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DNA Baser Sequence Assembler
Network setup

components

 

 DNA chromatogram assembly

Summary

 

To install and run DNA Baser in your network you need to perform the following basic steps:

  1. Download DNA Baser Network version and install it in your computers
  2. Start DNA Baser Network as server on the server computer
  3. Start DNA Baser Network as client on the client computer(s)

Below we have detailed these three steps.

Jump to:

 

 

  • 1. Installation
  • 2. Starting the server
  • 3. Starting the client(s)

 

a) Choose a machine to use it as "server"

 

Hardware requirements

DNA Baser Server doesn't need a dedicated server. As server you can use any computer that can run Windows NT 5 (64MB or RAM) or Windows XP (128MB of RAM). If you have an unused old laptop that is laying around you can use it as "server". A laptop computer requires 3-8 times less energy than a desktop computer. DNA Baser Server requires only few MB of RAM and it takes less than 0.5% of your CPU, so it can use the "server" for other regular tasks while DNA Baser Server is running in background.

Software requirements

DNA Baser is a monolithic/system independent application. It is OS friendly as it DOES NOT install stuff (DLL, Java, dot NET, services, etc) in your OS. The only file it might install in your Windows is a small font file (it installs the font only if it runs with administrator privileges).

Network speed

The network speed can be a bottleneck but only for few seconds when the client tries to connect to the server. A client may need few good seconds to connect to the server and ask for a valid license it your network is slow or overloaded

 

B) Download the Network version of DNA Baser

 

If you read this page it means that you have purchased the "Network" license. This means that in order to operate the software you need to download the Network version of DNA Baser. The key WILL NOT WORK if you don't download this version.

Note: This version can act both as client and server so you need install it in all your computers. In other words you don't have to download two different packages - a Server package and a Client package.

 

 

C) Install the software

 

The installation process of DNA Baser Server is similar with the installation process of the standard (single user) edition described here (see steps 1-4).

 

To install the software as server:

I.   Double click the program

II.  Choose a destination folder

III. When the program starts, shut it down. It is important NOT to operate it (for example not use it to retrieve computer's ID) as by default it starts in "Client" mode. We need it to operate it in "Server" mode. For this see the information in the next tab: "Starting the server".

 

To install the software on client computers:

Follow the steps I. and II. above. Ignore step III.

 

We will assume that the installation folder is "C:\DNA Baser\". If you choose a different folder please change all commands below accordingly.

 

Unlocking the program

 

Before starting DNA Baser Server for the first time you may want to enter your unlock key if you have one. If you don't have your key you need to contact us and request one.

Using the "RegisterServer.cmd" script file, makes DNA Baser to display a special dialog box where you can read your computer ID or where can enter your unlock key. To run this script, just double click it.

 

 

Starting the program in Server mode

 

To start DNA Baser Assembler as server, the user must double click the "StartAsServer.cmd" file. This will start a server instance and display for 300 seconds a window that will inform you that the program is working in server mode. You can change this behavior. Details about what this command does behind the scene are here.

 

Hint: You can place a shortcut to this file in your Windows StartUp folder to make DNA Baser to automatically start as server every time your computer starts. Also, you can press the Control and Shift keys (simultaneously) while dragging the file with the mouse on your desktop. This action will create a handy shortcut on your desktop.

 

 

 

 

Note:

The RegisterServer.cmd and StartAsServer.cmd script files are located in DNA Baser installation folder (probably "c:\DNA Baser\" or "C:\Program Files\DNA Baser\"). If you cannot find them it means you have downloaded the wrong package (you need to download the "Network" package).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By default, if you double click the "DNA Baser v2.exe" file it will start DNA Baser as client.

The "StartAsClient.cmd" file is doing the same thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Setting the Windows XP SP2 firewall

 

Windows XP Service Pack 2 introduced the Windows Firewall which sometimes needs to be "tamed" to make it compatible with some programs. When you start the server for the first time, you may see this dialog:

 

Firewall settings

 

Just click "Unblock" and everything should be ok. If DNA Baser clients cannot connect to DNA Baser server, you may need to manually set your firewall.

 

Troubleshooting

 

If you fail to setup your network license you may want to contact your network administrator to help you with the setup process. Show this page to the network administrator. They have high IT skills and these instructions are not complicated to them.

 

To troubleshoot problems, please follow these steps and confirm that each one is correct (the order is relevant).

 

A) The program cannot be registered (key is not accepted):

  1. Did you download the proper version (Network version) of DNA Baser from our web site?               <- This is the cause of the problem in most cases.
  2. The Computer ID you sent to us is the ID of your server and not the ID of your client computer(s)?
  3. Did you use the "RegisterServer" command (see Step 2 above) to get the ID?
  4. Did you use the "RegisterServer" command (see Step 2 above) to enter the key?
  5. Did you enter the key correctly? The key consists of two strings. You are allow to alter any one of them.

B) The key was accepted but the clients cannot connect o the server

  1. Did you start the server using the "StartAsServer" command?       
  2. The client computer(s) and the server are in the same LAN network (they use the same IP range like 192.168.0.xxx)?
  3. Your firewall is blocking UPD broadcasts?
  4. Did you download the latest version of DNA Baser from our web site?
  5. Are you using the same version (the Network version) for both server and client(s)?
  6. Did you check your firewall/antivirus settings?

 

 

FAQ

 

Q: What type of hardware do I need? Can any computer with the program loaded on it be a server?

A: Yes. Any Windows NT5, XP, 2003 or Vista computer will do it. The best solution will be to get a very old computer (for example, one that your network administrator wants to throw it away as obsolete), to install Windows XP or even Windows NT on it (many institutions have spare/unused licenses of NT) and use it as server. No other software or special configurations are required to run a server. Also, you can use one of your computers on which you already run different server software.

 

Q: I need to keep the server computer running over night?

A: Absolutely no. You can stop the computer over the night and turn it on in the morning. Just make DNA Baser to start as server every time you start the computer. Automate this, by making a shortcut to the CMD file into the "Start Up" folder.

 

Q: I cannot find the link to download DNA Baser Server program.

A: There is no DNA Baser Server! The same program acts both as a server and client. To run DNA Baser as server please read the "Starting the server" paragraph above.

 

Q: How the client gets the key?

A: At start up, DNA Baser client will first search the entire network for a server. If no server is found, it will check the local system for a valid key. If no server or local key is found, it fall back to trial or demo mode. If a server is found, the client will get the appropriate unlock key from it.

 

Q: The client needs few seconds to start. Can I make it start faster?

A: To make the client to start faster, you can optionally specify the IP address where your client should look for the server, or change the time-out value, using an INI file setting. Note that this is seldom necessary. It is however needed if DNA Baser cannot automatically locate the server using UDP broadcasts.

If the network is busy and there are a lot of computers running your program, the time required to discover the server will be higher, though it should never be more than a few seconds.

 

Q: I cannot make DNA Baser server work. The client cannot find the server.

A: Setting the network should not be so difficult. However, there are cases when user's network is configured in a special way and because of this you will need to make complex changes. We strongly recommend you to contact your network administrator to set DNA Baser for you. Just show it the instructions in this page and it will make it work in less than a couple of minutes.

 

 

Note: DNA Baser Network edition requires the TCP/IP protocol in order to function. This protocol should be is installed by default in your Windows OS.

 
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