Multi-User Lesson Two- Opening a Server

When you are using Goldenseal accounting software over a network, the server file is the “master copy” which contains all of your company data.

You can access that data directly from the server, just as you’d do with the single-user version of Goldenseal. You can also access that data from any of the clients that connect to the server.

Starting a Server Session

Open a Goldenseal server file exactly the same as a single-user Goldenseal file.

To open a server file on the Macintosh, follow these steps:

  1. Double-click on your hard drive’s icon, and locate the company file.
  2. Double-click on its icon.

To open a server file in Windows, follow these steps:

  1. Locate the file shortcut on the desktop.
  2. Double-click on it.

If you don’t have a shortcut icon on the Windows desktop, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Start button.
  2. Choose Programs from the menu that shows above the button.
  3. Choose Goldenseal from the menu that shows at the right. HINT: If you don ’t see a Goldenseal menu item, you first need to run the installer.
  4. Choose Goldenseal from the menu that shows at the right.
  5. You’ll be asked to choose a file to open. Locate your company file, and double-click on it.

Working on a Server Machine

If you have only a small number of computers, one person can work directly on the server machine.

If a client is working on a record, you’ll be able to view it from the server but you won’t be able to change it.

Some operations on the server machine may run a little slower when clients are performing a lengthy operation. If you perform a lengthy operation on the server, it will slow down the access that clients have to the file.

To set up Goldenseal so you can do data entry on the server, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Preferences from the Options menu, and choose Network from the submenu.
  2. Turn on the Allow Data Entry in Server checkbox.
  3. Click OK.

Using a Dedicated Server

If you have an extra computer, install the Goldenseal server file on it, and have all users sign onto it as a client.
A dedicated server is generally more reliable, since it is not using its memory to display windows and other human interface features.

When you use a dedicated server, you can turn off alert messages, so Goldenseal will not show messages that require user action. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Preferences from the Options menu, and choose Network from the submenu.
  2. Turn off the Allow Data Entry in Server checkbox.
  3. Click OK.

Setting Sleep Mode on the Server

The server machine may go into ‘sleep’ mode to conserve energy. When a client needs something from the server, there will be a delay while the server machine wakes from sleep mode. If you want faster access, you may want to turn off ‘sleep’ on your server.

To turn off sleep mode on a Macintosh, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Control Panels from the Apple menu, and open the Energy Saver control panel.
  2. Set the system sleep to Never (different Macintosh System versions may have a different Energy Saver setup).
  3. Close the Control Panel window.

To turn off sleep mode on a Windows machine, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Start button, choose Settings from the menu, and choose Control Panel from the submenu.
  2. Double-click on the Display icon.
  3. Click the Screen Saver tab.
  4. Click the Power button.
  5. Set the hard disk and system standby sleep options to Never.
  6. Click OK.

Server Setup

If your server has a larger screen than the clients, you may need to resize and move windows to the upper left, so they will open up in a convenient location on the clients (Goldenseal ‘remembers’ the window location).

If you use custom fonts on the server file, make sure that the same fonts are installed on the clients. Otherwise they may not be able to properly display text that uses the custom font.

Ending a Server Session

When you are finished with the Goldenseal server, click on the File menu and choose Quit (Macintosh) or Exit (Windows).

If clients are still connected to the server, you’ll need to wait until they disconnect.

Using a Server Off-line

If you want to work on the server file and not allow client access, or if you want to use a copy of the server file and not allow client access, follow these steps:

  1. Open the file.
  2. Choose Preferences from the Options menu, and choose Network from the submenu.
  3. Choose Single User from the File User Type popup, then click OK.
  4. Quit or Exit from Goldenseal.
  5. Open the file again. You’ll be able to work on it without client access.

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