Qasper

NOTE: These installation instructions are for in-house or ISP-based hosted versions of Qasper (Qasper Corporate). For Qasper Personal or Qasper Offline, click here. 

These instructions apply if you are going to install Qasper Corporate on either your own or an ISP-hosted server. If Qasper technical staff is installing Qasper Corporate for you, you can skip this entire section. 

NOTE: Click here for important administrator notes and requirements.

Database

Qasper uses either a Microsoft SQL Server or mySQL database to hold its data.

REMINDER: when you purchase your web site to host Qasper, ensure that you domain holder is notified to change the domain names' DNS settings to point to the DNS servers of your new host. Otherwise, you won't be able to access your Qasper installation via a browser.

For example, if you host with WebHost4Life, they will notify you by email something like this:

Please go to the web site where you purchased your domain name, log into the domain name manager, and change your domain name's DNS setting to point to the following DNS servers:

Primary DNS

NS7.DNSSERVER0.COM

(68.192.24.8)

Secondary DNS

NS8.DNSSERVER0.COM

(68.192.126.204)

I. Installing Qasper Corporate Online

Qasper’s Corporate version provides the workgroup functionality to enable an unlimited number of users to access a central database. The web files and other installation files reside on a host computer and are accessed by all users through an Internet Explorer browser.

If you are not going to install on your own servers, go to http://www.qasper.com/qasper_isps.htm for a list of qualified ISPs. These ISPs have been vetted by us to ensure their servers and support Qasper's requirements.

Select a suitable ISP and contract directly with them for hosting requirements, fees, etc. If required, you can have us do the setup for you. Go to www.Qasper.com and follow the order process.

Whether you are running Qasper on your own server or a host, the minimum requirements are:

• Windows host (Windows Server recommended)
• ASP.NET v1.1
• SMTP mail server
• 350 MB Disk space
• 25 GB/mo data transfer
• MS SQL Server 2000 or greater, or mySQL 4.0 or greater, capacity 200gb or more

II. DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS

You will be required to install the full Qasper version on either your or your host's servers, including the database.

Download corporatesetup.exe from the Qasper web site (log in to your account through the Order process at http://www.qasper.com/qasper_ordering.htm and select the corporate version for download) into a temporary folder on your local hard drive.

Run corporatesetup.exe.

The installation will create 2 main folders: Qasper Organizer and Qasper Scripts. The Qasper Organizer folder contain several folders, somewhat like this:

C:\Program Files\Dalco\Qasper\Qasper Corporate or C:\Users\Public\Program Files\Dalco\Qasper\Qasper Corporate

[fldr] Qasper Organizer

The below list is not necessarily all-inclusive

 

[fldr] bin

[fldr] Custom Reports

[fldr] dataanimation

[fldr] datavoice

[fldr] db_bak

[fldr] catalog

[fldr] catalog_public 

[fldr] documents

[fldr] Home Reports

[fldr] icons

[fldr] images

[fldr] include

[fldr] js

[fldr] qasperdownloads

[fldr] qasperhelp

[fldr] Report Files

[fldr] Reserved Reports

[fldr] sounds

[fldr] temp (and a subfolder: qsystemupdates)

[fldr] updates (and a subfolder: qsystemupdates)

[files:]

    actionscombined.aspx

    activitycontroller.aspx

    admin.aspx

    appt_back.aspx

    ColorPicker.html

    etc.

[fldr] Qasper Scripts

III. SELF-HOSTING - SET UP FOR WINDOWS SERVER 2003

NOTES re. Windows Server 2003 for in-house installers:

a. Windows 2003 includes, but disables, .NET Framework 1.1. 

b. Windows Server 2003 does not clearly identify the various ASP.NET versions in its installation instructions. 

Please refer to the following web sites for Windows 2003 Server installation information and assistance:

 

http://www.asp.net/Learn/whitepapers/aspnet-and-iis6/	Discusses the ASP.NET 1.1 disabled by default issue. Note that the installation checkbox shows ASP.NET but doesn't cite 1.1. Another section you might want to read: Configuring worker process memory limits
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/overview/technologies/iis.mspx	An excellent summary of IIS6 and Windows Server 2003.  Of interest is the section: Increased Security - Default low-privilege account - indicates that the default user is the Network Server user account

IV. SETTING UP THE WEB SITE

1. Create a web site to hold Qasper. We suggest you name it QasperOrganizer. Do this for either self-hosted or ISP-hosted installations. 

• Whether you are self-hosting or hosting with an ISP, ensure that the ASP.NET configuration for properties of the web site is .NET Framework 1.1. 

For example, in WebHost4Life:

a. Log in to your Hosting Control Panel.

b. Select Site Admin from the top menu panel then select File Manager from the left-side menu.

c. Create a new sub-folder in the current folder (assuming the current folder is the root folder) named QasperOrganizer.

d. Select Domains from the top menu panel then Subdomain Name from the left-side menu.

e. Under Add SubDomain Name create a Subdomain name. For example, qasper.

f. In the Map To box, map it to the QasperOrganizer folder.

2. Use an FTP program to copy all the files and folders UNDER the \Qasper Organizer folder to the Qasper directory on your or your ISP-hosted web site. This process can take some time. (Suggestion: follow the Hint: below).

In the example above, you will be copying the files to the QasperOrganizer folder.

Hint: For many FTP transfers, a quicker way to copy the files is first to zip the files on your computer under the \Qasper Organizer folder and copy the zip file to the web site folder. Because of the enormous file size, we suggest breaking it down:

a. Exclude the qasperdownloads folder from the zip

b. Exclude the qword_client folder from the zip

c. zip everything else and FTP copy it to the web site, then use the web site's control panel to unzip the file. For example, in the WebHost4Life Control Panel, select Site Admin > File Manager to go into the QasperOrganizer folder and use the zip/unzip function. 

d. FTP copy the remaining 2 folders (qasperdownloads and qword_client) to the web site.

3. Set the directory rights. Access your web site's directory management function.

• Ensure the NETWORK SERVICE account for all folders is set for RWXD rights. 

Usually, this can be done once at the top folder (QasperOrganizer) and propogated to all sub-folders.

For example, in WebHost4Life:

i. Select Security from the top menu panel.

ii. Select File Permission from the left-side menu

iii. Under File Permission, click [Edit] beside the qasper folder (if you are using our example above, the name will be QasperOrganizer).

iv. Under Change Permssion Setting, select the user, NETWORK SERVICE.

v. Hold down the Ctrl key and select Read, Write, Execute and Delete.

vi. Ensure the Propogate changes to sub directories and files option is checked.

vii. Click [Make Changes] and wait. It can take some time before the Permission Changed segment displays.

4. Set/restrict anonymous access and browsing: you need to ensure that some directories do not allow casual browsing.

For WebHost4Life see Setting access rights: below

a. Ensure the following folder has write and anonymous access: (catalog_public can be a browseable folder accessed by outsiders, including customers, suppliers, etc. For more information, click here.) 

catalog_public

In WebHost4Life, to give the folder anonymous access, don't click the [Browsing on] link beside the folder, catalog_public. If the folder is already in the upper area with an X beside it, click the X to return it to browsable status. This is further explained in Setting access rights: below. 

b. Ensure the following folders DO NOT have anonymous access: (Check Directory Browsing options on your server/host)

ads
bin
custom reports
db_bak
catalog
documents
home reports
qasperdownloads
report files
reserved reports
temp
temp\qsystemupdates
updates
updates\qsystemupdates

Read and write access is required for the above.

This requirement is very important, otherwise casual browsers may be able to access the files in those folders.

c. For strong security, password-protect these folders:

In WebHost4Life, select Site Admin from the top panel menu then select Set PWD Protect under IIS MANAGER on the left-side menu. Click [Go] beside your Qasper domain then click the padlock beside the applicable folders, under the Set Protection column. Like Setting access rights: below, the protected directories will display in the top area.

audio

catalog
custom reports
db_bak
documents
home reports
qasperdownloads
report files
reserved reports
updates

Setting access rights:

How you set access rights depends on your host server requirements. 

With WebHost4Life.com, all folders are defaulted as anonymous. You must change them all except catalog_public to non-anonymous.

1. Set browsing permission for folders, and exclude catalog_public:

a. Click Site Admin from the top menu panel.
b. Under IIS MANAGER in the left-side menu, select Set Dir Browsing
c. Select [Go] for the applicable web site (the qasper domain)
d. Click [Browsing on] beside every folder except catalog_public. This will turn off browsing for those folders. Each of them will display in the area at the top with a large red 'X' beside them, indicating browsing is disabled.

2. To set folder permissions (also discussed above):

a. Click Security
b. Click File Permission in the Sub Menus
c. Click [Edit] beside the applicable sub-folder.

d. Select the User: NETWORK SERVICE from the dropdown list.

e. Hold down the Ctrl key and select Read, Write, Execute and Delete

f. Click the 'Propogate changes to sub directories and files' checkbox.

g. Click [Make Changes].

The NETWORK SERVICE should now show: RWXD

With GoDaddy.com, the following, more complex steps are required:

a. Log onto your account and go to My Account

b. Under Hosting & Email, click Hosting Account List

c. In the Hosting Account list, locate the account and under Control Panel click Open.

d. Go to the Content section and select Directory Management.

e. Click [Create Directory]:

i. Step 1 – Type “Custom Reports” without the quotes.

ii. Step 2 - Select the checkbox under “Write”

iii. Click [Continue]

iv. When the verification screen displays, Click [Add]

V. Install the database

1. Using your database administrator, create a new database we suggest you name it QasperOrganizer. 

If you are working through an ISP, the ISP may have set up a database for you and will have provided you with access information. In this case, you won't be creating a database named QasperOrganizer. Instead, you will be referencing the database provided by the ISP. 

Access to the database will/must include the ability to run scripts (typically through a Query function).

2. If you are running SQL Server, open the database and access the SQL Query Analyzer tool. This tool is part of SQL Server Enterprise Manager or it may be part of your ISP host's web-based database manager.

If you are running MySQL, use MySQL Query Browser to open the database.

3. On your local computer:

a. Go to the Qasper Scripts folder shown in section II. above (typically C:\Program Files\Dalco\Qasper\Qasper Corporate\Qasper Scripts or C:\Users\Public\Program Files\Dalco\Qasper\Qasper Corporate\Qasper Scripts).

b. Open the file starter_database_dbo_tables_and_data_SQLServer.sql (SQL Server) or starter_database_dbo_tables_and_data_MySQL (MySQL) in a text editor. 

4. Copy the contents of the file to the clipboard. 

If you are running SQL Server, paste into the SQL Query Analyzer workspace. 

If you are using MySQL Query Browser, ensure the database is selected in the Schemata window, select File > New script tab and paste the contents there. 

5. Execute the query and correct any errors. For example, the installed version of SQL Server 2000 or SQL Express 2005 running on your host may not require the '[dbo].' precedent in various commands (eg: CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Actions]), so you would want to do a global replace on the file to replace '[dbo].' with an empty string.

Some installations will not accept the [Go] command located throughout the script, so you will have to delete those (again, with a global replace). 

 

VI. Create a DSN (MYSQL only)

Configure MySQL to use an ODBC Data Source name that points to your MySQL database. If you are self-hosting, use the ODBC Data Source Adminstrator for this purpose. If you are hosting with an ISP, check the ISP's requirements. 

For instance, in WebHost4Life:

1. Log in to the control panel 

2. Click the Database menu selection in the horizontal menu area.

3. From the Sub Menus selection, click ODBC Manager then locate the Create My SQL ODBC/DSN area and complete that:

WebHost4Life example:

ODBC/DSN Name
MySQL Server IP Address
Database Name
Database User ID
Database Password

 

VII. Modify the orginfo.config files

This section requires modification of the orginfo.config file located in the root folder.

Use caution modifying orginfo.config. You must be sure to stay inside the tags. 

Unless you thoroughly understand tags and XML structures, do not attempt to modify orginfo.config. Contact an expert to assist you with this function.

You can reach assistance through http://www.qasper.com/qasper_support.htm

In this section, you are going to modify the orginfo.config file on your local computer then transfer that modified file to your Qasper Office web site.

1. Open the file orginfo.config on your local computer using a text editor. This file is located in the \Qasper Organizer folder.

Typically, the orginfo.config file looks something like this (the below example shows a SQL Server connection): 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> 
<orginfo>

<orgItem>

<dbConnectionType>MSSQL</dbConnectionType>
<dbConnectionMethod>DSN</dbConnectionMethod>
<dbConnectionString>DSN=qasper_local_sqls;UID=qasper;PWD=ABC123xyz</dbConnectionString>
<dbConnectionName>Not used</dbConnectionName>

<dbLocalConnectionType>MSACCESS</dbLocalConnectionType>
<dbLocalConnectionMethod>DSN</dbLocalConnectionMethod>
<dbLocalConnectionString>DSN=qasper_localaccess</dbLocalConnectionString>
<dbLocalConnectionName></dbLocalConnectionName>

</orgItem> 

</orginfo>

For workgroup installations, you are only concerned with:

dbConnectionType
dbConnectionMethod
dbConnectionString

2. Modify the following lines: CAUTION - be careful modifying these settings. Stay within the tags or Qasper won't be able to understand the connections and will not be able to open the database.

Connection type:

For SQL Server databases, use MSSQL. For MySQL databases, use MYSQL. 

<dbConnectionType>MSSQL</dbConnectionType>

<dbConnectionType>MYSQL</dbConnectionType>

Connection method:

For SQL Server databases, use DRIVER. For MySQL databases, use DSN. 

<dbConnectionMethod>DRIVER</dbConnectionMethod>

<dbConnectionMethod>DSN</dbConnectionMethod>

Connection string:

Set the database connect string to the correct connection information for your database. Contact your database administrator or ISP for the correct information.

Examples:

SQL Server:

WebHost4Life.com:

<dbConnectionString>DRIVER={SQL Server};SERVER=sql555.mysite4now.com;DATABASE=databasename; Uid=userid;Pwd=ABC123xyz;</dbConnectionString>

Godaddy.com:

<dbConnectionString>DRIVER={SQL Server};SERVER=whsql-v01.prod.mesa1.secureserver.net; DATABASE=DB_99999;Uid=mydomain1;Pwd=ABC123xyz;</dbConnectionString>

Verio.com:

<dbConnectionString>Driver={SQL Server};Server=mssql9999.discountasp.net; Database=DB_99999_acme1;Uid=DB_99999_acme1_user; Pwd=ABC123xyz;</dbConnectionString>

 

MySQL (see VI. Create a DSN (MYSQL only) above to create the DSN used in the connection string below)

Typical for most implementations:

<dbConnectionString>DSN=qasperorganizer;User=qasper;Password=ABC123xyz;

Database=qasperorganizer;</dbConnectionString>

3. Review your changes and ensure they are accurate. 

4. Save the modified orginfo.config file to your local hard drive.

5. Use your FTP program to copy the modified orginfo.config file to your web site.

VIII. Final

1. Ensure your database is running. 

2. Start Qasper from a desktop computer by referencing the server's address and the start page, start.aspx, like this:

Example of an internal, self-hosted connection: 

http://192.168.1.200/start.aspx

Example of an ISP-hosted connection: 

http://www.myDomainname.com/start.aspx

3. Login with the username administrator and the password administrator. 

4. Click the Admin button in the left-side menu:

5. When the Admin menu (containing buttons for Home, Quick menu, Admin, EMail sync, etc.) displays, click the Admin button again:

6. In the Administration module, under the tab [Settings], select the following critical properties and give them the appropriate values:

 

Property	Type	Hint	Typical value or example
EMailPath	text		localhost
HostEMailName	text	webmaster@{yourdomain.com}	webmaster@qasper.com
UserAuthCode	text	Assign a case-sensitive confidential value	abc123XYZ

7. In the Administration module, click the tab [User profiles] and select the user Administrator, then click [Get the user].

If the password is still "administrator", we strongly urge you to change it, then click [Save changes].

8. Provide your users with URL to the start.aspx file in QasperOrganizer.

See Administrator - Getting started for additional information.