Multi-user Support, Server Installation

There are two ways how to minimize effort when maintaining multiple users of the program within an organization:

1. Automated Update

In the network environment, it is possible to define a network directory that is used as a server for software update.  On the program startup, the software version on the workstation is compared with the software version on the network and if a newer version is available, it is automatically updated.  This feature allows administrator to manually update software only on one computer (the network directory) and all other installations on other workstations are updated automatically.

To enable this feature, you have to follow this: 

1.  Installation package has to be modified before the program is installed on user's machine.  It is necessary to do this:

    a) Unzip the installation package to some folder.

    b) Modify the options.ini file so that "updatepath", "verid", "dirs" and "files" keys exist in "update" section.  Example:
   
    [update]
    updatepath=\\server1\update_software
    verid=pitrinec_6.00
    files=*.exe;*.dll;*.gif;*.ico;*.htm;
    dirs=help;icons;scripts;custom

    c) Create zip package again (if required).

2.  Install the program on a network directory defined in "updatepath".   It is necessary all users can access (read) this directory from their workstations.

3. Install program on client's computers.

If an administrator wants to install new version downloaded from the vendor (Pitrinec), then just do step #2 above - install the new version to the "updatepath" directory.  This is all that must be done.  Each client's copy is to be automatically updated on the first program restart.

 

If the administrator wants to modify current version by adding or changing some files in "Custom" folder (macro files, examples, etc.), then do this:

A) Modify the installation package as required. Specify other "verid" value (for example, "6.00_internalupdate1") in options.ini file. (And it is also possible to change "files", "dirs" values if required).

B) Install this changed package to the "updatepath" folder.  Each client's copy is to be automatically updated on the first program restart. 

Keys meaning:
updatepath - defines the installation directory on a server.  All users have to be able to access this directory from their machines.
files      - the names of files to update delimited by ;  Wild chars (*?) are allowed.
dirs      - the names of directories to update delimited by ;  Wild chars (*?) are allowed.
verid    - the program (package) id.  This id is changed by the program vendor when a new version is released.  But also administrator can change this id in order to update clients installations when required.

2. Server Installation

The program can keep multiple users settings while it is installed just once on the computer.  This feature allows multiple users to share one installation on the network server (or local machine) and minimize disk space required and maintenance effort (makes upgrading easy even if there are many users on the net).

Information about all the users is stored in the users.ini file that resides in the same directory where the product is installed.  The file is a text file that can be edited by any raw text editor like Notepad.  The file structure is as follows:

[header]
num_of_users=2

[1]
name=oscar
path=\\server\users\oscar

[2]
name=debie
path=\\server\users\debie

Note:  The path name may not end with \ character!   The [1], [2], etc., sections have to start by [1] and end by [num_of_users].   The number of users is limited by your license.

Starting Program

There are two ways how to start the program with user's settings loaded:

1.       PATH_TO_THE PROGRAM /user:?
Where the PATH_TO_THE PROGRAM is full path to the software executable.  When the program starts with this "/user:?" parameter a login dialog expecting user name (from the users.ini file above) to be inserted appears.

 

2.       PATH_TO_THE PROGRAM /user:USER_NAME
Where the PATH_TO_THE PROGRAM is full path to the software executable and USER_NAME is the user name from the users.ini file above.  This will start the program without any login dialog.

Adding New User

To add new user follow these steps:

1.       Create new user's directory where the program can save settings and data files.  You can create a copy of the "UserDir-Template".

2.       Increase the number of users in [header] section of users.ini file. 

3.       Add new user section (for example, [10] if there are ten users) and specify users name and the user's directory path (as per 1 above):

[10]
name=hugo
path=\\server\users\hugo

 

4.       On the user's workstation, create a link to the executable command line as described in "Starting Program" section above.