Languages

The settings dialog allows you to open the program language settings by selecting the category Languages.

Language of the program interface

Defines the language of the program interface of the DataClient. That the change of the language becomes operative a restart of the DataClient is necessary. The program help is not offered for every possible application language. If there is no help available in the language you have chosen, the help is shown in English.

Language of the installation packages

This language is used for the announcement of the installation packages. Usually there are more languages available than in the program surface. If you choose a language which is not supported by some installation packages, these installation packages use an alternative language (mostly English). In which languages an installation package is offered and which alternative languages are used depends on the provider of the respective installation package. Please contact the provider of the installation package if you wish additional language support. If the DataClient starts external program setups, the setup will use the language of the installation package. Even in this case it is possible to fix an alternative language through the provider of the installation package.

Source of updates

In the settings dialog, you can select whether you want to receive your updates from the Internet or from the local network by selecting the category Source of updates.

You have the following updates:

Internet

If this option is activated, you receive your data and updates directly from the internet.

Directory in the local network

Here, the data and updates are obtained from a local server or computer in your local network.

Please enter the directory in the form of a local path like, for example, "C:\Updates" or as a UNC path ("\\server\freigabe\").

User Name and Password

User name and password are required if a directory in the local network is used and access to this path has only been enabled for certain users. If you activate the option Query with every update, your access data for the update source in the local network will be queried again for each update.

Download directory

In the settings dialog, under Download directory, you define the directory to which your updates should be downloaded.

Internet proxy

The Proxy entry in the category Network opens the proxy settings. The DataClient uses only the HTTP protocol to transfer data via internet. The following dialog allows you to set customized HTTP proxy settings.

Use system settings

If you select this option the proxy settings of Windows will be used. The actual settings used depend on the installation type:

Manual installation

If you manually perform an update the proxy settings of the currently logged-in user are used.

Automatic installation

Since the automatic installation is performed by a system service, the proxy settings for system services are applied. These settings are also used by Windows Update, for example. These settings can be changed on the command prompt as follows:

•Show settings: netsh winhttp show proxy

•Change settings: netsh winhttp set proxy

•Transfer settings from current user: netsh winhttp import proxy source=ie

Direct connection to the Internet

All connections to the pCon servers are made established directly, i.e. without using a proxy.

Use the following HTTP proxy

All connections to the pCon servers are established via an individual proxy.

Installation

In the Installation area, you can change the installation directory for your OFML data, the directory for downloaded documents and settings for hidden updates if required.

Note: Once the OFML directory has been set, it can no longer be changed.

Automatic installation

The settings dialog offers a number of settings for the automatic update. More information about these settings you can find on the following pages. General information are available in the chapters Schedule updates and Automatic Installation.

Tray Icon

The Tray icon sub page provides settings for the automatic installation icon in the Windows taskbar.        

Show status in the notification area of the task bar

This option enables to switch off the tray icon. If the icon is switched off, no notification will be displayed and the dialog to influence the automatic installation is not available.

Allow manual updates by the user

If this option is activated, you may, in addition to the automatic updates, at any time also initiate an manual update. This option is useful if you expect urgent updates and do not want to wait until the scheduled time for the next automatic update.

These manual updates can be performed without administrator's rights.

Allow users to defer scheduled updates

If this option is activated, you can defer scheduled automatic updates. This option is useful when you urgently need to work with the pCon-applications and the OFML-data but a running update would interrupt the current working process. Defer the automatic update is also useful if you have only limited internet connection (e.g. via mobile cell network), in which an automatic update would cause high costs or take a long time. If you delay an automatic update, another automatic update will be attempted 24 hours later at the latest. If required, you can defer this once more.

Defer the automatic update is possible without administrator rights.

Show messages at the beginning/after finishing of an automatic update

If these options are activate, a message is shown in the notification area of the operating system at the beginning and respectively after finishing of an automatic update. The message is shown for a restricted time and must not be confirmed.

Show warning message of the automatic installation

If this option is activated, the warning messages of the automatic installation are shown. Critical messages are shown in form of a dialog and need to be confirmed. Less critical messages are shown within the notification area for a restricted time and must not to be confirmed.

E-Mail Notification

The E-mail notification section in the Automatic installation category you specify the settings for status e-mails for the automatic installation. This function provides the possibility to send status information of the automatic installation per e-mail to any address. If this function is activated, the DataClient registers itself with the corresponding settings at the server. Then, the server sends e-mails, depending on the defined settings. Registering with the server is required, so that e-mails can also be sent in that case, if the concerning computer is not able to do this itself (for example due to the missing internet access or if the system service of the automatic installation is crashed). Furthermore, the usage of the server offers the possibility, to summarize the information of all computers in one e-mail. Note: The notification can be used only in combination with the automatic installation. No e-mails will be sent for manual updates. Also, no monitoring is possible.

E-Mail-Verification

If you activate this function for the first time or if you insert a new E-mail address, you will first have to confirm your E-mail address. Enter your mail address in the E-mail address field and click OK. Immediately, you will receive an e-mail with a confirmation link. Please call the link directly or copy it into the address bar of your browser. on the browser page now opening, click Confirm. Immediately after, the notification function is activate.

Option Send e-mail on the following events:

A separate e-mail will be sent for every event.

Sub option Update performed

If this field is activated, an e-mail will be sent after every performed update. This e-mail includes a list of the installed updates. The e-mail will also be sent in case no new updates are available. If you have configured daily updates, you will receive a daily e-mail as long as the update process is not compromised.

Sub option Update overdue

If this option is activated, an e-mail is sent when an update was not performed in time. An update is overdue in cases where it could not be performed in the scheduled time plus an adjustable tolerance period.

For example: You have configured the update for Monday 8 a.m. and the tolerance period is 2 days. The update would then be considered as overdue from Wednesday 8 a.m. If no update was performed until then, you will receive an e-mail within one hour.

Possible reasons for an overdue update:

•Computer was switched off within the time period

•Computer was not connected with the internet within the time period

oA (network) directory that is not available was specified as the update source

•The update was repeatedly interrupted (e.g. by using the function Pause updates in the Info-Icon of the automatic installation)

•The system service for the automatic installation is crashed.

The tolerance period can be defined within the lower part of the E-Mail notification section. When defining the tolerance period, please note that in many cases the delay of an update is normal. If, for example, the computer is configured to daily updates and will be switched off on weekend, the tolerance period should amount to at least 2 - 3 days.

Sub option On errors or when manual intervention is necessary

An e-mail is sent in case an automatic update could not be successfully completed.

Reasons for this could be the following:

•An installation package is faulty due to a transfer error

•There is an interactive update that has to be installed manually with the DataClient assistant

•The update could not be performed after several attempts due to running pCon-Applications.

Option Regularly send summarized status mail

An e-mail with information about the current status of the automatic installation is sent in regular intervals (e.g. daily). It includes the date of the last update and also the result of the update (successfully or the type of the error). This e-mail does not contain the list of the recently installed updates. If you want to monitor the status of several computers and specify the same e-mail address on all these computers, all machines are summarized in one status mail.

Sub setting Send period

Defines how often the status mail should be sent, for example, daily or weekly.

Sub option Only send on status changes

E-mail is only sent when the status of the computer has changed. A status change is for example:

•An update was performed (the date of the last update has changed)

•An update was overdue

•An error occurred during the last update (If the same error occurs again, this is no longer considered as a status change.)

Input field An update is considered overdue if the deadline is exceeded by ... day(s)

Defines the number of days by which an update date must be exceeded before the computer is considered overdue and the corresponding event or status mails are triggered. For more information, please read the notes within the sub option Update overdue.

Input field Computer name

A computer name which will appear in the notification e-mails can be specified in this field. If you monitor several computers, you can assert the exact computer referred to in the notification e-mail. Any text can be specified. The host name is predefined as computer name during the first use of the function. Please note that the computer name is not automatically updated if the host name is changed later. A user defined computer name cannot be overwritten.

Input field E-mail-address

An e-mail address to which the notification should be sent must be specified in this field. If needed, several e-mail addresses, separated by commas, can be entered here.

Button Test

This button allows you to send a test e-mail.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if the computer is switched off or has no network connection?

A corresponding e-mail notification is send if the update is overdue. As soon as the e-mail notification and the automatic installation are activated, the time for the next scheduled automatic update as well as the accepted tolerance period is transferred to the server. An internet connection is necessary at this time. Otherwise, an error message appears.

If an automatic update is performed, the new due date will be transferred to the server. In regular intervals, the server checks whether the last reported due date plus tolerance period has expired and sends an e-mail, if needed. This check is independent of the computer on which the DataClient is running. This makes sure that the notification e-mail is sent even if the computer has no internet connection or is switched off.

Which server is used?

A server provided by the EasternGraphics GmbH is used for the notification function. This server is independent of the update server you configured.

Does the e-mail notification also work if a DataPool is used as a data source?

The notification function is also available if a DataPool (or a local data directory) is used as update source.

Which updates are considered by the e-mail notification?

Considered:

•Automatic installation updates that are executed according to the defined schedule

•Updates of the automatic installation that are triggered by the icon within the notification area (beside the windows clock) and the associated application.

•Updates with the command line DataClient (This is, for example, possible in connection with the pCon.configurator Online on servers)

Not considered:

•Updates that are carried out with the DataClient Assistant.

Service account

Via the Service account category, you can define an account on which the system service that executes the automatic updates is performed.

Introduction

For installation of an automatic update, a system service is used. With activation of the function, the system service is automatically installed and started. By default, the system service is running under the user SYSTEM ("local system"). In the most cases, this setting can be kept as it is.

 

A modification can be useful in the following cases:

•The updates are loaded by a network path (UNC path). If in this case the user account SYSTEM is used for the DataClient, all other system services will also receive access to that network path. If this behavior should be avoided for safety reasons, a separate user must be created for the Data-Client system service.

•When installing updates, a specific user environment is required (e.g. access to specific directories or network paths, access to proxy settings etc.). In this case, the system service can be run under another user account.

The system service can be run on every user account that has administrator rights.