This “Best Practice” Article should show, which thought should be done before, during and after a new Installation of the Q-DAS Product Line for a Plant wide, server based Q-DAS system installation.
Even though many things can be changed after installation, it is helpful to make these considerations in advance.
If the installation is carried out in a workshop with an application engineer, it is advisable to go through these points before the workshop.
Points to consider BEFORE an installation:
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Responsible availability: |
Define the responsible who have to be present:
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| Create the central folder "Q-DAS" and share it. |
Responsible: IT |
| Define type and number of servers / databases needed |
ensure availability and accordance to system requirements |
| Define the type of databases |
Access (not recommended) MS SQL Express (recommended, when created through the customers IT, if the limitations are accepted) MS SQL Oracle Responsible: IT |
| If MS SQL: Login |
Login with SQL user or Windows-user Best practice is, to start with an SQL User, for creating the databases as a dbo, the first start of the Software to create the stored procedures. First when everything is running, reduce the User rights and work with Windows-User-Groups. Responsible: IT |
| Release of Ports / Firewall considerations |
Ports have to be released for Files, for the databases. The firewall settings must be observed. Responsible: IT |
| Additional data to be activated during the Setup |
During the Setup a question will come up which additional data should be activated. This could be changed also afterwards. Please be selective about the additional data fields selected during the installation, and only activate fields that will be used. In case of doubt, the default fields are recommended. Responsible: Quality department / Key User |
| Support email address |
During the Setup a question will come up, asking where a hotline-request should be sent to. Here the local support should be used, or an own internal address for the Key-users, that all request from Users can be filtered first through a Key-User. |
Points to consider AFTER an installation:
| Activate Data amendment log | Even if the data amendment log would need more resources and space in the database, a discussion should be done, if changings on parts / characteristics and values should be protocolled from the start. |
| Central database connection | If the database connections have been changed, it must be checked that the connection to the “central” database also refers to the new database. (QDAS_CENTRAL_001 connection as standard). This also applies in a system in which only one measured value database is used. |
| Change the logo | If the reports should include your own company logo, this should be changed directly. |
| Path to read / write files | When using a value database, dfq files are also used time and again (e.g. in solara.MP or the random sample analysis). The storage paths for the files (for initial reading and writing) refer to the central Q-DAS folder in the share. If this is to be changed, the paths in the %product%.ini files must still be changed BEFORE the distribution of clients, also in the %product%.ini files in the subfolder “Client_Template”, so that they refer directly to the correct paths after the distribution of clients. |
| Reports and masks | The report template folders in particular contain a number of predefined reports for all modules. Here, it is recommended to remove all reports whose modules are not used, as well as to view the reports per module, which should actually be used. |
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Archiving system |
Unfortunately, the question about archiving old data usually comes too late. Then, when the database is full, then, when users have almost become accustomed to a slow system. For this reason, any future amount of data should be estimated at the beginning of each project and archiving concepts should be considered accordingly. |
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Backups |
Backup for the databases and for the Q-DAS Share should be set up. Responsible: IT |