The purchase of the optional Multi-site module allows the tracking of equipment across multiple offices spread across town, across the country or around the world. The use of the multi-site requires some specific hardware and software and you should always consult a qualified network engineer to install these systems. Due to the amount of data that HireTrack Eclipse must transfer between the server and the workstation, it is not feasible to operate in a standard configuration over a Wide Area Network (WAN), unless you own extremely fast connections (10 MB or better), which can be quite expensive. To solve this problem, the multi-site systems have been designed to operate using Microsoft's Windows 2003 Server with Terminal Services. You may also choose to employ Citrix MetaFrame® Server which allows for even greater integration possibilities.
In simplistic terms, these systems move the processing of information from the workstation to the server. The server performs all of the functions of the workstation, and then sends, what you would normally see on the screen, back to the workstation as small screen images, which travel much faster than data files. The workstation runs a very small screen emulation program, which requires very little processor speed. The advantage to this type of system is that workstations need not be configured with fast processors or lots of RAM or disk space. This screen emulation program (called the Remote Desktop (RDP) client program) may be run on older machines such as an older 386 processor, an Apple Macintosh®, or even a PDA using Windows Mobile® operating systems. This client program can run either across the WAN or across the Local Area Network (LAN).
The Citrix or Terminal Server (as it is commonly known) may support several client sessions at the same time. The speed at which it is able to complete these sessions is dependent on the servers processor and the amount of RAM installed on the machine. A good rule of thumb is 64 MB of RAM for each user plus an extra 512 MB of RAM. It would not be unusual to have over 2,3 or eveb 4 GigaByte of RAM. Standard workstations on the LAN would connect to the data server as they normally do using the standard network protocols. Because the processing has been transferred to the Terminal Server and all users are working on a common machine, a decision will need to be made as to which Time Zone you will be working. If your locations are spread throughout the world, it may be a good idea to use Greenwich Mean Time as your standard. However, you may wish to use the time zone of your headquarters.
If you are upgrading from single site version, you will need to update your token to activate the multi-site features. This can be done by contacting technical support, paying for and receiving an updated token code. You should very carefully consider how you wish your locations to be setup. There are a number of areas that need to be in agreement for all aspects of the multi-site version to work properly. It is suggested that you number your locations BEFORE beginning the setup of the multi-site version. (i.e. Chicago=1, Orlando=2, Las Vegas=3, New York=4, etc.) and
maintain this order throughout the program.
