ComRes
A Public Access Computer
Reservation and Scheduling System
(Version 1.15)
User Manual
2007
InfoWorks Technology Company
Copyright 2007 InfoWorks Technology Company
All Rights Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted,
transcribed, stored in any retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form
by any means, without the written permission of InfoWorks Technology Company.
All products and service names mentioned are trademarks or service
marks of their respective holders.
Table of Contents
1. Overview
2. System Requirement
3. Installation
4. Demo
5. How ComRes Works
6. Running the Manager
6.1
Starting the Manager
6.2 Adding Client PCs
6.3 Saving and Opening a Client PC File
6.4 Changing Office Hour and
Holiday Setup
6.5 Changing Mode Password
6.6 Admin Mode and User Mode
6.7 Usage Statistics and Log File
6.8 Session Length,
Windows 9x PCs, and
Other Parameters
6.9 Scheduling a Session
6.10 Extending a Session
6.11 Canceling a Session
6.12 Session Information
6.13 Starting and Stopping Managing
Sessions for Client PCs
6.14 Sending a Message to a
Client PC
6.15 Issuing Commands for Log Off, Reboot, and Shutdown a Client PC
6.16 Client PC Information
6.17
Account Password and Session Password
6.18 Reset Session Password Command
6.19 Removing a Client PC
7. Running Client Agent Software and Client PC Security
8. Technical Support
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1. OVERVIEW
ComRes
is a public access computer reservation and scheduling system. It is very easy
to install and set up. It intelligently automates the process of managing time
on PACs. It consists of two modules: Manager and Client.
Manager
is installed on your staff PCs to take reservation and control access. Client
agent is installed on PACs to accept commands from and communicate with the
Manager module.
ComRes
will save you time and make your difficult tasks much easier.
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2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENT
ComRes
runs on TCP/IP based Microsoft Windows NT/2000 network. Manager module requires
Windows NT/2000/XP workstations or servers. Client module runs on Windows
95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP. Windows NT/2000/XP are recommended because of their tight logon
security.
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3. INSTALLATION
Before
installing the ComRes, you need to complete the following tasks:
-
Set up a domain
user account for each PC. Make sure the account user name
(for example: pac1, pac2...) can easily
identify each client PC.
-
Set up an account for the staff PC with administrator or Account Operators privileges.
-
Each client PC should be given a unique computer name. It is recommended that
the names have some meanings so that you can easily identify each client PC with
them. The names can be set up at
Control Panel | Network | Identification | Computer Name.
-
Each client PC should
have an either static or dynamic IP address.
After
completing the above tasks, you are ready to install ComRes.
Installing
Manager on a staff PC:
To install ComRes
Manager from disks:
-
Insert
Disk 1 in your floppy drive.
-
Click
on Start and choose Run.
-
Type
a:\setup or b:\setup, depending on the floppy drive you are using. Press
<Enter>.
-
Follow
the instructions on your computer screen until the installation process is
completed.
To install
ComRes Manager from
downloaded file:
-
Check the location of the comresm.exe file you downloaded.
-
Click on Start and
choose Run.
-
Type x:\temp\comresm.exe
where x:\temp is the folder that contains the file comresm.exe. Click on
OK or press <Enter>.
-
Follow the instructions on
your computer screen until the installation process is completed.
Installing
Client on public access computers:
To install ComRes
Client from disks:
-
Insert
Disk 1 in your floppy drive.
-
Click
on Start and choose Run.
-
Type
a:\setup or b:\setup, depending on the floppy drive you are using. Press
<Enter>.
-
Follow
the instructions on your computer screen until the installation process is
completed.
To install
ComRes Client from
downloaded file:
-
Check the location of the comresc.exe file you downloaded.
-
Click on Start and
choose Run.
-
Type x:\temp\comresc.exe
where x:\temp is the folder that contains the file comresc.exe. Click on
OK or press <Enter>.
-
Follow the instructions on
your computer screen until the installation process is completed.
When
asked if you want to put a key in the registry, click on Yes so that the
client can start automatically when the Windows operating system is started.
After
the installation, ComRes Client will automatically starts each time when the PC
boots.
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4. DEMO
The demo version has all the major functions and
features except that it only allows you to manage one client PC.
5. HOW COMRES WORKS
ComRes
consists of two modules: Manager and Client Agent. Manager is the control
center, where reservation is processed and appropriate commands are issued to
client agents. Based on the commands from the Manager module, client agents can
log off the user, shut down or reboot the PC, and issue warning messages.
When
a session is up, the current user will be logged out. The Manager will reset up the
password and issue a new one so that next user can log in with the new password.
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6. RUNNING THE MANAGER
6.1 Starting
the Manager
6.1 Starting
the Manager
To
start the Manager:
For
the first time you run the Manager, you will be prompted to enter your
institution name and a password (for example: manager) for switching Admin mode and User mode. Please
write down the password and keep it in a safe place.
6.2
Adding
Client PCs
6.2
Adding
Client PCs
In
order to manage PCs, you need to provide information on those public access
computers to the Manager.
When
you add a PC, make sure both the PC and the client software are running.
To
add a client PC:
-
Highlight the Managed Computers and click on the right button of your mouse. Select
Add Computer.
-
Type in the computer name, IP address, domain user name, and user
password. If you are using DHCP, IP addresses are not required.
-
Check Domain Account if the user name and password are for a domain account. For
Windows 95/98/Me, you have to use domain accounts.
-
Click on OK to add the computer and click on Cancel to cancel the action.
When
the computer is added, the Manager will try to establish a connection to the
computer. If the connection is successful, a green checker will be displayed
next to the name of the computer.
If
a connection can not be established, the color of the checker will be red.
It
is a good practice to constantly look the client PC tree to find the status of
the client agent software on client PCs.
6.2
Adding
Client PCs
In
order to manage PCs, you need to provide information on those public access
computers to the Manager.
When
you add a PC, make sure both the PC and the client software are running.
To
add a client PC:
-
Highlight the
Managed Computers and click on the right button of your mouse. Select
Add Computer.
-
Type in the computer name, IP address, domain user name, and user
password. If you are using DHCP, IP addresses are not required.
-
Check
Domain Account if the user name and password are for a domain account. For
Windows 95/98/Me, you have to use domain accounts.
-
Click on
OK to add the computer and click on Cancel to cancel the action.
When
the computer is added, the Manager will try to establish a connection to the
computer. If the connection is successful, a green checker will be displayed
next to the name of the computer.
If
a connection can not be established, the color of the checker will be red.
It
is a good practice to constantly look the client PC tree to find the status of
the client agent software on client PCs.
In
order to manage PCs, you need to provide information on those public access
computers to the Manager.
When
you add a PC, make sure both the PC and the client software are running.
To
add a client PC:
-
Highlight the Managed Computers and click on the right button of your mouse. Select
Add Computer.
-
Type in the computer name, IP address, domain user name, and user
password. If you are using DHCP, IP addresses are not required.
-
Check Domain Account if the user name and password are for a domain account. For
Windows 95/98/Me, you have to use domain accounts.
-
Click on OK to add the computer and click on Cancel to cancel the action.
When
the computer is added, the Manager will try to establish a connection to the
computer. If the connection is successful, a green checker will be displayed
next to the name of the computer.
If
a connection can not be established, the color of the checker will be red.
It
is a good practice to constantly look the client PC tree to find the status of
the client agent software on client PCs.
6.3
Saving
and Opening an Info File
The
client computers and reservation information can be saved. All the information on the computers, including
reservation information, will be preserved. The file can be opened the next time
when you run the Manager.
To
save the PC and reservation information:
Choose
Save or Save As in the File menu.
To
open the PC and reservation information file:
Choose
Open in the File menu and select a file. Or click on a file name listed in the
File menu.
Attention:
in order to avoid unexpected data loss, save the reservation information as
soon as you make changes.
6.3
Saving
and Opening an Info File
The
client computers and reservation information can be saved. All the information on the computers, including
reservation information, will be preserved. The file can be opened the next time
when you run the Manager.
To
save the PC and reservation information:
Choose
Save or Save As in the File menu.
To
open the PC and reservation information file:
Choose
Open in the File menu and select a file. Or click on a file name listed in the
File menu.
Attention:
in order to avoid unexpected data loss, save the reservation information as
soon as you make changes.
The
client computers and reservation information can be saved. All the information on the computers, including
reservation information, will be preserved. The file can be opened the next time
when you run the Manager.
To
save the PC and reservation information:
Choose
Save or Save As in the File menu.
To
open the PC and reservation information file:
Choose
Open in the File menu and select a file. Or click on a file name listed in the
File menu.
Attention:
in order to avoid unexpected data loss, save the reservation information as
soon as you make changes.
6.4
Changing
Office Hour and Holiday Setup
You
set up these two parameters so that the Manager knows when the computers can be
reserved.
To
change the office hours:
-
Choose Office Hour in the Tool menu.
-
Make changes.
-
Click on OK to accept the changes. You will be prompted to reset all sessions.
-
Click on Yes to reset all the sessions and click on No to cancel the resetting.
If
a holiday is added, reservation will not be available during the holiday and the
date will not be shown in the managed PC list. To add a holiday:
To
remove a holiday:
6.5
Changing Mode Password
When
you switch from User mode to Admin mode, a
password is required. The initial password is set up when you run the Manager
for the first time.
To
change the password:
6.6 Admin
Mode and User Mode
User
mode allows session management only. Tool menu and some administrative commands
are not available in User mode. Admin mode offers full management privileges.
When
the Manager starts, it will be in Admin mode.
To switch between User and Admin
mode:
6.7 Usage
Statistics and Log File
The
usage statistics will give you information on how much time the client PCs were
reserved.
To
check the usage statistics:
-
Click
on Tool.
-
Choose Usage
Statistics.
Usage
statistics are generated based on the log file. It shows how the PC was
reserved. For example, if the usage is 23%, it means that 77% of the PC time is
reserved. Nobody reserves for the other 77% of the PC time.
You may need to clean up the log
file after several months of using the Manager. To clean up the log file:
6.8 Session Length,
Windows 9x PCs, and Other Parameters
In
the Manger, each session can be half hour, one hour, or two hours. By default,
the session length is 30 minutes. You can change it by choosing Option in the
Tool menu. In the Session Settings, you can also decide the maximum number of sessions a user can reserve in a day. The default number is 2.
You
can also change the reservation period, which decides how many days will be
shown in the Manager. You can choose one day, two days, one week, two weeks, or
one month. If you choose one week, you can make a reservation for any session of
either today or the next seven days. You can not go beyond 8 days.
Attention: If you check Reboot computer when logoff user on Windows 9x, ComRes will log
users off by rebooting the PCs when a session is up. By default, ComRes
uses Windows logoff to terminate user sessions. This option is provided
based on the fact that Windows 9x PCs can not be logged off when some
Microsoft Office applications are running. Whether or not to check this
option depends on the user applications running on the PCs. Usually, if
you have Microsoft Office application on these client PCs, check this
option.
6.9 Scheduling
a Session
To
schedule a session:
-
Choose
a client PC.
-
Click
on the date the user wants.
-
Click
on an available session and click on your right button of your mouse.
-
Choose
Reserve from the command menu.
-
Enter
the patron's name, ID, phone number, and email address. Only patron name is
required.
-
Click
on OK to accept the information and Cancel to cancel the reservation process.
-
When
you click on Ok, a password will be given. It will be needed in order to log in
the PC for the reserved session.
-
Give
the patron the reserved date, time, workstation, and password.
6.10 Extending
a Session
The
length of a session is limited. To reserve two or more consecutive sessions,
Extend command is very useful. For example, a patron wants to reserve two
sessions (from 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM). You use the regular procedure to schedule
the first session (9:30 AM-10:00 AM) (Session length is half hour) for the
patron. You then click on this reserved session. Click on the right button of
your mouse. Choose Extend. The session of 10:00 AM-10:30 AM is automatically
reserved for the same patron! Using Extend command, you can
easily reserve multiple consecutive sessions for the same user easily.
6.11 Canceling
a Session
To
cancel a reserved session:
-
Highlight
the reserved session by clicking on it.
-
Click
on the right button of your mouse to display a list of commands.
-
Choose Cancel.
-
Click
on Yes to confirm and No to cancel the process.
6.12 Session
Information
To
get the information about a specific session:
-
Highlight
the session by clicking on it.
-
Click
on the right button of your mouse and display a list of commands.
-
Choose Properties. The patron's name, the account user name, and the password will be
shown.
6.13 Starting
and Stopping Managing Sessions for Client PCs
If
managing sessions for a PC is terminated, the Manager will not issue any command
to it. The reserved sessions become invalid. "Unconnected" will be
displayed on the client agent title box.
If
you restart the time managing process, the
Manager will reestablish the managing process for the client PC.
To
terminate the managing process:
To
restart the managing process:
6.14 Sending
a Message to a Client PC
You
can send a message to a specific PC at any time. The message will be displayed
on the screen of the client PC. It can be a warning message, a reminder, or a
welcome message.
To
send a message from the Manager on a staff PC to a client PC:
-
Highlight
the client PC.
-
Click
on the right button of your mouse and choose Send Message. Send Message box will
appear.
-
Type
the message you want to send to the screen of the client PC.
-
Click
on Send to send the message and Cancel to cancel the process.
6.15 Issuing
Commands to Log Off, Reboot, and Shutdown a Client PC
You
can issue log off, reboot, or shutdown commands to a client PC from the Manager:
-
Highlight
the client PC.
-
Click
on the right button of your mouse and choose Log Off, Reboot, or Shutdown. The
client PC will be logged off, rebooted, or shut down.
6.16 Client
PC Information and the Current Password
To
get the information about a specific PC:
-
Highlight
the PC by clicking on it.
-
Click
on the right button of your mouse and choose Properties. The computer name,
account name, account password, and current session password will be displayed.
6.17
Account Password and Session Password
The account password is the default
password. You enter it when you add a PC. The session password is the one you
currently need to log on the network.
By the end of each day, the session
password will be automatically reset to the default account password.
6.18
Reset Session Password Command
The current password can be reset at
any time. To issue a new password to a PC:
6.19 Removing
a Client PC
To
remove a PC from the Manager:
-
Highlight
the PC by clicking on it.
-
Click
on the right button of your mouse and display a list of commands.
-
Choose Remove.
-
Click
on Yes to confirm and No to cancel the process.
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7.
RUNNING CLIENT AGENT SOFTWARE AND CLIENT PC
SECURITY
The
client agent software runs on client PCs. When Windows starts, the agent
software will run automatically. Based on instructions from the Manager, the
client software can log out the current user, reboot the PCs, display a message
on screen, and shut down the PCs.
When a client is running, a timer is
displayed on the top of the screen to indicate the status of the session. Two
minutes before a session ends, the timer window will start flashing.
There
are several issues:
-
When
a user is logged out, he/she needs a new password in order to log back on your
network. However, if you are using Windows 95/98/Me, users can still get into
Windows (not on your NT network) by clicking on Cancel on the network logon
window.
-
As
you know, running the agent software is necessary for the Manager to manage
sessions on the PCs. However, experienced users can find ways to stop the agent
software.
-
In Windows 95/98/Me,
when a user logs on with a new network password, the local logon
window may appear. The user may be prompted to enter a new local
password.
-
When Microsoft Office
applications are running on Windows 9x client PCs, ComRes cannot
log off the client PCs properly (See 6.8 for solutions).
To
solve the above possible problems, the followings can be done:
Install
desktop access control software, such as WinSuite (marketed and supported by
InfoWorks technology Company. Check http://www.itcompany.com for more
information), WinLock, Fortres, or X-Setup (free for library use. http://www.xteq.com).
They can disable the Cancel command on Win95/98/Me network logon
window. They can also prevent users from terminating running
applications. They can effectively secure your PCs and solve the above
potential problems.
One way to disable the local
logon window (Win95/98/Me) is to edit the registry:
Start the registry editor (regedit.exe)
-
Move to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Network
-
From the Edit menu, select New -
DWORD Value.
-
Enter a name of DisablePwdCaching
and press Enter.
-
Double click on the new value and
set it to 1. Click on OK.
-
Close the registry editor and
reboot the computer.
Constantly
monitor the status of client PCs on the Manager. In the Managed Computers tree
in the Manager, you can see the status of each PCs. If the connection to the
client software fails, a red cross will appear next to the PC.
Check Reboot computer when logoff
user on Windows 9x in the Option in the Tool menu if you have
Microsoft Office applications running (see 6.8).
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8. TECHNICAL SUPPORT
For technical support, please visit the
company's web site at http://www.itcompany.com/
or email us at support@itcompany.com.
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