• The vsHome Central Database Console will appear as shown below once the Software has been downloaded and installed. The Console is divided into 3 main areas…
Server Details contains the IP address and the current status of the Server which can be refreshed using the button provided. The Server will be running as default and will continue to run even when the application is closed down. The Server can only be shut down and restarted by accessing the Task Manager as detailed on page 15 of this document. NOTE: Users will only be able to access the Central Database while the Server is running.
Database Details contains the current number of Users who have access to the Central Database and the current number of Contracts which have been saved to the Database. This information can be refreshed using the button provided but will only start to appear once the Users have been connected to the Database. This can be achieved by creating a vsHome Configuration File using the button provided as indicated below.
Log which is the larger of the 3 areas on the Console contains a running list of Database activities which can be dumped and exported to TXT files using the buttons provided.
• NOTE: The vsHome Central Database Console should be installed on to a single machine only, i.e. the server and not onto the machines that are actually running the vsHome Software.
• In order to connect a vsHome User to the Central Database begin by clicking on the Create vsHome Configuration File button within the Database Details. Once the Create Configuration File window appears click on the Create Configuration File button as indicated below in order to create the vshome_db_server.xml configuration file.
• Once the file has been created the following message will appear as shown below… click on the Close button provided to continue
• The vshome_db_server.xml configuration file you have created can be located by clicking on the Open File Location button provided as shown below.
• Once the file location has opened… locate and copy the vsHome_db_server.xml file via the right-hand mouse button as shown below:
• Locate the C: > PSTLtd > vshome > config folder and paste a copy of the vsHome_db_server.xml file into this location via the right-hand mouse button as shown below. NOTE: This needs to be done on every PC that needs to have access to the Central Database.
• Once the vsHome_db_server.xml file has been saved into the config folder you can now access the vsHome Software in the traditional manner. Having connected to the Central Database for the first time you will be prompted to create a New User Login as shown below:
• Additional login details for other Users can be added to the Database by clicking on the Edit Userbase icon as indicated below…. it will be necessary to login using the Administrator Login Details which are:
Username: admin
Password: admin
• Once the User Editor window has appeared you will find existing Users listed on the left-hand side of the window and the details for the selected User will be shown on the right-hand side of the window. Click on the NEW button as indicated below in order to add login details for a new User. Default User details will then appear on the right-hand side which can be altered by clicking on the Edit button as shown below:
• The Username and Password should be entered into the free text fields provided both of which are case sensitive. There are also additional fields for extra information such as email address and contact telephone number which can be left blank if necessary. There is also an option to set the User Level and assign as Userbase Administrator. Once the details have been added click on the Save button as indicated below:
• Repeat this process until you have added User Details for all the Users you wish to have access to the Central Database. Click the Close button as indicated below in order to return to the Login Screen:
• Once you have accessed the vsHome Software via the Login Screen… the All Customers screen will appear and as there are no Contracts currently saved into the Central Database this screen will appear empty as shown below:
• This can be verified by going back to the vsHome Central Database Console and clicking on the Refresh button located within the Database details area… as you can see below the Database details have now been updated and although there are now 5 Users there are currently no Contracts saved into the Database.
• Before any Contracts can be saved to the Database the Contracts folder will need to be Shared so that multiple users can access it. The Contracts folder is located within C: > PSTLtd > vshome_central_db and can be Shared by clicking the right-hand mouse button over the folder and selecting Properties as shown below:
• Once the Contract Properties window appears… click on the Share button located within the Sharing Tab as indicated below:
• The Network Access window will then appear as shown below… simply click on the Share button to continue:
• Now the Contracts folder has been Shared… simply click on the Done button to complete the process as shown below:
• Once the Contracts folder has been Shared… it will then be necessary to Map a Network Drive to this location which will need to be done on every PC that needs to have access to the Central Database. This can be achieved by opening a File Explorer window and clicking on PC and then on the Map Network Drive option located within the Computer Tab as indicated below:
• The Map Network Drive window will appear… select a redundant Drive using the drop-down menu provided and then type the location of the Contracts folder into the free text field… this will consist of the IP Address (refer to the Server Details section of the Central Database Console) followed by contracts as shown below. Click on the Finish button to complete the process:
• Once the Contracts folder has been mapped to a network drive it will now be possible to set this as the default Contracts Location within the vsHome Software. This must be done on every PC that needs to have access to the Central Database and can be done via the Central Database section of the Preferences accessed via the Globe Icon as indicated below:
• It will also be necessary to set the location of the Sequential Quote/Order Number File to the same location. This must also be done on every PC that needs to have access to the Central Database and can be done via the Project Admin section of the Preferences shown below:
• If you would like your existing Quote and Order Number Sequence to continue then you will also need to locate the existing Sequential Quote/Order Number Files and copy these by clicking the right-hand mouse button over them as shown below:
• Once the Sequential Quote/Order Number Files have been copied… locate the Contracts Network Drive within a File Explorer window and paste the files into this location via the right mouse click as shown below:
• Once at this stage you are fully connected to the vsHome Central Database and ready to add Contracts. Existing Contracts will still be located on the individual PCs located within C: > PSTLtd > vshome > contracts folder and can be added to the Database via the existing Import function located within the Main Actions section of the All Customers screen as shown below:
• Once the relevant Contract has been located within the Import Job window then this can be added to the Central Database by clicking on the Import Job button as indicated above. At this stage the Job will open into the Customer Screen in Save Mode. Simply return to the All Customers Screen using the icon located in the top left-hand corner of the screen to complete the process.
• Repeat this process until you have imported all your existing Contracts as shown below. Depending on how many existing Contracts you have you may decide to delay this process and only import the Jobs if and when you need them.
• Once some Contracts have been added to the Central Database either by Importing existing Contracts or creating new ones… it will be possible to monitor the number of Contracts currently saved within the Database via the Database details section of the Central Database Console as shown below. Ensure to click on the Refresh button so that the figures are up to date
• The vsHome Central Database can be shutdown or re-started via the Task Manager accessed by clicking the right hand mouse button over the Taskbar located along the very bottom of the screen as shown below:
• Once the Task Manager window has appeared click on the Services Tab and scroll down the list in order to locate the vshome_central_db_service. Once located click the right hand mouse button over the vshome_central_db_service and select the Stop or Restart option from within the pop up menu that has appeared. Once the Database has been stopped the status within the Server Details area of the Central Database Console should reflect this as shown below… however it may be necessary to click on the refresh button in order to update this.
