How to
use the SARTrack Database system
All SARTrack (Clients) must connect to a Database Server
(which is automatic on the local LAN/WIFI), and will require a Login
and
Password. There are several
layers of access: Supervisor, Operations, Data Entry, Read-Only and
'Database Server'.
Only the Supervisor can add new Users on the Database Server,
and give
them the required access level.
Non-New
Zealand users: Using the existing SARTrack Internet Database
Server in Europe:
SARTrack
Limited has set up a worldwide Internet based SARTrack Database
Server in Europe. (In Germany, because of its good privacy
regulations)
This Server is now Subscription based: To share the cost of the VPS between a group of SARTrack users, SARTrack charges now USD$25.00 per Year, to recover the cost of the VPS.
This is much cheaper than leasing a whole VPS just for your own organisation!
If your
organisation wants to use this Server, please:
- Make a deposit of USD$25.00 to SARTrack using the Donation web page:
https://www.sartrack.nz/donations.html . Please add "European Server" as a Reference.
- Then send an
email to
info@sartrack.co.nz with the following information for your initial Supervisor:
Login name;
First name;
Last name;
Initial Password;
And the SARTrack "GroupID" you
wish to use use for your organisation.
(The
SARTrack GroupID is a number between 100 and 25000, initially randomly
generated when you install SARTrack, but it must be the same on all
your SARTrack computers once
you have selected one. The range between 5000 and 7000 is
reserved for New Zealand.)
- Also please notify me that you made a donation for this, and how this was done.
I will set you up on the server with Supervisor access,
and you can change your password later if you wish.
See below on how to set up the SARTrack Client to directly connect to
this Database Server.
New
Zealand users ONLY:
Since November 2017, NZSAR has installed a New Zealand based Database
Server for NZ Search and Rescue groups only.
To be able to use this server, please send an email to
info@sartrack.co.nz with your Group name, and I will allocate you a
'GroupID' and Callsign range.
For local
use (In the field, and at a Permanent Base), you
install a Local Database
Server on ONE
computer only. See below for the Setup procedure.
Please have a look
at the recommended Database / SARTrack Clients Setup for both a
Permanent Base and Remote location.
If you are going to install your
own Internet
Based Database Server, you must set this one up first.
Details
on this in Advanced Setup.
Installing a
Local Database SERVER:
Download and install the
package: http://www.sartrack.nz/downloads/SartrackServerInstall.exe
After installation you will see a new Icon on the Desktop with an "M" in it,
called SARTrack Server Monitor.
When
you click on this, it will start the "SARTrack Monitor"
program, in 32
bit mode. This program will detect if you have a 32 bit or 64 bit
operating system, and then start the correct "SARTrack Server"
version.
The 'Monitor' program will check if the Server is still running,
and will attempt to restart the Server if it is not running. The
"Monitor" program will minimize itself into the Windows Icon tray, from
where you can open it to close/restart the Server.
On first start of the
Database Server, the Setup window
will open.
In the primary Setup,
use a
*** UNIQUE ***
CALLSIGN/SSID! Never should any Callsign/SSID be the same
as any other SARTrack Server or SARTRack Client callsign/SSID.
Every SARTrack computer (Server or Client) MUST have a
unique callsign/SSID!
Examples: CALLAA,
CALLAB, CALLAC, CALLAC-1, CALLAC-2, CALLAC-3, etc. are all different
and are okay.
The option "This
is the Internet Master Server" should NOT be ticked, except when
you are installing your OWN permanent Internet based
server, please see below for Advanced
Setup).
The difference between a "Local Database Server" and an "Internet
Master Database Server" is with this menu selection "Thisr is the
Internet Master Server" and it
will completely change the behaviour of the Server, so take care with
this setting!
There can only be one Internet Master Server.
Please
click on the Help button in Setup for full information on the required
settings.
NOTE: To connect direct to your own Local
Database Server for the first time, log in
with the special login name: "ServerAdmin"
and the special password which you have just set up in your local
Database Server Setup.
This gives you 'root' access to the Server.
In this
state you have full access into the local Server regardless of
the 'GroupID' you have set up in the SARTrack client, but
when you add/edit more Database Users, these will be generated
under the 'GroupID' which you have set in SARTrack client
at that moment. This is mostly an issue if you are setting up your own
Internet based Master Database Server, which may serve more than one
'GroupID'.
Connecting the Local
Database Server to an Internet based
Master Database Server:
You
can program the Local Server to connect to an Internet based Master
Server to
synchronize the (Active Operation) database between these two servers.
This is a powerfull feature, as it allows you to work in a remote area,
with multiple SARTrack clients connected via a local LAN or WIFI, but
have SARTrack clients anywhere in the world linked into the Operation
via the Internet based Server. This will work even with an
intermittent Internet connection (Satellite link or Mobile Broadband),
as the two Servers will re-synchonize on re-connect, and immediately
update all SARTrack clients on both sides. See this image
on how this works.
Please read the Server help for more details.
NOTE: Be aware: You
can only connect your Local Server to an Internet Master Database
Server when a special DTB Login
& Password has been set up for it at the Master
Server!
- First use your SARTrack client
to connect to the Internet
Master Server (using your personal
Supervisor Login) and add
a special Login
& Password for your Local Database Server in 'DTBUsers' with an
access level of "DatabaseServer".
- Then set up this same Login
and Password in your Local Database Server 'Remote Server Setup'.
The
'DTBUsers' (Database Users) button is located in the Management Menu:
First in the Main
Menu click on 'Operations' to open the Operations Menu. At the bottom
of this menu, click on 'Manage Menu', then click on 'DTBUsers'.
Note: you
must first be logged into a Database Server before you can access this
menu.
You can
not
connect your Local Server to the Master Internet Server using your own
personal 'Supervisor' level login! It must be a special
'Database
Server' login.
Please read the following steps for details:
1) If you
are running a Local Database Server on the same PC, you must first SHUT THIS DOWN.
2) In the Connection
Menu, right-click on Database, and select 'Setup Database Server''.
3)
Select your SARTrack Internet
Master Database Server ('dtb-eu.sartrack.net,
'dtb-nz.sartrack.nz'
or your own
Internet Master Server).
4) Login to
the Master server using your personal Supervisor Login and password. Make sure you use the correct
GroupID !
5) Under 'DTBUsers'
set up a NEW Database User Login for your own LOCAL
Database Server with a unique login name, and an Access Level
of "DatabaseServer".
(If
you are going to use TWO Local Database Servers (One at a Permanent
Base and one for in the Field) you can set up two separate
Login/passwords for
these two local servers, but it is also allowed to use the same Login)
6) Restart
your Local Database
Server.
7) In your Local
Server Remote Connection setup (Click on "Remote"), select
the same name
or IP address
of your Internet Master Server and the same Login and Password
you have just set up for this LOCAL Server there. Do NOT try
to use another Login, it
must be the
special Login with an Access Level of "DatabaseServer".
You can
now connect your Local Server to the Internet Database Server.
Do make sure to add
more User logins on your Database Server for all other users in your
organisation, with the appropriate Access Levels (in most cases use
'Operations', not 'Supervisor').
NOTE: The Database User
Login's (DTBuser's) are automatically synchronized between the Local
Server and the Internet Server. Once you have set them up on one
Server, they should be available on BOTH Servers after these have
connected and synchonized. So all your users should then be able to Log
into either the Local server, or the Internet Server as required.
*******************************************************
The
SARTrack client:
http://www.sartrack.nz/downloads/sartrack_inst.exe
Make sure ALL your computers run the SAME and latest version of
SARTrack, and are all set up with the same GroupID (in
Setup>SAR).
After
logging into the Internet Master Database Server, or your own Local
Database
Server (using "ServerAdmin") you can add more 'DTBUsers' (Database
Users) which are all other people allowed
to log into the Server.
- In the SARTrack "Manage Menu"
click on "DTB Users"
and enter new User accounts with their access levels, including one for
yourself with Supervisor access. (If
that was not already done) After that you should no longer have to use
the primary "ServerAdmin" login when using a Local Database Server.
The new 'DTBUsers' can now log in from all SARTrack computers connected
to the Database Server.
(Note: If
you are also using an Internet based Database Server, any DTBUsers on
that server will be synchonized with the Local Server on first connect.
So, all database users will then be able to connect either to the Local
Server or the Internet Server.)
If you where using the 'ServerAdmin' login, you can now logout, and
then Login again using your own private DTBUser account.
- Once
connected, click on "Operations", this will
open the new Operations Menu.
- In the Operation Log window,
start a new Active Operation (Supervisor access required).
On
all SARTrack clients, in "Connection
Setup>Database", set
the Database Server to be used (or Automatic when on the local
LAN/WIFI) and select "Connect to Server".
SARTrack
will ask the user for a Login and Password. When correctly entered by
the operator the
Client will connect with the preset Access Level and download the
databases. If a new Operation has
started it will close all Windows,
switch to the new Operation, and re-open the Operations Log window.
Note:
If you run a SARTrack client on the same
computer on which the Local Server
is running, the 'Server' field will be fixed at 'localhost'. If you
want to connect to another Database Server, you must shutdown the
Server on the local computer first.
If
you wish, you
can now try to connect one
of the SARTrack computers to an APRS
Server on the
Internet, or to one or more a radio/satellite based tracking devices.
All data received from the
APRS network or tracking devices will now appear on all Server
connected SARTrack Clients.
NOTE: Only ONE SARTrack Client should be
connected to the Internet APRS-IS
network or a tracking device!
Please report any problems (in
detail) by using the Client or Server 'Debug' window, 'send Bug report'
and attach the
Debug file. In some cases it may be required
that you send it from all affected computers (including the Server!),
so I
can compare the Debug logs.
Please report ALL
problems and bugs you may encounter. I rely heavily on feedback to be
able to fix bugs in the program.
Advanced
Setup: Installing an Internet based permanent Master Database Server
I
strongly recommend that you use a real VPS (Virtual Private Server)
which you can lease from many companies in the world. Do NOT use a
Server which is installed at some (home) location via an ADSL modem for
real Operations, as the risk is to great that the Server may be
unavailable due to ADSL problems, or because somebody switched off the
PC...
You can only
have ONE Internet Master Server.
When installing on a VPS, this will generally be a
Microsoft Server. Any version will do, the cheaper the better. The
SARTrack
German server runs on 'Microsoft Server 2012'.
1 Gb memory is more than enough, and diskspace is also barely required.
Just select the cheapest option.
After
downloading and installing the Database Server, you can initially
proceed as per Local Database Server above, except that you now check
the box "Server is on the Internet". This will completely change the
way the Server interacts with all connected Clients.
Once the
Server is running, you will have to open up the Firewall ports in the
'Microsoft Server'. Even if you are using a desktop version of Windows,
you still need to give SARTrackServer32.exe or SARTrackServer64.exe
full Internet access.
When it is required to select the
actual Ports: SARTrackServer uses the following INCOMING ports: 8050,
8051: Primary and secundary TCP ports. 8052: DebugLog port. 8053 HTTP
Web port (NOT Port 80).
So, you can open a range
of incoming TCP ports: 8050 to 8053.
The Server also uses OUTGOING ports for SMTP (Normaly port 587) and the
FTP port.
Then the SARTrackMonitor.exe program requires OUTGOING access to the
FTP port 21, to be able to download the Updates.
Once you have all this done, you may need to restart the Database
Server (via the Monitor program).
The
initial Login to the Server (using a SARTrack client) must be done with
the special Login name of "ServerAdmin", and the password you have set
up in the Server Setup for this.
Do make sure
that in the SARTrack client, you have set up the correct GroupID you are
planning to use.
You
can now click on the 'DTBUsers' button in the Management Menu and start
adding more Database User Login's, and one for yourself.
You also
need to add special DBBUser Login's for your Local Database
Server(s) with the special Access Level of "SartrackServer".
IMPORTANT: At the
present time, the Database Server runs in Windows 'User
space': It will only
run after you have logged
into Windows! The Database Server does
NOT run automatically after a Windows reboot.
You must first log in for it to run, and you cannot Log log out, else
the Server will stop. Instead of logging out, just use the Switch User
option, or when connected to a Windows Server with Windows Remote
Desktop, just close that session, and the Login will stay active.
For more technical information on how the SARTrack Database system
actually works, read this document. (Only if you
are interested in the technical background).
Thanks,
Bart Kindt
CEO, SARTrack developer