ACCUTRACK INSTALLATION

For AccuSQL/AccuTrack, you will be installing the software on all of the various sign-in stations and administrator computers that will be using it. The other part of the installation involves transferring a database to SQL Server. This can be either an older AccuTrack database, if you are upgrading from AccuTrack, or creating a new blank database. If you have an older AccuSQL database that you want to upgrade for use with a newer version of AccuSQL, there is a file called SQLDataUpdater.exe that you would run against the database to upscale it to the latest version. If you have an older version of AccuTrack or AccuSQL installed on the PC, you can install the 2020 version alongside the older version. If you intend however to uninstall the older product first, it is recommended that you do so before installing the newer version.

You can run AccuSQL/AccuTrack on all current versions of Windows, including Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, and all Windows Server versions later than Windows Server 2003.

For optimal performance, we recommend at least this configuration for the clients:

• 2 GHz or faster processor.
• 1GB or more of RAM.
• 200 MB of free hard drive space (modern computers have > 100 GB).
• SVGA Video Card capable of displaying at least 256 colors.
• 17“ monitor or larger.
• A printer for printing out reports. You can use a local or network printer.
• USB drive or network share for installing the software.
• Keyboard and mouse.
• Microsoft Excel (needed for charting and some high-level administrative reports).
• A network card and connection to access the data remotely. 1 Gigabit preferred.
• An ID reader. We can provide ID readers, via an invoice/purchase, that are guaranteed compatible with the AccuSQL/AccuTrack software.

These are the basic recommendations by the Microsoft SQL Server team. It is the minimum configuration that will allow SQL Server to run in the Windows Server environment:

However, there is also the Operating System (Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, etc.) itself that requires its minimum specifications. Once again, remember that these are minimums so these are just a baseline to operate and not the recommended specifications for every case. For example, by adding more connections and having more data flow to and from the server you may need to allocate more resources to compensate for this additional workload. Our recommendation is a computer with specifications such as:

Any CPU in the list below (Listed in recommendation order) or better:

1. AMD EPYC 7443P
2. AMD EPYC 7313
3. AMD EPYC 7371
4. Intel Xeon Platinum 8259CL @2.5 GHz
5. AMD EPYC 7282
6. Intel Xeon Silver 4310 @2.10 GHz

• At least 16 GB (32 or more recommended)

• OS and SQL Server:
  • 100 GB for OS and SQL server is our recommendation.
• Database:
  • It is variable depending on usage. Most installations would do just fine with under 200-300 GB allocated.
• Overall:
  • 480 GB or more should be allocated to the server.
  • No preference for 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM Disks.
  • Preferably SSD (better) or NVMe M.2 (best).

• View a video on Installing AccuSQL 2020
• View a video on Installing AccuTrack 2020

AccuSQL/AccuTrack comes with an easy to use installation program.

1. Insert the Engineerica USB key.

Note: The model and contents you receive may look slightly different based on availability.

1. If the autorun options come up on the screen then select the option to “Open folder to view files”.
2. Run the Installer for each of the products you have purchased by double-clicking on the *setup.exe in the following folders:
   • AccuSQL Installers:
     • AccuSQL2020_DIST - AccuSQL2020setup.exe
     • CompLabSQL2020_DIST - ComputerLabSQLSetup.exe
     • SignInTabSQL2020_DIST - SignInTabSetupSQL.exe
     • StaffPanelSQL2020_DIST - StaffPanelSQLSetup.exe
     • StaffTabSQL2020_DIST - StaffTabSQLSetup.exe
     • WebGatewayMVC_DIST (Does not have an installer - for more information on setup click here)
   • AccuTrack Installers: -
     • AccuSQL2020_DIST - AccuSQL2020setup.exe
     • CompLabSQL2020_DIST - ComputerLabFOXSetup.exe
     • SignInTabSQL2020_DIST - SignInTabSetupFOX.exe
     • StaffPanelSQL2020_DIST - StaffPanelFOXSetup.exe
     • StaffTabSQL2020_DIST - StaffTabFOXSetup.exe
     • WebGatewayMVC_DIST (Does not have an installer - for more information on setup click here.
       
       NOTE: If you need to install the software at more than one lab or center, make sure that you have a license that allows that to happen. If you are not sure what type of license you have, contact the AccuSQL/AccuTrack support team:
       support@accutrack.org
3. Double-click on AccuSQL2020setup.exe or similar installer.

1. If you get prompted to continue with installer then select “More options…” and “Run Anyway”.
   
2. Click Next leaving the defaults selected through the Installer prompts and click Finish at the end.

After you open AccuSQL 2020 or AccuTrack 2020, it will ask you if you have an activation code. Click Yes and then paste in the code provided to by us when the software was delivered to you. If you do not know the code, you can ask your AccuSQL or AccuTrack administrator for it or contact us at support@accutrack.org to request that code.

1. When the software launches, it will ask if you have your activation code, it can be found in the email with the AccuTrack 2020 download or on your Installer Key in a key.txt file.
   
2. Click Yes on the prompt for an activation key.
3. Enter the subscription code provided in your email and click OK.
   

Setup will create a program group for AccuSQL/AccuTrack and will make it available on the Start menu. Use this group to launch AccuSQL/AccuTrack.

You can also launch AccuSQL/AccuTrack by using the shortcut on your desktop:

While you can open AccuSQL 2020 and run it in “native mode”, you will want an SQL Server Administrator to transfer a database to MSSQL Server for you as soon as he or she can so you can use the product in SQL Server mode. The SQL Server Administrator would need “sa” access (System Administrator access) to be able to do the transfer and he/she uses AccuSQL itself to perform the work. This only applies to the AccuSQL version of the software.

To remove AccuSQL/AccuTrack from a client machine, run the Windows Programs and Features and then select AccuSQL 2019 or AccuTrack 2019 from the list and click “Uninstall”.

When you first open AccuSQL/AccuTrack after you install it, you may notice that it copies some files into your ”C:\Users\Public\Public Documents” document area. It is copying the Tutoring_Sample database, the Advising_Sample database, and some other support files it needs to run into that area in a folder called AccuTrack. After it is done, AccuSQL or AccuTrack will open in “native” (non-SQL server database mode) and automatically be pointing to the tutoring sample database. AccuTrack does not have a “native” and SQL Server mode and can be thought of as running “native” only. The tutoring_sample database is a great place to practice using AccuSQL/AccuTrack, but you will at some point want to point AccuSQL/AccuTrack to a blank database so you can begin building your own center. To do so for the AccuSQL version:

You will need your SQL Server system administrator to login to AccuSQL and then select Database > Create Blank DB in SQL. If you already have a database you have been using for an older version of AccuSQL, you can continue using that database, however, you will need to run the SQLDataUpdater.exe located in the folder where AccuSQL 2020 is installed with “sa” permissions in order to add the new tables, columns, triggers, etc. that the 2020 version of AccuSQL needs to run properly. For detailed information on the above for AccuSQL, please see:

Video Learning Series: AccuSQL Database Operations

View video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q5c1K7GAQo

For AccuTrack Only: You will need to copy the AccuData and the DataDic folder from the installation folder of AccuTrack 2020 (default is C:\Program Files(x86)\Accu2020) out to the server where you want to put the database. You can then set the AccuTrack 2020 computers to that shared data path. You should create a folder above the folder where you will be putting to AccuData and DataDic folders. You also can use either a UNC path or drive mapping to connect to the database. Important: You must give read/write/modify access to the user accounts that will be signing into AccuTrack and using the shared database. Here are some examples using a UNC path and a mapped drive to connect to the shared database.

1. Using a UNC path: Let’s say you have a server on the network called MYSERVER. On the MYSERVER computer, you create a folder called AccuFiles. Under the AccuFiles folder, you copy the AccuData (a blank database) and the DataDic folder from the folder where you installed AccuTrack on your client computer (default is C:\Program Files(x86)\Accu2020). You would log in to AccuTrack on your client computer and then go to Database > Database Location and enter \\MYSERVER\AccuFiles\AccuData for the Data Path. Click Save and then completely exit and reopen AccuTrack for the changes to take effect.
2. Using a mapped drive: You create a mapped drive (let’s say Z:\) that resolves to the MYSERVER\AccuFiles folder. You would log in to AccuTrack on your client computer and then go to Database > Database Location and enter Z:\AccuData for the Data Path. Click Save and then completely exit and reopen AccuTrack for the changes to take effect. Note: Since drive mapping can change, it is recommended that you use a UNC path to connect to the database folder on your network.

For detailed information on the above for AccuSQL, please see:

Video Learning Series: AccuTrack Database Operations

View video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIBLF1b6glw

AccuSQL 2020 includes a built-in data upgrade tool for users of previous versions of AccuSQL. This data upgrade tool will automatically convert your older AccuSQL data 12-18) into version 19 (2020) format. This preserves your current data and even configuration. To upgrade an existing AccuSQL database, we provide a utility in your AccuSQL installation folder called SQLDataUpdater.exe. This utility allows you to pick the SQL Server database you want to upgrade, then will add alter the table structures as needed to upgrade the database for use with the current version. This utility must be run against the database with “sa” permissions so you would need to have your SQL Server Administrator perform the upgrade. For AccuTrack, the upgrade process is run based on the data version of the database versus the Data dictionary (DataDic). In the database folder (typically AccuData), you can open the file dataversion.inf in Notepad to determine the data version. You can do the same in the DataDic folder to determine its version. Please review the video below for details about the upgrade process.

• View a video on how to install AccuTrack and also upgrade an older AccuTrack database to version 2020.

• View a video on how to install AccuSQL 2020. If you want to know how to update an older AccuSQL database to version 2020, please review the AccuSQL database operations video.

The ID-reader speeds up the sign-in and sign-out process by automating the ID number entry into AccuSQL/AccuTrack. Instead of typing the ID numbers manually, students only need to “swipe” their ID card into the reader.

If the read is good, a green LED will light up and you will hear a short beep. If the student is signing in, his or her ID # will momentarily appear in the main sign-in screen and then the Activities or New User screen will appear. If the student is signing out, a sign-out confirmation message will appear.

The reader is installed into a PC system by simply plugging it into an available USB port. It will install the drivers it needs automatically.

The reader by default will read whatever you have encoded on your card. If you need to read a specific track and/or parts of a track, the reader itself needs to be configured. If you have purchased the reader from us, we will assist you in configuring your readers. Please contact us at support@accutrack.org to schedule a meeting with us.

The reader mounts easily or any flat surface and no external power source is required.

AccuSQL/AccuTrack is flexible software and offers many configuration and setup options. To prepare the software for use at your center, you will need to set it up first. This section explains how.

1. Setup the semester’s date
2. Enter the student's categories and activities
3. Set up the sign-in screen options.
4. If you want to track which tutor the student meets with during the visit, enter the tutors, their schedule, and turn on the Tutor Selection option.
5. If you want to show instructors in the Activities screen, enter the instructors and turn on that option.
6. If you want to track demographics data, set up the profile questions.

1. Set up the student’s survey/feedback question.
2. Set up the survey frequency and options.

1. Set up the staff-rating questions.
2. Set up the survey frequency and options.

1. Enter tutors.
2. If you are planning on tracking tutor activities, enter the tutor’s tasks. .
3. Turn the tutor activities screen on or off and check the maximum tutor sign-in period.
4. If you want to calculate pay with AccuSQL/AccuTrack, enter the tutor’s pay scales and rounding rules.

1. Enter tutors.
2. Enter tutor schedules.
3. If you want to send appointment confirmation or reminders by email, configure the email parameters.
4. Set up the appointment options.
5. If you want AccuSQL/AccuTrack to send an appointment reminder, set up the appointment reminder utility.

1. Enter your media stock.
2. Set up the checkout options.

• Program Assessment module – enter the student’s grades.
• Track Student-Athletes – enter the sports, team members, and required hours.
• Seminar registration tracking – enter seminars.

Also, don’t forget to change the default administrator ID and password and be careful, it can be easy to lock yourself out!

Video Learning Series: Changing the ID settings and the default System Administrator user ID and password

View video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJseIg6VBRQ

AccuSQL/AccuTrack requires little maintenance. If you will be running in SQL Server mode, almost all of the maintenance is performed in MSSQL Server. Your dba will automate backups and also perform various maintenance tasks for you using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). If you are running AccuTrack, you can use the Database > Clean feature to commit any deletions and to re-index the database. If you ever get a message that something becomes corrupted in your AccuTrack database, use Database > Repair. Important: You must have exclusive access to the AccuTrack database to perform either of these operations.

AccuSQL/AccuTrack uses two types of controls: standard Windows controls and special controls. The following explains the controls you will encounter while using AccuSQL or AccuTrack.

List boxes are used to display items in a scrollable window. The items appear in alphabetical order. If there are more items than the list box can show, use the up and down buttons in the vertical scroll bar to see all the choices. For a faster movement, drag the scroll button in the scroll bar up and down. To select an item from the list, click on it. The selected item will appear highlighted.

Drop-down list boxes provide you with scrollable lists that contain a number of options. In a drop-down list box, only one item is visible, but you can click the down button to display a scrolling list of all the items in the drop-down list box.
You can select an item in the list by clicking on it. The selected item will be visible when the scroll list disappears.

Option buttons allow you to select one of a number of choices. This eliminates the possibility of entering invalid data through typos or other mistakes. To select the appropriate option, simply click on it with the mouse. The selected option will have a dot in its circle.

Checkboxes allow you to enable or disable an item by specifying its Boolean state: True (T) or False (F). To select the feature, click on its checkbox so an “✔” appears in it . To cancel the feature, click on the checkbox so that it appears empty . You can also press the <Space> key on your keyboard to toggle the ‘✔’ on and off.

Use the text box control to add or edit text. Just click on the text box with the mouse and type your entry.

A spinner is a special text box for entering numbers. You can make choices by typing the values in the spinner box or by “spinning” through values by using the arrow keys. Note that the spinner box has a minimum, maximum, and jump values.

A page frame is a container for pages. Pages, in turn, contain controls. The page frame is used when the controls we want to display don’t fit on one page. To “thumb through” the pages, simply click on the page tab at the top of the page frame.

The Selection List Boxes are actually two list boxes grouped together to allow you to easily select one or more available items. The list box on the left displays the available items, while the list box on the right displays the selected items. You can move items between the two lists in one of two ways:

1. Double click: Double-clicking on an item with the mouse will move it from one list to the other.
2. Arrow Keys: You can highlight one or more items in one list box then click on the arrow button pointing to the other list box and the items will be moved. If you click on the button with the double arrow all the items will move to the other list box.

To help you find a particular record faster, AccuSQL/AccuTrack includes a Quick Locate tool that you can access by clicking on the binocular icon . The Quick Locate box will pop up:

Initially, the large list box shows all the available records. However, if click on the grid itself on one of the columns you want to search in, you can type one or more letters of the record you're looking for in the grid, the list will only show matching records.

A SuperTable is a powerful control for presenting the information. Not only can you view and select records from this table, but you can also sort, search, filter, print, and export the data as well!

The active row in a SuperTable is automatically highlighted to make it easier for you to identify it.

To sort by a certain column, simply click on its header with the mouse. An up arrow appears in the header of the table to indicate the sorting order. And Up arrow indicates A to Z (ascending) order. You can reverse the sort order by simply clicking on the header again, to make it descending. A down arrow appears in the header of the table.

The SuperTable also offers incremental search capability. For example, if you would like to quickly go to “Tom Hanks”, first sort the records by the first name then click on any of the fields in the First Name column and type “Tom”. You will notice that the First Name label in the column header will change to show the letters you are typing, and you will jump to the first record that matches the entered letters. If there is no match, you will stay on the same record.

To filter the records appearing in a SuperTable, click on a cell using the RIGHT mouse button, you will see a pop-up menu: You can now set the filter on the value in the cell, exclude the records with the value in the cell, or clear the filter.

To print the records appearing in a SuperTable, hit the F5 key on your keyboard or select Report from the right-click menu options. You will see a report with the data of this table. You can now use the Report’s Control button to print out this report.

To export the data displayed in a SuperTable, hit the F6 key on your keyboard or select Export from the right-click menu options. You can also right-click in the grid and then select Export. Using either method, you will see this box on the screen once the export begins: And in a few seconds Microsoft Excel will open with the data: You can now save this sheet and use Excel functions on the data.

Sometimes you will need to adjust the width of a column in a SuperTable for best viewing. To adjust the width, move the mouse pointer in the column header area. The cursor will change to a down arrow . Move the cursor vertically above the column line until it changes to vertical resize cursor . Now click on the mouse button and drag the column left or right to resize it (move the mouse while keeping the mouse button down) For even faster resizing, double click on the line separating the columns in the header row. The SuperTable will automatically resize the column to fit its widest record.

This table is used when it is possible to select several records. Each record has a checkbox on its left column. To select a record, click on the checkbox in its row. You can also click on a record with the right mouse button and use the pop-up menu to filter and then select records.

Some screens in system administration utilize the Date and Time Entry box. This makes it easier to enter and select the date and time by providing you with keyboard shortcuts and a Calendar Control. When using this special text box, you can type in the desired values, or you can use the Calendar. To manually enter the date and time, click on the text box and type them in. Enter the dates in an mm/dd/yyyy format, and enter the time in hh:mm format. Type “A” after the time for AM, and “P” for PM. To invoke the Calendar Control, click on the Date and Time Entry box with the RIGHT mouse button, or press the <?> key. This will cause the calendar to popup.

The calendar shows the current month. You will notice the date entered in the Date and Time Entry box appearing in red, and the time appearing in the hour and minutes text boxes at the bottom of the control. To change to a different date, simply click on it. The new selection will appear in red. To view a different month, use the single arrow buttons. The right arrow button “>” will increment the month, while the left arrow “<” will decrement it. To view a different year, use the double arrow buttons. The double right arrow button “»” will increment the year, while the double left arrow button “«” button decrement it. To change the time, use the spinner up and down arrows, or type in the time manually. When you finish selecting the date and time, click on the “OK” button, and the Date and Time Entry box will be updated with the selected date and time values.

This control is also used for selecting date and time and is similar to the one discussed above. Here is how to use it:

• To enter the time, type it in or highlight the hour or minute and use the spinner control.
• To enter the date, type it in or click on the Calendar icon. When the calendar is up, you can change the month by clicking on the current month and selecting a different month from the pop-up list box:
• To change the year, click on the current year and use the pop-up up and down arrow keys to select a different year:
• To change the month, use the two arrow keys on the sides of the calendar:

The Period Selection box consists of a drop-down box and two Date and Time entry boxes. Use the drop-down box to select a preset period such as last week and next month. When you make a selection from this drop-down box, the “From” and “To” Date and Time entry boxes will automatically update to reflect the selected period.

If you would rather use a specific period instead of one from the drop-down box, simply enter the date and time in the “From” and “To” boxes. You can make the entry via keyboard or via the calendar as explained in the Date and Time Entry box section above.

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