Administrative Tasks Overview

After the preliminary steps have been completed you may proceed to setting up and configuring Virtual Ticket Developer. The administrative tasks you might need to perform while implementing a Virtual Ticket Developer system using the DSM Extension in your company fall into five major groups:

• Configuring the end user workspace

• Setting up and monitoring the InterSync services

  
  

  A major function of InterSync is to assist in cataloging files and folders by adding digital resource records to the database. InterSync also is responsible for generating thumbnail and previews of all files.
  
  

  Important! Although manual cataloging of files and folders can be performed (by dragging-and-dropping folders/files into Virtual Ticket Developer windows), it is strongly recommended that you rely on InterSync to add digital resource records and keep them up-to-date.

  Virtual Ticket Developer uses the MetaCommunications Management Console administrative tool to set up InterSync and monitor various aspects of its activity.
  
  

  InterSync is comprised of two Windows service programs: the File System Service and the MetaData Service. These are configured individually by means of the MetaCommunications Management Console, particularly its File System Service and MetaData Service snap-ins. The setup process involves connecting databases to the service snap-ins and defining the scope of production and archive folders to be processed by InterSync for each database. Additionally, you can instruct InterSync to extract metadata such as job numbers, customer names, etc. associated with files and folders by means of file properties (i.e. file names, locations, etc.).
  
  

  You can also monitor InterSync activity while it performs additions, deletions and modifications of digital resource records in the database. The InterSync activity information is available for each database connected to the Database Monitoring and Maintenance snap-in of the MetaCommunications Management Console.
  
  

  For detailed information on managing InterSync, refer to the "MetaConsole User Guide".

• Managing databases and performing basic administrative tasks (i.e. backing up and restoring) and monitoring SQL jobs

  
  

  The following are common database management tasks:

  • Backing up and restoring databases manually.

  • Setting up database maintenance plans to ensure that the backups occur at regular intervals.

  • Managing SQL Server Agent jobs associated with databases.

  • Monitoring processes that logged themselves into databases.

  • Performing miscellaneous tasks such as managing SQL Server memory usage and changing SQL Server user passwords.
    
    

  The MetaCommunications Management Console administrative tool can be used to perform all the tasks listed above.
  
  

  For detailed information on managing databases, refer to the "MetaConsole User Guide".

• Managing the MetaCommunications Application Server

  
  

  The Application Server is managed by means of the Application Server Shell utility installed on the same computer. The tasks implemented through this utility include (but are not limited to):

  • Starting/stopping the Application Server

  • Starting up/shutting down database links

  • Adding/deleting server module and client application licenses

  • Viewing the Application Server log
    
    

  For detailed information on managing the Application Server, refer to the "Application Server User Guide".

• Configuring the Image Portal Web Server (optional)

  
  

  In order to provide end users (i.e. individuals utilizing the Image Portal web server) access to the server, user accounts must be properly set up. This is done through the Administration area of the Image Portal web server.
  
  

  To further configure the Image Portal web server, you must access the configuration html page that contains the following major groups of settings:

  • Database connection parameters used by the Image Portal web server to establish a connection to a particular database.

  • Download parameters used by the Image Portal web server when attempting to create or download compressed packages.

  • Retrieval Request parameters used by the Image Portal web server to locate the folder containing resources requested by the users.

  • Additional parameters used by the Image Portal web server for maintaining its connections.
    
    

  For detailed information on managing the Image Portal web server, refer to the Image Portal Administration and Installation Guide.