Company File Server installation

IT TGM
IT TGM Member Posts: 22
We have a dedicated file server upon which I have installed used the install option "Install Reckon Accounts Company File Server Only". 

I have used the DBSM to scan for and register the QBW file which is on server drive that is shared to the rest of the network. The finance team have Modify rights to this share.

It is a Windows 2012 R2 server and the network workstations are a mix of Win7 and Win10

We have 3 workstations that require access to the shared company .QBW file. 

We don't seem to be in multi-user mode. I do not believe any of the workstations  are 'hosting'.

Where my confusion comes in is that I cannot locate anywhere in the install guide when working with a Company File Server deployment when and where is the "Switch To Multi-User Mode" used?

Does any one of the PCs do it? What happens if one of the group "hits the item". I can find it being referenced when using the Peer-To-Peer setup but not when there is a DEDICATED file Server that is not being used by an end-user and only has the DBSM active.

Would appreciate from the IT side what the post install process is and how do we make sure that it remains in multi-user mode with the server hosting  the file?

thanks

Comments

  • Spilly
    Spilly Member Posts: 182 ✭✭
    edited August 2020
    The 1st Workstation to Access the file, either opens in multi user mode or switches to multi user mode. It as nothing to do with the DB Server.
  • Spilly
    Spilly Member Posts: 182 ✭✭
    edited September 2018
    I will add to that by saying, not all tasks can be done in multi user mode. So at times it will need to be switched to single user mode.
  • IT TGM
    IT TGM Member Posts: 22
    edited September 2018
    How do you mean 'opens in multi-user mode' is this an option when starting the App? So what does it actually do behind the scenes and what happens if all users switched to 'mutli-user' mode and were not hosting the file?
  • IT TGM
    IT TGM Member Posts: 22
    edited September 2018
    I have also noted that on the server we seem to have a legacy version of a service that continues run even though it has a manual start and it was stopped. Not sure if this is causing some conflicts and also not sure what is triggering it o run

    several times


  • Kevin Whiting_9030083
    Kevin Whiting_9030083 Member Posts: 16
    edited September 2018
    My belief (from experience with Reckon based on a user's PC) is that the single/multi user status is set by someone logged in and with control.  A user cannot switch to multi-user if there is more than one person logged in.  I suspect that if you logged in on the server (and set multi-user) you could ensure that no user could switch to single user i.e. no unauthorised switching.
  • IT TGM
    IT TGM Member Posts: 22
    edited September 2018
    Thanks once again Kevin. The 'server' in our case is not used in any interactive capacity by end-users and when I installed Reckon I took the option to install "Company File Server" only. Hence, there is no option to login onto the server and set multi-user. We are also not using it in a Terminal Server environment - we simply use the File Serving element of the server (along with Active Directory, NTFS permissions etc.)

    But if the user who triggers Multi-User is the only user who can flip it out again at least introduces an element of control.

    I would still like to know what it actually does behind the scenes.

    From what I can understand from your suggestion is that at least one of the user workstations must trigger multi-user mode and then if exclusive access is required by a Reckon feature - then the same user has to switch it back to single-user mode. Am I on the right track?

    Thanks

  • Kevin Whiting_9030083
    Kevin Whiting_9030083 Member Posts: 16
    edited September 2018
    Yes.  There are certain functions (e.g. merge Customers) and reports (e.g. BAS) that can only be done in single user.  So somebody should be appointed as Database Administrator (some technical knowledge, strong business process skills) to keep Reckon under control.

    The Administrator can see who is logged in and go and ask them to get out.  I like to "rebuild" at least once a week (some sort of database clean up).  So if possible backups, clean-ups and rebuilding are done out of hours.

    Can't really comment on what goes on behind the scenes (I'm a user, not IT).  We notice that it sometimes can take a few minutes for a new list item (Items, Suppliers, Customers etc) to reach all users (5) after it has been created.  I suspect this means there is a local cache on each PC.  Certainly the PC "remembers" the last login (Reckon) used on the PC and whether it was single or multi user.  If a user tries to login as single when the system is multi, they get a message and are allowed to log in.

    Are you operational?  We tried using a NAS as the "server" but couldn't get it t work, so the file ended up on a user PC.

    Regards,
    Kevin 
  • IT TGM
    IT TGM Member Posts: 22
    edited August 2020
    Thanks. we are operational and have been server based for at least 3-4 years and in the past 2 on a NAS. Technically the NAS is setup as an iSCSI target for a server running Microsoft hypervisor which then has a Windows 2012 R2 guest server that is then hosting all of our file serving and application services. This includes the Reckon company database service manager.

    However,. I spent some time about 2 years ago making sure it was multiuser and stable for the finance team. It appears however, that they have been flicking in and out of multiuser mode and I was unaware.

    So whilst it works it seems to be stuck in single user mode. I have also noted that after some upgrades have left older versions of the service in place and one of them keeps running which may in fact be the issue.

    I think I will raise a ticket just get some knowledge of how the Multi User component hangs together

    Thanks again
  • Spilly
    Spilly Member Posts: 182 ✭✭
    edited September 2018
    Single User / Multi User Mode is basically global file locking. It doesn’t do anything server side. On the client side of things, the file will always open in the way it was last closed. So you have to teach the users how to close the file (switch back to multi user mode, after they have finished in single user mode before they close the file). Are you getting errors of any kind when you are trying to open the file?
  • IT TGM
    IT TGM Member Posts: 22
    edited September 2018
    Thanks. I'm not sure what you mean in terms of 'global file locking'? If the server side is not actually 'doing much' in regard to multi-user what is it doing? I ask not to be negative - but to get a much better understanding of the whole thing. I had imagined it was offering some type of client-server role but that doesn't seem to be the case.

    We actually get an error on a workstation when we try to use the FILE|Start Multi User Mode. I need to double check as finance are not here but pretty sure it is the H202 error. Which I thought was PORT related. The thing is that the user can open and use RA but if they try to force Multi-User mode we get this error. I was confident the ports were all open via a GPO that I had setup but I may turn the firewall off altogether to just check. 

    I am trying to get finance in the office all at the same time so that we can make sure no one has it turned on. If they do we can turn it off and then set a pattern in place as you suggested for turning on and off when needed.

    I will let you know what I discover
    thanks

  • Spilly
    Spilly Member Posts: 182 ✭✭
    edited September 2018
    H202. Check the ND file information is correct, check what port the server is using & make sure your using full UNC path to file. Try Host File on client side Add ServerIP Severname
  • IT TGM
    IT TGM Member Posts: 22
    edited September 2018
    Thanks DNS should manage the hosts file and confident that it finds the server due to other things including drive mappings etc. We have DFS so a DFS UNC is in use and I am confident that permissions are all good. I will double check the .NG file when I have everyone in the office at same time. I am wondering if one of them has offered to Share the same file over UNC and so it becomes a proxy server