What is the recommended BarScan installation process?

Answer: BarScan is available for installation from either a CD Set or download from our website.

All installations begin with what is called the Standard BarScan Install.  This is the installation of BarScan on a single server, workstation, desktop computer or laptop.  What additional items are installed or what modifications to a Standard BarScan Install are done to enhance or adapt the installation to specific environments will depend upon the specifics of your company, i.e. how many people will be using BarScan, how far apart they are physically, and how fast the network connections are (if any) between the user’s workstation and server.  Additionally, installations differ for workstations that will be using a handheld computer (bar code reader) and USB cradle to synchronize to the database.

Although several scenarios are presented below for common installation situations, there is nothing preventing all of the various specific parts of these installations from being combined into a single installation. For example, a single computer may have both the BarScan Smart Client and Citrix XenDesktop (or Microsoft Azure Cloud) components.

Scenario #1 – Everything on one computer

This scenario is the smallest installation possible.  In this scenario, one or more BarScan users perform all of their tasks at one computer. This requires the installation of the following:

1. The Standard BarScan Install (installing the full BarScan System).
2. If handheld devices will be used:
   1. Recommend but not mandatory: Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) on the workstation.  If not using WMDC must configure devices for Microsoft Windows Portable Devices (WPD) Application Programming Interface.
   2. USB cradle using a USB port on the computer.

Scenario #2 – Standard Network

This is the most common installation.  BarScan is installed on a server with one or more workstations accessing the BarScan application and database with a network that is fast and throughput is good.  The physical workstations may be deployed within a large geographic area (such as a city), but fast throughput make response times acceptable.  There can be multiple users simultaneously accessing BarScan for reports and editing and typically a dozen or more handheld computers in operator’s hands.  This scenario requires the following to be installed:

1. The Standard BarScan Install on a server.
2. A desktop or start menu shortcut on the workstation pointing to the ‘BarScanw.exe’ executable on the shared server.
3. And; only for those workstations with docked handheld computers:
   1. Recommend but not mandatory: Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) on the workstation.  If not using WMDC must configure devices for Microsoft Windows Portable Devices (WPD) Application Programming Interface.
   2. USB cradle using a USB port on the computer.

Scenario #3 – Standard Network with the BarScan Smart Client

The BarScan Smart Client is a Microsoft Click Once website delivered application that allows users to create simple Asset reports and make some limited edits (if allowed) on the Asset table.  It can be installed to face either your own internal intranet or face the outside world out onto the internet.  It is generally used when a remote user needs access to simple BarScan reports but is not a BarScan application user or does not have an adequate in-network connection.  This scenario is sometimes discarded if one of the remote access products such as XENDesktop is available.

This has all of the requirements of either Scenario #1 or Scenario #2, plus the following:

1. The computer on which BarScan is installed must be Windows 7 (any version) or later or Windows Server 2008 or later.
2. Internet Information Services (IIS) must be installed on the same computer on which BarScan is installed.  Note that the major difference between using one of the workstation versions of windows and using a server based version of windows is in the number of allowed simultaneous execution requests.  Non-server versions have built in limits.  For example, Windows 7 has a limit of 10 simultaneous execution requests.
3. Permissions must be set for some of the built in system accounts used by the web site to allow access to BarScan and its data.

Installation Notes For Above Scenarios:

1. The desktop shortcut. For Scenario #1, the shortcut is created automatically during the installation.  In other scenarios, in order to save time by not searching the entire network, installing the desktop shortcut is a drag and drop operation.  Most customers use a remote session to install the shortcut.  This installation normally takes no more than a few minutes per client.  If desktops are tightly controlled, this shortcut must be included in the desktop image rolled out to users.  Since manually locating the executable on the network is required anyway, a drag and drop creation of a shortcut was deemed the simplest and contributes to verifying proper access to the executable.
2. Admin privileges required by BarScan installer. The account of the user that installs BarScan must be  an administrator on the local machine and have administrator privileges on the network.  This will avoid installation issues due to lack of privileges during installation.
3. Tight control of user desktops. If desktop surfaces are tightly controlled or widely distributed, a customer may choose to create a custom ‘BarScan’ desktop image.  This image may be created and rolled out specifically to BarScan users.  This desktop must include the shortcut and the WMDC for workstations with an attached USB cradle using a USB port on the computer.
4. Security Policies. Some networks have security policies in place and software that enforces those policies that interfere with the proper installation and operation of BarScan or its various components.  Some are server based, some are workstation based.  Registry locks, firewalls, anti-virus software, various device drivers at times, and improperly specified permissions can all interfere with a successful installation.  These issues genuinely are outside the ability of BarScan or the BarScan installers to correct so the customer and their IT department has the responsibility for diagnosing and correcting these. However, there are many Knowledge Base Articles on the BarScan web site barscan.com that can assist in overcoming these problems.
5. SQL Server. BarScan does not require any third party database management system.  It is wholly self-contained.  One of the most frequent questions we get is whether not it uses SQL Server.  No it does not.  We do however strongly recommend the use of some kind of backup software on a daily basis.
6. Handheld computer drivers and Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC).  Most installations of the USB cradle, the handheld and the Windows Mobile Device Center complete easily without any specific prior preparation.  However, there can be issues, so you must be aware of them.  The easiest install occurs when the user with administrative privileges prepares for the installation and accounts for any Security issues in place on the network or workstation.  In this scenario, in order, the person performing the installation (1) plugs the USB cradle into a USB port on the workstation, (2) Windows automatically loads the required drivers either from those internally available or from the Windows Update Center, (3) once the prior step completes, the handheld device is dropped into the docking station and (4) Windows will again automatically both obtain the needed drivers and also download and install Windows Mobile Device Center. Once complete, any required registry locks can be re-established.  Among those things that can be done to prepare for this:
   1. Adjust the network firewall to allow TCP/IP communications (port 10200) between the server, workstation and handheld device.
   2. Adjust routers to allow this same pass-through.
   3. Unlock the registry entries on the workstation that are needed for updating and installing the USB cradle, the handheld device, and for Windows Mobile Device Center.

Scenario #4 – Standard Network with one or more slow workstations

This scenario can be considered when most workstations fall within the parameters of the Standard Network install but there are one or more workstations with a throughput just too slow for a satisfactory response time and a remote desktop installation is not available.  In this scenario, all of the steps listed in the Standard network installation are completed with some additional steps to help alleviate the slower throughput for specific individual workstations.  In other words, the Standard Network install is performed both on the server and on the workstations as described in the Standard Network install, but for those few workstations that have slow throughput, the following modifications to their individual workstation installations can be done.   Note that in this case there is a tradeoff between ease and cost of ongoing support versus access speed.  After implementation and speed testing, it may be that the workstation access may still be too slow.  If that is the case then you must consider a scenario listed below which uses some form of remote access software, such as XENDESKTOP or VMware Horizon.

After the Standard BarScan Installation is complete the following changes are made ONLY to the installation on the specific workstation with slow throughput:

1. A BarScan folder is created on the workstation to hold all BarScan files to be copied from the server to the workstation.
2. The entire contents of the BarScan application’s root folder on the server are copied to the workstation folder.  DO NOT copy any of the subfolders.
3. A text file named ‘BSYSPATH.BINI’ is created in the workstation folder containing redirection commands to point to the folder containing BarScan on the server. Note that BSYSPATH.BINI can contain many other startup instructions.
4. The user’s desktop shortcut is modified to point to the version of the BarScan program on his workstation rather than on the network.
5. Note that BarScan does a version check for data integrity, comparing the version of itself on the workstation compared to that on the server.  Any mismatch between the two executables will cause an error message and the user will be unable to continue.  Because of this, any update to the BarScan executable on the server must be matched by another update on the workstation folder.  Until this is done, the user at this workstation will not be able to access BarScan.

Scenario #5 – Remote Desktops With Handheld Devices

This scenario is considered when one or more BarScan users require the standard data entry experience and will be synchronizing data from their handheld computers (via USB or Wi-Fi but not email) but they are in widely dispersed geographic locations or there is no network connection with enough throughput speed.  Users only synchronize data from their handheld computers via email will not require this Scenario.

There are a variety of remote desktop application servers from Citrix, VMware, Microsoft and many other vendors.  In general, they all offer the essential features required by BarScan.

1. USB port redirection. This is needed by the Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) handheld computer docking station.  Please note that there may be restrictions on display protocols or other incompatibilities when using Windows Mobile Device Center.  For example, it is incompatible with RDP when using Horizon View Agent, i.e. with Horizon View Agent a display protocol other than RDP must be selected.
2. Enhanced Display Protocols.  BarScan screen updates require fast graphics detection in very small portions of the screen.  Updated drivers may be required to handle the screen update requirements.  For example, there have been issues with specific Citrix Plug-in agents requiring that screen sizes be manually set.
3. TCP/IP communications with handheld computers. The BarScan handheld computer communicates with the BarScan PC session using TCP/IP over port 10200.  A standard installation with a docking station and WMDC installed has data flowing over the network from the Handheld computer to WMDC and then to either the local workstation or the server.  Since this is TCP/IP, this communication method must be allowed by any security or routing in place.  Additionally, port 10200 must be passed through by any routers or security software.  When remoting is in place and USB port redirection is working, the data flows into the remote session’s copy of WMDC by means of the USB connection between docking station and the remote session.  If this is working, WMDC does not need to be installed on the workstation.  If this connection is not successful, then the workstation must have both the Handheld Computer docking station and WMDC installed on the local workstation, and the network must be configured to forward communication between the handheld and the workstation and the server. (See the notes on security above as well as BarScan Knowledge Base articles).

Scenario #6 – Remote Desktops Without Handheld Devices

This scenario is very similar to ‘Scenario #5 – Remote Desktops-With Handheld Devices’ but without the complexity of a handheld device at the workstation. In this scenario, the BarScan application is accessed remotely through the Remote Desktop software.  Windows Mobile Device Center is not required, neither on the server nor on the workstation. Cradles, cables and available USB ports for the handheld device are not required on the workstation.  All data entry is done through the remote session itself within the BarScan application running on the server.

Typically, however, installations using a Remote Desktop scenario will have a mixture of desktops, some workstations using handheld devices, some not.  Keep in mind that a Remote Desktop session configured to accept handheld devices does not require a handheld device be connected. For those workstations, simply not deploying the handheld device is acceptable.

BarScan Knowledge Base Keywords:

In addition to documentation contained in the BarScan User Manual and other resources on the distribution CD set, there are many tips addressing various issues related to Remote Desktop Installations in the BarScan Knowledge Base.  Here are specific keywords:

bsyspath
citrix
Azure
device center
smartclient
speed
vmware