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- STEPS TOWARD PUTTING YOUR DATABASE ONLINE :
-
- Below is a summary of the steps needed to bring your database to life
- on-line. Should you have any difficulties after reading the manual, please
- contact our technical support services for prompt assistance at
- 909-279-3052. (Registered users of our Commercial Release only.)
-
- 1 ) You will need to run COMPOSER to set up an existing database for on-line
- usage. If you do not have an existing database and need to create a new
- one, then run MBMANAGE. Refer to Section II for information on how to
- use MBMANAGE. Read INSTALL.DOC for INSTALLATION and MBCOMPOSER
- instructions. To run COMPOSER, simply change directory to where you
- installed MODEM BASE PRO and type COMPOSER at the dos prompt. You will
- then be asked for name of the database you want to put on-line, the
- directory the database is located in, and finally what directory you want
- your on-line database to be setup in.
-
- 2 ) Once you run COMPOSER it will hand hold you through the set up of both
- the CONFIGURATION and LINK databases. On-Screen instructions are provided,
- but are no substitute for reading the manual, especially CHAPTERS 3-7,
- Section I on MBACCESS.
-
- 3 ) Once your CONFIGURATION and LINK database has been configured you can
- re-load the configuration and link databases for editing by typing the
- database <filename>C or <filename>L for the appropiate database. A
- DOOR.BAT example batch file is also created for you. If your DOOR
- INFORMATION DOORSYSPATH\FILE is set correctly in the configuration
- database and a DOOR INFORMATION FILE EXISTS, then you can run the DOOR.BAT
- file to test your database locally.
-
- 4 ) *** IMPORTANT *** If you defined any of your fields with a REPEAT
- OPTION you MUST first configure a DEFAULT SETTINGS record in the DEFAULT
- USER PROFILE DATABASE (<database filename>S.DBF) with the actual name
- "DEFAULT SETTINGS" in the field you defined as the owner field. You can
- then enter any defaults into the fields that are defined as a REPEAT
- OPTION. Use MBMANAGE to do this. The Default User Profile database has
- the same filename as your main database, but will have an additional "S"
- appended to the filename, i.e., if your main database is called ORDER.DBF,
- then the default profile database that was created is called ORDERS.DBF.
- (ORDERL.DBF and ORDERC.DBF will be the corresponding LINK and CONFIGURATION
- databases) Make sure a "DEFAULT SETTINGS" record exists. At this time, if
- you do not do this, your database will lock up when trying to create a new
- DEFAULT USER PROFILE. We will fix the lock up problem in the next
- maintenance release, the lock up problem will not happen if you make sure
- there is a "DEFAULT SETTINGS" record, however. We plan on adding a utility
- to automate this process in a future maintenance release.
-
- 5 ) If you are operating a multi-node BBS, then you should use a NODE
- evironment variable for each node. Your DOOR.BAT file would then pass the
- NODE number to MBACCESS as a replaceable parameter, i.e.,
- MBACCESS <configuration database filename> %NODEID%
- This will pass the NODEID to the batch file which will then pass the NODEID
- to MBACCESS. Remember! There must be a RECORD in your CONFIGURATION
- database for each NODE NUMBER unless you are MAP ROOTING with NOVELL
- NETWARE. RECORD #1 corresponds to NODE #1, RECORD #2 corresponds to NODE
- #2 and so on...
-
- 6 ) Remember! Database filenames MUST BE 6 characters or less. A future
- maintenance release of our COMPOSER program will check for this. But for
- now, if you use a filename with more than 6 characters your database will
- not install correctly. The other 2 characters in the filename are used
- extensively in MBACCESS to create the corresponding CONTROL and SUPPORT
- files for your main database.
-
- 7 ) There is a known bug that will be fixed in a future maintenance
- release of COMPOSER. If your database file is in a ROOT DIRECTORY,
- COMPOSER will not be able to find it. Fortunately, this is a rare
- occurence, but none the less, should be noted. You will need to copy or
- move your database to a subdirectory for the time being.
-
- 8 ) You should place MBMANAGE in your PATH so that you can use MBMANAGE
- from any of your database installation directories with ease or you can put
- your MBPRO directory in your PATH for the same result.
-
- 9 ) If you receive what looks like garbage on your screen when running
- any of the MBPRO programs, you probably do not have an ANSI.SYS driver
- loaded. ANSI.SYS is required and used extensively by MODEM BASE PRO. You
- should load ANSI.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS file upon system BOOT UP, i.e.,
- DEVICE=C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS is common. If you are using DESQVIEW, then each DOS
- WINDOW will need to load DVANSI prior to loading MODEM BASE PRO.
-
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