Setting up and running Bar|Scan through a VPN

Setup Summary
This setup summary assumes that the Bar|Scan data files, as well as the Bar|Scan program itself, reside on a remote Server (such as one in a different city).  Six steps must be completed before Bar|Scan can be run by users from workstations in any remote location.  Please note that this is a summary.  For details or additional steps, please consult the Bar|Scan User Manual.

1. A network connection must be established between the user’s Bar|Scan workstation and the server.  For remote locations, this is provided by means of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection.  Setting up this connection for each workstation is the responsibility of your IT department or consulting group. Please note the instructions below on some of the issues related to VPN’s and Bar|Scan.
2. A desktop shortcut must be created pointing to the Bar|Scan program on the server.  (See Bar|Scan User Manual. Note that you may have to manually type the path to the Bar|Scan program.  See notes below.)
3. User accounts must be set up within Bar|Scan that control user access and privileges. (See Bar|Scan User Manual).  If you are also controlling which companies a user can access, these must be set for each account as well.
4. If you are using the Zebra series of handheld computers that run the Pocket PC operating system, you must install Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) on the local PC workstation.  The current version of WMDC can be downloaded for free from Microsoft or found on your Bar|Scan distribution CD.   Depending on your OS, choose 64 bit or 32 bit.   If installing from the CD, double click on the application, follow the instructions and prompts, and it will install itself.

Comments on the VPN
Hopefully your IT department or consulting group has set up your Bar|Scan VPN to be active as soon as you turn on your computer.  If this is not the case and your IT department or consulting group has decided on temporary connections, then please be sure to obtain clear instructions from your IT department or consulting group on how to start and stop your VPN connection.  Remember, the VPN connection must be working and active BEFORE you start Bar|Scan and must ALWAYS be active while using Bar|Scan.  If you are using a temporary connection then it needs to be disconnected once you are done with Bar|Scan.

Synchronizing the handheld computer
Setting up and synchronizing the handheld computer is no different through a VPN than through a local network or workstation.  Although the Bar|Scan program resides on the VPN server, once activated it is actually running on the local workstation.  The Zebra MC55X and the MC3200 can synchronize via USB using two different communication methods.

Method A: The recommended method is using Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) which is a reliable and fast.

Method B: Using the Microsoft Windows Portable Devices (WPD) Application Programming Interface to communicate with the handheld.  This method does not require the installation of WMDC.

WPD in turn supports communication with devices supporting several different standard protocols, including Media Transport Protocol (MTP) devices and Mass Storage Class (MSC) devices.

Before BarScan can use the WPD interface, the handheld must be setup as a Mass Storage Device (MSC). This involves using the handheld USB settings to carve out a section of its memory, this section of memory in turn becoming a virtual mass storage device from both the PC workstation and handheld device.

Finally, Wi-Fi communication does not require the installation of WMDC.

Bar|Scan: VPN vs. Local Networks
Once the VPN is active, some of the differences between how Bar|Scan works through a VPN vs. how it works on a local network are as follows:

1. Processing Speed may be slower.  The speed is determined by many factors, but it comes down to how fast the connection is between the server and your workstation and how many other programs are using the same connection.  This is why speed may seem to vary throughout the day and even from minute to minute.
2. If you have the multiple database module, you must manage your Company Database list carefully.  If you have inaccessible companies in your company list, Bar|Scan will behave erratically, even giving the appearance of freezing up.  This is because of how file access works through a VPN.  VPN files (e.g. company databases) that are accessible come back rapidly.  Files that are not accessible are subject to a long timeout (up to 40 seconds) while the operating system keeps searching and searching for them.  This affects menu access, menu options, screen operations, etc.  If you seem to be having these issues, check your company list (File/Company/Select) without actually selecting a company to see if there are any ‘grayed out’ companies.  If so, then close those companies.  This may require a quite some time because of the VPN connection.
3. A VPN disk resource does not typically show up on your computer as a browsable resource (e.g., it will not show up in Network Neighborhood).   You have to know that it is there and type in its location.  This affects how you open a company and how you create shortcuts.  For example, the path in a Bar|Scan shortcut may appears as follows:
   

   192.168.254.226c$barscanbarscanw.exe

   Where:

   192.168.254.226 is the server’s internal IP address
   c$ is the resource being shared (the share name)
   barscan is the subfolder name
   barscanw.exe is the application name.

   Likewise when opening a company you may have to type the full path in the OPEN dialog similar to the following:

   192.168.254.226c$barscan_sample_company.dbc

   Your IP address, share name, paths and company names may differ of course. The only exception to this would be if your IT department or consulting group created a mapped network drive.  In this case it looks just like all of your other drives and is similarly browsable, depending upon your privileges.

4. Most corporate desktops today have some form of firewall software installed. This may be software such as ZoneAlarm, Black Ice or even Windows’ built-in firewall.  If you have a PC firewall, your VPN connection may not work.  Please consult your IT department or consulting group to help you configure your PC firewall to allow your VPN connection.  We don’t recommend it, but you may have to turn off the firewall entirely to get the connection to work.  Note that this is part of your IT department’s or consulting group’s responsibility in setting up the VPN.