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Access to Server Databases from WinCan VX


Version 1.1
Date: 27.03.2018

1 Access to Server Databases from WinCan VX
1.1 Server with MSSQL Database
1.2 Server with ORACLE Database
2 SQL Server Setup
2.1 Location of Data
2.2 WinCan SQL Users
3 Installation
3.1 Enabling System Administrator
3.2 Download und Installation von WinCan VX
4 License Configuration
5 Establishing WCSYS on SQL-Server
6 Connecting to WCSYS on SQL-Server
7 Setting SQL-Server as default database
8 Creating new SQL-Server projects
9 Opening existing SQL-Server projects

Access to Server Databases from WinCan VX
The application WinCan VX originally has been developed for operation in a TV truck. Taking into account certain rules you also may run the software within a network domain accessing a central database. The management of large data amounts is thus simplified and may be of interest for water authorities, which are responsible of the maintenance of complex urban pipe line systems.
The present documentation addresses to network administrators and resellers of the WinCan software. It describes two sustainable concepts of embedding PC workstations WinCan VX has been installed on into a network domain. To make full use of the basic software functionalities a network license (red dongle) is therefore needed.

This concept is based on a central MSSQL server database AND a file server for storage of the media (photos, video clips etc.). Both items can be established either on the same or on two different machines.

This concept is based on a central ORACLE server database AND a file server for media storage (photos, video clips etc.). Both items can be established either on the same or on two different machines.

The following steps describe a general procedure how to establish a central SQL database that can be accessed by the application WinCanVX:

• The MS-SQL Server software (i.e. SQL-Server 2005 or higher or SQL Express) must be installed on a server by a professional server administrator. In case of any troubles please refer to the Microsoft SQL installation help document.

• Define a file server which must be centrally accessible to the users when opening a WinCanVX project from SQL server. The file server can be a separate machine or may be located on the same machine as SQL server.

• Create appropriate server instances:

[servername]
[instance] or .
[instance] ("." describes the current server machine)
An instance can imply several databases but always in relation to specific working domains. Creation of instances is preferable as it may help to maintain desirable organization by better segregating authentication, permissions and databases away from other applications:

• SQL\Instance1 -> storage and management of pipeline infrastructure data

• SQL\Instance2 -> storage and management of tax data

• SQL\Instance3 -> storage and management of inhabitant statistics

etc.
Each project that gets added to WinCanVX will exist as its own database on the SQL-Server instance.

• Create different users and define privilege levels for each user to create new or to access existing SQL-databases.

WinCan VX saves information to the project database, but saves media files to files. The database itself will contain the following important tables:
PROJECT: Project table (i.e. contractor, client…)
SECTION: Section table (i.e. location, street, pipe shape, diameter, material…)
SECINSP: Inspection table (i.e. operator, data, time, weather…)
SECOBS: Observation table (i.e. OP code, observation text…)
NODE: Node table (i.e. manhole data)
NODINSP: Node inspection table (i.e. manhole inspection data)
NODOBS: Node observation table (i.e. manhole observation data)
The file server is used to save the files linked to the WinCanVX database. The most important file types and folders in the WinCan project directory are listed below:

• Subfolder Picture: picture files (*.jpg, *.gif, *.bmp) saved in Sec (sections) or Nod (manholes) subfolders as appropriate.

• Subfolder Video: video files (*.mpeg, *.mp2, *.mp4, *.avi) saved in Sec (sections) or Nod (manholes) subfolders as appropriate.

• Subfolder Module\Inclination: contains inclination files (*.inc).

• Subfolder Module\ ScanExplorer: contains the folders and files created by the different pipe scanning systems

  .

WinCan VX requires SQL permissions for the following actions:

• Connect to server

• Create database: this is used to create each database that correlates with each WinCan projects that the user may wish to create.

• Add new records: this is used to add records to many of the tables, such as to the SECTION table when a new section is added by the user

• Delete records: used for some housekeeping within the WinCan project database. Typically items that are deleted from the user front-end interface are actually kept but simply updated within the database to be marked as deleted.

• Update records: this used to update information on any number of items within the WinCan project database, such as simply editing an observation or a section.