Updated: May Copyright DBA Software Inc. All rights reserved. 2 Getting Started Guide

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Updated: May 2008

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Welcome

Welcome to DBA Manufacturing, a complete manufacturing software system that includes order entry, planning, production, purchasing, inventory, invoicing, and accounting.

Designed for Self-Implementation

Unlike ERP systems, which require you to spend tens of thousands of dollars for onsite services, we’ve designed DBA for self-implementation.

Implementation Planner

Our Implementation Planner guide lists all the tasks to be performed in their correct order and enables you to enter target dates, responsibilities, and

completion dates. All the implementation tasks culminate with a system “Startup Day” when you begin running your company on DBA.

With this highly structured implementation process, any company willing to put in time and effort can implement DBA on its own, backed by our support.

Operating Guide

The companion guide to the Implementation Planner is our Operating Guide, which covers the operational details of system modules, screens, inquiries, and reports.

Use the Implementation Planner for direction

Use the Implementation Planner to direct you through the four phases of implementation -- Installation, Setup, Rehearsal, and Startup Day. Use the Operating Guide for reference

The Implementation Planner lists all the tasks to be performed, but within any given task, use the Operating Guide for the specific operational details of the system’s modules, screens, inquiries, and reports.

Online Help (F1)

All the contents of the Operating Guide can also be found in the system’s online

Help. While you are in any screen, press the F1 key to link to the Help topic for

that screen. You can also go to Help – DBA Help and locate topics using the table of Contents or you can search for topics using the Index or Search tabs.

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Welcome

Support Center Subscription

If you have not already done so, make sure your company has purchased a support center subscription.

A support center subscription is essential during implementation because your users will need access to our training videos, support tickets, and other

resources. On an ongoing basis, a manufacturing system that runs your entire business should not be operated without support. To encourage continued

participation, we’ve made the subscription price affordable for any size company.

How to Order

You can purchase a subscription online from our web store at

www.DBAManufacturing.com or you can order by phone by calling 1-800-995-1959 or 805-461-3501.

What is included?

A support center subscription gives all your users access to the following support resources.

Support Tickets

• Online ticketing system manages all support incidents

• Issue resolution by ticket response, phone, data review, or remote access - whichever we determine to be most effective

• Tickets can be submitted by any user, not just primary contact • Ticket queue actively managed for quick response to emergencies • Ticket tracking by issue, status, category, person, and date

• Track support history by individual employee or entire company

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Welcome

Remote Access Troubleshooting

• Remote connection to your computer through the Internet • Enables us to diagnose problems while on the phone • Same effect as being on site

• Enables direct support no matter where you are located Training Company

• Copies your data into a temporary "training" company • Installs on your network server and is available to all users • Enables you to preview new versions before going live • Provides a safe training environment for new users • Enables "what if" scenarios without affecting live data Other Support Center Resources

• Training Videos • Knowledge Base • What's New

Accessing the online support center

A support center subscription provides all users in your company with access to the online support center.

Access to the online support center is provided within the software itself. Go to the Help menu and click the Online Support Center option. You can also access the support center through the Support page on our website

(www.DBAManufacturing.com). Each of your users can self-register

Each user within your company can register and set up a personal account by clicking the Request for a New Account button and completing and submitting the registration form.

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1. System Requirements

1. System Requirements

Before you install the software, carefully review the system requirements to make sure your hardware and network meet acceptable standards.

Designed for modern hardware

DBA uses the Firebird™ relational SQL database (structurally similar to SQL

Server® and Oracle®), which is designed to run on modern hardware with fast

processors and sufficient RAM as well as on efficient networks with high-capacity switches, network cards, and cabling.

If you have older equipment and network connections, now is a good time to have a qualified technician assess your hardware and network setup to ensure that it meets our system requirements.

Internet access required

To use DBA, your company must be equipped with Internet access (DSL, Cable Modem, Satellite, T1, etc.). Broadband access is recommended. Our software, product updates, documentation, and online support are all delivered over the Internet directly to your DBA system.

Power Protection System (UPS)

An abrupt power loss or crash from unclean power is the most common cause of data corruption. Your file server requires clean and continuous power to function properly. Factories are especially subject to power fluctuations. It is imperative that you protect your server with a power protection system that includes surge suppression, power conditioning, and battery backup.

Multi-User Environment • Client/Server • Peer-to-Peer

• Remote Application: Microsoft Terminal Services® • Wireless Network not recommended

Network Server

• Minimum Intel Pentium III processor, AMD Athlon processor or greater • 2 GB RAM

• 150 MB Free Disk Space for installation

• Operating System: Windows 2003 Server, Windows Small Business Server 2003, Windows 2000 Server

Workstation PC’s

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1. System Requirements

• RAM: Windows 2000/XP – 512 MB minimum, 1 GB preferred; Vista – 1 GB minimum, 2 GB preferred

• 150 MB Free Disk Space for Free Evaluation Version • VGA, minimum 800 x 600 Screen Resolution, 256 Colors • Operating System: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista

(Business or Ultimate Editions) Printers

All reports, forms, and labels print in graphical format on any Windows-compatible laser or ink jet printer.

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2. Installing the Free Evaluation Version

2. Installing the Free Evaluation Version

If you are installing the free evaluation version for the first time, refer to these two chapters of this guide:

Chapter 3 – Download the Software

If you’ve not already done so, download the free evaluation version. Chapter 4 – Software Installation

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3. Software Download Instructions

3. Software Download Instructions

Download the Software – No CD Provided

Our software is downloaded from our website, in the form of the free evaluation version. We do not distribute the software on CD’s.

• From the Home page of www.DBAManufacturing.com, either click Free

Version in the header menu or click Download Free Version from the right

panel. This takes you to the Free Evaluation Version page.

• On that page, click the Download Evaluation Version link. This takes you to our registration page. Enter or select your Email Address. If you have registered previously, click the Find Previous Registration button.

• Verify your registration details. If you are registering for the first time, complete all the fields on the form. When finished click the Submit button. This takes you to the Free Version Download Instructions page.

• On that page, click the DBANextGen.exe file. Download (save) it to the computer from which you will be installing the software.

See the next chapter for installation instructions.

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4. Software Installation

4. Software Installation

Installation instructions for installing the Firebird™ database and DBA software are the same whether you are installing DBA on a single-user PC or on a network file server or peer-to-peer workstation.

If you are installing on a single PC:

If you follow the prompts, you should have no problem installing the single-user evaluation system, especially if you are familiar with installing other software programs.

• Be sure and verify that your PC meets or our minimum Workstation PC requirements (see System Requirements above).

Before you install DBA on a network:

NOTE: If you are not familiar with computer networks, we strongly advise that you arrange to have the DBA system installed by a qualified

technician.

Please take these steps before you begin installing DBA on a network.

• Verify that your network file server or main peer-to-peer workstation meets or our minimum Network Server requirements (see System Requirements above).

• Verify that all your client PC’s and your file server are running the

“Microsoft TCP/IP” network protocol. See your Windows documentation for information on installing TCP/IP.

If you are a contract installer and need support

If you are a contract installer and happen to need support during the installation process, please do not call our main office if you need help.

To receive support, please submit a support ticket through your client’s support account. Explain the problem in detail and we will help by the best means possible. We monitor the ticket queue throughout business hours and will respond as quickly as we can.

Access to the online support center is provided within the software itself. Go to the Help menu and click the Online Support Center option. You can also access the support center through the Support page on our website

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Installation Instructions

After you’ve downloaded the DBANextGen.exe file, double click on it or right click and select Open. You are presented with this screen:

Click Next to continue.

You are then presented with the screen shown above, which displays the DBA

Software License and Maintenance Agreement. After you’ve read the license,

select the top radio button to indicate your acceptance of its terms and conditions. Click Next and you are presented with the following Information

screen, which lets you know that you are about to install the Firebird™ database.

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After you click OK, you are presented with this welcome screen, which is the first in a series of screens related to installation of the Firebird™ database. Click

Next to continue.

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Current release notes on Firebird™ are displayed on the screen shown above. Click Next to continue.

On the screen shown above, you designate the location of the folder on your PC or file server where the Firebird™ database is to be installed. We advise you to accept the default location and folder names.

NOTE: If you are installing DBA on a network, install Firebird™ and DBA on the same file server. Do not attempt to install the database on one server and the software on another – it will cause problems.

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On this screen you can select different database components. Leave the default settings as they are and click Next to continue.

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Leave the settings as they are on the screen shown above and click Next to continue.

The screen shown above is informational only and confirms the settings made on previous screens. Click Install.

The following window displays, where you can watch the files one-by-one get extracted and installed into the destination folder.

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This next screen displays when installation is complete. Click Finish.

You are now presented with a series of screens involving the installation of the DBA software. In this first screen you designated the destination folder where DBA will be installed. We suggest you accept the default folder name.

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On this screen you select the paper size used for reports and forms. Select

Letter for standard USA letter size or A4 for international page size. Click Next

to continue.

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The screen informs you that installation is ready to begin. Click Install to continue.

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When installation is completed, you are presented with this screen. Click Finish.

Launching the Single-User Evaluation System

The free single-user evaluation system is now fully installed. The evaluation version gives you unlimited, single-user access to the Sample Company, which includes sample data so that the screens contain meaningful information and you can print reports. You are also welcome to enter your own data to simulate

processes using your own information.

A Main Company is also included, which is not accessible within the free version. The Main Company is used for system implementation. When you purchase the multi-user version, we Email you a license key that converts the free version into a multi-user system with access to the Main Company.

To launch the sample company, click the DBA Sample Company icon on your desktop or navigate to Start – Programs – DBA Manufacturing – DBA Sample

Company.

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5. License Key Installation

5. License Key Installation

The license key unlocks the system for the number of licensed users purchased. License keys were sent by Email

When you purchased the system, we Emailed you license keys for the Main

Company and Sample Company. Please have that Email on hand for license

key installation.

License Key Information

Two pieces of information constitute the license key and are contained in the Email: your Company Name and Serial Number. They will appear like this in the Email:

Company Name: ABC Manufacturing Co.

Serial Number: MTFcMCEhMCEhMjIvMDEvMDchITAhITAhITIhIUEhIQ==

The Company Name is the name you furnished to us and is the name that will appear on screens and reports. If the name is not exactly as you’d like it, contact [email protected] and we will Email you a replacement license key.

NOTE: Do not attempt to manually change the Company Name or it will not match the Serial Number.

License Key Installation – Main Company

When you launch the system, you are presented with this message:

The Main Company is only for use when you purchase the product. If you are on the free version, please use the Sample Company for evaluation. If you have purchased the product, click the button below to install your License Key.

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5. License Key Installation

• Copy the Company Name from the Email and paste it into the first field on this

screen.

• Copy the Serial Number from the Email and paste it into the second field on

this screen.

Click Continue, which will close the screen.

License Key Installation – Sample Company

You are also provided a second license key, which expands your sample company into a multi-user system. It looks like this in the Email.

Company Name: DBA Sample Company

Serial Number: MTZcNSEhMCEhMzEvMTIvMzAhITAhITAhITUhIUEhIQ==

Again, do not try and change the Company Name or it will not match the Serial

Number.

In the sample company, go to Admin – Upgrade License and cut and paste the license key in the same process described earlier for the main company.

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6. Installing Workstation PC’s

6. Installing Workstation PC’s

If you are installing DBA on a network, this chapter provides installation instructions for connecting workstation PC’s to the file server or main peer-to-peer workstation.

Before you begin installation:

• Verify that each PC meets our minimum Workstation PC system requirements (see System Requirements above).

• Verify that your workstation PC’s (and file server) are running “Microsoft TCP/IP” network protocol. See your Windows documentation for information on installing TCP/IP.

• If your server or main workstation did not have “Microsoft TCP/IP” network protocol when it was first installed, setup will prompt you for a path to the server or main workstation. The format for this path is [ComputerName]:[Path

to main database file].

NOTE: the path to the main database file is the local path (C:\Program

files\DBA Manufacturing\Database) on the server or main workstation

as if you were on the server itself. Do not use the mapped drive as your path, such as MYSERVER:C:\Program files\DBA

Manufacturing\Database where MYSERVER is the server name.

Step 1 – Make your DBA folder Shareable

Activate file sharing and share your DBAManufacturing folder (normally located as a sub-folder under \Program Files). Make sure you allow full access to this shared folder under security for all the workstation PC’s that are to have access to DBA.

Step 2 – Workstation Installation

Perform this installation procedure on each workstation PC that is to have access to DBA.

NOTE: Your license does not limit the physical number of workstation PC’s that can access DBA. It only limits the number of named users that may log onto the system. Named users can log onto DBA from any workstation. • Map a drive letter to the shared folder (\DBAManufacturing) on the server or main

peer-to-peer workstation.

• Using the mapped drive, from the workstation navigate to the DBAManufacturing folder on the file server or peer-to-peer main workstation. Find the Client sub-folder and within it, double click on Setup.exe. (The location is normally Program

Files\DBA Manufacturing\Client\Setup.exe).

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Once again you are presented with the DBA Software License and Maintenance agreement. Click Yes to accept its terms and conditions.

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Accept the default setting on this screen and click Next to continue.

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On this screen you see the files extracting and being installed in a local folder.

Installation is now completed. Click Finish.

The program has installed desktop shortcuts for the sample company and main company that connect the workstation PC to the DBA software and Firebird™ database on the file server or main peer-to-peer workstation.

Launching DBA – Help File Installation

We suggest that you launch DBA from the workstation to make sure it was installed properly.

The first time you start DBA from the workstation, you are prompted for a

destination folder for the system’s online Help, which is installed locally on each workstation. We suggest that you use the default folder.

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