This article is intended as an overview (albeit with as much detail as possible) as there are many potential installation scenarios and each may require specific configuration. If you feel you need more help then please raise a support ticket with us.
SUMMARY: The client-server version of Probate Plus differs from the standard peer-to-peer version in that the Probate Plus application is installed in conjunction with a database server component (Advantage Database Server - aka "ADS"). With ADS, Probate Plus is able to offload data processing tasks to the ADS service that runs on the server that hosts the Probate Plus data folder rather than having to process database entries in a peer-to-peer manner which can involve high network traffic.
The installation will consist of configuring:
- A central data folder that your Probate Plus users can access, ideally located on a file server.
- The ADS database service on the server that hosts the Probate Plus data folder. ADS runs as a service on the server.
- Deploying the Probate Plus application to your endpoints (e.g. some or all of a mix of physical desktop PCs, virtual PCs, hosted desktops, a terminal services environment, or as a RemoteApp).
INSTALL PROCESS:
1. Create data folder.
NOTE: If you're migrating an existing data folder from one file server to another this may not apply.
- Create a folder on your file server "MYSERVER" perhaps called "PROBATEPLUS".
- Create a sub-folder called "DATA".
- Note that we will be setting the Probate Plus application to point to \\MYSERVER\PROBATEPLUS\DATA
2. Install the ADS database server service on the server that hosts the data folder.
- Use the ADS installers from SAP. Please contact us if you don't have the installer to hand.
- ADS is available in 32bit or 64bit versions. Download the relevant installer for your operating system. It will default to a 30-day evaluation licence which is fully functional. The ADS installers are as follows:
- adswin_x86_32_evaluation.exe ( 32 bit installer )
- adswin_x86_64_evaluation.exe ( 64 bit installer )
- If prompted, be sure to set the ADS to run as a service.
- IMPORTANT: During install of ADS, be sure to choose ENGL(AMER) when prompted for character set or codepage. Also select American as language (this is to do with database collation sequences and not actual data formats in the Probate Plus application).
- A utility called ADSConfig will also be installed on the server that hosts ADS and can be used to monitor active connections, performance and configuration settings.
- A utility called adsstamp.exe can be found in the folder that holds the ADS executable (ads.exe). This utility is used to apply your serial number and activation/validation licence codes. See article for more information.
- Once the ADS service is started on your file server it will be listening for connections on port 6262 by default (this is configurable in case of conflict).
3. Install the Probate Plus application.
Instances of the Probate Plus application on your endpoints simply connect back to the ADS service on the file server which in turn handles access to the Probate Plus data folder.
- Download the Probate Plus installer from: https://lawsystems.co.uk/pp_wp/downloads/
- If prompted during installation, enter your installation password.
- Once install is complete, run Probate Plus and you’ll be prompted to select the data folder location (use the location as per the ADS server install section above – e.g. \\MYSERVER\PROBATEPLUS\DATA.
- You will also need to set the database server type to Advantage Database Server (REMOTE).
- If connection to the ADS is successful, the first time Probate Plus runs will result in a prompt to create the initial data files. If you are migrating an installation and have a pre-existing data folder then you'll not be prompted as the files already exist.
TROUBLESHOOTING:
Normally, the Probate Plus application is able to discover the ADS service automatically but if perhaps the endpoint and the server that hosts the ADS service are on different subnets then the discovery process may fail with error 6420. This implies further configuration is needed. A file called ADS.INI can be used. Full details below: