide further assurance that your network is properly configured. Unlike ping, both @aGlance/IT and ftp use the transport control protocol (TCP). Your should first always verify that you can ftp “to yourself”, and that all the client systems can ftp to your system. If you will be communicating with other Windows NT, Unix, or OpenVMS systems, you should also verify that you can access those systems from your system.

Running Setup

Running Setup" Once you have established that your network is functional, you are ready to install the @aGlance/IT software. If you are installing a spreadsheet Addin, you should be sure that program is not running during the installation process. Insert the distribution diskette for the Standard Edition (Diskette 1 of the Professional Edition kit) in your drive, choose Start>Run and enter A:\Setup, and click OK.

After you confirm that you do indeed wish to do the installation at this time, you must specify where the @aGlance/IT files should be stored. You are asked to specify which spreadsheet(s) you will be using with @aGlance/IT, and the directories associated with the spreadsheet(s).

You must have write access all the directories specified, as well as the Windows directory. In addition, the @aGlance/IT directory needs to be on your Path, so Setup (with your permission) modifies your AUTOEXEC.BAT directory. Once Setup is finished, you must reboot your system before running the Administration Tool to configure your server hosts.

After rebooting, run the @aGlance/IT Administration Tool.

Defining Server Hosts with the Administration Tool

Defining Server Hosts with the Administration Tool \l2The number of hosts accessible to your system may be restricted to the entries in your hosts file, or may be very large via a chain of DNS servers that enable you to reach the millions of hosts on the internet. You must specify which of these known remote systems may at some time be @aGlance/IT server hosts. From the Task Bar, select the Start>Programs and either the Standard or Professional Edition program group, and finally select the Administration Tool.

Enter each server host’s hostname in the “Host” text box, press Add, and Update. Since you are installing on Windows NT, the ObjectBroker middleware option (ACA) is not available (“grayed out”).

[pic]

Figure 18

Defining Server Hosts

Once a host is entered, you can use the Administration Tool to see if any @aGlance/IT servers are currently executing on the server hosts. Consult the Chapter Managing Servers and Sessions for further instructions on the use of the Administration Tool.

At this point, the basic @aGlance/IT client software is ready to go. You can verify your ability to communicate with @aGlance/IT servers by starting @aGlance/IT on one of the server hosts, and then running the Sample Server program as described in the @aGlance/IT Installation and Operations Guide. Use the Administration Tool to verify that Sample Server is running, then double click on the Sample Client program in the @aGlance/IT Program Group.

Finally, you must configure your spreadsheet Addin as described in the next section.

Configuring Your Spreadsheet Addin

Configuring Your Spreadsheet AddinThis section explains how to configure your spreadsheet to use the @aGlance/IT spreadsheet Addin you just installed. Be sure to review the section in the Release Notes that discusses Addins before proceeding. (Select Start>Programs>@aGlance {Standard or Profession} Edition>V3.0 Release Notes from the Task Bar.)

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Microsoft Excel

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Microsoft Excel Launch Excel from the Office Toolbar or via Start>Programs>Microsoft Excel. Once Excel is running, Select Tools>Addins… will result in the appearance of the Addins Manager dialog box. If you specified the Excel\Library subdirectory during Setup, then XLAAG and XLAAGMEN will appear near the bottom of the list box. If you specified a different directory, click on Browse, and use the file selection box to locate them. In any event, you must click on the check boxes beside these two entries, and then click OK. Exit the Addin Manager.

Excel is now configured to open the two sheets each time you launch the program. This makes the @aGlance/IT macro function available, and puts an @aGlance item on the Excel menu bar.

Select @aGlance>Utility Options…>Add AAG Toolbar and click OK. A Toolbar will appear with an @aGlance/IT Toolface (a factory icon) on it. The toolbar can be moved or customized, or the toolface moved to another toolbar, just as any other Excel toolbar.

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3

Configuring the @aGlance/IT Addin for Lotus 1-2-3Launch 1-2-3 for Windows.

• Select Tools>User Setup. The Run autoexecute macros box must be checked so that the @aGlance/IT Addin is loaded automatically whenever the AAGMENU.WK4 sheet is loaded. The Undo box should be cleared if you plan to write macros which contain loops.

• Select File>Open and specify AAGMENU.WK4 in the \123R5W\WORK\ directory if you have 1-2-3 Release 5, or the \123R4W\SAMPLE directory if Release 4. This will add an @aGlance option to the 1-2-3 menu bar.

• Select @aGlance>Utility Options>Add @aGlance SmartIcon to add the factory icon to one of your SmartIcon sets.

Any time you want access to @aGlance/IT capabilities from 1-2-3, including an extensive on-line help facility, you need only open the AAGMENU.WK4 sheet.

Your @aGlance/IT installation is now complete.

Chapter six

Managing Servers and Sessions with the Administration Tool

6 Managing Servers and Sessions with the Administration Tool"The Administration Tool has three principle uses:

• On server systems, it configures the proxies and permissions that control access to the @aGlance/IT servers and their functions, and to the @aGlance/IT system management functions.

• On client systems, it defines those remote systems on which servers might be found, and, for dual middleware client systems, it defines which middleware should be used when contacting each host.

• It provides for the management of servers and sessions, notably allowing the removal of “dangling sessions”, which may result from an abrupt client termination.

Some servers implement proxies, some implement permissions, and some implement both proxies and permissions. There are three different ways a server may use proxies. The naming of permissions is completely unique to a particular server. You must consult the documentation supplied with your server in order to carry out the definition of proxies and permission successfully.

A client may have different privileges and proxies on each system with which it communicates. The client will have the same privileges for all @aGlance/IT servers on any specific system. If a server normally runs on one system, but occasionally fails-over to another, you would have the same proxies and permission on the two systems. If you have multiple server systems because they are in different areas of the plant, then you would probably establish different proxies and permissions on the various systems.

Managing Servers and Sessions

Managing Servers and SessionsThis section demonstrates the use of the Administration Tool to view servers and sessions. You can only examine servers and sessions on systems that are defined in your list of server hosts, as shown in the preceding section. The Administration Tool is handled as a client application: as a client, you must have the appropriate proxy and permissions defined on the server host you will be viewing, as described in previous sections.

[pic]

Figure 19

Managing Servers and Sessions on Windows

In Figure 19, a server host name, doit, was entered in the text box, and then Added to the list of server hosts. Selecting doit in the list box, and clicking on List Servers, results in the dialog box in Figure 20.

The Administration Tool shows that there are three servers currently running on the server host, doit. While this example demonstrates the management of a remote server host, it would have worked the same for servers running locally.

At this point, depending upon the (@aGlance/IT administrative) permissions that are set up on doit, you could either list the sessions associated with each server, or terminate the servers.

[pic]

Figure 20

Displaying Servers on Windows

The dialog box show in Figure 21 displays the result of a list servers command specifying the first server shown in Figure 20.

[pic]

Figure 21

Listing Sessions on Windows

Appendix A

Miscellaneous Tips & Hints

A Miscellaneous Tips & Hints"\l1 This Appendix contains material that will not be used during the average installation, and can safely be ignored by most users.

Network Installation Considerations

Network Installation ConsiderationsThis section discusses your options for installing a shared copy of @aGlance/IT on a file server. As described in your license agreement, @aGlance/IT is only licensed for use on a specific PC. Thus if you are installing on a file server, you must have purchased an individual license for anyone who will use @aGlance/IT - not simply the maximum number of simultaneous users.

There are nearly as many ways to install shared software as there are sites running it. The procedure will vary depending upon whether your sites has shared copies of Windows and/or shared copies of your spreadsheet. If you use DNS name servers, your situation differs from sites that use only hosts files. The handling of common AUTOEXEC.BAT files varies from site to site.

This document therefore explains the needs of @aGlance/IT, and makes suggestions for ways to incorporate it in common schemes. You will undoubtedly need to adapt these policies to your own situation.

Most @aGlance/IT files are simply copied from the distribution media onto your disk(s). These files do not require customization. You can either make a single copy in a common area, to be shared by all, or you can install them onto a file server and then push copies out to the appropriate directories on each individual PC.

This includes DLLs, EXEs, OCXs, and VBXs, which are copied into either the Windows directory or the AAG directory.

Certain files are modified to conform to your configuration. Once the system is operating satisfactorily, these files need not be modified again unless your configuration changes. All these files may or may not be the same for all your @aGlance/IT clients, depending upon your configuration.

The AAG.INI file, created in the WINDOWS directory by Setup, and modified by the Administration Tool, includes information regarding the server hosts that are to be contacted when @aGlance/IT is locating a particular named server. It also contains your choice of middleware for this client. If you are using ObjectBroker middleware, then there are other files which contain the OBB configuration information. If all your clients have the same server hosts, and all use the same middleware, then they may be able to share a common AAG.INI file and common ObjectBroker files.

The @aGlance/IT installation also modifies certain existing files. Because there are DLLs in the AAG directory, this directory must be on your PATH, unless you decide to mingle the @aGlance/IT files with, say, all the files in your Windows directory. In order to put AAG on the PATH, @aGlance/IT Setup modifies your AUTOEXEC.BAT. If all your PCs have a common AUTOEXEC.BAT, then you can simply amend that file appropriately.

If you are using ObjectBroker, then the environment variable ACAS_DIR must be defined to point to the AAG directory. Again, it may be possible to put the appropriate SET command in a common AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

If you are using DECnet, the installation modifies SYSTEM.INI to ensure a minimum DECnet heap size. Of course, if all your PCs share that file, it is easy to make that modification.

Finally, there are system files that are not written by @aGlance/IT, but may need to be unique for @aGlance/IT to function. If you are using ObjectBroker, @aGlance/IT must be able to translate “localhost” into the PC’s IP address. This may require a different hosts file for each PC, depending upon your stack. This is not an issue for Version 3 systems that use ONC/RPC middleware exclusively.

Starting Sample Server

Starting Sample ServerYou can use Sample Server to test your @aGlance/IT installation independently of the server that you will be using once the entire system is up and running. This is a technique that is occasionally necessary to isolate which software is failing. The commands required to initiate Sample Server vary by operating system, and in all cases require that you be able to log into an account on your server host that has adequate privilege to at least execute the program. There must also be a proxy defined on the server host that allows your PC to communicate with servers.

OpenVMS Server Hosts

$RUN AAG$SYSTEM:SAMPLE_SERVER

Server Hosts Running Most Unix Variants

# .cd /usr/examples/aag

# ./sample_server

Server Hosts Running SCO Unix

# cd /usr/lib/aag/examples

# ./sample_server

Appendix B

Installing and Configuring on Macintosh

B Installing and Configuring on Macintosh"\l1

Network Setup

Network SetupLaunch the NCP application from the DECnet for Macintosh folder and follow these steps:

1. Click the Node Definitions button.

2. Ensure that the Macintosh node and all server nodes are defined in the DECnet database. This requires that the Area Number, Node Number, and Node Name be defined for each of these nodes.

3. Verify that the hardware is working and the configuration valid by selecting one of the server nodes, clicking the Loop button and then the Start button. Click the Finished button to exit the node definition window.

4. Verify the executor node definition by clicking the Exec Settings button. This should reflect your Node Name, Node and Area Numbers. Click the Cancel button to leave the executor window.

5. Click the Quit button to exit the NCP application.

ObjectBroker Installation

ObjectBroker InstallationIn this section, ObjectBroker will be referred to by its old name, ACA Services, since the procedures and tools being used still do so.

Your @aGlance/IT for Microsoft Excel for Macintosh kit contains ACA Services as two self-extracting archives:

DEC ACA Services Library.sea, and

DEC ACA Services-R.sea.

Place the @aGlance/IT for Microsoft Excel for Macintosh in the drive on your Macintosh.

Double click on the @aGlance/IT for Excel disk icon that appears on your desktop.

An ACA Services V2.1 window appears, showing icons for the self extracting archives, and one for the ACA Services Release Notes.

Double click the icon labeled DEC ACA Services Library.sea

A window appears displaying the name and version of the archive and instructions to install the archive in the System Folder of your Macintosh.

Click OK to specify the location of the System Folder.

A Select Destination Folder... dialog box appears.

Specify the target location of this archive as the System Folder on your Macintosh hard disk.

The contents of this archive must be placed in the System Folder.

The volume and folder shown in the Select Destination Folder... dialog box are those on the installation disk. To specify the System Folder:

Click Desktop

Double click the drive that contains your System Folder; for example, Macintosh HD.

The name of the drive you selected appears in the Folder drop-down list and the folders on that drive are shown in the drop-down list.

Double click the System Folder in the Folder drop-down list.

The folder name System Folder appears in the Folder drop-down list and the contents of the folder is shown in the drop-down list box.

Click Extract to extract the archive to the System Folder.

The extraction process creates a folder named DEC ACA Services Library in your System Folder.

In the @aGlance/IT for Excel window, double click the icon labeled DEC ACA Services-R.sea.

Click OK to specify the location for the archive.

A Select Destination Folder... dialog box appears.

Specify the target location of this archive in the file selection dialog box, in the same manner as you did with DEC ACA Services Library.sea.

You can place the contents of this archive in any folder you choose.

Click Extract to extract the archive.

The extraction process displays messages showing the progress of the installation and creates a folder named DEC ACA Services in the location you specified.

@aGlance/IT Installation

@aGlance/IT Installation Insert the @aGlance/IT for Excel for Macintosh diskette

Double click on the disk icon symbol labeled "@aGlance/IT for Microsoft Excel "

Double click on the icon labeled "@aGlance/IT for Microsoft Excel"

Click on the Desktop button.

Click on the Hard Drive button

The folder name, or the drive name, that contains your Excel folder (whichever is one level above your Excel folder) appears in the folder drop-down list box.

Click on the Extract button.

This transfers all the @aGlance/IT files into their proper folders. When the installation is finished, move the @aGlance/IT for Microsoft Excel icon to the Trash icon to remove the installation disk.

The installation disk pops out of the floppy drive.

ObjectBroker Configuration

ObjectBroker ConfigurationLaunch the ACASWin application from the DEC ACA Services folder by double clicking on ACASWin.

You must tell ACA Services which network transport you are using on your Macintosh. This must be the same transport that was specified for your @aGlance/IT server(s).

1. Choose Transport / Authentication... from the ACASWin System menu.

2. Select a transport from the list.

3a. If you selected DECnet, then you should set Authentication Enabled.

3b. If you selected TCP-IP, then you should set Authentication Disabled.

4. Click OK.

To make the @aGlance/IT information available to ObjectBroker:

1. From the ACASWin System menu item, select the Repository List... item.

2. Click the Add button.

3. From the Open dialog box, select AAGOBJ.CR. (This file was installed in the Excel folder during the @aGlance/IT installation.)

4. Click the Open button.

5. Click the OK button.

To make your server node names and platform types known to ObjectBroker:

1. From the ACASWin System menu item, select the Node Definitions... item.

2. For each server node of interest, enter the Node Name, select the Platform Type, click the Add button, and click the Transfer button.

3. Click the OK button.

ObjectBroker configuration is complete. Exit the ACASWin application. Go back to Chapter 1 to configure Excel to utilize @aGlance/IT.

Index

A

Addin Manager • 22, 28, 39, 45, 58, 66

Autoexec.bat file • 23, 26, 40, 43, 55, 63, 75, 76

Autoload.mak file • 30, 47

D

Dangling sessions • 69

DECnet • ii, iii, iv, 12, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 31, 32, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 76, 79, 83

DECnet Permanent Database • 20, 21, 37, 38

DHCP • 13, 50, 62

Domain Name Service (DNS) • 14, 34, 50, 52, 56, 62, 64, 75

F

ftp • 18, 36, 53, 54, 62

H

hosts file • 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 26, 27, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 40, 41, 43, 44, 49, 50, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 70, 71, 75, 76

I

IP Address • 13, 14, 17, 33, 35, 50, 51, 52, 53, 62, 76

IPCONFIG • 34

L

localhost • 17, 33, 34, 35, 53, 76

M

Microsoft Excel • iv, v, 11, 22, 25, 28, 39, 42, 45, 49, 58, 61, 66, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84

Middleware • 12, 15, 16, 22, 23, 25, 26, 31, 32, 39, 42, 43, 49, 56, 61, 64, 69, 76

N

NetOLE • ii, iv, v, 11, 15, 30, 31, 47, 49, 61

O

ObjectBroker • ii, iii, iv, vi, 12, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 56, 64, 76, 80, 83, 84

ONC/RPC • 12, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 31, 32, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 49, 61

P

ping • 17, 18, 33, 34, 35, 52, 62

S

Server hosts • 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 26, 27, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 40, 41, 43, 44, 49, 55, 56, 57, 61, 63, 64, 65, 70, 71, 76

T

Toolbar • 28, 45, 58, 66

Toolface • 28, 45, 58, 66

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