Adding a CCA server to your AskiaVista environment
This will be configured with AskiaVista Configurator Tool. This component, also known as AVC, is a .NET 2.0 application.
It is located in \AskiaCtrl\ and appears as
It uses the AskiaVistaCmn to create, read & update AskiaVista's askia.config file.
Here are the settings available:
Storage & Links: paths to \AskiaCtrl\, \AskiaBase\, \AskiaQes\ etc.
Databases: connection strings.
Email: SMTP settings.
Advanced options:
- Disable AVS in current server.
- Generate surveys structure.
- Dispatch survey (load balance).
- Change location of \AskiaQes\.
- Update database(s) with various options (Fast, Skip, etc.).
When started manually on the server the component will display the following GUI:
Storage & links
Databases
Email
Advanced options
CCA Servers
Migrating the AskiaQes folder
The paths to all surveys are recorded into the AskiaVista database. If the locations of the surveys are ever changed the recorded file path will need to be updated as well.
Note: You'll need the former file path to the surveys and the new file path.
- Select the Advanced Options tab.
- Enter the path of the root directory where all surveys are stored, by default this is C:\Askia\AskiaQes\ , into the Text searching in actual location textbox and enter the path of the root directory to the location of where the surveys have been moved to in Text replacement textbox. Then click replace.
Note: The find and replace function is case-sensitive and will make the best effort to update file paths.
- Once this is completed open SQL management studio and navigate to the AV_Survey_Categories Table.
- Verify that all paths are correct in the Path column and fix the paths for surveys that may have been skipped.
Custom SQL connection strings
Clustered SQL connection
There are instances where the SQL connection builder will be unable to assist you in creating the connection string settings for the askia.config file. This is where you are connecting to special types of clusters and load balanced SQL servers.
Note: If you are using a single SQL server instance or network load balancer than the SQL connection builder should still be used.
- If you are using a failover cluster than the connection string will need additional parameters that the SQL connection builder will not be able to accept.
- An example of a property formatted failover connection string is displayed below: AskiaVista database:
Provider=SQLOLEDB.1; Data Source=PRIMARYSERVERADDRESS;Failover Partner=MIRROREDSERVERADDRESS;Initial Catalog=AskiaVista; Persist Security Info=True; User ID=askiavista;Password=askiavista;
AskiaVistaReport database:Provider=SQLOLEDB.1; Data Source=PRIMARYSERVERADDRESS;Failover Partner=MIRROREDSERVERADDRESS;Initial Catalog=AskiaVistaReport; Persist Security Info=True; User ID=askiavista;Password=askiavista;
- These will need to be entered into the main database and reporting database, respectively, without using the connection builder.
CCA Servers
Go to /AskiaCtrl/ (located on the AskiaVista server) and run AskiaVistaConfigurator.exe
Select the CCA Servers tab and click New to add a new CCA Server to your AskiaVista environment
Specify a caption for this new connection in the Server name field
Click the ... button to specify the SQL connection string to the CCA's Surveys DB as specified below:
- Select the appropriate database engine in the Type of database dropdown1.
- Specify the name of the server in the Server name field.
- Enter the appropriate authentication credentials (either for Windows Authentication or a dedicated SQL user name and password) in the User name & Password fields.
- Specify the name of the target database (that would general be the Surveys database) in the Database name field.
- Review the information you provided and click OK.
The view now displays the connection string you just specified in the below format:
Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Data Source=SQLInstanceName;Initial Catalog=NameOfTheSurveysDB;Persist Security Info=true;User ID=myUID;Password=myPWD
Click Test to confirm that AskiaVista will be able to connect to the CCA's Surveys DB.
If the test is a Success, click Apply and then Save
Note:
1 We strongly recommend using SQL Server rather than MS Access.