Starting a Client workstation in Disconnected Mode

Overview

If you wish to make sales at a conference or one external event or a problem occurs and the server data is not available for any reason Bookmine can be started on any client that has been Primed for disconnected mode. In this mode a local copy of the data files are used, not the central data files. Some operations are not available in this mode. Sales can be processed at the POS. Linked sales will be reflected back on the server. After the server data becomes available again the sales will be automatically posted back to the server when Bookmine is restarted normally. New stock and contact records will also be posted back. If new stock records are created on different disconnected mode terminals with the same EAN/ISBN the record that is posted back first will be used for both in the server data. This prevents duplicates being created.

Starting in Disconnected mode – Desktop Shortcut

If still connected to the network (ie you are not on a laptop that is disconnected from the lan) it is safest to disable the network connection or remove the network cable. This ensure that the data on the server is not being used and that the operator is forced to connect to the disconnected data files.

To start a client in disconnected mode a special shortcut must be set up on the desktop.

This can be accomplished in two ways.

Method 1 - easiest

The easiest way to create a desktop shortcut, is to click on Windows Start (bottom left of screen) – then Programs – then find Bookmine or InfoMining in the list – Right click on the Disconnected Mode entry – then click Send To – then Desktop

This will create the required shortcut on the desktop.

Method 2 - requires editing a target line. Use if method 1 not possible

Make a copy of the standard shortcut used to start Bookmine in normal mode (highlight the shortcut, press Ctrl C, then Ctrl V to copy the shortcut). Right click on the new shortcut and go to Properties.

The following assumes Bookmine is installed in C:\Program Files\Bookmine and the Bookmine data server is called Server with the Bookmine root folder shared as Bookmine

(a) Change the Target line section that is in the form

/wrkgrp “\\Server\Bookmine\dbfs\Bookmine.mdw”   (or “c:\..\Bookmine\dbfs\Bookmine.mdw” if single user mode)

to: /wrkgrp “C:\..\Bookmine\DisconnectedData\dbfs\Bookmine.mdw”  (.. - fill in path to match your setup)

(Modify the path as appropriate to suit the location where Bookmine is installed on that client)

(b) At the end of the Target line (after \Bookmine.mde or \BookmineXP.mde) add the following /cmd DISCONNECTED

(c) Rename the shortcut to “Bookmine DISCON mode” for later identification.

Note: the Client must have been already primed for disconnected mode operation before it can be started in this mode (See here how to primefor Disconnected operation).

Use this shortcut to start BookMine in disconnected mode. You are warned on startup and the screen colours are different to the standard mode colours to indicate you are in disconnected mode. Make sure to read the instructions about what is allowed and what data will be copied back to the server on resynchronisation.