Setting up for a Network
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Setting up Campground Master for networking is very simple, as long as your network meets the requirements. Network setup parameters and options can be found in the menu: Maintenance / Network Functions / Network Setup.


EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!  
 
DO NOT "SHARE" THE DATABASE FILE BETWEEN MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF THE SOFTWARE.  
THIS WILL RESULT IN A CORRUPTED DATABASE!  
 
Campground Master uses TCP/IP communications to copy all data between computers in real time, rather than sharing the database file itself.  
 
Because most computer administrators expect networking to be accomplished through a shared database file, it may take some effort to get past this assumption. Do not attempt to network multiple computers by loading the database through a mapped or shared drive, or in any way open or save the database through file sharing on the network. Please read through this entire networking section before attempting to set up networking for Campground Master. It's a very simple process, but must be done correctly.  
 
Every computer running Campground Master must have its own copy of the database, on its own hard drive or other non-shared location. Never under any circumstances open a database file from more than one instance of Campground Master at the same time. If you're not sure how this will work, please read the section How Networking Works.  
 


Networking Requirements:

·Every workstation or terminal must have its own place to save the database (e.g. its own hard drive) -- do not share the database file with other terminals.  

·TCP/IP network -- the workstations must be connected via TCP/IP (which can also be through the Internet). We recommend using a switch (or router), rather than a hub, since a switch results in much less load on the computers. Some installations have reported communications problems when using a simple hub.  

·Winsock 2 -- the system must support Winsock 2, which has been part of Windows since Windows 98. If you are running Windows 95, you may need to install Winsock 2 in order for the program to run (you will get an error message when starting the program if Winsock 2 is not installed). This can be downloaded from the following Microsoft web site: http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wuadmintools/s_wunetworkingtools/w95sockets2/default.asp  

·A known IP address for the master workstation -- The master workstation must have a known IP address that can be accessed by the other workstations, so setting a static address is best. If you will be using the internet, there should be a static IP address visible to the internet (to avoid setup changes every time you connect).  

·An unblocked port -- you can use any TCP/IP port number you wish, just make sure it's not blocked by any security software or routers in the system. We recommend a port in the 6000 to 12000 range, to minimize the potential conflicts with other software.  


Master (Server) workstation:

You don't need a separate computer for a server. Any of the workstations can be used as the "master" workstation. This workstation will automatically operate as the Server for the Campground Master network, and all other workstations will operate as Clients. (Internally, they actually run different code depending on whether they are a server or a client.)

Since the master workstation will not have to request locks from other workstations and will operate "offline" automatically if the other workstations are disconnected, you may want the most-used workstation to be the master. It should also be the fastest computer, since it has to do more work (routing all of the changes from each workstation to all other workstations).

Alternatively, you may decide that the master should be a "protected" computer separate from the reservation center, since it's the most important computer to keep running and should have the most reliable network connection. The decision will depend on your environment and whether speed is an issue. Since the master designation can be changed any time through the settings, you can always change it later.

Except for a few maintenance functions that can only be done on the master workstation, all workstations have equal abilities. Only the master workstation can perform the New database function and edit Field Definitions. Also, while any workstation can edit Raw Data Tables and Pick Lists, these should be done on the master workstation whenever possible due to the number of records that need to be locked.


Setting up on a "Server" computer:

Because certain functions must be done at the "master" workstation (network master), and because Campground Master must be running as an application on the master workstation, we don't recommend using a separate "server" computer as the network master. Campground Master cannot be run as a service, and someone should be able to access the network master at any time for maintenance and other functions. Also remember that each workstation has the entire database, so besides having automatic redundancy, backups can be done from any of the workstations.


Setup Procedure:

1. Install the Campground Master software on each workstation, and decide which one will be the master.

2. If you're not familiar with configuring program and/or port exceptions in firewall software and routers, temporarily disable all firewalls and other security software on each computer (they can be re-enabled with proper "exception" configurations once you get the network operational). Some typical programs that can block TCP/IP networking are Windows XP's firewall or Security Center, Norton's Antivirus with Internet Worm Protection, McAffee's antivirus, ZoneAlarm, and various other antivirus software, spyware blockers, pop-up blockers, etc. If you're using a switch or router that has firewall/gateway/blocking capability, either disable it or make sure that the TCP/IP port you'll be using (see step 7) is not blocked.

3. After you have a database set up and authorization code entered on the master, make sure the database is authorized for networking. This can be checked through the View / View Product Authorizations function -- the "Max Workstations" value will be greater than 1 if you are authorized for networking.

4. To make sure that the printer options, tab view options and other settings will be the same on each workstation (especially if you have already been using the program on a single computer for awhile), synchronize the settings for all workstations. This can be done at any time, but doing it before you copy the database to the other workstations will ensure they are set up correctly to begin with. Note that this is essentially a database function and does not require the other workstations to be connected yet -- it simply copies the master's settings to the other workstation's settings in the database. This function is under Maintenance / Network Functions / Synchronize local options to other workstations.

5. Copy the database to each workstation. This can be done using the Backup and Restore functions built into the software, or by manually copying the database file. A step-by-step guide to copying the database to another computer can be found in the Maintenance chapter. Do NOT set up Campground Master to open the database file through a mapped drive on the network! If more than one workstation is accessing the same database file, the data will become corrupt. Each workstation should be loading and saving the database from its local hard drive. It's also important that the database have the same name on every workstation. Note: If you get an error when connecting that the names don't match, use the File / Rename Database command to change the name. Afterwards you might also need to go to Maintenance / Program Options / Database to change the auto-open database to the new one.

6. Find the IP address(es) of the master workstation. If you don't know its IP address, you can use the Show IP address(es) function under Maintenance / Network Functions. If it shows more than one address, you will need to figure out which one is for the local network and will be visible to the other workstations. Local network IP addresses often start with 192. The IPCONFIG command from a Command Prompt (DOS window) can also indicate the local area network's IP address in Windows NT/2000/XP. In Windows 95, 98, or ME, run the Winipcfg program from Start / Run.

7. Decide on a TCP/IP port number. You can use the arbitrary default port (6010), or if that is known to conflict with other software you can change it.

8. On the master workstation, open the database and make sure the Network Settings (Maintenance / Network Functions / Network Setup) are set accordingly: The workstation ID should be 0, and the Master ID should be 0. (The master ID can be another number, but this is the easiest way to keep track of it -- just make sure that the "This" ID and the "Master" ID are the same, that's what tels it to be the master.) The other options are covered later, but all of the check boxes should be checked. Note that you must be logged into Campground Master as an Administrator to get into this function.

9. On each of the other workstations, open the database (if not already open) and change the Network Settings accordingly: The workstation ID should be different for each one (1, 2, 3, etc.), the Master ID should be 0, and the Master IP address should be the address from step 6.

You can also specify various heartbeat frequency, timeout, and other options if you prefer. See the Network Setup Dialog section for more details.

If the master workstation is running at the time you perform the last step for each workstation, you should see it immediately connect after you change the settings and click OK. You're done!

If a connection error is shown, double-check your network settings and refer to the following sections, or contact us for support. If you are running a firewall, try disabling the firewall -- if connection is successful with the firewall disabled, you will need to determine how to enable the selected port for the firewall (consult the documentation for the firewall). Likewise, other security software may need to be disabled or configured to allow Campground Master to communication, such as Norton Internet Security, ZoneAlarm, McAfee, Windows XP's Firewall, or various antivirus or anti-spyware software. Some firewall configuration examples are given later.


IMPORTANT: Once every workstation is connected, start re-enabling any security software that was disabled previously -- enable one program at a time, and double-check to make sure it doesn't interfere with networking by closing down both the Master and Client workstation(s) and restarting them. If it prevents connection, see if you can configure exceptions in the security software to enable the Campground Master software and/or the IP port you're using (see step 7 above). Under no circumstances should you leave your computer unprotected by keeping the firewall completely disabled.



Additional Topics:
 
Networking Through the Internet  
 
Setting up Multiple Connections  
 
Network Setup Dialog  
 
Connection Progress Dialog  
 
Other Network Functions  
 
Net Client Diagnostic Dialog  
 
Net Server Diagnostic Dialog  
 
How Networking Works  
 
Firewall Configuration Examples  
 
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