Table of Contents. 2 Getting Started Guide

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Welcome

Welcome to DBA Manufacturing Next-Generation, the “common sense” alternative to ERP systems.

Training & Support

Even though DBA is an "off the shelf" solution designed for self-implementation, we encourage you to use our support and online resources because they save you time and money.

Our training and support program is a resource-based service delivered through our online support center. A support center subscription provides you with a low-cost alternative to fee-based services.

NOTE: You can purchase a support center subscription from the DBA web store at www.DBAManufacturing.com or you can contact

[email protected].

A support center subscription includes the following: Online Training

• Available to all users in your company 24/7 • Search videos by topic in knowledge base

• Packed with tips, suggestions, and consulting-level advice Support Service

• State-of-the-art online ticketing system manages all support incidents • Tickets can be submitted by any user, not just primary contact

• Ticket queue actively managed for quick response to emergencies • Issue resolution by return ticket, phone, data review, or remote access -

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Welcome

• Ticket tracking by issue, status, category, person, and date • Ticket copy option to other users

• Tickets stay open until resolved and can be reopened if additional help is needed

Online Support Center • Training videos • Knowledge base • Discussion forum

• Most popular and most recent knowledge topics • User ratings on topic helpfulness

• Automatic e-mail notification of topic changes • White papers

• Downloads

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.

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

Designed for Modern Hardware

DBA Manufacturing Next-Generation 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 needs to 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.

Environment

DBA Manufacturing Next-Generation can be installed in any of the following

environments. • Single PC • Client/server network • Peer-to-peer network • Terminal Server®

Workstation PC’s

• PII 350 Mhz processor or greater

• 128-256 MB RAM (Windows 2000 / XP) • Minimum 150 MB free disk space

• VGA 256 color, minimum 800 x 600 screen resolution • CD-ROM drive

• Operating system: Windows 2000, XP, Vista Business • Network card: 10/100 mbps

Network Server

• PII 550 Mhz processor or greater • 128-256 MB RAM

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1. System Requirements

• Network card: 10/100 mbps

• Switch: 100 mbps or 1000mbps running full duplex (200/2000 mbps) *Not a hub*

NOTE: Hub not recommended.

• Network cable: 100BaseT, twisted pair UTP Category 5 Cable

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 a single-user system:

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 your client PC’s are networked using at least category 5 UTP cable and 10Mbps network speed.

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Installation Instructions

After you’ve downloaded the DBANextGen.exe file, double click on it or right click and select Open.

1. DBA License Agreement 2. Install Firebird

• License Agreement

• Select Destination Directory – recommend default location in Program Files. NOTE: If you are installing DBA on a network, install Firebird™ and DBA on the same drive of the same file server.

• Select Components – accept default selections only.

• Select Start Menu Folder – recommend leave unchanged. • Select Additional Tasks – use default selections only. The

support department will only support the default settings.

Install Control Panel Applet? Note: This will not be visible on Vista machines.

• Completing Server Setup Wizard – leave “Start Firebird Service now?” checkbox checked.

3. Install DBA Manufacturing

• Choose Destination Location - recommend default location in Program Files. NOTE: If you are installing DBA on a network, install Firebird™ and DBA on the same drive of the same file server.

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• Setup Type – Select the paper size default A4 or Letter. This will determine the default settings for your forms and reports system-wide.

• Installation Wizard Complete – select 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 data 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. If 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

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5. Installing Workstation PC’s

5. 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 PC’s are networked using at least category 5 UTP cable and 10Mbps network speed.

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

• If your server or main workstation did not have the 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.

Special Microsoft Vista Client Instructions:

• Client settings must be adjusted to allow full admin rights

• To change this setting, go to Windows > Start > Run, then open “secpol.msc” • Go to Local Security Policies – Security Options and scroll to “User Account

Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode”. Change this setting to Elevate without prompting.

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5. Installing Workstation PC’s

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).

• Follow prompts in Wizard until complete.

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6. License Key Installation

6. License Key Installation

When you purchase the multi-user version of DBA, we Email you a license key that converts the free single-user evaluation system into a multi-user system.

License Key Information

Two pieces of information constitute the license key and are contained in the Email we send to you: 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 can 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

In your main company, go to Admin – Upgrade License, where you will see this screen.

• 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.

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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.

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7. Getting Started

Two user guides cover the system implementation process. Both can be found on the system’s Help menu or in the Downloads area of the online Support Center.

Manufacturing Startup Guide

Covers user setup, system setup, and implementation of the core manufacturing modules.

Accounting Startup Guide

Covers implementation of the DBA financial modules.

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7. Getting Started