Document #552, Setting up the Initial Synchronization for an Undocked User
Covers GoldMine® 5.x or higher
GoldMine 5.x or higher is designed to synchronize the customizations made to a database. Customizations are changes made to the Field Views and User Defined Fields in GoldMine. It is recommended that all customizations made to the database; be added to the main installation of GoldMine by the administrator. This will avoid any confusion caused by multiple remote sites doing the customizations and synchronizing them to a central location. For clarity, the central location, main installation, or host site will be referred to as the Central Site in this document.
At some point in time it may become necessary to add new User Defined Fields, Custom Screens, and data to an existing GoldMine system. In this case, follow the instructions for the first synchronization in ‘Performing the Initial Synchronization’ to transfer the new customizations to the remote sites. The data contained in the fields will transfer normally through normal synchronization.
GoldMine 5.x or higher allow for single and multi-user licenses to be un-docked from the main license. The single user license is referred to as an Undocked User and the multi-user license is referred to as a Site Sub-License. For clarity, these license types will be referred to as a Remote Site in this document. The information provided here covers creating the remote license, setting up the remote site, and the initial synchronization process.
The information provide here can also be used to transfer the customizations from one full license to another full license of GoldMine. In this case, follow the instructions starting with the section on ‘Preparing the Remote Site for Synchronization.’ This type of license will be referred to as a Separate License or Remote Site as needed in this document.
Creating the license for both types of remote site is similar and the differences will be noted in the instructions. The user must already be in the Users’ Master File in order to create an Un-Docked User license for them.
1. At the main installation in GoldMine, select File>>Configure>>License Manager to open the GoldMine License Manager.
2. Select the Undock Users (New Site for a Site Sub-license) button the license creation dialog box.
3. Create the remote site as follows:
a. Select the user to undock the license for by checking the Check Box. This can only be done for one user at a time. Select the Create Undocked License read the agreement, and then the select the I Agree button to create the license.
b. Select the license type that will be distributed. Type in a name for the site and the number of licenses to distribute. Select the Create Site Sub-License read the agreement, and then the select the I Agree button to create the license.
4. The next dialog box will display the newly created license. Be sure to write down the complete license as it is displayed (i.e. U-0001-12345678-ABC123-1234-BOB for an undocked user, S-0010-12345678-DEF456-1234-LOCATION1 for a site sub-license). This is the only time that GoldMine will display the complete serial number that has been generated.
After Selecting the Close button you will not be able to view the complete license. The only way to view the complete license is to to remove and recreate it. Be sure to document the license number before clicking on close.
For GoldMine 5.x, follow the instructions in the GoldMine 5.0 installation Guide and enter the license generated for the remote site when prompted. With GoldMine Sales and Marketing, follow the instructions in the FrontOffice 2000 Install Guide for an Undocked license and enter the generated license when prompted. For separate licenses, follow the instructions provided with the software and use the provided license.
When installing the Undocked User license, when prompted, be sure to enter same username and password that are on the main GoldMine system that the license was created from. Usernames and passwords will synchronize in one direction only - From the Central (E) site to the remote (U or S).
If only one Contact Set (database) is to be synchronized, then this step is not necessary. Skip to Performing the initial synchronization section.
The instructions provided here will only cover creating additional databases in dBase. All generated sub-licenses for remote sites will only install dBase tables for the databases. For separate licenses with GoldMine Sales and Marketing, follow the instructions provided with the software to create additional databases.
The Contact Set Profile can be accessed for existing databases by File>>Open Database, select the Contact Set Database and right click selecting Properties from the popup menu. When multiple Contact Sets are in use, a unique File Code will need to be set at both the central site and the remote sites for each database. The File Code will enable GoldMine and GoldSync to manage synchronization with multiple databases at the same time.
If not used properly, you run the risk of merging two databases into one, where the merged data could propagate to all databases in the system. As a general rule, if two databases or more are sent to a remote, the remote will need the appropriate number of databases (contact sets) installed with file codes that match those of the sending site. The remote will need to be configured to retrieve all contact sets sent to it.
If two contact sets are sent to the remote and the remote is configured to retrieve one, the data will merge into the one. The configuration below will merge data into the MAINFCA database if two or more contact sets are sent from the central site.
Using the New Database Wizard
1. To start the New Database Wizard by selecting File>>New Database… in GoldMine.
2. Type in a descriptive name in the Please enter the description of the new file: box. By default in standard installations, the dBase database files radio button will be selected. If it is not selected, select it and then click on the Next button.
3. Type in a path to where you want the database located (i.e. c:\program files\goldmine\newfolder) or click on the … to browse to an existing empty folder. GoldMine will create a new folder if one does not already exist. Select the Create empty tables radio button for the new database. Click on the Next button to proceed.
4. Type in your File Code in the Contact set code: box for each new database making sure that they are unique and match one on the central site. Click on Next and then Finish to complete the process.
More information on creating databases is available in the manuals and online help files.
Any time a new remote site is set up or new customizations are added to GoldMine at the central site, the customizations must be incorporated into the database they are not part of before data can be transferred. Any method of synchronization can be used to transfer the customizations to the remote. For a new remote site this is performed with two synchronizations taking place. The following instructions are for a manual synchronization.
These instructions should be performed at the central site.
1. Start the Synchronization Wizard by selecting File>>Synchronize>>Synchronization Wizard… in GoldMine.
2. Select the Start a new session radio button and then the Next button.
3. Choose the Create a transfer set radio button. This will tell GoldMine that it is a manual method of synchronization. Click on the Next button to continue.
4. Type in a path to a folder for the transfer set in the Path for the transfer set to be placed: box or browse to an existing folder by clicking on the … button. GoldMine and GoldSync will create the folder if it does not already exist. Click on the Next button to proceed
5. Right click under Send Record Types: and select Clear All from the popup menu. Scroll down to the Customizations category and select the Custom Fields and Custom Views by checking the check boxes. If the remote site is an international version of GoldMine, then change the Encryption to 32 bits.
6. From the drop down list, select All changed contact records. Check the checkboxes for the contact sets that will be synchronized and then click on the Next button. GoldMine will only show the databases that have a File Code specified for them in this list.
7. On the next dialog box, select All contact records from the drop down list and click on the Next button to continue.
8. Check the Ignore cutoff time (send all records) checkbox and click on Next to proceed.
Note: Changes made to labels in the upper quadrants will not synchronize using the Ignore cutoff time or when setting the cutoff time to 1/1/80! The reason for this is because these fields have the same recid in all databases. When ignore cutoff time is used, Synchronization occurs using the recid method. The recid method means synchronization occurs on the record level only. When synchronizing via the recid method GoldSync checks to see if the recid of a changed field exists in the retrieval database, if it does then the changes will not retrieved.
If you wish to synchronize Label changes made to the fields in the upper quadrants i.e., Company, contact, Key1 -5, and all others, you will need to know the date when the earliest label change was made so that you can set the cutoff time to a date just prior to the earliest change. This will allow the sending site to send updates at the filed level rather than the record level (recid method). A second transfer set will have to be used with the same send options but a different cutoff time.
9. Select the No radio button and click on the Finish button to complete the process. GoldMine will now build and place the transfer set in the location specified in step 4.
10. Locate the transfer.gts file and copy or send it to the remote site.
These instructions are for the remote site.
1. Start the Synchronization Wizard by selecting File>>Synchronize>>Synchronization Wizard… in GoldMine.
2. Select the Start a new session radio button and then the Next button.
3. Choose the Retrieve a transfer set radio button. This will tell GoldMine that it is a manual method of synchronization. Click on the Next button to continue.
4. Type in a path to a folder for the transfer set in the Path for the transfer set to be retrieved: box or browse to the folder by clicking on the … button the transfer.gts was copied to. Click on the Next button to proceed
5. Right click under Retrieve Record Types: and select Select All from the popup menu. Scroll down to the Customizations category and verify that the Custom Fields and Custom Views check boxes are checked.
6. GoldMine will only show the databases that have a File Code specified for them in this dialog box. Check the checkboxes for the contact sets that are included in the transfer set. From the drop down list, select <Current Contact Set> for the default and then click on the Next button.
7. Select the No radio button and click on the Finish button to complete the process. GoldMine will now retrieve the transfer set from the location specified in step 4. When retrieval is completed, GoldMine will automatically rebuild the files to include the new fields in the Contact2 table.
This completes the first of two synchronizations needed for the initial synchronization and completes the transfer of customizations to the remote site.
The same instructions used for the first synchronization can be followed for the second synchronization some adjustments.
When creating the transfer set, in step 5, make the following changes:
Right click under Send Record Types: and select Select All from the popup menu. Scroll down to the Customizations category and un-check the Custom Fields and Custom Views check boxes. If the remote site is an international version of GoldMine, then change the Encryption to 32 bits.
Follow the instructions to retrieve first transfer set for the second transfer set to complete the process. More information on synchronization methods is available in the manuals located in the support section of our website, http://www.frontrange.com/, for your version of GoldMine.
Copyright (c) 2002 FrontRange Solutions Inc.
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