Client: installed on Windows 95/98 (SR1, SR2) and NT (v3.51 sp5 or v4.0 sp3)
File Server: installed on Windows NT (v3.51 sp5 or v4.0 sp3) platforms
Database Server: Access 97, SQL 6+ or Oracle 7.3+
Client: installed on Windows 95/98(SR1, SR2), 2000, XP and NT (v3.51 sp5, v4.0 sp3)
File Server: installed on Windows 2000 or NT (v3.51 sp5 or v4.0 sp3) platforms
Database Server: Access 2000, SQL 7+ or Oracle 8+
Please note: often the file server and database server are located on the same server. The server components do not need to be on different server machines.
Client workstations must be configured with TCP/IP protocol and ODBC software. TCP/IP protocol hosts the file that defines the hostname and IP addresses of the database and file servers, which is recommended to speed hostname to IP address resolution. However, DHCP, WINS and DNS are also supported in the event that the host file is not available.
The TIMS3 file server(s) must reside on a Windows NT /2000 server and the NT /2000 network must be configured with a domain controller to provide central control of user name, password, login procedures, user groups and potentially user profiles too. File Server and workstations must have basic Microsoft TCP/IP Winsock connectivity between each other.
When choosing new server, obviously bigger is better, but you should know TIMS3 prolongs the life of File Servers. Since you don't maintain file shares 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week the file server is actually not as busy being a TIMS3 file server. As a TIMS3 file server the server simply doles out files to workstations once when they're initially requested. File updates are performed on the workstation not through the network on every file save.
Your NT / 2000 network should be setup with an NT / 2000 domain controller and all workstations should be configured to login to the NT / 2000 domain. Unique usernames and user groups should be created within the NT /2000 domain so users can login on any NT /2000 workstation and get the same desktop and user settings as their last login. TIMS3 will authorize access to documents on the file server based on the user's login name and NT /2000 group membership. Users should be a member of one or more of the NT /2000 user groups. These NT / 2000 groups should be consistent with the structure of your organization and how users share information. The groups also play an important role in controlling access to documents.
Although NT / 2000 users can belong to more than one group, ownership of document records and files are assigned to the user's primary group. Hence it is important which NT /2000 group is defined as a users primary group. Windows NT /2000 groups that require access to the TIMS3 system must also be pre-defined in the TIMS3 database in order for users to gain access to the TIMS3 system.
TIMS3 database server can reside on any operating system supported by your chosen database management system, provided there is an ODBC driver that can be installed on Intel Windows PCs to provide database connectivity.
TIMS3 ensures that no two people are ever allowed to edit the same file at the same time. Also, there is no separate login when you use TIMS3; all user authentications are performed within the Windows NT / 2000 Domain (integrates seamlessly with NT / 2000 security).
When installing the TIMS3 File and Database server software you should be logged in as a Domain Administrator with full Administrator rights on the Server. A domain login is necessary since the installer is given Full TIMS3 Configuration rights by placing the username used in the TIMS3 database and setting it up with a 'TIMS Manager' user class. For more information on the TIMS3 user classes and access rights please review the Reference Guide or documentation online in the support area of the TIMS3 web site.
For client installations, the installer must have local administrator rights to that machine. The server installation should be able add new entries to the registry and NT /2000 services. It will work fine if you are a member of the domain administrator group.
TIMS3 respects the Windows NT / 2000 security model. When TIMS3 users create new documents the security settings of the new file are set according to the TIMS3 security level selected inside the software. By setting the TIMS3 document security level to 'Group' TIMS3 will assign full group level access to the documents it creates. This means the group ownership of the document will determine who else can access the file since they will have to be a member of the same NT / 2000 group, which currently owns the file.
There is also NTFS Security that can be applied to files on the TIMS3 system. As TIMS3 facilitates a share for retrieval and storage of files, Administrators can set up security on a file-to-file basis. The administrator must set group permission and type of access allowed by each group.