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Start Menu

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The main menu is often referred to as the "green menu" - which is a historical title, since now that menu is no longer green.
It is the first menu to choose from, after you started the program. From here you can not only start the individual clients but access a variety of administrational tools to manage the databases - e.g.. updates, copy and backup databases etc.

The "green" start menu

Upon starting the very first time, no client is available and a wizard will help you setting one up. 

Program Version

The version is displayed in the lower left hand corner. The last section is a consecutive number representing the latest, installed version.

Contents

Functions

Select a client

If more than one client is available either left click with the mouse on the one you want to work on or use the cursor keys instead.

Select language

Select the desired dialogue language from the list. Default language is German unless otherwise ordered.

User defined language selection

For available languages and prices please contact the EULANDA® sales department.

We developed a language kit for the EULANDA® ERP. This allows to localize the program for any language Windows® is available in. For prices and availability, please contact the EULANDA® Sales department.

The kit contains the necessary software to translate the source texts of the program.

By clicking on the "Details" field, the version and file name is displayed.

Update

Clicking the button „Update“ will start a dialogue and lets you choose from either update via internet or local hard drive. In either way it will be checked, whether a newer version is available. In case a newer version is found it will be installed.

In case the available version on our Internet Server is much newer and requires a new license number, you'll be notified and if needed, abort the installation.

Right mouse menu

From the right mouse menu you can choose a variety of administrative tasks such as open a client as a different user, administer the databases or other.

Open Client

Starts the selected client, as does when left clicking on the client's name in the main menu. The UDL file serves as link between the entry in the menu and the database. The file contains the SQL Server's address, the database's name, user name and password if any.

Open client as...

This function allows to login in as a different user e.g. administrator, without the need to create an individual UDL file. This allows for easy access as administrator for management functions.

Administrative login rights.

The login dialogue prompts for User name and corresponding password.

User Login Dialogue when using "Login as ...

Usually the SQL Server administrator is called "sa" and initially does not have any password, unless it is set after installation. In case you have changed the password, enter the changed one instead.

If checking the field "Administration Mode" all user properties will be loaded as opposed to only the one logging in. This may require considerable more time, if many users exist.

Create Client

An new client - database - will be created, when selecting this function from the right-mouse menu.. 

Setup dialogue for new clients

From top to bottom you are asked to enter the SQL Server type, it's location (locally or in the net), the administrator's login data and finally the database name. Do not use any special characters but standard ASCII signs. The database name will serve as menu entry as well. To create a new database you are required to login as administrator (sa) with password, in case you have set one.

When installing in a network environment please read the chapter Network.

Create Client from BackUp (Restore)

If you have installed a new SQL Server you can restore an existing database from a backup file. Select the corresponding function from the right-mouse menu.

This function is available only on the server itself, since the restore requires the physical existence of the server.

You are required to login as administrator to use this function. You'll be prompted for the respective data before you can choose the respective backup file.

Dialogue to select the BackUp file.

The button to the right of the entry box allows you to browse for the backup file. Subsequently the database will be restored, an entry in the main menu is generated and the users will be created and synchronized with the database.  The backup file's name are in the form "Eulanda_.bak. 

This function allows easy porting a database file from a server to your laptop if needed. Backup the database on the server, copy the backup file to you laptop and choose "Restore database".

Administration

here you'll find further administrative functions to manage your databases and SQL Server.

Database

This section offers function to control and manage your database(s).

 

Backup your database(s)

The backup is described in depth in the corresponding chapter  „Backup". Using the right-mouse menu you can access this function on the quickest way possible. The backup can be done from any workstation; the backup file itself will be stored on the server. The file can be found at :

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\Backup\

If this is the first backup you should start it from the server, since with new SQL Server installations, this path is not set (created). When started from the server, EULANDA® ERP controls whether the path exists or not and creates it accordingly. Future backups can be done from any workstation. The backup function requires Administrative Rights .

See also:

Backup

Restore database

This function is described in detail in the chapter  „Restore Database". The quickest way to restore a database is when selecting the corresponding function from the right-mouse menu. you can execute this function from any workstation. The backup file is expected to be on the SQL Server. The default location is: 

c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\Backup\

If this is the first restore you should start it from the server, since with new SQL Server installations, this path is not set (created) and the file will be stored elsewhere. When started from the server, EULANDA® ERP controls whether the path exists or not and creates it accordingly. Future restores can be done from any workstation. The restore function requires Administrative Rights.

Please be reminded that a database always requires the corresponding EULANDA.exe file. The program version used to backup the database must be the same (or newer) when restoring it, otherwise the database can not be opened.  If the program version is newer than the one used when backed up, the program is able to update the database to the new version.

See also:

Restore

Delete database

Executing this function will delete the corresponding EULANDA_.MDF- and LDF-Files from the DATA path, the menu entry and the UDL (connection) file. In case you have installed the EULANDA® ERP on other workstations locally (opposed to program links) you will have to repeat this step on these workstations, to delete the menu entry. Administrative Rights are required.

Do NOT delete the files (.mdf, .ldf) alone - this will harm your SQL Server installation severely !

Disconnect database

Disconnecting a database simply means to order the SQL Server to forget about the database. Both files remain physically on the servers drives. This allows to transfer the database files EULANDA_.MDF- and LDF-Files from one server to another. On the new server you can than connect the files and use the database. The files can be found under:

c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\Backup\

This function requires Administrative Rights.

Connect database

A previously disconnected database will get connected, allowing easy transfer of database files on the same server. To move the database between servers use „Backup Database" and „Create Client from Backup“. This function requires  Administrative Rights.

After proper identification a dialogue is displayed allowing to select the EULANDA_.MDF-File.

MDF-File select dialogue

Select the corresponding MDF File. The respective LDF File has to be on the same drive (same path). In case these files are stored on separate drives or different locations on the drive, you have to use the SQL-Designer instead and manually reconfigure the script.

Shrink database

An important job of the SQL-Server is to protocol all transactions. These are completed operations within the database. This protocol increases in size and can easily reach a multiple in size of the database itself, depending on its usage and length of time in use.

These transactions are stored as safety precautions in order to better restore the database in case of a database failure. A restore of a backup file allows to reconstruct the database until the time the backup has been made, whereas the transaction protocol holds the data until the time of the failure.

These protocol files can increase considerably in size and it is good practice to shrink them from time to time. Executing this function automatically backs up the database and protocol file. Both files are stored within the EULANDA_.bak file and written to the server's disks. This file can subsequently be included in a system backup or copied to CD/R. Default file location is:

c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\Backup\

The SQL-Designer offers the same functionality using the Macro „Shrink Database“. Administrative Rights are required.

SQL-Designer

The SQL Designer offers extended functionality to manage your database(s). Every function listed is based internally on macros. Aside these functions, a complete list of all field definitions for all tables and views are available. In addition you can execute any query and write own scripts to further analyze your data. You should use the SQL Designer only if you are a trained programmer with proficient knowledge of T_SQL and the structure of the EULANDA® ERP database, or ordered from our support to do so. The SQL Designer requires Administrative Rights.

SQL-Designer (Client)

This starts the SQL Designer and opens the clients database. Start the SQL Designer via the right-mouse menu.

SQL-Designer (Master)

This starts the SQL Designer and opens the login database which is by default the MASTER database from the SQL Server (unless you have changed the default database for this user). Start the SQL Designer via the right-mouse menu.

Protocols

The communication between the EULANDA® ERP and the SQL Server is based on the operating system's protocols (TCP/IP). Which protocol is used, will be decided automatically by Microsoft's® Data Access Components (MDAC). 

Under certain circumstances it might be necessary to edit these settings, e.g. when using a firewall or the network installed requires different protocols.

These functions allow to separately edit these protocols - Client- and Serverprotocol.

The SQL Server can handle a variety of protocols but at least one has to correspond to the client's protocol settings.

Configure the Client's SQL-Protocol

The client protocol can be different on the individual workstations, thus enabling external PCs to access the database server via different protocols then those on the internal net.

Client-Protocol dialogue

Per default the client is using the TCP/IP protocol on port 1433. When using a firewall or a router it might be necessary to change the port or to use  the "named pipe" protocol .

For each protocol configuration you may uses aliases, as to handle different setups with various programs.

On the tab "Network Libraries" you'll find the names of all available DLL files necessary for the individual protocols. These names (without the suffix .DLL) may be set in the properties of the UDL file as Network Library, if a different protocol is used.

These settings should be altered from experienced network administrators only.

Configure the SQL-Server protocol

The server protocol has to support all used client protocols.  TCP/IP is used per default.

SQL Server-Protocol settings

UDL-File

UDL-files (Universal Data Link) are part of the operating system. They are managed by the Data Access Components (MDAC). 

They contain all settings required for a database connection without the need to include the code in the program itself. Therefore all software requiring database connections can use these files, including the user and it's password.

Configure the UDL-File

There are two ways to open the file for editing. Either search for the respective file via the file explorer and double click on it or use the right-mouse menu on the corresponding client database.

UDL file - settings tab

On the tab "Provider" choose the type of the database server. EULANDA® ERP requires this to be "Microsoft OLE Provider for SQL Server". On the tab "Connection" enter the name of the SQL Server or an alias of the client protocol. Two security settings are available - Windows NT or SQL Server based, which requires an user name and password. Per default the latter is used. The standard user for the EULANDA® ERP is named "Eulanda", its password is "eulanda" as well. The SQL administrator is called "sa" and has no password assigned (with a freshly installed SQL Server). In the field of the database name enter the respective name of the database or select from the list (clicking on the little arrow pointed downward on the right end of the field. The name always starts with "Eulanda_" and the client's name attached.

 Click on the button "Test Connection" to verify your settings.

The tabs "Advanced" and "All" are for experienced network administrators only and allow further settings. Explanations can be found in the Microsoft Documentation or under http://www.microsoft.com respectively  http://msdn.microsoft.com. The most important setting of all is found under Network Library. Normally this field is empty and uses the default client protocol as specified. You may enter the name of the protocol's corresponding DLL. The names of the available files can be found in the dialogue of setting the Client-Protocol (tab "Network Libraries), as explained above. 

See also:

UDL-File

File explorer from UDL-Path

This opens the normal windows file explorer and opens the path to the available EULANDA® ERP UDL files.

Updates

EULANDA® ERP uses for its installation the Windows® Installer instead of an own installation script. This has the advantage that the installation always is according to the operating system used.  This applies to the main program (EULANDA.msi) only. Other software, eventually required, might use different means of setup with less rigid guidelines.

Search and install Updates on the Internet

This function is identical to that, when clicking the Update button in the main menu.

Search and install Updates from a hard disk

Instead of using the Internet, you may use this function to install an EULANDA.msi from any hard drive. A direct install by double clicking the file is not possible, since the routine requires certain parameters, set only when using this function.

Directly installing the EULANDA.msi by double clicking the file, will only work as a "NEW" install. You will have to remove an existing version of the software first. The user data will remain intact anyway.