Using the Server Database Name feature

Panorama X
1

I have a 3 file set of non shared databases. ‘Controller’, ‘Maintenance’, & ‘Marketing’, each configured with data for Customer A to begin using them. The procedures are generic for any future customer.

As I am ready to deliver these to Customer A, I use the File/Database Options menu to then access the Server tab. I select the Server, check the box to ‘Share Database’, and use the ‘Server Database Name’ box to name them A-Controller, A-Maintenance’, & A-Marketing when sitting on the server so that they will be recognized by the server as different files when I later upload for customer B… the files with Server Database Names: B-Controller, B-Maintenance, & B-Marketing.

If I then request that Customer A download the files from the server, they get received as A-Controller, A-Maintenance, & A-Marketing.

As customer A receives these files, they will not work as all of the procedures were expecting the plain names, Controller, Maintenance, & Marketing. I was believing that they would download without the A- that I added in the ‘Server Database Name’ field.

The Help file says that this should work. What am I missing?

2

The Help file says that this should work.

If that’s true, please provide the exact quote so I can correct it. I just reviewed the documentation and I don’t see where it says anything about the downloaded filename. As far as I can see, the documentation is simply silent on this topic.

I was believing that they would download without the A- that I added in the ‘Server Database Name’ field.

Sorry, but no, that’s not how it works. However, you could rename the file after you download it.

In fact, the entire purpose of the Server Database Name field is to allow a server file to continue to work even if you rename the file on the client side. Even if you rename the file, the Server Database Name will remain constant so the file will still be able to make the connection.

In fact, the server has no idea what the name of the file on the client computer is. Different clients could use different filenames, in fact. I wouldn’t recommend that, but as far as Panorama database sharing goes, that would be fine.

Since the server has no idea what the original name of the file on the original client was, it can’t use that name when downloading. It only knows the name on the server, so that’s the name it will use when you download.

There are a couple of possible solutions you could use to deal with this. One, you could download and then rename, as I suggested earlier. Secondly, you could simply transfer a copy of the needed files directly from one client computer to another, with the files named however you want. You may remember this is how it was always done when using Panorama 6 Server, and this technique still works.

This only affects the original installation of a file on a client computer. Once it is installed, the name doesn’t matter. You can update the file with new database generations and that will work fine no matter what the name is on the client.

3

Yes, the documentation is silent on the name when downloaded. In the absence of facts, we imagine and I imagined that the file name would be the same when downloaded as it was when uploaded.

When the file name was different on download, I then thought ‘cool’, Panorama has ‘tagged’ the file so that the file name gives me a clue that it is the ‘A-Controller’ data but then the db did not work as needed and that it was necessary to rename the file for my procedures to work.

If a user renames a single user file named ‘Controller’ with procedures designed for ‘Controller’, as ‘A-Controller’ when uploading it to the server, and after downloading it renames it back to ‘Controller’, is that the same file as when the user uses the Server Database Name feature to accomplish the different server file name?

My ultimate goal is to have 1 set of files be the masters, with all of the latest forms and procedures, and then to have individualized files for different companies each with that companies data. I would like a path to automatically update each of the personalized files with the latest procedures and forms.

4

My ultimate goal is to have 1 set of files be the masters, with all of the latest forms and procedures, and then to have individualized files for different companies each with that companies data.

Having multiple companies be able to share a single Panorama Server was never a goal of something that Panorama Server was intended to do. Especially if the different companies want to use databases that have the same names. I’m not saying it can’t be done, it probably can, but that was and is not an intended feature. You’ll need to engineer that yourself. I think you’ll either have to rename files after downloading them, or arrange for an alternate way to distribute the databases, rather than downloading them from Panorama Server.

It might be simpler for you if each company had its own Panorama Server. Since Panorama Server pricing is based on the number of users, ProVUE won’t get any additional revenue if you implemented it this way. Of course there would be additional costs for the hardware and network access.

If a user renames a single user file named ‘Controller’ with procedures designed for ‘Controller’, as ‘A-Controller’ when uploading it to the server, and after downloading it renames it back to ‘Controller’, is that the same file as when the user uses the Server Database Name feature to accomplish the different server file name?

Who’s on first?

I think the answer to your question is yes, but your paragraph is such a twister that I don’t really feel 100% confident in that answer, or even that I 100% for sure understand the question.