Network Versions of DONATION

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Starting in version 3.04, there are three variations or "flavours" of DONATION, related to how or whether it is being used on a local area network (normally just called a network):

 

1.The standard or Local Database version (installed via the doninst.exe installation program). This puts the database on the same computer as DONATION, and no user on any other computer can access that database. The database file must be on a local hard drive of the computer that DONATION is installed on. With this version, what is called the Embedded Firebird database software is used.
 
This is the same version that was available in all prior version numbers (e.g. 3.03 or lower) of DONATION. (Versions 2.70 or lower used an embedded Sybase ASA database instead, and did have a way to have the database file installed on another computer on the network, but still, only one computer could access it at a time.)
 
It is perfectly allowable to run this version on a computer on a network. However, you will not be able to access its database from any other computer on the same network, unless you manually copy that database from one computer running DONATION to the other computer running DONATION. (See the help topic Transfer your Data between Computers for details on doing this.)
 
If you are using this version, there is no need to read the rest of this help page, because it is about the network versions!
 
2.The new Network Server version (installed via the doninstNetServer.exe installation program). This installs, as part of the installation of DONATION, the Firebird Server database software, which runs as a service on your computer, and which can make access to the database available from other computers as well. The database file must also be on a local hard drive of the computer that the Network Server version is installed on. Only one computer on a network should normally have the Network Server version installed on it.
 
The computer on which the Network Server version of DONATION is installed does not have to be what is conventionally called a network server computer, or be running a special server operating system. Most commonly, it will just be the computer belonging to the main user of DONATION.
 
In addition, you do not have to share the drive or directory that contains the database file (normally C:\Program Files\Donation\Data\donation4.db). The Firebird Server database does not require file sharing to work - it only uses TCP/IP.
 
3.The new Network Client version (installed via the doninstNetClient.exe installation program). This can be used on a second or further computer on the same network that a Network Server version was installed on, and it accesses the database that is on the computer that the Network Server version was installed on. When you install this version, you must specify the network name of the computer that the Network Server version was installed on, and the filename and directory on that computer that its database file resides in (which is generally the default the installation program shows to you, C:\Program Files\Donation\Data\donation4.db).
 
This version will not be able to run unless the computer on which the Network Server version was installed is also running.

 

Firewalls

 

If you are running a firewall on the computer running the Network Server version, you may have to make an adjustment for the Network Client computers to be able to access the database on it. You will know you have a problem if you get an error message during the installation of the Network Client version (and/or when trying to run that version) that includes the words "Failed to establish a connection".

 

If you have this problem and are using the Windows Firewall on your computer running the Network Server version of DONATION, you can set up an appropriate Exception as follows (these instructions are for Windows XP - they should be similar in other versions of Windows):

 

•From the Windows Start Menu, select Settings then Control Panel.
•In Control Panel, select Windows Firewall.
•Assuming it is turned On (if it is Off, this isn't the problem!), make sure that "Don't allow exceptions" is not checked, then switch to the Exceptions tab.
•Click the "Add Port" button, and on the window that comes up, for Name enter "Firebird Server", and for Port Number enter "3050", both without the quotes. Make sure that the TCP radio button is selected.
•You may want to also click the "Change Scope" button on that window, and select "My network (subnet) only", to protect it from accesses from the Internet. If you do that, click OK after making that change.
•Click OK on the Add a Port window, then OK on the Windows Firewall window.

 

If you are using different firewall software, the important thing is to allow TCP accesses to port number 3050 on the computer running the Network Server version of DONATION.

 

License Keys

 

When you receive license keys for the program, special license keys are needed if you are using the Network versions (Network Server on one computer, Network Client on one or more other computers). The license key has coded into the number of simultaneous users of DONATION that you are allowed to have, and the pricing is based on this number of simultaneous users as well. The pricing for one simultaneous user is (at least, as of early 2008) the same as the pricing for the standard version, with over 500 donors. For each additional simultaneous user, there is an additional charge.

 

The same license key should be installed on all computers on your network on which you install DONATION, whether they are running the Network Server version or the Network Client version.

 

Detecting your Version

 

If you are not sure which version of DONATION you are running, use Help à About DONATION ..., and it will tell you in the window that comes up. If you have a network version and you are not sure how many simultaneous users you are licensed for, use Help à Request or Install License Key and it will tell you in the text at the top of the window that comes up.

 

Simultaneous Users and Limitations

 

To be clear about simultaneous users, if you are licensed for one simultaneous user, you are allowed to have one Network Server installation, and any number of Network Client installations. But only one of those computers is allowed to run DONATION at a time, and the program will prevent other users from running it if one user is already running it. With simultaneous user licenses, the number of users you are licensed for are allowed to run DONATION, on separate computers but all accessing the same database, at exactly the same time.

 

When you do have simultaneous users running donation, there are some actions in the program that can only be run when you are the only user running DONATION, and some that can only be run from the Network Server installation. For instance, Restoring a backup database, Validating your database or creating a new database in the Database à Switch Database window can only be done from the Network Server installation. And making backups behaves somewhat differently, depending on which version you are using.

 

Some actions can only be done when you are the only user running DONATION (whether on a Network Server version or a Network Client version) because I have judged that there is too much danger of conflicting or inconsistent data being put into the database if more than one person tries to do the same actions at the same time. For instance, creating receipts with the Receipt menu options, or using One Date Donation Entry. In these cases, you will receive a message from the program informing you of why you cannot do that action at that time. To resolve the problem, ask other simultaneous users of DONATION to exit the program, and then try the action again.

 

In some other cases, two or more users can do the same thing at the same time (e.g. creating or editing donors or donations on the main window), but in unusual circumstances, you may get an error message. For instance, suppose two users are simultaneously making an address change for the exact same donor. The first one that clicks Save will have their changes saved, but the second one will probably get a slightly technical-looking error message saying "Record changed between retrieve and update", and will not be able to save they changes. They will have to click Cancel to abandon their changes.

 

When you do have a two or more simultaneous user license, a Refresh button appears at the top right of the Donor List on the main window. Clicking that will reload the main window, to pick up changes made by other simultaneous users, for instance added or delete donors, changes to donor names, changes to the lists of donor or donation categories, etc.

 

Although the DONATION program almost never crashes, if it does, or if a user running DONATION restarts or turns off their computer without exiting DONATION first or there is a power failure, a minor problem can occur. Any user on another computer that tries to run DONATION may get a message that the maximum number of simultaneous users has been exceeded, when it in fact hasn't. That's because the copy of DONATION that crashed, or wasn't exited properly when its computer was restarted, didn't have a chance to notify the Firebird Server that it had exited, and thus the Firebird Server thinks it is still using up one of your simultaneous user licenses. Fortunately, this problem is easily resolved - wait two minutes and try again, and it will be OK, because indications in the Firebird Server that any given simultaneous user is using DONATION are automatically cleared after two minutes.

 

Mail Merge Letters Files

 

If you use the Letters menu options to send mail-merge letters or receipts to your donors, you will probably customize the standard letter files distributed with the program. Those files are found in the Letters subdirectory of the DONATION installation directory, i.e. normally C:\Program Files\Donation\Letters. The issue with this for network users is that each computer on your network on which you have installed DONATION has its own copy of the letters files.

 

So, if you customize those files on one computer running DONATION, and want to be able to do mail merges with those same customized files on another of your DONATION computers, you need to transfer the letters files from the first computer to the second one. An easy way to do this is using the instructions in Backing up and Restoring Letters Files.

 

Uninstalling the Network Server Version of DONATION

 

If you are running the network server version of DONATION, and you decide to uninstall DONATION, an extra step is required.

 

If you are sure you do not want to use DONATION again, and if in addition you are sure that you are not running any other applications that use the Firebird Server database software, you can uninstall the Firebird Server from Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs tool (called Programs and Features in Windows Vista). It will show as "Firebird 2.0.3" in the list of installed programs, at least for the version installed by DONATION version 3.04.

 

If you have version 3.11 or higher of DONATION, you may be prompted to uninstall the Firebird Server as part of DONATION's uninstall process. If you do get that prompt, and answer Yes, then you don't have to separately remove it with Control Panel.