Support News

April 2003 Edition

New Feature Spotlight: Electronically Move Jobs in Job Manager 3.0
Q&A with Technical Support: Server Side Scripting
Smart Tip of the Month: Batch Update of Form Information
Third Party Software: Remote Control Software
Support Bookshelf: Remote Access through VPN


New Feature Spotlight

Electronically Move Jobs in Job Manager 3.0

When a job is initially created in the Job Manager system, workflow templates may be assigned to the job to reflect the internal cost centers a job will encounter during production. As job charges are accumulated, the job can be moved from one cost center to the next. Job Manager provides two methods for moving jobs along their workflows: automatically or manually.

By default, jobs will automatically appear in the cost center where the last job charge originated. If the last job charge originated from a cost center that does not exist in the job’s workflow, Job Manager will automatically insert the cost center to reflect the deviation from the workflow template originally assigned to the job.

An alternate method of moving jobs is to manually push the job to the next queue or cost center. Moving jobs manually does require intervention by the user, but there are certain advantages to this method. Moving a job to the next cost center when the work is complete will provide a more accurate picture of the job’s flow through your company’s production cycle (i.e. entry/departure dates and times).


Q&A with Technical Support

Can a server-side action be initiated from a Virtual Ticket/Job Manager client application?

Server-side scripts can provide many additional benefits to the system. For example, suppose you need a new job folder to be created in a your file system each time a new job is created in Virtual Ticket. A MetaScript can be implemented to run a SQL Job that will create a new job folder automatically when a new job is created. Several methods can be employed to execute an action at the server from the Virtual Ticket/Job Manager client computer, including but not limited to:

  1. Using a stored procedure in the database to execute when a triggering event has happened at the client workstation.
  2. Executing a RunSQLQuery command from within a MetaScript on the form in Virtual Ticket to do the following:
    1. Initiate a SQL job (sp_start_job) on the SQL Server which then executes the desired script.
    2. Use the SQL Command Shell (xp_cmdshell) to run an exe file on the server.

A MetaScript can be written to listen for a triggering event such as a checkbox being checked. For example, when a certain checkbox on a Virtual Ticket form is checked the a script will run and the actions executed by the script will then run in the background of the server where SQL is installed.

MetaScript examples are available at:
http://www.meta-comm.com/support/knowledge_base/article.asp?id=16131


Smart Tip of the Month

Batch Update of Form Information

Modifying search result information is an efficient way to update information for multiple records. For example, you may search for all your jobs that all have the same status (i.e., In Production), select a subset of the search results, and use the Modify feature to change the status for all selected jobs (rather than looking up each job individually and modifying the status manually). To modify the results of a Virtual Ticket Find, perform the following steps:

  1. Create or select a find from the Tools menu, specify the search criteria, and click SEARCH.
  2. Select the record(s) you want to modify from the Documents listing along the left side of the window. The information for this record will automatically appear in the right hand portion of the window, in the form on which the search was originally based.
  3. Click MODIFY. A new window with the form on which the search was based will be displayed, allowing you to modify the necessary fields of information. To change the form displayed, select the appropriate form from the Using Form expander button.
  4. Click each field you would like to update in the selected result records, and enter the new information for the field.
  5. Click UPDATE. This will apply the changes you have made to each of the selected records. A dialog box will appear, asking if you would like to update the result set displayed in the Find window.
  6. Click YES to display the updated information for the result records in the Find window, or click NO if you do not want to display the updated information.

Third Party Software

Remote Control Software

In a typical Virtual Ticket/Job Manager system, the application server is not located at the desk of the system administrator. The ability to control and administer the application server from a remote location is important to the setup and administration of your Virtual Ticket/Job Manager system. Numerous products exist which allow for the remote control of a workstation depending on system configuration. Products such as Timbuktu, VNC and Windows Terminal Services provide various methods for logging into and controlling Windows and Macintosh computers. The products vary in pricing from free to several hundred dollars.

NOTE FROM SUPPORT: MetaCommunications Technical Support has found that Windows Terminal Server built into Windows 2000 Server provides the widest range of capabilities.

  • Terminal Server licenses are not required to administer a Windows Terminal Server in Remote Administration mode.
  • Users on Mac OS X can use the Remote Desktop client (available from Microsoft) to connect to and administer a server configured as a Windows Terminal Server.
  • A Remote Desktop web connection software is available which will allow a connection to a Terminal Server through an Internet Explorer browser with the appropriate ActiveX control.

For more information about Windows Terminal Services, visit:
http://www.microsoft.com

For more information about VNC for Windows and Macintosh, visit:
http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/

For more information about Timbuktu, visit:
http://www.netopia.com


Support Bookshelf

Remote Access through VPN (Virtual Private Network)

The issue of connecting to your network while away from the office or at home can be solved through the use of a VPN. With a VPN, traveling sales reps, managers or other users can log in with and manipulate information in Virtual Ticket or Job Manager. The following article describes how to setup a VPN and security issues related to the setup of remote access to a network:

For more information about Microsoft VPN solutions, visit:
http://www.microsoft.com



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