HearAid has been designed to run either as a fully self-contained application on a single PC, or in client/server/shared mode on a network.

By default, the HearAid Installer installs all the required files in a folder called C:\HearSoft but can be installed into any other drive and folder e.g. D:\Applications\HearSoft. No matter which root drive and folder you use, the installer will create the ..\HearSoft folder and sub-folders automatically inside the root folder

Network Installation

If you plan to run HearAid over a network it is strongly recommended that you install directly to the network server. Database connection settings for client/server operation are stored in a file called Firebird.ini in the same folder as HearAid7.exe and the database file is installed in a folder called C:\HearSoft\Database. Thus, the folder structure is:

..\HearSoft\Database (database file HearAid.fdb)

..\HearSoft\HearAid (HearAid7.exe, Firebird.ini, dll files)

..\HearSoft\HearAid\Reports (Report templates and query (SQL) scripts)

..\HearSoft\HearAid\.. other folders

Connecting Network Workstations

Once installed on a network server, workstation computers can connect to HearAid:

•Connect the workstation simply by creating a Desktop shortcut to ..\HearSoft\HearAid\HearAid7.exe (the program executable file) on the server

•It is not necessary to install HearAid on each separate computer. The small reduction in performance resulting from using a shortcut is often more than offset by only needing to install future updates to HearAid on the server and not separately on each computer. However, when network performance is an issue it can usually be resolved by installing the HearAid on the workstation; Firebird does not need to be installed on the workstation.

•An optional Client installer is available. Installing a HearAid client on a workstation can improve network performance, especially on wireless networks

It is essential that the installation on the server, including setting the Database Server configuration in Tools|Options|Database & Analysis, be completed before connecting the workstations!

Logging on

If you configure HearAid to run in client/server mode, you will be required to log on to the database when the program starts. When setting up HearAid you should use

SYSDBA

as the username and

masterkey

as the password. SYSDBA is the "system database administrator", a special user who can do anything at all with the database, including destroy it!

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Once you have installed HearAid and set it up to run in client/server mode, the first thing you should do is change the SYSDBA password! The default password is masterkey but your database's security will be totally compromised if you do not change that password immediately. Changing the SYSDBA password is your responsibility!