E-Automate 7.0 & SQL Server 2008 Express

[unisys12]

Just wondering if anyone out there is running E-Automate 7.0 or 7.5 using SQL 2008 Express. I saw in the install instructions that it will work with 2005 Express, but our new system is loaded with XP Service Pack 3. It will install, but gives an error at the end that says that it could not start the server.

After I got home tonight, I started digging a little deeper and noticed that only 2008 Express listed support for XP SP3. So, I'm just wondering if anyone out there has done this and if it works ok.

I know! I know! I have a copy of SQL2000 Standard, which we are currently using, but would like to upgrade the SQL side of things if I could and not have to spend an arm and a leg to do it.

[unisys12]

Well, I installed SQL Server 2008 Express on the new PC, successfully installed E-Admin and got the it attached to the SQL Server. I was even able to import in the back up from the old e-automate server, but this is were the problems started.

Even though the database was shown to have properly imported in, if you double click the database in e-admin it gives an warning message that states the database is from version 5.0 and the new system is 7.5. There's nothing else you can do. Also, after installing the first of two clients, I could not connect with the DGserver, no mater what, when trying to set up log in profiles. I feel that this has to do with the database incompatibility.

My next move is to uninstall the 2008 Express and go ahead with the SQL 2000 Standard and see if this clears things up. My thinking is that the older database back up is not compatible with the newer 2008 version. I won't be able to work on this tomorrow, since I will be out of town most of the day, so I will start work back on this early Thursday. In the meantime, I am going to see if there's any info on the Digital Gateway site. I should be getting that log in info tonight sometime I hope.

[tmaged]

We went "live" only in September so I can't help much. You guys don't have service with Digital Gateway ? They've been pretty helpful with any issues we've had. Good Luck.

[unisys12]

Welp! I got it up and running by 11am this morning and used SQL 2008 Express w/Tools. This actually came in handy, since when I uninstalled the basic 2008 Express, it left a host of files behind. Although the new install went off without a hitch, once E-Automate (7.5 by the way, not 7.0 has I stated in the title) was installed and I started the web set-up, SQL errors started powering out. I was able to use the SQL Server Management Studio Basic tool to view the errors in the log, which lead me to the pre-existing files.

I was able to determine why the first install did not work properly though. It had nothing to do with the version of the SQL server, but it's configuration. I had not properly set-up the SQL Browser, which I found provides the connection between the clients and the server. Without this service running... well, the clients wont work. DOH!!

I've never dealt with any form of SQL Server, so this was one hell of a learning experience for me. Even though there's nothing really to do with SQL after you install it, I did learn that if you don't install it properly... yeap, it won't work. E-Automate had a great install guide that I printed out and was using, but it covered SQL 2005 Express. And there's just enough differences in the layout of 2008 that it throw me off a little.

Anyway, another problem solved and project almost finished. Waiting to see what's lurking around the corner.

[Kopyrtek]

I am trying to get the owner to change to e-automate from OMD.Had a very good demo and am looking froward to the change(hopefully soon).Does anyone have any problems (other than install,which they will do)that i need to be aware of?
I am SO tired of trying to deal with the outdated software that i have had to deal with and am just looking forward to a change.

[tmaged]

No problems. Go to the training, pay for them to do all the conversion. They convert data from OMD pretty frequently so they know it. We were on Trackit, which they weren't real familiar with. My boss & I did most of the conversion ourselves. We only had them bring in customers & machines. We went through & set up all of our contracts, start meters, etc. Probably took a solid 2 months. We recently learned we didn't set up our annual contracts right. If you have any questions, give me a shout.

[Kopyrtek]

tmaged,
I will give you a shout soon.Thanks for the reply.I might bend your ear soon very soon.Send you an email as soon as i can.

[unisys12]

From best I can tell, our company has been on E-Automate since version 3.5. This is from me digging around through piles of CD's and papers. Basically, this is the only system they know.

Biggest problem we have had with the system... not using it to even half it's potential. Basically all we have used it for is opening and closing service calls, meter tracking, billing and contracts. That seems like most of the important stuff, but notice inventory is not in there. Also, since we (techs) don't work by territories, it's hell to actually track a techs productivity. Plus, it's not uncommon at all for a call to be given to one tech with another techs name at the top. Since this info is not updated, at the time the call was closed, it looks like the tech who's name is at the top of the ticket did the call.

We signed our company up for the on-line training/webinars. Looks I will be attending them and then showing the girls up front what I learned later. Since we only have two girls up front right now, it would be really hard to pull one away for an hour or two a week. But then again, summers coming and things might slow down a tad. That should free them up a bit.

I talked to them today, after they played around with it for awhile and told them that the biggest thing they are going to have to worry about will be properly using the software. I told them that, through no fault of their own, they have been using it wrong for far too long and that it will take some time to understand why they can't do things the way they have for so long. Our company is just getting too big, too fast! And it is essential that we track almost everything that goes on. E-Automate will allow us to do that, but we have to use it properly first.

Our company was running on version 5.0, and still is, until I take 7.5 live the week after next. (We are waiting on two more workstations to arrive and I'm on vacation next week) Our server was so old and slow, it takes right at 3 minutes to close a call. No crap! After you fill in all the info and click the button to close the call, the hour glass just sits there for 3 minutes. The girls have actually timed it! Today, I took a back-up from yesterday and loaded in E-Admin. Since I only had one workstation avaliable to install the client, I let the girls take turns in opening and closing calls. The time has went down to 10 seconds. I was actually hoping for something a little quicker, but I think that is a big enough improvement that productivity should increase a ton. Plus, the girls were tickled to death.

As for the install... It's really not all that bad. Like I said before, I had never set-up an SQL server or set-up E-Automate and was able to do it. Maybe not in the most timely of fashions, but after I figured out my mistake, it was just a matter of correcting it and moving on. If you already have a server/workstation that meets the requirments and already running SQL Server, then all you have to worry about is installing E-Automate, knowing the name of your server and the name of your SQL instance. Also, as I stated before, the install guide was extremely helpful in the process. I cannot speak about converting databases from one program to another, but it really shouldn't be that bad. I'm pretty sure tech support could tell you what needs to be done. I do know that there is a database update utility that updates older e-automate databases to newer versions. There has to be something similar available through them.