Kennel Connection Multi-Location Setup

Below contains some information on Kennel Connection specific requirements for using the Multi-Location module. Failure to setup or update Kennel Connection as mentioned below will cause issues for all users at all locations. This document assumes you already have an install of Kennel Connection on your main computer that will be used for the multi-location environment. If you do not, please install the KC software before proceeding. 

1. Creating Folders: Kennel Connection saves some settings to a local .ini file called wkennel.ini. No two locations can share a .ini file as it will result in settings being overwritten by the other location. If you’re already using the multi-location module and experiencing issues with disappearing receipt printers or skins/backgrounds not saving or anything similar, it’s more than likely due to not having separate .ini files. To setup KC for a multi-location environment, you must have separate KC folders for each location. The easiest solution is this:
   • Locate your main install folder for your Kennel Connection software It should be either C:\KC6 or C:\KC7 depending on your version. This will be your MAIN-Locations folder.
     
     
   • Create a new folder on the same drive by right clicking > New Folder and call it KC6-Second Location Name or KC7-Second Location Name. (Do this for as many locations as you have) 5 locations = 5 KC folders and so on.
     
     
   • Open the main KC install folder, select and copy all contents.
     
     
   • Open each other folder you created for the other locations and paste the contents.
     
     
   • If each location will have separate pet pictures, documents and receipts, you’ll need to modify the wkennel.ini file for each location. Open the wkennel.ini file in notepad and at the top, you’ll need to edit the data directory (DataDir=)
     
     

You can see the DataDir=KC7. This means that when the KC7.exe file from the main install folder is launched, it will look at this KC7 folder only for pix, docs and receipts. If all the locations are going to share the same pix, docs and receipts folders, leave the DataDir set to the main install directory for all locations.

2. Folder Permissions: All users that use Kennel Connection MUST have full read/write permissions to their own KC folder. The easiest solution to this is to set permissions for user “Everyone” to have FULL Read/Write permissions. Any other setup may result in permission issues.

You should now have all your locations folders setup, modified and permissions set properly. Now, using whichever remote software (Usually Microsoft Terminal Services/RDS is used), you’ll want to assign users to their appropriate KC folders/executables.

• Users from the MAIN location should point to the main KC install folders (KC6 or KC7) executable. Kcw6.exe or KC7.exe
  
  
• Users from the second location should point to their own second locations KC folders (KC6-Second location Name or KC7-Second Location Name) executable KCw6.exe or KC7.exe

Continue pointing the location’s users to their appropriate folder until completed. Depending again on the remote software you’re using, you can then create an icon to place on the remote locations computers/desktop so when they click it, it automatically remotes to the server and opens the KC software.

 Part 2. Installing updates: 

Installing updates to a multi-location environment is quite simple. Follow the below:

1. Log all users out of the software and create a backup of the KC database. (It is good practice to verify the backup was created before proceeding.)
   
   
2. Download the latest pertinent update file from http://support.bluecrystalsoftware.com under the “updates” section on the left hand side.
   
   
3. If KC6, install the update to the MAIN KC6 install folder (This is the folder that was created when you first installed Kennel Connection 6.0.) Be sure to check that the install path is correct before proceeding. If KC7, it will automatically install to the MAIN KC7 install folder when you click the “next’ button.
   
   When the installer is complete, open the MAIN KC folder and select all files EXCEPT the following:
   1. KCDocs
   2. Logs
   3. Pix
   4. Receipts
   5. Wkennel.ini
      
      
      1. Right click or Ctrl + C to copy all the selected files.
         
         
      2. Open the second locations KC folder and paste. (This will need to overwrite many files.) Do this same action for all the locations folders.
         
         

**Note that many locations using the Multi-Loc database and Terminal Services will allow the users at the physical location of the server to still use Host/Client local networking instead of Terminal Services. This will save on cost of the CAL licensing as you’ll only need to purchase the remote licensing for the remote locations. Please understand that if this method is used, the location using peer to peer will still have the KC software installed locally on every machine and when it comes time to update, the update will have to be installed to every one of those workstations along with the server as mentioned above.