Installation of Caliach Vision on a Network
Reference Contents > Introduction > Installation of Caliach Vision on a Network
Installation of Caliach Vision has evolved with various versions of the program. Before V5 the database used is a local-area-network system built in the Omnis Studio which could reside anywhere on your local machine or network (assuming network systems permitted). From V5 onwards, with the exception of single user installations such as the demonstration edition, the database is held by a server installed DBMS (PostgreSQL or MySQL).
Caliach Vision V3.10 onward can be downloaded as a self-contained installer, inclusive of Omnis Studio. The actual executable files for Omnis Studio are specific to particular operating systems whereas Caliach Vision files are all cross platform.
Version 3.1 to V4.1
Caliach Vision can operate on a single computer but it is more common for it to be installed on a multi-user network. In this case, as a minimum the datafile must be located on the server. However, you then have the option of having a Server Installation or a Local Installation.
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Installation |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Local |
In this case each user computer will have the full directory structure of the Caliach Vision installation, and usually an Omnis Studio runtime or design. |
|
Server |
In this case the minimum of files are stored on the individual user computers (or on a server directory specifically allocated to each terminal computer). The minimum directories and files are Vision.lbs, Terminal directory and Email directory. All other directories are then placed alongside the data file. When Caliach Vision seeks to locate or store a file it will first look for a server installed file or directory. If it finds it, it will use it. Otherwise it expects to find it local to the Vision.lbs file. Omnis Studio can also be loaded on the server. |
Advantages of a Server Installation:
- Installation for a site is much faster and simpler – access can be given to a design and/or runtime just by selecting the appropriate shortcut from the distribution directory. Normally the installation is on the system manager’s machine, carry out any updates and then copy to the server. It is not necessary even to leave the supporting directories on the managers machine – simple is best!
- Likewise, propagation of a major upgrade is simpler, only requiring the vision.lbs to be copied from the distribution directory on the server (after being updated) to each machine on completion.
- Omnis Studio upgrades are much quicker, not requiring any work on client PCs.
- Everybody is using the same installation, making query resolution easier.
- Storage requirement on PC’s is much reduced.
- All documents can be held centrally, with only shortcuts being needed on PCs.
Disadvantages of a Server Installation:
- You cannot copy the datafile to another location without the supporting directories (otherwise the library will not run when you try to connect to it, and in fact the only way to get it to run ever again is to copy the directories to the location of the datafile it is locked on to).
- You must maintain master PCs for full installations of Omnis Studio for NT and 9x, particularly as the new Omnis Studio Windows installer is now the same for NT and 9x and needs to work out which system to install for.
- To do a major upgrade of Vision, it is necessary to (temporarily) copy the supporting directories into the Vision directory on the first machine being upgraded, and MOVE them back when the upgraded is finished.
The following illustrates a typical server structure. The Data directory would be located on the server with the contents of the Distribution directory being copied to each user computer. Other directories are for the Omnis Studio installations needed to accommodate the operating systems being used by the user computers. The configuration is shown for Windows operating systems, the principals apply similarly to other operating systems.
V5.00 Onwards
With the introduction of client-server technology, the need for a central network location for supporting files that are common to all users is still required. However, unlike earlier versions it’s location can not be assumed by the program, it must be explicitly defined. This is done with an entry in the Terminal/Terminal.inf file. The optServerFolder option must contain the absolute path to the Server Folder on a server that all users have access to at all times.
optServerFolder=Z:PublicAreaCaliachServerFolder
If optServerFolder is missing or blank, the program will fall back on folders local to Vision.lbs. If the path is unavailable when the program starts, a message will warn that you are not connecting.
The contents of the Server Folder are optional, but most typically are:
- Archive folder
- Extras folder
- Help folder
- ProgSyst.db
- ProgUser.db
V5.04 Onwards
From V5.0400 the supporting Strings-??.stb, LangDynamic-??.db and Statements.db were all relocated from the Extras folder, that typically could be in the Server Folder, to the Terminal folder that can only be in the same folder as Vision.lbs.
Compiled in Program Version 5.10. Help data last modified 4 Aug 2016 04:10:00.00. No class.
Reference Contents > Introduction > Installation of Caliach Vision on a Network
