Installing NEOSYS Service

INSTALLING NEOSYS SERVICE

Reference to X:\ in the notes below denotes the actual drive letter and needs to be replaced (eg D:\)

Main installation:

Make sure NOT TO COPY an existing NEOSYS installation to another location and ONLY do a 
completely new install with a fresh database, because copying a folder will copy a variety of 
hidden configurations. 

Installing NEOSYS on partitions

Good server management practice is to have separate partitions for operating system (C:) and data partitions (D:)

In the case of operating system reinstallation (which causes the loss of the C: partition) if NEOSYS programs and data were installed on D: can be preserved. If there is only one partition then NEOSYS programs and data will have to be backed up and restored.

Multiple Partitions

NEOSYS should be installed on a different partition rather than the C drive for reasons already explained above (eg. D drive)

Single Partition

If there is only one partition then you have to inform the client to take the effort to reinstall the operating system or using third party repartitioning tools to create separate partitions.

Downloading and running installation files

1. http://www.neosys.com/support/neosys.exe ... and unzip/install to X:\neosys (or to X:\hosts\clientcd for multi-installation on one server)
2. http://www.neosys.com/support/neosys2.exe ... and install same as previous step.

Creating shortcuts

In x:\neosys (or x:\hosts\clientcd), make a shortcut called ‘Maintenance’ and link it to

x:\neosys\neosys\adagency.bat (for Adagency install)

or

x:\neosys\neosys\accounts.bat (for Accounts install)

Activating NEOSYS using authorization number

Start NEOSYS Maintenance, select Initial Backup and it will give a “Computer Number” and ask for an “Authorisation No”

Send the computer number to NEOSYS admin to get the authorization no. Do not leave the authorization no. promt page open for a long time. This will cause the CPU usage to go to 100%.

If you cannot get the authorization number immediately then you can close NEOSYS and when you reopen NEOSYS it will still give the same computer number and accept the same authorization number.

Installing initial Database

For standard NEOSYS Installations, copy the BACKUP.ZIP file from NL1 server (C:\DATA.BAK\STARTUP1\"Day of week") and place it on the D drive of the server where we wish to install NEOSYS. You may choose any other drive also but make sure that this file exists in the root folder e.g. D:\BACKUP.ZIP

Follow the steps below:

1. Click on the Maintenance icon.
2. Select BASIC DATA SET and type in the NEOSYS username and password. (If the system does not prompt for a username and password,then go to Quit > Quit to next user and type the same in. If you do not enter with a username and password then NEOSYS will not allow you to restore the database). The first time when you enter maintenance you will get a command box (like when you do F5). If you do not get a command box, hit the F5 key and get it on the screen and hit ESC after you get it.
3. Now restore the BACKUP.ZIP (STARTUP DATABASE), to do so go to General > Backup & Data Management, select (the 4th option) Restore from disk or diskette. select D drive (or whichever drive you put the backup.zip file in) and follow the prompts ahead.
4. On every successful restore or creation of dataset, system will give you a message to switch to new database always say NO to this,because the switch to database option brings you back to the BASIC DATA SET. Hence press the ESC button, type EXIT on the F5 prompt.
5. Now startup maintenance again and you will find a new database "STARTUP DATABASE" select it and login with NEOSYS username and password. Once you enter you may find a prompt "TASK ADDED" follow the prompt and continue.
6. After you have logged in, go to General > Backup & Data Management > Delete a dataset and select the "BASIC DATASET" to delete, to confirm the delete system will ask you to enter the dataset code. Enter the code and delete the basis dataset.
7. Now create a new dataset for the client, go to general > Backup & Data management> Create a new dataset, select (6th option) and follow the instruction on how to setup database code from the following link Assigning database codes
8. Once the client dataset is created,login to the clientdataset and follow the steps in above point6 and delete the STARTUP DATABASE. (while logging in to the client dataset, it ask " This database hsa been copied or the database name or code has been changed. Is this going to be a unique new master database?" select first option YES - Going to be a new independent database.
9. To check the list of dataset on the computer, go to go to General > Backup & Data Management > See a list of dataset in the computer(8th option).

Note:

1. Sometimes it may tell you that you cannot use FILEMAN as you are logged in as MASTER. Hence you need to hit the ESC key, go to General > Backup & Data Management > Restore from disk or diskette, select C drive or whichever drive you put the backup.zip file in and follow the prompts ahead.
2. While doing the step no.2 if you get a message as below just hit enter or space and continue.

Assigning database codes

It is necessary to make sure that the following guidelines are met while creating database codes:

1. The code must be within 8 letters
2. The client should instantly recognisable or as recognisable as possible from the main database code
3. The test database code MUST END with the word "TEST" and it is not necessary that it must be recognisable.
   The system needs to know if a database is "test" or not.
   Otherwise test documents like invoices appear like real live documents potentially causing serious confusion. Many other internal problems will also occur.
4. The test database code should sort alphabetically after the main database code at login. Prefixing with code with the letter X may achieve this.

Examples of wrong and right database codes:

ALTO VISTA ADVERTISING
ALTOVIST and XALTTEST - right      AVISTA and AVTEST - wrong   (AVISTA not "as recognisable as possible")

CONTEXTURE ASSOCIATES
CONTEXT and XCONTEST - right       CONTEXT and CONTEST - wrong (CONTEST alphabetically first in the login screen database drop down)

Creating a .CMD file to start NEOSYS Service:

(Note: change x to the correct drive you have installed NEOSYS on)

In x:\neosys create a file start MAIN-DATABASE-CODE.cmd (eg start ALTOVIST.cmd)

x:
cd \neosys\neosys
Start neosys.js /system ADAGENCY /database databasecode

(where databasecode is the code of the database) (also you need to replace ADAGENCY with ACCOUNTS if this is an accounts only installation)

In x:\neosys create a file start TEST-DATABASE-CODE.cmd (eg start AVTEST.cmd)

x:
cd \neosys\neosys
Start neosys.js /system ADAGENCY /database testdatabasecode

(where testdatabasecode is the code of the testdatabase) (also you need to replace ADAGENCY with ACCOUNTS if this is an accounts only installation)

TEST THAT THE FILES YOU HAVE CREATED CAN RUN SUCCESSFULLY

ENSURE THAT YOU DO NOT CLOSE THE PROCESS WINDOWS BY USING THE X BUTTON. HIT ESC 3 TIMES ON EACH WINDOW.

Differences for Pure Accounts Module Only Installations

Accounts module only has a slightly different startup command. In the above, replace /system adagency with /system accounts to startup a service and use accounts.bat instead of adagency.bat to start up maintenance. Other than that, accounts module setup is identical. Pure accounts clients are very few and tend not to upgrade often so care needs to be taken when upgrading. Upgrade is done using the usual neosys2.exe file.

Creating a .CMD file to copy maindata to testdata

In x:\neosys create a file copy MAINDATABASECODE to TESTDABASECODE.cmd

Make sure you put the same xcopy command TWICE so that the time elapsed between the start of the copy and the end of the copy is minimal. The /d option copies only unchanged files so the second xcopy should complete in minimal or even close to zero time.

Copying in the minimum time (by not copying unchanged files) reduces the chance that updates will occur during the copy resulting in the test database containing a mix of pre-update and post-update information. This risk only occurs if copying live data to test data during the day while NEOSYS live database is operational. Normally live data is copied to test data during the night while the live database is shutdown and therefore is not being updated. Note that if the live system is not updated during the first copy then the second xcopy will do precisely nothing since all files will be identical (have the same "last modified" date and time).

@rem put nearly the same command twice!
xcopy x:\neosys\data\maindatabasecode x:\neosys\data\testdatabasecode /s /y /m
xcopy x:\neosys\data\maindatabasecode x:\neosys\data\testdatabasecode /s /y /d

Example:

@rem put nearly the same command twice!
xcopy c:\neosys\data\ALTOVIST x:\neosys\data\AVTEST /s /y /m
xcopy c:\neosys\data\ALTOVIST x:\neosys\data\AVTEST /s /y /d

Run this file to test that it works fine.

Setting up daily scheduled tasks

NEOSYS is normally configured to backup and shutdown at 1am. All the processes shutdown except one which performs the backup and then closes.

A Windows Scheduled Task must be created to startup NEOSYS every day typically at 6am. It can startup one live database process and that process will startup all other required database processes. Test databases will not startup other database processes automatically.

On Windows 2008 Standard, untick highest privileges and untick run whether user is logged in or not. This means that NEOSYS processes will be visible on the desktop when you login BUT the windows schedules tasks to startup NEOSYS will FAIL to run if the server is rebooted for any reason including power failure or when the monthly Windows Update procedure reboots.

Alternatively, for clients which cannot tolerate manual intervention after server reboots for any reason (eg need to start work before NEOSYS support is available or on NEOSYS support weekends), tick "highest privileges" and "run whether the user is logged in or not". This approach means that NEOSYS processes which are started by the windows scheduled task are not visible on the desktop and run hidden in the background and only listed in task manager.

1. Create a task to start one Main database process at 6:00 am daily.

2. Create a second task to Copy Maindata to Testdata at 2:45 am daily.

(For multiple sites on the same computer put the second site starting five minutes later at 6:05am, third site starting five minutes earlier at 5:55am, the third site starting five minutes later at 6:10am and so on.)

Once created, test them to see that they are working correctly by running them directly using right click- Run.

(Use web access and go to Support Menu, System Configuration File to request 3 processes for main database and 1 for test database).

Please note that test running “copy test data” should be avoided while users are online but there is no problem testing the “daily 6am startup task” at any time since it will just add an additional process.

Configuring NEOSYS to start automatically on server start-up / reboot

We no longer configure NEOSYS processes to start on reboot as we would like to know of the failures at the client side and hence whenever the server reboots we expect the client to inform us and we will start the process - or NEOSYS will start automatically next day at 6 am

Unfortunately using this method the NEOSYS processes are not visible when you login as a user.

Schedule a task to run the main database file whenever the computer starts. In Windows 2008 you need to tick the options - Run whether user logged in or not and Run with highest privilege.

Additional in Windows 2008: Tick Highest Priviledges and Run whether user logged in or not

Installing and upgrading NEOSYS pure accounting systems

Basic installation using NEOSYS.EXE and upgrades using NEOSYS2.EXE are identical to the normal adagency installation process.

Differences are as follows:

1. Maintenance shortcut to ACCOUNTS.BAT
2. Process startup file contains "/system ACCOUNTS" instead of "/system ADAGENCY"
3. Internet address is http://server/neosys/accounts.htm although it auto converts to http://server/neosys/default.htm??ACCOUNTS. Although not to be relied upon, the login page stores a cookie so even plain http://server/neosys or http://server/neosys/default.htm works thereafter until the cookie is lost. To get back to adagency login you use http://server/neosys/default.htm??ADAGENCY
4. BACKUP.ZIP files created by ADAGENCY systems and ACCOUNTS systems are slightly incompatible with the result that restoring one in the other type of system will not work. NEOSYS programmers can convert from one type to the other but it is almost never required since any ad agency that only requires accounts only module is given the adagency version of NEOSYS and accounting only clients becoming ad agencies never happened.