Getting started with network services

1. Two distribution models of composer network services

1.1 Using composer network services server from friendlyway (ASP model)

This model implies that you buy licenses for certain number of clients, install the client software on terminals, and use online services from friendlyway without own installation of the composer network services server. You get the user ID and password for the administration console you can access at http://www.composernetworkservices.com/WebConsole. Note that this model also implies that each client machine has internet connection.

For a composer 9 demo license and a trial account for composer network services you can contact the friendlyway Support.

1.2 Using own composer network server installation  

This model implies that you install your own composer network services server the client stations with player 9 software will connect to. In this case, no internet access is required if clients are inside of a closed network. The administration console is accessible at http://yourservername/Webconsole (where "yourservername" is the computer name of the installed server in the network). Default user ID and password are admin / password (must be changed after server installation).

1.2.1 How to install your own composer network services server:

Download the composer network services setup from the link you received from friendlyway Sales. After installing it on the server, install the network access license by executing the cns-license.exe file received from friendlyway Sales on the server.

1.2.2 Computer requirements for composer network services server:

Up to 10 clients:

- Windows XP Professional (32-bit) or Windows 2003 Server Web, Standard, Enterprise Edition (32-bit) or Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate Edition (32-bit)

- Internet Information Services (IIS) must be installed on the computer (belongs to Windows)

More than 10 clients:

- Windows 2003 Server Web, Standard, Enterprise Edition (32-bit) or Windows 2008 Server Web, Standard, Enterprise Edition (32-bit)

- Internet Information Services (IIS) must be installed on the computer (belongs to Windows)

* In case involving more than 50 Clients we recommend to use a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition (must be purchased separately from Microsoft).

2. Network configuration

The server computer must be reachable from the client stations. The composer network services solution requires that the following ports are open:

Server computer:

Port 80 (HTTP) - used to access the web console and to send the keep-alive messages and files from client stations (terminals) to the server.

Client computer:

Port 5900 (VNC) - used to get the remote control access from the administration console to the terminal.

Port 2036 – used to send connect and reboot commands to the terminals.

Please check that your server address is available on the internet if you would like to access the administration console from internet or if your clients are located outside the closed network. Please refer to your system administrator to get an open network address for the server computer or setup the port forwarding for port 80!

3. Function overview

This version of the composer network services software has the following functions:

- Keep-alive messaging from client to server

- Monitoring of CPU utilization, memory usage, disk usage and hanged applications on clients

- Display of client state via administration console

- Mail or SMS notification of service person in case of a client fault

- Management and monitoring of client applications (friendlyway player 9)

- Automatic restart of crashed or hanged up client application

- Desktop protection with password protected locking of critical system keys and prevention of unauthorized access of visitors to the computer desktop

- Transferring and displaying client logs files

- Distribution of composer packages to clients from the administration console

4. Installation of the client software

Before you connect your player stations to the composer network services server ensure that the network access license (cns-license.exe) for registering your terminals is installed on the server PC (as mentioned in 1.2.1).  To get information about the installed licenses please refer to the Licenses page in the administration console. Please contact our friendlyway software sales team to obtain and upgrade your account or server with additional client licenses.

For each player station a terminal account will be created in a database. Every terminal account receives a name in order one client station can be differentiated from others. The name of the terminal account must be unique across the server instance; it is impossible to create several terminal accounts with one name. There are two ways for creating terminal accounts: via administration console or from the client station itself. The descriptions for both possibilities, you'll find in the subparagraphs 4.1 and 4.2.

4.1 Creating a terminal account via administration console

4.1.1 Operations in the administration console

1. Open the administration console at www.composernetworkservices.com if you use the friendlyway sever or at http://yourservername/webconsole if you have own server instance.

2. Log on to the administration console using your user ID and password.

3. Go to the Terminals tab.

4. On the Terminals page, click the New button.

5. From the selection field License key, select the license with available installations.

6. Enter the Terminal ID you would like to assign to the terminal, and press the Register terminal button.

7. A terminal account will be created and the Terminal configuration page will appear.

8. Configure your terminal or just leave default terminal settings, and then press OK to save the terminal account.

If you have more than one terminal repeat steps 4-8 to create multiply terminal accounts.

4.1.2 Operations on the client computer

After creating a terminal account in the administration console, install and configure the player 9 application on the client machine. To do that, perform the following actions:

1. Download the friendlyway player 9 setup from the link you received from the friendlyway Support.

2. Install the friendlyway player 9 on the client computer and license it.

3. After first launch of the player application the window of the License manager will appear.

4. Specify the name of the server, to which the player should be connected, and click Next.

5. If you use a proxy server, check the corresponding option, specify the address, user ID, password, port, and click Next. If you don't use proxy just click Next

5. Enter your network services user ID and password in the corresponding fields and click Next.

6. Select the license you want to use for installation and click Next.

7. Uncheck the "Create new terminal ID" option and select the terminal ID you have created before from the list of available terminals. Click Finish.

8. After the terminal registration the next window will offer you to select between two possible options: to start the player under client service or to select the content manually.

9. While first launch of the player application please click No to have the possibility to configure the main player 9 options.

10. Go to Tools > Options to customize autostart, maintenance screen and software update settings. Please pay special attention to the Parameters tab where you can define shortcuts for stopping and starting the playback. By default the following hotkeys are set up.

For stopping player: Ctrl+S

For starting player:  Ctrl+P

After this step, you can start the player under client service. The player will connect to the composer network services server, receive a content package, and start playback.

4.2 Creating a terminal account from the client computer

1. Download the friendlyway player 9 setup from the link you received from the friendlyway Support.

2. Install the friendlyway player 9 on the client computer and license it.

3. After first launch of the player application the window of the License manager will appear.

4. Specify the name of the server, to which the player should be connected, and click Next.

5. If you use a proxy server, check the corresponding option, specify the address, user ID, password, port, and click Next. If you don't use proxy just click Next

5. Enter your network services user ID and password in the corresponding fields and click Next.

6. Select the license you want to use for installation and click Next.

7. Leave the "Create new terminal ID" option activated and click Next.

8. In the next form enter the terminal information and click Finish.

9. After the terminal registration the next window will offer you to select between two possible options: to start the player under client service or to select the content manually.

10. While first launch of the player application please click No to have the possibility to configure the main player 9 options.

11. Go to Tools > Options to customize autostart, maintenance screen and software update settings. Please pay special attention to the Parameters tab where you can define shortcuts for stopping and starting the playback. By default the following hotkeys are set up.

For stopping player: Ctrl+S

For starting player:  Ctrl+P

5. Setup of an automatic fault notification

1. Open the administration console at http://www.composernetworkservices.com/webconsole if you use the friendlyway sever or at http://yourservername/webconsole if you have own server instance.

2. Log on to the administration console using your user ID and password.

3. Go to the Terminal locations tab.

4. Select the terminal for fault notification from the list and click on the Service person button.

5. Enter the first and last name of the service person, specify the notification method and contact data depending on the selected notification method (e-mail address or mobile phone number).

Please note that the SMS notification is only available if you have account by Mail-to-SMS service provider. Please refer to friendlyway Software Support to set up the SMS notification.

friendlyway AG, May 2010.