Installing WorkExpo for use across a Local Area Network

Terry Chapman

Info Plan Software

December 2004

Applies To:

Info Plan
Software® WorkExpo

Summary: This article explains the network
setup for WorkExpo for version 6.0 and later, and describes the issues that IT
managers should consider when installing WorkExpo in a shared environment
across a Local Area Network (LAN).

Contents

Introduction

Automatic Network Installation

Manual Network Installation

Display the Data File Path in the WorkExpo Title Bar

Sharing Files Between Different Users of WorkExpo

WorkExpo Will Run Slower Across a LAN

WorkExpo File Format (Microsoft Access)

Conclusion

Introduction

WorkExpo is a Microsoft Access database. It consists primarily of two
key files (databases) - WORKEXPO.MDE (front-end) and DATA.MDB (back-end). It
should be installed so that the data file may be shared by different users at
different locations while all other files including the front-end file
WORKEXPO.MDE reside on the local machine.

WorkExpo can
automatically create a connection to a back-end file on a network drive. You do
not need to copy files manually. It is recommended that you use the FILE/OPEN
command in WorkExpo to point to a data file and connect to it.

Automatic Network Installation

Follow these steps to set WorkExpo up on a work station

1.
Log onto the workstation where WorkExpo is to be
installed

2.      Install WorkExpo on the machine
using the /Silent switch (silent install) e.g. SETUP.EXE /silent

This switch accept all defaults during setup and installs WorkExpo to c:\program
files\workexpo

3.      Start WorkExpo and test that the
sample data is displayed correctly.

4.      Register the software in the usual
way. Register via Options/School. Enter your school name then the registration
code.

5.      From the WorkExpo main menu click
the “Options” button

6.      Click the “Network” tab

7.      Specify the path to the folder in
the "Network Server data file location" box, then

8.      Click the "Create Network
Connection" button

9.      WorkExpo carries out the following
steps:

·
Checks
to see if an existing WorkExpo data file (DATA.MDB) is found in your specified
network location

·
If
an existing data file is found in the specified network location, WorkExpo
connects to it and renames the data file on local machine to data.old

·
If
an existing data file is NOT found
in the specified network location, WorkExpo copies the current data file on the
local drive to the specified server and then connects to it. Then WorkExpo
renames the old data file to c:\program files\workexpo\data.old

File Name

Default Path

Path after Network Install

data.mdb

(Central data file)

c:\program files\workexpo

e.g. //server1/teacher/workexpo

All other files including WorkExpo.mde

c:\program files\workexpo

c:\program files\workexpo

Notes Only a single file data.mdb needs to reside on the network
server. All other files should remain on user’s C: drive.

Manual Network Installation

Follow these steps to set WorkExpo up on a work station manually
using Windows Explorer

1.
Log onto the workstation where WorkExpo is to be
installed with full software installation and registry permissions

2.      Install WorkExpo normally on the machine
using the /silent switch (Quiet install) e.g. SETUP.EXE /silent

This switch accept all defaults during setup and installs WorkExpo to c:\program
files\workexpo

3.      Start WorkExpo

4.      Register the software in the usual
way. Register via Options/School. Enter your school name then the registration
code

5.      Close WorkExpo

6.      Using Windows Explorer move the
single file c:\program
files\workexpo\data.mdb to a
network server location

7.      Start WorkExpo

8.      WorkExpo will prompt for the
data.mdb file location on startup

9.      Navigate to the network server
location of data.mdb

10.  WorkExpo re-connects to this network
data file and stores its location for future use

Display the Data File Network Path in the WorkExpo Title Bar

WorkExpo can display the current data file path in the title bar,
to enable this:

1.
Open WorkExpo at the Main Menu

2.
Click the Options button

3.
In the Options dialog click the DATA FILE tab

4.
Click checkbox to enable “Show data file path in the title bar”

WorkExpo displays the current data file path in the title bar

Sharing Files between Different Users of WorkExpo

Users of WorkExpo can also share their data file (data.mdb) across a LAN so that updates
and deletes flow to all users. WorkExpo will handle any read/write conflicts
internally.

WorkExpo Will Run Slower Across
a LAN

WorkExpo with the data.mdb
file deployed across a LAN will run slower than if the data file resided on the
user’s hard drive. However, WorkExpo will run very much slower if the
front-end file workexpo.mde is also deployed
on the server. It is strongly recommended that this is avoided and that workexpo.mde is deployed on each user’s
hard disk.

WorkExpo File Format (Microsoft Access)

WorkExpo’s default file format is Microsoft Access. Check
out the README.TXT file in the MANUAL INSTALL folder on the WorkExpo CD.
Provision is made for supporting various versions of Access and instructions on
installation are also contained there. For more information on converting
WorkExpo files, contact Info Plan Software (03) 9531 1091 or
[email-masked]

Conclusion

WorkExpo can be installed across a local area network for data
sharing by several users. Only a single file data.mdb needs to be deployed to the network server. Any other
installation will mean that users may lose WorkExpo program settings between
sessions. Also WorkExpo may run considerably slower if the front-end file workexpo.mde is deployed on the server.
In this article, you learned about the considerations that IT managers need to
be aware of when developing and using WorkExpo in a LAN environment.