ANSWERS 3
[pic]
System Administrator’s Guide
for
Windows Operating Systems
Data Resources Corporation
Copyright 1981 - 2009
Table of Contents
Using ANSWERS 4
Navigating Within ANSWERS 8
Getting Help On ANSWERS 10
ANSWERS Technical Support 12
Printing From ANSWERS 13
Archived Reports Management 20
Faxing from ANSWERS 21
Emailing Forms from ANSWERS 22
Additional Answers Features 24
Protecting Your Data 26
Running Programs Automatically 30
Error Messages 32
Recovering Corrupt Files 34
Starting (Booting) the Server 35
Shutting Down the Server 36
File Backups 37
Performing a Full System Backup to disk in Windows 2008 38
Performing a Full System Backup to tape in Windows 2000/2003 45
Restoring Files from Tape Backups 48
User Maintenance 52
Appendix 1: Optional Credit Card Processing for Answers 56
Answers Technical Support Website 58
Who Is the System Administrator?
The system administrator is an individual given the responsibility of over-seeing the system. This person is often responsible for general “house-keeping” functions such as system backups, adding new users, setting up new PC’s and other peripherals, and maintaining contact with Data Resources Corporation as needed. Often this person is involved in each training session, so that they have an overview of how all applications in the ANSWERS Distribution Management system work together. This person could then support other personnel and contact Data Resources Corporation for technical support if necessary. The system administrator should know how to start up and shut down the system, perform full system backups, troubleshoot system problems, and oversee regular system maintenance. The system administrator may also be responsible for configuring ANSWERS and for setting up various system passwords, custom menus, and application interface records.
What’s in This Manual?
This manual is intended to be a guide for the System Administrator. This manual provides basic information and help for the duties that might be requested of the individual given the responsibilities of the system administrator. These duties include, adding new users to the system, performing full system backups, starting up and shutting down the system, and troubleshooting system problems.
This guide also includes information on using ANSWERS, and working in Windows, for users who are unfamiliar with a graphical (GUI) interface. This information includes terms and descriptions that you might see when using ANSWERS. Information about technical support services provided by Data Resources Corporation is also included.
This manual includes instructions for using features of the Windows NT Operating System and the Windows 2000 Operating System to maintain the system. This manual includes these instructions as a helpful tool. The instructions included have been written for performing specific functions under Windows NT/Windows 2000. Data Resources Corporation understands that the instructions included are not all inclusive and there are various other features and functions of the operating system. These instructions have been included as a starting point and a basic requirement of good operating system management. Experienced users may want to consult a Windows NT/Windows 2000 manual for additional information.
This manual is divided into two sections. The first section centers around ANSWERS, components of ANSWERS, and information that will be helpful when using ANSWERS. The second section of the manual, Operating System Management, provides basic information and tools that will be helpful in maintaining your system, such as how to backup and how to add new users.
Using ANSWERS
ANSWERS provides users with a modern, dynamic, easy to use distribution management system. User-friendly and easy to read screens make finding essential information fast. ANSWERS is designed for today’s distribution industry. Features make using ANSWERS easy, with minimum keystrokes for fast data entry. Moving between the different application modules can be accomplished with one click of the mouse.
Windows Terminology and Functions
ANSWERS makes use of many standard Windows features. It is not required that your personnel be familiar with Windows, but a basic understanding of windows techniques and terminology will be helpful. Outlined below are some common windows terms and functions that you will find useful when using ANSWERS .
Clicking Generally, most functions in Windows are performed using the mouse. You can move the mouse cursor, usually an arrow, over an area of the screen and press on the left mouse button to perform a particular function.
Double-Click Double-clicking is normally used in areas of the screen where lists of information are involved. You can move the mouse to a particular item in the list and click on the left mouse button twice to activate a function. Double-clicking is also used on the main Windows desktop to activate programs from the icons displayed. How fast you must “double-click” is determined by your Windows configuration. Normally, two fast clicks will be sufficient.
Right-Click Right-clicking is used to activate functions different than those available through a standard click or a double-click. Right-clicking involves moving the mouse over a particular part of the screen and clicking once on the “right” mouse button. This will usually activate a menu at the cursor position which gives you additional options available. You will find right-click menus available in most of the list box and grid areas in ANSWERS. This includes Order Entry, Purchase Order Entry, Customer Invoice History Detail, Customer Invoice Analysis, and many more areas.
Graphical User Interface (GUI) Features and Terms
The graphical user interface uses specific terms to describe the features and functions of windows. Below are some of the features used in ANSWERS and how to respond to each type of feature.
Buttons Buttons are generally small blocks labeled with letters describing what function that button will perform. You can activate or perform the function by clicking on the button. Some common buttons you will see are OK, which generally means to accept the displayed data, and Exit, which will usually close the current window.
Check Box A check box is the windows equivalent of a “Yes or No” question. Generally if a check box is left empty or blank, this would correspond to a “No” answer, while clicking on the box would place a checkmark in the box and correspond to a “Yes” answer.
Radio Buttons Radio buttons are used in situations where a choice must be made. This would correspond to a “Select 1 or 2” type of question. When an option is selected, a solid dot will appear in the center of the radio button circle. If you were to click on another radio button, the solid dot would move to that circle (option) instead. Radio buttons will always provide at least two options, sometimes more. You will normally only be allowed to select one option from each group of buttons. Multiple groups will be separated within boxes or frames.
List Boxes These areas of the screen provide multiples pieces of information. They are usually displayed within a “boxed” area with a white background. They then list items in a single line format. You can generally use the mouse to “highlight” a particular line by clicking anywhere on that line with the mouse. Once the line is highlighted, you will be able to use the programs buttons to perform functions. Most programs that use list boxes require to you have an item from the list selected, or highlighted, before the features can be used. You may notice that buttons appear gray until an item is selected, once the item is selected, the buttons will “enable” for use.
Grid Order Entry and Purchase Order Entry make use of a grid concept. This is similar to a spreadsheet layout where data is formatted into rows and columns. The current line is denoted by a yellow highlighted line. The current cursor position on that line is denoted by filling in the “cell” with a blue box. You may move from place to place within the grid area by simply clicking on the field you wish to go to. For example, the order line you are working on is the row number and the data needed is formatted into columns. You fill in the same columns for each row. When your cursor is located in a particular cell of the grid, you can right-click the mouse to find out what options are available for that field. The menu options and toolbar options are also available for the grid.
Toolbar The toolbar is a row of icons located at the top of the program window. Each icon, or button, has a different picture displayed on it and performs a different function. Many times a toolbar picture will appear to be gray in color. This option is currently not available because of the current location of the cursor, or the program configuration. You can place the mouse over the toolbar button to see a short description of the function that will be performed if you click on that button. Not all programs use toolbars.
Menu Most ANSWERS programs contain a menu. The menu bar is located at the very top of the screen and usually begins with File. Each item shown on the menu will produce a submenu, or pull-down menu, of options available in the program, when clicked on with the mouse. If menu options appear grayed they are not currently available due to program configuration or the current location of the cursor. You will usually find the same options on the menus as are available on the toolbar. There may be options on the menu that cannot be accessed through the toolbar.
Standard Program Conventions
Windows programs typically use “proportional fonts”. This means that the number of characters that can be displayed in a field vary depending on the size of the characters in proportion to the other characters. For example, a “W” will take up more room that an “l” or a “w”. Therefore, in comment fields, descriptions, and addresses, where possible, we suggest that you use both capital and lowercase letters. This will make it easier when viewing the data in the these fields, as more characters will fit into the defined area. Please keep in mind that if a field normally accepts 25 characters, it will accept 25 characters, but they may scroll from view if the size of the characters makes the data to large to be displayed all at once.
Windows programs generally make use of the “Tab” key when moving from field to field. The “Enter” key is usually reserved for accepting the data displayed on the current screen. In most ANSWERS programs, pressing the “Enter” key will have the same effect as clicking on the OK button. Pressing the “Esc” key will have the same effect as clicking on the Exit or Cancel button.
Using the Toolbar
As described earlier, the toolbar is a row of buttons, located at the top of the program window, that allows you to access features and options of the current program. Not all programs have toolbars. Many times, programs will have both a toolbar and a menu. The same options will generally be available on the toolbar and on the menu. In a few cases, you will find options on the menu that are less widely used and not available on the toolbar.
Below are some of the most common features you will find on the toolbar. Other features may be present, but will vary depending on the program you are running. You can find out what function a toolbar button will perform by holding the mouse pointer over the button.
|[pic] |Exit |Use this button to close the current window and exit from the current |
| | |program. |
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|[pic] |New or Add |Use this button to add a new record to the current program. |
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|[pic] |Open or Change |Use this button to change a record already on file in the current |
| | |program. In most cases you will need to select the record to be |
| | |changed by clicking on it from a list box. |
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|[pic] |Delete or Cancel |This button will generally allow you to cancel or discard data from |
| | |the current program. It is a previously saved record, it will be |
| | |equivalent to a delete. If it is new data you are entering, it will |
| | |usually be a cancel feature. |
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|[pic] |Print |Use this button to print related reports or lists. It will also be |
| | |used to print pick tickets and/or invoices from Order Entry, and |
| | |purchase orders from Purchase Order Entry. |
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|[pic] |Help on Current Item |This button will access the on-line help and usually take you directly|
| | |to a field description of the current cursor location. In some cases |
| | |it will take you to a description of the current program. |
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|[pic] |Help Cursor |This button will change you r cursor into a question mark/arrow |
| | |cursor. Click on any field on the current screen to activate the |
| | |on-line and go directly to a description of that field or program. |
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|[pic] |Search/Find |Use this icon, even when it is not located on a toolbar, to find the |
| | |data currently being requested. Data searches are located throughout |
| | |the system to make entering data even quicker. |
Navigating Within ANSWERS
ANSWERS is composed of different application modules which contain various pieces of data, related to that application’s processing. However, moving between the various modules is simple.
Using the Menu
When an ANSWERS session is started, by double-clicking on the icon from the Windows desktop, the Answers main menu is displayed. The “Main Menu” is displayed in the left hand column on the screen. This menu displays the primary modules that make up the Answers Distribution Management System. Once a main menu selection is made, the center column changes to display the application menu for the option chosen. Each application contains various menu’s and sub-menus. As you “scroll” through the menu using the cursor to highlight various options, the option selected will change to a blue color and you can single-click the mouse to make that selection.
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ANSWERS Main Menu
QuickLinks Menu
The QuickLinks Menu is a way for each individual user in your organization to set up “shortcuts” to their most frequently used programs. This menu defaults to some basic selections such as Customer Inquiry, Inventory Inquiry and Vendor Inquiry. Each user can right click on the standard menu options and add them to their quicklinks. Each user can have up to 10 selections on their individual quick links menu.
Notes
The yellow note pad is designed to help take the place of typical paper “sticky notes” and allow the user a way to conveniently enter phone messages, to-do lists, and other important information. These notes are kept for each individual user. The arrows allowing scrolling through various notes, the “+” allows adding a new note, the “x” allows deleting the currently displayed note.
Task Reminders
This option allows the user to access their Task Reminders and Calendar. The Task Reminders allow the user to enter appointments and phone calls for customers, vendors, and employees (if using the Payroll module), as well as personal tasks. There is a calendar feature for weekly and monthly planning. The Tasks Reminders are for individual users, and there is an option to have the menu automatically display the Tasks Reminders when logging in to Answers. Please review the online help for this program for additional information and features.
Fax Log Viewer
The Fax Log Viewer allows the user to review the faxes and emails they have sent through the VSI-Fax Software and track the status of each.
Send A Message
The Instant Messaging feature allows the user to send a message to another Answers user.
Shortcut Codes
ANSWERS contains several shortcut codes that allow you to move to other programs, without using the menu. For example if you were currently on the Inventory Maintenance menu, in order to access Customer Inquiry, you would need to :
1. Click on the Accounts Receivable application name from the ANSWERS Main Menu.
2. Click on Inquiry from the Accounts Receivable menu.
3. Click on Customer Inquiry from the A/R Inquiry sub-menu.
A faster way would be to enter the Customer Inquiry program shortcut. On the menu, you may enter a code in the “Shortcut” entry field. You would enter CI for Customer Inquiry and either press “Enter” or click on the arrow button. The Customer Inquiry program would be started immediately. There are many different shortcut codes available that will make accessing different application programs easy. You can view the entire list of available shortcut codes by pressing the key at any menu.
Getting Help On ANSWERS
The display screens in ANSWERS are designed to be user-friendly, easy to read, and self-explanatory. If you do need help on a particular program, ANSWERS provides on-line help manuals. The on-line help manual will provide you information for basic operation of the software, troubleshooting, frequently asked questions, and field definitions.
ANSWERS Help can be accessed in several ways. From the ANSWERS menu, you can select Help from the file menu, and then click on Help On ANSWERS. The ANSWERS Help Table of Contents will be displayed for you. Each applications modules are contained in a separate “book”. To view the selections for each application, expand the book by double-clicking on it. Highlight the topic you wish to display and either double-click on it, or click on the “Display” button. To print topics from the online help, select the “Print” button while the topic is displayed. To print all the topics in a “book”, highlight the book on the Table of Contents and click on the “Print” button.
ANSWERS Help can also be accessed from within ANSWERS programs. The programs will display help icons, or help menu options to let you know that help is available on that program. You will see two different icons from within ANSWERS programs for accessing the online help. The first, a question mark icon, will generally take you to “Help on the Current Item”. This means that the application “book” that the current program is found under will be open and you will be taken directly to the help for the current program. If the current field is explained individually in the help, you will taken directly to that fields explanation. The second icon, a question mark with an arrow icon, will take you to “Help Cursor”. Your cursor will look like the icon, and you will then be able to click on any field on the current screen to locate the online help manual for that field and/or program description. In most cases, you can click on a blank area of the screen with the “Help Cursor” to access online help for the current program, instead of a particular field.
You can also access the Windows Help Topics from within ANSWERS. From the ANSWERS menu, click on Help from the file menu, then select Help On Windows.
Data Resources Corporation also provides technical support for ANSWERS . However, technical support is billed on a per call (or fax) basis. Please be aware that these charges do exist before placing a call for technical support. If you believe you have a programming problem, you should submit the problem via fax or e-mail. Program problems submitted via e-mail will not be billable, if they are indeed program problems.
Using ANSWERS Online Help
ANSWERS Online Help provides several useful features in a format that makes locating the information you need quick and easy. If you are accessing the help from the menu, you will begin at the Table of Contents. The Table of Contents contains several "books" which correspond to the menus found in the ANSWERS software. To view the topics below each book, double-click on the book to "expand" it. In most cases, each main book will expand to other books, or sub-books, and then to the actual help topics. To view a topic, highlight the item and click on the “Display” button. The selected help topic will be displayed. The button bar at the top of the topic screen will provide such options as printing the currently displayed topic, "browsing" to the next (represented by a >> button) or previous (represented by a Answers Printer Menu ( Archived Reports.
Faxing from ANSWERS
In addition to printing, several documents can be faxed directly from ANSWERS. If the ability to fax or e-mail documents is available on your system, a “Fax”, “E-mail”, or “Send” button will be available. In order for these buttons to be available, the document you are working with must be an invoice, pick ticket, purchase order, statement, purchase order acknowledgement, or quote. You must also have the VSI-Fax software installed on the PC. If these options are available, the buttons will be found on the same screen as the “Print” option.
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The standard ANSWERS Send Window will allow the user to enter the fax number, e-mail address, and recipient name. The user may also enter two comment lines that will be printed on the coversheet. For e-mail, the comments will be used as the base of the e-mail message, the forms will then be included as an attachment to the main e-mail message. In most cases, the “Contacts” button is available. This will allow the user to select from the additional contacts that have been defined for vendors and customers. Once the screen information is complete, click on the “Send” button to send the fax. The fax transmission is generated and submitted to the fax server. Several additional windows may appear during this process. Once the transmission is complete, the user is returned to the ANSWERS programs.
Emailing Forms from ANSWERS
Forms generated in ANSWERS; statements, invoices, pick tickets, quotes, purchase orders, and purchase order acknowledgements, may be sent directly to customers and vendors via e-mail. In order to email forms you must have internet access. There are two methods than you can select for emailing forms. You can select the method used for emailing forms for each user individually.
1. Email forms through the VSI-Fax faxing software. The VSI-Fax software provides the option of emailing as well as faxing. When a document is submitted using an email address instead of a fax number, the software recognizes this and emails. VSI-Fax needs to be configured with the SMTP server address, user name, and possibly password, provided by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). Any user who has been setup for a VSI-Fax license may email as well as fax from VSI-Fax.
a. Users must have a VSI-Fax license in order to email.
b. All documents emailed are sent as TIF (picture) formats. The end recipient must have software available on their PC’s that can open a TIF document.
c. Emails can be tracked/monitored in the standard Fax Log Viewer.
2. Email forms through your standard email program, typically Outlook or Outlook Express, or Windows Mail for Windows Vista users. This options allows you to send emails using the same email software you sent other emails through on your PC.
a. The user’s PC must be set up to email through Outlook, Outlook Express, or Windows Mail. We have had some users who use AOL, Hotmail, and Thunderbird also use this option. The email software must be installed, configured, and working properly.
b. Documents can be sent as either a TIF format or a PDF format. TIF documents are picture file formats and the end recipient must have software available on their PC to open the document. Users who receive PDF documents can easily download the free Adobe Acrobat reader, although, most PC’s come with the Adobe reader already installed. You will choose either TIF or PDF formatted documents.
c. Emails go into your standard Outbox and Sent Items.
d. Users who use Microsoft Outlook will be notified/warned each time Answers sends an email through Outlook. This is a security feature of Microsoft Outlook that we cannot disable.
e. Users sending emails with this method will have access to other features such as creating and emailing PDF reports from the standard reports in Answers.
How will my customers and vendors handle the forms I send them via e-mail?
The forms sent from ANSWERS via e-mail are sent as an attachment to an e-mail message. The actual e-mail message will include the comments that you may have entered on the Fax/E-mail Information screen. The form(s) will be shown as an attachment.
If the forms are sent as PDF Documents, all the recipient needs is the free Adobe Acrobat reader that can be downloaded from . However, most newer PC’s come with this reader already installed and PDF documents have become a “standard” and most people are familiar with how to open them and have the reader installed.
If the forms are sent as TIF files the recipient of the e-mail will need to open the forms and print them using a program capable of viewing TIF image files.
Steps for viewing TIF image files received as e-mail attachments:
1. Save the e-mail attachment to a file. You will need to remember the directory where the file was saved, and the name of the file.
2. Using the Windows desktop, click on the "Start" button. Then, click on "Programs" --> "Accessories" --> "Imaging". This will start the standard windows wang imaging program. This program comes with all versions of Windows 95 and later and should therefore be on most all PC's.
3. Click on the Open Folder icon to open a new file. Find the file that was saved in step 1 above. Once the file is loaded, you will be able to view each of the different pages (if applicable) and print the forms as well.
Setting the standard Windows Imaging program as the default TIF viewer:
If your customer or vendor will be receiving e-mails from you frequently, they may wish to set the standard Windows Imaging program as their default TIF viewer. This will allow them to view the attached forms from their e-mail program, without having to save the attachments and view them later in a different program. The Windows Imaging program can be set as the default viewer using the following steps:
1. Start the Windows Explorer.
2. From the menu bar, choose View --> Folder Options.
3. Click on the File Types tab. A list of all of the registered file types will be displayed. Scroll down the list until you find the TIF file type. Highlight the TIF file type.
4. Click on the "Edit" button.
5. A new window is displayed giving registered information regarding TIF files. The "Actions" box, you will see an "open" function. Highlight the "open" function. Click on the Edit button.
6. A new window is displayed which will show the path to the program currently being used as the default application for viewing TIF files. Click on the "Browse" button.
7. Using the explorer that is displayed, find the directory and file that you wish to use as the default. This may be different for different PC's. But will generally be a file such as wangimg.exe. If you have trouble finding the correct program, you can use the Start menu to locate the program, then highlight the Imaging program and right-click the mouse. Select "Properties" and the exact path to the program will be displayed.
Additional Answers Features
In addition to the standard Answers modules, applications, and programs, there are other additional features that Answers includes that may be of interest to certain users. Some of these features require additional software to be purchased or installed.
Exporting reports and history information to Excel. When printing specific reports, in the report viewer, and from certain toolbar menus, you will see options for exporting information to Excel, typically the [pic] icon. This allows the Answers data to be into an Excel spreadsheet so that you can work with it, combine with other date, etc. In order to use this feature, the user must have Microsoft Excel installed and working properly on their PC. Data Resources Corporation does not provide or install Microsoft Office or Microsoft Excel.
UPS Worldship. For users who ship via UPS Worldship, Answers can export pick ticket order numbers and shipping information to UPS Worldship and then retrieve the tracking numbers and freight charges from Worldship. The PC that runs UPS Worldship must be connected to the same network as the Answers server and import/export maps defined. The Answers online help has complete instructions on how to set up the import and export maps.
Scanned Images/Attachments. Typically noted by the [pic] icon, this feature allows you scan documents into Answers and attach them customers, vendors, inventory items, quotes, orders, invoices, etc. The documents are available to be seen and viewed and emailed from anywhere in the system. Users planning to use this feature need access to a scanner. Typically scanners are attached to individual PC’s, but network scanners can also be used, if they are configured properly for each user. Drivers are automatically installed on each PC during the Answers icon setup that allow Answers to recognize the attached/configured scanner.
Creating PDF Documents from Reports. This option allows the user to print a report (using the View on Screen option) and then turn that report into a PDF document which can then be emailed or printed. Answers will install a driver on each PC during the Answers installation that enables the PDF documents.
Microsoft Word Documents. Customers and Vendors have the option of creating form letters and sales flyers that allow Answers to transfer customer data onto the form letter so that all you have to do is print it or email it. The user must have Microsoft Word on their PC. During the installation, Answers will set up default form letters on the server that are available to all users. Please check the Answers online help for information on using form letters and configuring your own letters. Data Resources Corporation does not provide or install Microsoft Office or Microsoft Word.
Creating Quotes as Excel Templates. This features allows the quote information to be exported to an Excel spreadsheet. Each user can configure their own custom excel spreadsheet quote as desired. Answers provides a sample spreadsheet as an example. The users who choose this feature need to have Microsoft Excel installed on their PC’s. Data Resources Corporation does not provide or install Microsoft Office or Microsoft Excel.
Credit Card Validation. If your organization accepts credit cards, you may wish to use the optional third-party software that can be integrated with Answers to authorize credit cards right from Order Entry. Use of this feature requires the additional purchase and installation of the PC Charge Payment Server Software. Please see Appendix 1 for information regarding PC Charge Payment Server.
Protecting Your Data
ANSWERS is a full-integrated system composed of several different application modules. Each module interacts and shares data with the other modules, to maintain the integrated system concept. This means that there may be times when you want users to be able to access certain features and areas of the system, but not others. You may have some personnel, such as the office staff, who will have total access to the system, and other personnel, such as the warehouse crew, who only need to enter Stock Receipts. Other employees, such as salesman, need to be able to review customer orders through Customer Inquiry, but they do not need access to Customer Maintenance or Cash Posting. There may be certain applications, such as Payroll or General Ledger, that only the owner or office manager needs access to. The programs and applications that a user needs access to may vary depending on their job responsibilities.
Because it is important that you protect access to your data, by limiting the programs and the applications that users may access, it is important to understand the different ways that users may get to a program. The ANSWERS Main Menu consists of ten “main” modules:
Inventory
Purchase Orders
Order Processing
Sales Analysis
Accounts Receivable
Accounts Payable
General Ledger
Payroll
Job Cost
System Management
Once a user chooses an application, they are presented with the sub-menu options for that module. In most modules, the standard sub-menu will include:
Processing
Inquiry
Maintenance
Reporting
End of Period
Since the programs do vary by module, not all of these may be present. Some modules may have more options on their sub-menu. Upon choosing a type of function, the user will be presented with another menu that could contain additional sub-menus or individual programs to run.
ANSWERS also provides “short-cut” codes. These codes make it easier for individuals to access certain programs that they will probably need on a regular basis. Short-cut codes are also available to make moving from menu to menu quicker. The short-cut codes can be entered in the “Go To” box on the menu. Upon entering a valid short-cut code, the user is taken directly to the menu or to the program that he or she chose to run, regardless of what menu they are on.
Using Menu and Shortcut Code Passwords
Passwords provide one method for protecting access to certain menus and programs. The passwords are defined using the Application Interface Maintenance program. You may determine a need to define more than one password, for different levels of security. You can set up 99 different passwords that can be used to protect ANSWERS programs and menus.
You may place a password on either a menu, which will limit access to all programs and sub-menus from that menu to users who know the password, or you may set a password on individual programs. In addition, you may set a password on a shortcut code to keep your users from bypassing menu security and getting into a program.
Example: Accounts Payable
Level One Level Two Level Three
Level One Level Two Level Three
Level One Level Two Level Three
In this case, the accounting personnel responsible for entering accounts payable invoices and credit memos into the system may need access to the Accounts Payable Maintenance menu in order to use the Invoice Status Change program. However, you may not wish for them to have access to the Vendor File Maintenance program where they could change and add new vendors. You may have other personnel that do not need access to the Accounts Payable Maintenance programs at all, and still other users who do not need access to any Accounts Payable programs. It is possible to have three different passwords here. A password on the Accounts Payable selection at Level One (the Main Menu) would require all users who selected that option to enter a correct password before they would see the menu for level two. A password on the Maintenance selection at Level Two (the Accounts Payable Main Menu) would require all users who made that selection to enter a password before they would see level three. A password on the Vendor File Maintenance selection of Level Three would require that all users enter a password before they could use the vendor maintenance program.
When you are setting up passwords, please keep in mind that all users would need to enter a password once it had been set up. You would then only give the password to those users who should be able to access the protected programs or menus. You can define passwords on your menus using the Menu File Maintenance program. This program can be found by selecting System Management, then ANSWERS Menu Maintenance.
You may also consider placing passwords on shortcut codes. Shortcut codes allow users to access programs and menus, without having to step through the menu. For example, a user could enter APM and be taken directly to the Accounts Payable File Maintenance menu. A user could enter VM and be taken
directly into the Vendor File Maintenance program. Therefore, if you are going to put passwords on your menus to limit access to programs, you should also password any shortcut codes that will allow users to access the same programs. Your system is provided with Data Resources Corporation’s standard list of shortcut codes. You may add to this list and create your own shortcut codes, or you may delete codes from the list. You can edit the list of shortcut codes or put passwords on the shortcut codes using the Cross Reference Code Maintenance program. This program is found by selecting System Management, the ANSWERS Menu Maintenance.
Creating Custom Menus
At times, it may be more feasible for you to create custom menus for your users than for you to password all of the programs that they should not be allowed to access. One common example of this is for counter sales personnel. These people are normally the ones entering your orders at the counter and perhaps doing stock receipts, but they do not need access to other applications such as Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, etc. You can define a custom menu that will display for a user when they log into ANSWERS. One common menu that you might see for a counter sales person would be:
This menu gives a counter sales person access to all of the functions that they would need to perform. They can enter orders for customer, print picking tickets (if these are needed in your counter sales environment), print and re-print invoices (which would probably be used as the customer’s receipt), and inquire about inventory stock levels or about a customer’s account. They do not have access to any other features, such as check writing, cash posting, general ledger, sales analysis, purchasing, and payroll. This menu could be customized further if this same user also needed the ability to enter stock receipts and make inventory adjustments:
When you are setting up custom menus, you should remember the architecture of standard ANSWERS Menus and set up your custom menus and their sub-menus in the same manner. The ANSWERS main menu is named MENU for character session, and WMENU for windows sessions. This is the menu that ANSWERS always begins with. If you want users to have a different menu when they log into ANSWERS, you need to set up custom menus named MENU and using the users login id as the user name. When a sub-menu exits, it should always return to the menu that called it. If you do not return to the custom menu from a custom sub-menu, then users could end up with standard menus and standard applications.
If you do set up custom menus please consider the following:
1. How many custom menus you will need to define, including the sub-menus. As you can see, if a custom menu needs more than ten options, they you will need to define at least one sub-menu. In this case, the user would have a custom menu that called a custom sub-menu and then returned to his/her custom menu. Custom menus are completely manual. You set them up manually and you must maintain them manually. Any new options added to ANSWERS are added to the standard MENU (with a blank user name). If you wish to add these options to custom menus, they must be added manually.
2. Consider assigned users with customer menus a system password. This means that no one else can log on as a different user and receive a different menu. Custom menus are tied to the user’s log in id. No matter what terminal the user logs into, they will always receive the same menu, if they are logging in under their assigned log in name. If a user logs into the system as a different user, they could receive a different menu. A system password would not let a user log in without the correct password.
3. Password protecting your shortcut codes. In the examples above, user’s could still type in a shortcut code, such as GL, and gain access to all of the general ledger menus. While the custom menus will keep users from accidentally wandering into programs and applications they should not access, it cannot keep your more computer literate users from learning the shortcut codes and using them to access programs and applications not on their menus.
The Menu File Maintenance program can be found by selecting System Tools ( ANSWERS Menu Maintenance ( Menu File Maintenance from the main menu. This same program can also be accessed by entering MENUM in the “Go To” box on any ANSWERS menu.
The Menu Cross Reference Code Maintenance program can be found by selecting System Tools ( ANSWERS Menu Maintenance ( Cross Reference Code Maintenance from the main menu. This same program can also be accessed by entering MENUX in the “Go To” box on any ANSWERS menu.
Running Programs Automatically
ANSWERS provides the capability for certain programs to be run automatically in a "batch" processing mode. This allows certain programs, which generally require all users to be logged off of the system, to be run unattended during the night, so they can perform various updates, without affecting the user's normal hours of operation. An example of one such program is the Order Processing Daily Invoice Register. The invoice register updates all invoices that have been finalized onto the customer's account, updates the Inventory Transaction History, general ledger, Invoice Detail History, and Sales Analysis. Due to the type of updating done by this program, all users must be logged off of the system, so that the program can have exclusive access to the files it needs. While it does not take very long to complete the updating, it can be inconvenient for users to stop all processing at a certain time of the day in order for the program to run. Therefore, the program is generally set up to run automatically at night, so that it will not affect normal hours of operation.
Other programs in the system are also normally run at night. These include programs which print large reports or perform purges. In addition, the inventory application, accounts payable application, and accounts receivable application can all be closed down automatically at month-end. This eliminates the need for a user to run the closing programs manually, and makes the manual part of month-end much smaller.
By default, the following programs are set up to run automatically at night, when enabled. In addition to running these programs, the nightly processing will also perform a backup of the data files directory.
Order Processing Daily Invoice Register
Purchase Order Register
Warehouse Transfer Registers
Inventory Daily Review
S/A Daily Sales by WH/Slsm/Dept Report
S/A Daily/MTD Billing Report
S/A MTD Sales by Dept/WH Report
S/A Billing Report
S/A End-of-Day Clear
Daily Business Summary Calculations
By default, the following programs are available to run automatically at month-end, when enabled.
A/P Ageing Report
G/L Expense Distribution Report
A/P Register
Vendor Monthly/Yearly Update
A/P Open Item Purge
Detail Aged Trial Balance
Service Charge Invoice Print
Service Charge Register
A/R Register
Delete Paid Items
Customer Statements
Customer Sales Report by Cust #
Ageing Report by Salesman
S/A Customer Classification Report by Salesman #
Customer End of Month/Year
Inventory Month-End Processing
Inventory Detail Purge
Classification Detail Report by WH/Dpt/Prod
Classification Summary by Vendor Report
Open P.O. Purge
Quotation Purge
Steps For Running Programs Automatically
1. Use the Batch Processing Parameters program to enter the needed parameters for programs to be run. Normally, when programs are run from the menu, the programs will prompt the user to enter the report or program parameters. For programs being run automatically, these parameters must be entered in the Batch Processing Parameters program.
Daily Programs
The default daily program list only requires that you enter the parameters shown under the Order Processing Parameters tab in the Batch Data Parameters program. These parameters control how the Daily Invoice Register processes. Normally, these parameters can be set to all zeroes. This will allow the system to use the current system date when running the report. This will keep the user from having to modify these parameters on a daily basis.
Monthly Programs
The default monthly program list requires that you fill in the correct dates, and other report information for all of the tabs, excluding the Order Processing Parameters. The Order Processing Parameters may be left to all zeros, with the exception of the quote purge date, which will need to be entered, if you plan to purge out-dated quotes. All of the parameters on the remaining tabs should be entered, assuming that you plan to run programs to close the listed applications.
2. Use the Batch Processing Parameter program to edit the task list(s). This list allows you enable and disable the programs you want to be run automatically each night.
3. Schedule the time for the automatic routines to run. Log onto the server. You must log in at the server as the "Administrator". Only the "Administrator" user has permission to "schedule" programs to run.
Once you are logged onto the server, log into ANSWERS. Run the ANSWERS Batch Processing
Scheduler program. This program is located on the System Administration, ANSWERS Software
Maintenance menu. This program will allow you to select the day(s) and times in which the
automatic processing is run. Separate schedules are allowed for the Daily Run and the Monthly
Run.
4. Leave a tape in the tape drive. Part of the automatic run process (for the automatic nightly run) is to perform a datafile backup automatically. Some users may choose to backup to external hard drives, USB drivers, and thumb drives. That is fine. Data Resources Corporation has macros available and we can help you insure that the correct options are in place for your backup type.
5. An option also is available to have reports and the systems run log (which shows what was run and the status of each program) emailed to you on a nightly basis. Please refer to the online help in the Batch Processing Data Entry programs for information on how to configure this option.
Error Messages
The majority of error messages that may be presented in ANSWERS will come from within the ANSWERS programs themselves. These messages will be verbose messages, explained on the screen, normally prompting the user for additional information, or requiring certain data be entered. At times however, you may received program runtime errors. These errors are normally generated by the either the AcuCobol runtime or by the operating system, and not from error checking routines in ANSWERS. Listed below are some of the commonly received errors, the cause for the error, and the action that should be taken, if any actions are necessary.
Record Busy, File Locked, or other errors beginning with 90, 93, or 99
These errors indicate that another user is currently using the record or file that your program needs. Many programs, especially those that update information, will “lock” a record, and in some cases the entire file, when the program starts. This “lock” then prohibits other users and other programs from being able to use that particular record or file until the “lock” is released.
Reason for receiving this error
There are two types of “locks” that ANSWERS may use, depending upon the nature of the program being run. A record lock only locks an individual record from within a file. If a user brings up an inventory item in Inventory Maintenance, the Inventory Master File Maintenance program assumes that user plans to change information regarding that item. Therefore, once an inventory item is chosen, that inventory item is “locked”. Another user, trying to perform an inventory adjustment, through the Inventory Adjustments program on that same item, would receive an error message telling them that the inventory item record is busy. Once the user is finished with the item in inventory maintenance and exits the program, or changes to a different stock number, then the second user could perform an inventory adjustment. Only maintenance programs, or other programs that write information to records will lock records. Programs that allowing viewing data, but not changing that information do not lock records, such as Inventory Inquiry. In the example above, if a user had an inventory item locked in Inventory Master File Maintenance, another user could still bring up that item in Inventory Inquiry.
The second type of “lock” that is used in ANSWERS is a file lock. This type of lock is used by programs that require exclusive access to an entire file. These programs are generally purges and registers or journals, that perform operations on all of the records in a file, not just a particular record. These locks are used to keep potentially dangerous scenarios, such as losing the entire file, from occurring. When a file lock is encountered, the program that has the file locked must completely finish before the file will be available again for other users.
Solution for resolving this error
In the majority of cases, the only resolution for this error is to exit from the program that has the record locked. The ANSWERS Activity/Status Display program can be used to locate other users who may be using programs that would have the particular record locked. In most cases after receiving the message, wait a few seconds and try again. This will allow other users to finish with the record. If the entire file is locked, the program that has the file locked must be allowed to complete before any records in the file will be available. Never stop a program with the CTRL+ALT+DEL, End Task option. Doing so may result in loss of data or other undesirable consequences. Programs that can be ended without causing any loss of data have a “Cancel” button. Programs that do not have a “Cancel” option must be allowed to finish.
In a few cases, the system may report that a file is locked, or a record is busy, when it is in fact not in use. In these cases, the user count is simply incorrect, making it appear as if the file is busy. These errors can usually be resolved by recovering the file. Part of the recovery process is to reset the user count. Please refer to the next section for instructions on recovering corrupt files. In a few rare cases, a record busy or file lock may not be cleared until the system is rebooted. If no other users are on the system, the recovery program has been tried, and the record busy or file lock error is still displaying, shutting the system down and rebooting will clear up the error. This should only be necessary in very rare cases.
Corrupt File, or other errors beginning with 98
This error indicates that a data file has become corrupt.
Reason for receiving this error
Corrupt data files are normally caused by power failures, improper system shutdowns, users turning their terminals off while in a program, users “breaking” or “deleting” out of a program, or any other method that may cause a program to be terminated abnormally.
Solution for resolving this error
In most cases, the file can be “recovered” using the recovery utility in ANSWERS. Please refer to the next section for details on recovering a corrupt file.
System Error, or other errors beginning with 30 or 34
These errors indicate that a problem has occurred within the operating system itself. These errors are normally generated when Windows parameters have been exceeded. Since these errors are generated by Windows, the behavior of the program after the error may be irregular. It is usually a good idea to reboot the PC on which the error occurred, prior to continuing with ANSWERS.
Recovering Corrupt Files
At times, you may receive an error message indicating that a data file has become corrupt. Corrupt data files are normally caused by power failures, improper system shutdowns, users turning their terminals off while in a program, users “breaking” or “deleting” out of a program, or any other method that results in a program terminating abnormally. In most cases, the file can be “recovered” or rebuilt.
When a file is corrupt, ANSWERS will prompt you to rebuild the file. You should go ahead and allow the recovery program to run. The Recover program can also be located on the menu: System Maintenance ( ANSWERS Software Maintenance ( Recover A Corrupt File. When running the program manually from the menu, you must enter the file name. The file name is displayed when the corrupt file error message is displayed. The name of the corrupt file must be typed in exactly as it was displayed in the error message. This includes using capital letters, small letters, and numbers. It is easier and more convenient to run the recovery when prompted by ANSWERS.
The current status of the file will be checked. Possible results from the file check are listed below. These are messages that the program may return.
• The file seems to be OK. However, you will still be given an option to rebuild the file anyway. If the file is actually corrupt, you should not receive this message. Rebuilding a file that is not corrupt will not hurt the file. Therefore, even if the system returns the file status as OK, it is fine to rebuild the file anyway.
• The file cannot be fully checked because it is in use. You will need to get all other users that may be accessing this file out of any programs they are using and then try again.
• The file may not be corrupt, but simple have the “User Count” out-of-sync. You will be given the option of answering “Yes” to simply reset the user count of “No” to go ahead and rebuild the file anyway. Resetting the user count is a much faster way to “fix” a corrupt file provided that this is really all that is wrong and causing the error. It may be that resetting the user count alone will not resolve the corrupt file error message and this file must still be rebuilt.
• This file is corrupt and needs to be rebuilt. You will be asked to confirm that you wish to rebuild the file.
• Other “Unknown Check Errors” followed by a number indicate a more serious problem and a file that cannot be rebuilt at this time. First insure that you have typed the proper file name including both upper and lower case letters, and any numbers and periods that may have appeared in the file name in the error message. You may also try getting all users off of the system. If this does not help, you may have to restore from a recent daily backup. Contact Data Resources Corporation for further help.
• The most common problem when trying to rebuild a file is a “255 unknown rebuild error”. This means that the file is still in use. If you have already asked all users to log off the system and are still getting this error, you will need to reboot your server before attempting the recovery again. Rebooting the server will clear all users and open files.
Starting (Booting) the Server
Starting up or “booting” the server is mostly an automatic process that the server and the operating system perform with very little user intervention.
1. Power on the server, the monitor, the modem, and the network hub. You will also want to power on any additional peripherals, such as printers.
2. The server will start performing the Power On Self Test (POST) to test the memory, hard drive, and other hardware components. You may see several messages scrolling up the screen as the hardware is tested and verified. Once the POST is completely successfully, some machines may beep.
3. Once the POST test is completed to verify that all of the hardware components are working properly, the operating system will begin to load. This also happens automatically. Again, several messages may scroll up the screen as the operating system starts various background applications it needs to function properly.
4. The Windows NT Logon screen will be displayed. At this point, the server is completely booted. The network has been started and the client PC’s can access the network and log into ANSWERS. If the server is not being used as a workstation, it is not necessary to actually log into the server. The applications and programs being used by the client PC’s can be used, even if the server is not actually logged in.
5. If you are going to use applications directly from the server, you will need to log into the server. The screen will display a message “Press CTRL + ALT + DEL to Log On”. Press the key, the key, and the keys simultaneously to log onto the server.
6. A second window is displayed asking for the user name and password. The user who last logged into the server console will be displayed.
If you wish to perform system administrator tasks such as user maintenance, printer maintenance, shut the system down, or run other applications that require you to be logged in as the system administrator, enter the user name as Administrator and then enter the administrator password.
If you wish to log in as a normal user, for purposes of running ANSWERS and faxing, then enter the user name and password you wish to log in as.
You may exit and log onto the server as another user at any time. First, close all programs that you are currently using. From the “Start” menu, select “Shutdown”. In the window that is displayed, you will see an option to “Close All Programs and Log On As Another User”. Select this option. The system will log you off. The “Press CTRL + ALT + DEL to Log On” message will be displayed. Press the key, the key, and the keys simultaneously. You will be given the prompt to enter the user name and password. This method will allow you to log off the server and on again as another user, without affecting other network users and without having to reboot the server.
Shutting Down the Server
Shutting down the server is an “automatic” procedure, that once the user starts, allows the system to properly close all of the applications and prepare for the system to be powered off. You should never just turn the server off without going through the proper shutdown procedure. There may be exceptions to this, such as power failures or other extreme circumstances with operating system problems and failures, but as long as your system is functioning properly, you should never just turn off the server with properly shutting down. Doing so could cause damage to important files and cause unsaved data to be lost.
1. Make sure that all client PC’s are not using any network applications. Client PC’s do not have to be shutdown, but they should not be running any applications (such as ANSWERS) that access the server.
2. Close all applications that are running on the server.
3. From the “Start” menu (located in the bottom left corner of the screen), select the “Shutdown” option. Then select “Shutdown the Computer”. The system will verify that you wish to shutdown the computer.
4. The shutdown will proceed unattended. This operation closes all files and shuts down the operating system processes properly.
5. Once the system has been shutdown, a message will displayed informing you that it is safe to turn off the computer. It is now safe to power off the server, the monitor, the modem, and the network hub.
File Backups
There are two types of file backups that should be done on a regular basis.
A “Full System” backup backs up all data on the hard drive. If you purchased your server from Data Resources Corporation, you will find that the hard drive is divided into two partitions. The “C:” drive contains the Windows operating system. The other partition, “D:” contains all of your ANSWERS software, including programs, printer templates, help files, and other supporting files. The “D:” drive also contains the VSI-Fax software. The “D:” drive also contains the directories that store the ANSWERS data files. A good “Full System” backup should backup both of the partitions and all of the files and sub-directories contained in them.
If you did not purchase your server from Data Resources Corporation, your files may be in the same location as above, or they could be in a slightly different location.
Regardless, a “Full System” backup should backup all of the Answers programs, printer templates, configuration files, VSI-Fax software, etc.
A “Data File” backup backs up only the ANSWERS data files. This is your data. This includes the Customer Master File, Inventory Master File, Order Entry Files, History, and all other files containing data used by ANSWERS. These files should be backed up automatically by the system on a nightly basis before the Answers end-of-day updating runs. The ANSWERS software contains a nightly processing routine that can run un-attended, during the night while no users are on the system, to back up these files, and perform various updates of the day’s processing.
Selecting Tapes (for tape based backups)
Generally, it is recommended that you maintain five “daily” backup tapes. These tapes would be labeled “Monday” – “Friday”, using one tape for each day of the week. These tapes would then be rotated. It would be the job of the system administrator to take out the tape used the night before, and insert the proper tape for the current day. This would allow you to maintain up to five backup tapes of your ANSWERS data, at any given point.
It is also recommended that you maintain at least one current “full system” backup. The most important time to perform a “full system” backup is prior to updating your ANSWERS software, and then after you have performed the software update and verified that it is working properly. It is a good practice to perform a “full system” backup on a routine basis, such as once a month. You may wish to maintain at least two “full system” backup tapes, which would be rotated on a monthly basis. All backup tapes should be kept in a safe, secure, and if possible, fire-proof location. Situations requiring backup tapes to be loaded are rare, but the backup tapes are an invaluable restoration tool if problems do occur with the system.
Backing to Other Devices (USB Drives, Thumb Drives, etc)
The newer 2008 Windows operating systems do not support tape drives, unless purchased with a 3rd-party driver and backup software. And, given the prices of tape drives and tapes and the prices of hard drives decreasing, most users now choose to back up their data to external hard drives or thumb drives. Data Resources Corporation has macros that will “copy” the data over to these types of drives as well during the nightly processing. Typically, you would use one drive per day or week. With flash/thumb drives, you would normally have one drive for each day of the week just like with tapes. With portable hard drives, a folder would typically be created on the drive for each day of the week. Some users with larger drives may wish to have a drive for each month, with folders for each day of the month. There are many possibilities depending on the drive size and the size of your data. If you want the Answers macros to control the backup, the macro can be tailored to meet your needs. USB drives used for daily backups are very easy to restore from as the desired files can simply be copied back to the internal hard drives using a program like Windows Explorer.
Performing a Full System Backup to disk in Windows 2008
The full system backup allows the user to create a portable hard drive backup containing all of the information on the internal hard drive(s). In the event of a complete system/hard drive failure; this backup would be the only way to restore the system information, without performing a complete re-installation of the operating system, ANSWERS programs, users, printers, and other programs. A full system backup should be performed prior to any major software installations, in case such installation would create operating problems. A full system backup should then be made after a successful installation, once all areas of the system have been configured and are working properly.
This backup needs to be performed at the main system console. The user performing the backup should be logged in as the “Administrator”, or another user who has permission to perform a backup.
1. Connect up the portable hard drive to the server. This will vary depending on the type of drive. For example, with a USB based portable hard drive, you can normally just connect a USB to mini-USB cable between a USB port on the front or back of the server and the hard drive. USB drives are the most economical and readily available, however, there are faster drive types available if you feel getting a faster full system backup is worth the additional cost.
2. Insure that there are no other portable hard drives, flash drives, thumb drives, memory cards, CD’s, or DVD’s in the server before continuing. Otherwise Windows may attempt to back these up as well, which we do not want nor need.
3. Double-click on the Windows Server Backup icon on the desktop. If your desktop does not have this icon, click on Start(All Programs(Administrative Tools.
4. You will see a window such as the following appear:
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4. Click on Action(Backup Once…
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5. Click the Next > button.
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6. Choose “Full Server” and then click the Next > button.
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7. Choose “Local Drives” and then click the Next > button. If you have not plugged up the portable hard drive that you will be backing up to, then you will receive an error at this point. If this occurs, you will need to exit the backup program, connect your portable hard drive, and then re-start the backup program so that it will recognize the new drive you have connected.
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8. Select your portable hard drive from the list, however, it may be the only one listed. Then click the Next > button.
9. If you receive a prompt asking you if you want the portable hard drive to which you are backing up excluded from the backup, answer “Yes”, as the portable hard drive should only be copied to at this time, not copied from.
10. You should then receive a summary confirmation window such as the following giving you a synopsis of what the backup program is going to do.
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11. If everything looks correct, click on the Backup button. The backup process will then begin. You will be shown a message that you can click on the Close button to close the backup window and the backup will continue to run in the back-ground, or you may prefer to leave the backup program running on the screen so you can monitor its progress such as in the following example.
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Once the backup is complete, you will notice (assuming that you left the progress screen up and running), that it shows 100% complete on each partition and the system state. Simply click on the Close button to close out of the window and then on the “X” button to exit the Windows Server Backup altogether. The drive containing this full system backup can actually still be used for other uses as well if needed. The full system backup is stored in a designated folder on the drive. Other folders can still be created and/or accessed on the same drive.
Performing a Full System Backup to tape in Windows 2000/2003
The full system backup allows the user to create a tape backup containing all of the information on the hard drive. In the event of a complete system/hard drive failure; this backup would be the only way to restore the system information, without performing a complete re-installation of the operating system, ANSWERS programs, users, printers, and other programs. A full system backup should be performed prior to any major software installations, in case such installation would create operating problems. A full system backup should then be made after a successful installation, once all areas of the system have been configured and are working properly.
This backup needs to be performed at the main system console. The user performing the backup should be logged in as the “Administrator”, or another user who has permission to perform a backup.
5. Insert the backup tape into the tape drive. The tape drive should start and the LED light should flash while the tape drive is initializing and preparing to read the tape.
6. From the “Start” menu, select “Programs” ( “Accessories” ( “System Tools” ( “Backup”. The Windows Backup and Recovery Tools screen is displayed.
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7. Click on the “Backup” tab.
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The drives available to be backed up are displayed in an “explorer” type format. To back up an entire drive, place a checkmark (click on) the box beside of the drive. If you wish to backup a folder or sub-directory of a drive, click on the plus sign (+) beside of the drive to expand (open) it. The sub-directories and folders of the drive will be displayed. Click on the box beside of the folders or files that you wish to back up.
Select the “Backup Destination”. This will normally be your tape drive. The “Backup Media” will normally be set to “New Media” by default. If you have a new tape, this is the appropriate selection. If you have inserted a tape that contained a previous backup, the tape information (date and time the tape was created) will be shown. Select this option instead, since the new backup will be placed onto this tape.
Notice that the screen displays the “Backup Options”. This includes the type of backup to be performed, and the type of backup log to be created. If any files are to be excluded from the backup, these are displayed as well. These options can be changed, if necessary by selecting “Tools” ( “Options” from the menu. We want to perform a “normal” backup which will backup all files, and use a “full” log, which will allow us to verify that all files were backed up.
8. Click on “Start Backup”.
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The information on the data already on the tape will be displayed. Select either “Append” or “Replace”. The “Replace” option will overwrite the information already on the tape. If performing a full system backup, this is generally the best selection.
9. Click on “Advanced”.
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This screen will give you the opportunity to choose “verify” so that the tape can be verified after the backup is performed. Again, the type of backup to be performed can also be chosen. The type of “normal” should be selected. This type will force the backup to backup all files. You should not use incremental or changed backup types, since these types may not allow completely restoring your system without previous backup tapes.
10. Click on “Start Backup” to start the backup. If you have chosen to “replace” the files already on disk, you will be asked to verify that you wish to replace the files.
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A backup status screen is displayed as the backup is performed. This allows the user to see the number of files backed up, the amount of time taken thus far, and the amount of time remaining. The total number of files processed and the number of bytes backed up are also displayed. Once the backup is complete, the user can click on the “Report” button to review a copy of the backup log for any errors encountered during the backup.
Restoring Files from Tape Backups
The following instructions explain how to restore files from a backup tape using the Windows 2000 and 2003 operating systems.
➢ From the Start menu, select Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, then Backup.
➢ The Backup and Recovery Utilities screen is displayed.
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➢ Click on the Restore tab.
➢ Expand (click on the + sign) beside of your tape drive. This was the device used to make the backup and where the files will be found. Windows keeps a log of backups as they are made. The list of available backups from which you may wish to reload will be listed for you.
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Windows maintains a backup log file each time a backup is performed. This backup log can then be used when restoring files from backup, to display all files backed with, without the need for the system to read the tape and “catalog” the files. This normally makes the restore much quicker.
➢ If you wish to restore all of the files in the listed directories, simply place a check mark beside of the directory. If you wish to replace only certain files, or sub-folders, from within a directory, double-click on the directory. The set list will then be loaded from the tape, to allow selecting specific files.
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➢ Select the file(s) that are to be restored, by clicking on each file on the right side of the explorer window, to place a check mark beside of the filename. If the entire directory is to be restored, click on the directory on the left side of the explorer. Clicking and selecting a directory automatically selects all of the files and sub-folders contained in the directory.
➢ Choose where the files should be restored. In the Restore Files To box, select where you want the restored data placed. If the data should be restored in the same directory from which is was backed up, select Original Location. If you wish to load the data into a separate directory, such as “demofiles”, select Alternate Location and use the browser to locate the correct directory to restore to.
➢ Select the backup options. The options are found by selecting Tools, then Options from the program menu.
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➢ If you want to replace the files in the restore directory with the files on tape, select Always Replace the File on My Computer. To have the system check the dates on the two files, if one already exists on the system, and only replace if the tape file is newer, select Replace the File on Disk only if the File on Disk is Older. If you do not want any existing files on the system to be over-written, then select Do Not Replace the File on My Computer.
➢ Once you are satisfied with the restore selections, click on Start Restore.
➢ You will be prompted to insert the tape, if you have not been prompted to insert the tape during a previous step. Please wait while the restore operation loads the requested information from the tape onto the hard drive.
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User Maintenance
Once your system is installed and operational, you may find it necessary to add new users and delete old users. All persons who want to use your system must “log in”. Each person is given a unique user name and an optional password. When the user brings up a PC connected to the network, the PC will request a user name and password. That user name and password are validated with the server to be sure that the person logging in is a valid user. Only valid users are permitted to log into your network.
To add a new user, first gather the necessary information for the user. You will need:
➢ User Name The user name is generally three to eight characters long. The user name can consist of letters or numbers. Each user needs to have a unique user name.
➢ Full Name Entering the user’s full name is optional.
➢ Description The description is also an optional field. The description could be used to describe the user’s job responsibilities or to further identify the individual for informational purposes.
➢ Password Each user may be given an optional password. Once the user name is entered the system will verify that the correct password has been entered. Passwords are optional.
Adding A New User under Windows 2000 and later
1. Log onto the Windows 2000 server as the “Administrator”, or a user who has administrator privileges. This will give the capability to perform user administration. Normal users do not have the ability to maintenance user accounts, or to add new users.
2. From the “Start” menu, select “Programs” ( “Administrative Tools” ( “Computer Management”. This will open the Computer Management window. Most basic system administration is accomplished through this user interface.
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3. Click on the plus sign (+) beside of “Local Users and Groups” to expand the user administration option.
4. Double-click on the “Users” option. All of the users currently defined on the system will be displayed.
5. From the program menu, click on “Action”, then click on “New User”. The “User Definition” window is displayed.
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6. Enter the “User Name”. This is the use login identification. This will be entered as the networking name on the individual user PC. A full name and description can optionally be entered, if desired.
7. Select the appropriate password option. If you wish to have the user set up their own password the first time they log into the system, check the “User must change password at next logon” box. If you are going to set up the password for the user, deselect this box (it is set by default), and then choose either “User cannot change password”, which will force the system administrator to maintain the user password, or “Password Never Expires” which will keep the user from having to change the password (unless of course they forget it).
8. Click on “Create” to add the new user.
9. By default the user is added into the “Users” group. This allows the user access to the server to use ANSWERS, but not permission to install programs, change system parameters (Windows 2000 only, this does not affect ANSWERS parameters), or to otherwise perform any system administration functions. If the user being added needs additional permissions, you can highlight the user and click on “Action” ( “Properties” to review the user account and change permissions. If this user is a dial-up user, you will need to use the “Properties” and give the user dial-up permissions.
Defining Users for VSI-Fax
Each user who is going to fax documents in Answers must have a license defined for them in VSI-Fax. If there is not license for the user in VSI-Fax, they will not receive a notification when sending a document, but the documents will not show up in the Fax Log Viewer and the user may not be able to log into their Fax Log Viewer.
The user name defined in Answers must match the user name in VSI-Fax. To locate the user name in Answers, from that user’s PC:
Click on Help, Client Info.
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1. The User ID is the user that must be defined in VSI-Fax.
2. From the Windows Server, go to Start ( Programs ( VSI (or VSI-Fax) ( Fax Server Administration.
3. You may have to “login” to the Fax Server Administration before being allowed to make changes, including adding new users. This administration screen is set up very similar to Windows Explorer. On the left panel is your server name. Right click on the server name. If the word “Connect” is available, you need to log in. The User Name is vsifax and the password is left blank.
4. Double-click on Users.
5. From the menu bar, click on Action ( New ( Add New User.
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6. The server name should be filled in. Enter the User ID as shown in the Client Info window of Answers. You can also enter the full user name if desired. If the user has a password to log into the network and/or their PC, enter that password as well.
7. Select whether the user is an administrator. Typically, users are only allowed to view their own faxes and emails (sent through VSI-Fax). When they use the Fax Log Viewer in Answers, they will see only the faxes they have sent. If you would like them to be able to see other users faxes and emails (sent through VSI-Fax), enable the user as an Administrator. Answers provides an option to see other users faxes and if they are an administrator in VSI-Fax, they will be able to choose that option and see other users faxes and emails.
Controlling Answers Features by User
This manual has already discussed how to set up custom menus and passwords to keep users from accessing programs or allowing access to programs by password, but you can also control how various features in Answers work by user.
In addition to the overall configuration of the system in the Answers Configuration program (System Management ( Answers Software Maintenance), there is a User Profiles program that allows you set options for individual users. This program is located on the System Management ( Answers Software Maintenance ( User Settings menu.
Appendix 1: Optional Credit Card Processing for Answers
In order to have credit cards validated online, immediately in Answers, you will need to:
• establish a merchant account
• acquire and install the PC Charge Payment Server software
• configure and test the PC Charge Payment Server with your merchant account information
• install card readers (optional)
1. In order to accept credit cards, your business must have a merchant account. This account allows the credit card processor to forward deposits to your bank account and provide a statement to you each month. The best way to establish a merchant account is through your bank, although it is not necessary to work with your bank, most users find it easier since they already have established business with the bank. If you prefer to establish your merchant account elsewhere you can search for merchant account and you will be presented with a number of options for setting up a merchant account. With Answers and PC Charge Payment Server you are not limited to where you have to set up your merchant account which gives you the opportunity to search for a merchant account with the lowest possible rates and fees. Please be aware however that some advertised rates only apply to cards that are swiped through a reader, or verified with the CVV#. These options are available in Answers, but you should read the fine print so that you know which options you need to use in order to get the lowest rates and fees.
2. You need to acquire and install the PC Charge Payment Server software. The easiest and best way to acquire the software is to call 1-877-659-8984. This software is provided by Verifone. You need PC Charge Payment Server with 1 user license. They might ask you how many PC’s you will be processing from, and you will actually only be processing from the server. Answers is programmed in such a way that the server is the only PC making actual requests. You only need the license that comes with the software. You do not need a license for each PC on your network. The only exception to this is if you have more than a single merchant account. If you are processing with more than one merchant account you will need the extra license for that. They will offer you options for support and you may wish to purchase support. If you have any issues with card authorizations that are “integration” problems, meaning a problem with Answers communicating with PC Charge, those problems go through Data Resources Corporation. But issues with cards, PC Charge not running, merchant account or bank problems need to be handled directly with PC Charge, so it is recommended that you have support available. There are other places on the internet where you can purchase this software, however Data Resources Corporation recommends purchasing direct from Verifone because of the support options and guarantee of getting the newest product version.
3. During the PC Charge Payment Server installation, you will need to enter your merchant account information. If you have any questions or problems during the installation, please contact Verifone because support is provided for the software. Once PC Charge Payment Server is installed you must configure credit card processing in Answers. Go to System Management > Answers Software Maintenance > Application Interface Maintenace. Click on the Credit Cards tab, and then on the Set Authorization Parameters to configure how you would like the credit cards to work in Answers.
4. If you would like to swipe your credit cards instead of keying in the card information, you can purchase optional card readers. These can be purchased from . Once you are on the website, click on Card Readers. Then, under the Magstripe heading, choose Mini and click the red arrow. The mini card reader screen is displayed. Click on Shop Online at the top of the screen, then under Mini choose Wedge. You should purchase the Tracks 1 & 2 reader which comes in either black or white. These are wedge readers that share the keyboard port on the PC and you will need one reader per PC that plans to use them.
Answers Technical Support Website
• Answers software downloads and updates.
• Frequently Asked Support Questions and Answers
• Submit Technical Support Requests
• Annual Enhancement Suggestion Submission and Voting
You can access the Answers Technical Support Website by visiting:
support.htm
or by choosing Help ( Answers Support Website from the Answers menu.
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Hint: A fixed font is a printer font where each character takes up the same amount of space. Unlike a proportional font where certain characters, such as a “W” or a “X” would take up more space than an “I” or a “L”. You should not print reports from ANSWERS using a proportional font. ANSWERS reports are designed for justified columns. Using proportional fonts may create un-justified columns. Always choose a fixed font, such as Lucida Console or LinePrinter when printing reports from ANSWERS.
Under Windows 95 and Windows 98, once a printer is selected, the “Page Setup” screen allows the user to select the “Paper Size”. One of the available paper sizes is a custom size, where the user may enter the form width and length. This custom option is not available on the Windows 2000 and Windows NT server consoles for printers.
The correct Paper Size has been chosen, using the “ANSWERS Mailing Label” that was previously defined. However, Windows has failed to default the margin settings correctly, and based on the page setup diagram would print to very short lines in the middle of the label. By changing the margin settings appropriately, we can create a diagram that shows the correct lines and width for the labels to be printed.
Based on the new margin settings, the label diagram shows six lines in the middle of the label. This is the correct setting for printing from ANSWERS.
ANSWERS will remember these settings as the default printer settings for mailing labels. However, if the “Other Printers” button is used to modify printer setup, the margin settings may have to be reset.
Hint: The Spooled Reports Management program is found by selecting System Management ( ANSWERS Printer Menu from the main menu. This program will show all spooled reports on file, along with the user who generated the report, file size, and date of the report.
Vendor File Maintenance
Default File Maintenance
Vendor Number Change
Invoice Status Change
Daily Processing
Inquiry
File Maintenance
Reporting
End Of Period
Check Reconciliation
Inventory Management
Purchasing Management
Order Processing
Sales Analysis
Accounts Receivable
Accounts Payable
Payroll
General Ledger
Job Cost
System Management
Order Entry
Print Pick Tickets
Re-Print Pick Tickets
Print Invoices
Re-Print Invoices
Inventory Inquiry
Customer Inquiry
Stock Receipts Entry
Stock Receipts Journal
Inventory Adjustments
Adjustment Journal
Inventory Inquiry
Inventory Management
Order Processing
Order Entry
Print Pick Tickets
Re-Print Pick Tickets
Print Invoices
Re-Print Invoices
Customer Inquiry
Use the label “ANSWERS Backup” if you are backing up onto one of your daily backup tapes, performing a daily datafile backup. If you are backing up onto a full system only tape, then use the label “ANSWERS FullSystem”.
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