Dexis DEXnet User manual

DEXnet

Installing Dexis on a Network

Release 3.00, January 2000

1 Introduction............................................................................................................................................................1

2 Planning the Installation.........................................................................................................................................2

3 Software..................................................................................................................................................................2

4 Standard Network Installation................................................................................................................................3

4.1 New Installation..............................................................................................................................................3

4.2 Adding a Workstation.....................................................................................................................................3

4.3 Switching from a Local Installation to a Network Installation........................................................................4

5 Offline Installation..................................................................................................................................................5

6 Wireless Installation...............................................................................................................................................6

7 Practice Management Connection ..........................................................................................................................6

8 Direct Cable Connection ........................................................................................................................................7

8.1 Installation of Direct Cable Connection..........................................................................................................7

8.2 Network Setup................................................................................................................................................8

8.3 Sharing the Harddisk......................................................................................................................................8

8.4 Configuring Direct Cable Connection ............................................................................................................9

8.5 Mapping the Network Drive...........................................................................................................................9

8.6 Using Direct Cable Connection....................................................................................................................10

1 Introduction

This paper describes the steps necessary when installing Dexis on an existing computer network with several workstations running Windows95, Windows98, or WindowsNT. The network hardware (cables, network cards) and the protocols used are not part of this paper. You should contact a local computer professional to set up your network. The Dexis program only uses features provided by all networks: mapping server disks or folders to local drive letters, and synchronizing file access.

You need a valid DEXnet site license to run Dexis software on a

Note:

network.

If you just want to connect two computers together (e.g. two laptop computers or your new Dexis laptop with an existing desktop computer), two inexpensive and easy ways are possible:

‘Direct cable connection’ via the printer ports is the cheapest way to

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connect two computers. Since this may well be used for initially connecting a laptop to either another laptop or to one computer in your existing network, the setup of this type of network (YES, if you connect two computers you already have a network!) is described in this paper

(see ‘Direct Cable Connection’). Everything that is said about installing Dexis on a network also holds for this simple network. If you run Windows98 and both computers have USB ports, you may

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use a USB based peer-to-peer network.

2 Planning the Installation

Two things are necessary to know before you start installing Dexis:

a) Are all computers permanently connected to the network when they are used to take x-rays; or do you take x-rays with a laptop offline? If all your computers are permanently hooked up to the network, a standard network installation with the data directory on the server is the installation of choice. This installation has the advantage that all images are always immediately on the file server and thus accessible from all connected computers (see 'Standard Network Installation'). If you plan to use your laptop to take x-rays while it is not connected to the network, you need to install Dexis on your laptop with the data directory on the local drive. For synchronizing the laptop databases with the file server you need DEXsync (see 'Offline Installation'). This is the only case when you have to install DEXsync.

b) Is it intended to link Dexis to practice management software? In this case you have to prevent Dexis from issuing patient numbers and use the numbers issued by the practice management software instead (see 'Practice Management Connection'). In the case of two separate image databases being synchronized using DEXsync (‘Offline Installation’) you also have to use manual patient numbers.

3 Software

Two programs are relevant for Dexis network installation. They are both located on the Dexis CD-ROM:

DEXsync serves to synchronize image databases and is to be

installed if needed.

Note:

Your laptop for taking x-rays while being disconnected from the network.

DEXcopy may be used to copy and reorganize image databases.

Since release 3.00, this program is automatically

copied to your harddrive when Dexis is installed. It

this program is only needed if you plan to use

can be started from Windows Explorer by double cliicking on its icon. With previous versions of Dexis, DEXcopy comes on the DEXnet diskette and can be run from the diskette by choosing ‘Start‘ then ‘Run’ and typing A:\DEXCOPY.

The use of DEXcopy is password protected,

Note:

since it can be used to destroy the integrity of your image database. Call Dexis technical support for the maintenance password. Always make a backup copy before copying or restructuring image databases.

4 Standard Network Installation

4.1 New Installation

If Dexis has not yet been installed on your network, proceed as follows:

Select the computer and its harddrive to hold the Dexis images (the

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‘server’). Share this harddrive to be accessible from all workstations. you need full access and should not enter a password.

Install the Dexis software on the server. If your server uses a different

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operating system (e.g. Unix or Novell), create the directory \Dexis\Data manually on the server drive.

Map the server drive on all workstations where you want to see the

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Dexis images or where you want to take X-rays. Use the same drive letter on all workstations, we propose ‘X’ (for X-ray).

Install the Dexis software on all workstations choosing C:\Dexis for the

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software, and \Dexis\Data on the server drive (e.g. X:\Dexis\Data) for the data directory. workstations on the local drives – you should not share the software over the network.

4.2 Adding a Workstation

To add a workstation, you just have to connect it to the network, map the server drive containing the Dexis images, and install the Dexis software on

The software should always be installed on all

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