Networking with colleagues using EPIM

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salamander
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Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by salamander »

Congratulations. As you promised I had the trial EPIM up and running (once I had opened the std. Windows firewall) on a Windows Home Server 2011 box (based on Server 2008) in under half an hour and accessible across the local network. Impressive.

I'm only just beginning to play with EPIM, but I seem to have hit a feature brick-wall which would seriously limit its usability in a SME team: there doesn't seem to be any way to use Notes to send a note to just one EPIM member on the small network in private. I must have overlooked something, because this is such a basic, fundamental requirement of a Notes system. Yes, a Note can be made private to the writer, otherwise Notes seems to be a global, group function where every member of the network can see and edit (unless read-only set) everyone else's notes.

So, if Finance want to Note me with this month's P&L, I can't see a way that only I can be selected as the recipient: the entire global team would, unless I am mistaken, see the Note and attachments.

This simply cannot be allowed, so I assume that I am missing something. How does one send a private Note, with attachments etc., to only a selected range of recipients?

Thanks.

UPDATE:

After trawling the help guide (wish there was a PDF downloadable/printable version) the issue seems to be related to this:

Shown in the help guide is this possibility (Status can be Public, Private or Custom):
_Snap_2015.12.30_22h38m39s_001_.png
In my demo Pro client, running on a network, all I have is Public or Private:
_Snap_2015.12.30_22h41m50s_002_.png
So where is the missing Custom setting option?

I am certain that I installed the Network version (even though there is nothing when running that visually confirms that to the user) per this screen snap:
_Snap_2015.12.30_23h07m12s_004_.png
Fully uninstalled on this client, reinstalled network version and still only Private or Public rights available.
Last edited by salamander on Wed Dec 30, 2015 11:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
salamander
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Update: checked on three installations, same

Post by salamander »

UPDATE 2:

I have checked three installations to see if 'Custom' is available besides Private and Public. There is one master SYSDBA account on the server and two created users A and B on separate networked pcs. A and B can happily connect to and manipulate the master database on the server.

Server installation (SYSDBA login): Private / Public only, no Custom
User A: Same (complete reinstallation)
User B: Same

This is completely baffling. What has happened to the Custom functionality? I would buy this product if I could get an answer.
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by Max »

Hello,

please see this screenshot: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tlji534bxxslk ... 1.png?dl=0
I am using 6.56 and logged in as SYSDBA.
If that still does not work, we need more screenshots and not just parts of the screen.
I need to see the full version number, the path to the database on to of the window, File-> Connect to Server menu
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by logies »

I have the same problem, but with notes and with tasks. I have setup several users, but none of them is shown in the status drop down list, only public/private (EPIM 7.21 on Windows 10 Prof., fresh installation of everything in a VM, of course all users are connected to the same database, even on the same machine with different user accounts). At the moment I can`t start my migration from Outlook because of this.
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by MetalDrop »

I think I've ran by this issue.

Like most things in the context menu the custom item only show's up after you have made the custom status in a normal modify window.

Example:
Before:
before.png
Now right click the item and go to Modify
At the bottom where you see a box that says "public" change it to "Select User..."
Modify window.png
Modify window.png (4.16 KiB) Viewed 4979 times
When you do a select users window will come up.
Click the bubble for selected users:
Use the <- arrow button to remove unwanted users
Click Ok
Select Users.png
Select Users.png (4.2 KiB) Viewed 4979 times
Now notice that in your modify window you now have Custom.
Modify Window C.png
Modify Window C.png (5.11 KiB) Viewed 4979 times
You now also have custom in the right click context menu:
Context Custom menu.png
EPIM Portable Pro Running/Tested On: Windows 11 Pro 64-bit US-ENG|i5-6400+Quadro P620|i7-7700K+1050ti|i7-8700K+970GTX|AMD 5600x+1080ti|16GB+RAM&NVMe SSDs
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by MetalDrop »

Nearly forgot a helpful note:

You'll mostly want to use the modify window and select users... option
Despite the fact that only one "Custom" option ever shows up as long as you are selecting users from a Select users...options you can set many different rules for many different items. I think the context menu and drop down option for "custom" just users your last settings.
EPIM Portable Pro Running/Tested On: Windows 11 Pro 64-bit US-ENG|i5-6400+Quadro P620|i7-7700K+1050ti|i7-8700K+970GTX|AMD 5600x+1080ti|16GB+RAM&NVMe SSDs
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by logies »

May the problem have to do with the fact, that I`m still in demo mode? At the moment I can`t start EPIM as SYSDBA again, it tells me, that I would need a business license to connect to the EPIM Server. Demo mode of my EPIM Business should last for 12 days more or so, though. I can start again, if I shut down the 2nd instance of EPIM (another user account on the same PC). I can reproduce this behavior: no problem starting EPIM Business as a user, when SYSDBA is running, but not the other way round.
I would be happy to pay for this software (8 licenses for my terminal server from Thinstuff), if I knew, that it works... At the moment support is lousy: I started asking questions on 2.1.2017 and never got answers so far:
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=18870#p82135
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by MetalDrop »

If you are using the method as I described above it shouldn't matter what account you are logged in as, just as long as you have created users already with the SYSDBA account.

I'm not 100% sure where the connection security comes in at, but you may want to be aware of the fact that Pro versions of EPIM are allowed to connect remotely to databases where they are the only user connected. So there is a very high chance that in order to "test" the business/network features you'll need to be using trial versions of EPIM on all the clients you wish to test simultaneously logged in as well.
EPIM Portable Pro Running/Tested On: Windows 11 Pro 64-bit US-ENG|i5-6400+Quadro P620|i7-7700K+1050ti|i7-8700K+970GTX|AMD 5600x+1080ti|16GB+RAM&NVMe SSDs
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by logies »

MetalDrop wrote: Like most things in the context menu the custom item only show's up after you have made the custom status in a normal modify window.
But even in a normal task or note window I can`t choose anything but private or public.
Thanks for your effort!
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by logies »

MetalDrop wrote:So there is a very high chance that in order to "test" the business/network features you'll need to be using trial versions of EPIM on all the clients you wish to test simultaneously logged in as well.
My terminal server (lite version) from Thinstuff is up and running, that`s a 2 minute install for a demo period of 14 days (http://thinstuff.com/releases/Thinstuff ... est-EN.zip).
So yes, SYSDBA and one user are logged in at the moment, but SYSDBA cannot delegate anything to the user. The Windows account with SYSDBA is the only with adminstrative Windows rights.
Maybe the version I`m using is the problem? Essential PIM Pro 7.21. I downloaded EssentialPIMProNet7.exe.
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by MetalDrop »

logies wrote:
MetalDrop wrote: Like most things in the context menu the custom item only show's up after you have made the custom status in a normal modify window.
But even in a normal task or note window I can`t choose anything but private or public.
Thanks for your effort!
That strange, that should only be the case if you are not actually logged in through the server.
Are you opening the data base via:
File > Open
or
File > Connect to Server...

(File > Connect to server... is the one you want to be using, even if it's on your host system.)
EPIM Portable Pro Running/Tested On: Windows 11 Pro 64-bit US-ENG|i5-6400+Quadro P620|i7-7700K+1050ti|i7-8700K+970GTX|AMD 5600x+1080ti|16GB+RAM&NVMe SSDs
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by MetalDrop »

logies wrote:
MetalDrop wrote:So there is a very high chance that in order to "test" the business/network features you'll need to be using trial versions of EPIM on all the clients you wish to test simultaneously logged in as well.
My terminal server (lite version) from Thinstuff is up and running, that`s a 2 minute install for a demo period of 14 days (http://thinstuff.com/releases/Thinstuff ... est-EN.zip).
So yes, SYSDBA and one user are logged in at the moment, but SYSDBA cannot delegate anything to the user. The Windows account with SYSDBA is the only with adminstrative Windows rights.
Maybe the version I`m using is the problem? Essential PIM Pro 7.21. I downloaded EssentialPIMProNet7.exe.
When I get some time probably in the next couple days I'll set up a new VM and test out the Thinstuff terminal server and see what I can't figure out. I always enjoy learning new things. :D
EPIM Portable Pro Running/Tested On: Windows 11 Pro 64-bit US-ENG|i5-6400+Quadro P620|i7-7700K+1050ti|i7-8700K+970GTX|AMD 5600x+1080ti|16GB+RAM&NVMe SSDs
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by logies »

Windows 10 Pro. But it is not a problem of the terminal server. I just installed EPIM on another machine and connected to the EPIM-Database (after adding a new firewall rule for Firebird). Same picture: no users to choose from in tasks. I tried to downgrade to 6.58, but a database created by 7.21 cannot be opened by 6.58. I am really frustrated. I have tested hundreds of programs during the last 25 years and have written for computer magazines. I`m an experienced admin for small networks. That the company does not see any reason to chime in is annoying.
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by logies »

MetalDrop wrote: (File > Connect to server... is the one you want to be using, even if it's on your host system.)
Of course. I have been looking into the manual of EssentialPIM for setting up the system and have searched for a problem solution on this forum. On another system I have running a PostgreSQL-Database for another client-server-program so that`s not new to me (fiddling with firewall, NTFS rights, using a VPN like Logmein Hamachi for connecting over the internet, solving problems with software running on a terminal server etc.). At the moment I still think it may be a bug with the demo version of EPIM Pro Business and the licences it is granting. Or it is a bug with the new database created by EPIM 7.21, because longer, upgrading users don`t seem to have this problem. Or it is a bug of the EPIM client - which version are you using? Or it is a bug with user names (I`m using 2 letter names like ml, ak...) or user rights (using the defaults). It should be easy to confirm this bug on a fresh VM with a fresh install of the EPIM Pro Business demo version. At the moment I don`t believe that`s a PEBCAK because usually I can work problems out together with support staff or developers. Thanks!
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Re: Networking with colleagues using EPIM

Post by MetalDrop »

After setting up a VM of windows 10 getting everything setup and trying 7.2x
I couldn't get users permissions to work properly in trial mode, however as soon as I activated EPIM with my Network key it works fine. So I'd say this dose seem to be some kind of bug. Hopefully the admin see this and do something about it for you.
It seems like you can still test everything else, but I could see it being quite annoying if you can't test a key feature you need.
EPIM Portable Pro Running/Tested On: Windows 11 Pro 64-bit US-ENG|i5-6400+Quadro P620|i7-7700K+1050ti|i7-8700K+970GTX|AMD 5600x+1080ti|16GB+RAM&NVMe SSDs
[I'm helpful and often reply to questions, however I am just a fellow user and not staff.]
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