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Connecting Workstations
Once RFMS has been confirmed to be installed properly and working at the server, it’s time to connect workstations to the new server. (If the server is not working at this point, a step in the documentation has most likely been missed - please review the previous documents and make sure everything up to this point has been performed as directed.).
To connect the workstation:
- Share the folder at the server and apply permissions
(Note: follow this link for RFMS NTFS and Share Permissions / Best Practices ) - Map the drive at the workstation (UNC can also be used)
- Create a shortcut to the rfmsnav.exe file on the desktop of the workstation
If this guide has been followed correctly, the workstation should open up RFMS just fine. Please note, it will not run as fast as on the server because it can only run as fast as the server PLUS the time it takes to transfer across the network, so the workstations will always be slightly slower than the server.
Repeat the Connect Workstations step for each workstation until every workstation that will be using RFMS is connected.
Examples of desktop shortcuts using a mapped drive or a UNC path:
Troubleshooting Workstation Connectivity
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Typically, workstations connectivity issues may be related to communications with the IP/DNS/Gateway of the server.
- From a PC, can you ping the server by name and get the internal IP of the server?
- Same from Server to workstation?
- Does RFMS run at the Server Console?
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For SQL Server Access, the following ports may need to be opened in its firewall:
- TCP: 1433
- UDP: 1433 & 1434
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If this workstation cannot connect to RFMS an alias may need to be created for the server.
- Go to: Start > type Cliconfg in the search bar and run the command to open the SQL Server Client Network Utility
- Enable the options Named Pipes and TCP/IP
- Select the Alias tab
- Add the alias in this format: IP address or servername\instance name
- Note: make sure there is not an old alias at the workstation still trying to connect to an old server\instance
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If after this, it still does not work…
- Turn off the Private and Domain firewall at the server
- Go to SQL Server Configuration Manager
- Restart both the SQL Server and SQL Server Browser services
- Try the workstation again (with its private and domain firewall also turned off)
- If it connects, turn the private and domain firewall back on at the server. Sometimes firewall settings on a new server just do not want to “stick”.
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Check the SQL Server Configuration Manager at the server for firewall ports specific to that server.
- Open the SQL Server Configuration Manager
- Select SQL Native Client 11.0 Configuration (in the left side of the configuration manager)
- Select Client Protocols
- Select TCP/IP, right click, go to Properties
- Make sure the port listed as Default Port is open at the firewall. If it is just port 1433, check SQL Native Client 11.0 (32-bit) as well. Make sure this port is open at any point between the server and workstation, such as a domain controller.
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Check to see if SQLSRV.EXE is using a different port
- Open the SQL Server Configuration Manager
- Select SQL Server Network Configuration (in the left side of the configuration manager)
- Select Protocols for RFMS (or SQLExpress, or the name of the SQL instance if it is something different)
- Select TCP/IP, right click and go to Properties
- Go to IP Addresses tab, scroll down to the bottom to the small subsection called “IPAll”, and open the port listed under TCP Dynamic Ports in the firewall at the server and any point between the server and workstation, such as a domain controller.
- Another item to consider if the firewall rules are having no effect: SQL Server might not be listening on a static port. For help configuring it to use a fixed port, reference http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms177440.aspx
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Make sure that the SQL Server Browser service is started, not just the SQL Server service.
- Go to SQL Server Configuration Manager
- If SQL Server Browser service is disabled, try to re-enable it and set it to automatic from the configuration manager.
- If it cannot be restarted from the configuration manager, go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services OR Task Manager > More Details > Services tab > Services (bottom of the window).
- Find the SQL Server Browser Service for the instance and set it to automatic from there, then restart the service.
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Try an ODBC test to make sure there are not any SQL issues that have been missed.
- Go to: Control Panel > Administrative Tools > User Data Sources
- Select Add
- In Create New Data Source, select the SQL Server and click Finish
- Type in any name and any description
- In the drop-down at the bottom select the correct server and instance and click Next
- Leave default settings and click Next again
- If it opens the next screen, expand the databases and select the RFMS database
- If it does not open the next screen, add that windows user in SQL for that database. They should not need anything beyond the default db rights once created.
- If the technician is unable to get into the database with the fields as they are, retry using SQL Server authentication with the username “SA” and the associated SA password for that server.
- Note: If the technician cannot see either the server OR the databases, the RFMS folder may need to be re-shared with that windows user.
If all instructions have been followed correctly up to this point and the private / domain / public level firewalls have been disabled at the server, DC, and workstation and the workstations still do not connect (it may say “PROBLEM CONNECTING TO Server Name\ Instance Name), make sure there is not an old alias at the workstation still trying to connect to an old server\instance Go to cliconfg at the workstation and delete the old alias, if there is one.
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