Networking Desktop Pro Using ODB for Mac OS X and Windows networks

This section is for users who have purchase an Additional User license to network their BookingCenter Desktop clients to a server. You can test an ODB setup without altering your non-ODB network, by following the instructions here. BookingCenter will not setup your ODB network for you. This work must be done by a qualified network administrator. Even if you have a current Support Contract, it is outside the expertise of BookingCenter Support staff to configure an ODB network unless an on-site training and installation contract is purchased. Don't worry, though! We have provided clear and complete instructions and an average user with PC or Mac OS X networking skills should be able to accomplish the ODB setup in about 30 minutes. Instructions for networking your Desktop using ODB for Windows networks are are found here and for OS X networks are found here.

Networking BookingCenter Windows Networks

Windows users can optionally choose to use ODB or not. If you choose to install ODB under Windows, we recommend working with a network administrator to establish your network, as sharing and assigning IP addresses on a Windows network requires more skill than many hospitality people possess. The decision to go with ODB or not will rest on the confidence and integrity of your Client <--> Server network. If your network is using wired Ethernet (as opposed to wireless); the PCs all have good network cards; the Server is a good PC with good hard drives, then the Windows OS will provide good and stable read/write support for the file server and no ODB is required. Instructions for networking Windows PCs using ODB are found here. Instructions for networking Windows PCs without ODB are found here

Networking BookingCenter OS X Networks

Since Mac OS X has a limitation to how it handles file locking, all OS X networks must use ODB on their server in order to securely network multiple OS X machines.  We have seen OS X sites experience data corruption when they do not. If you are using only Macintosh System 7, 8, or 9, then ODB is not a requirement.  In the old days of System 7, 8, or 9, anyone could successfully create and manage a Macintosh network. OS X changed that, by using UNIX ‘under-pinnings’, OS X became much more complicated than older Macintosh networks to setup and manage.  For this reason, we recommend working with a network administrator to set your network up, as sharing and assigning IP addresses under OS X requires more skill than most hospitality people possess. 

Either get ready for an exercise in networking, or call in a pro – either way, download our ODB Configuration Tool and Instructions for installation under OS X here.

Testing ODB without affecting the existing BookingCenter Desktop network.

It is not necessary to set up a network in order to test ODB. In fact, many Windows users do this step first in order to test the installation before making the final decision to move (or not) to an ODB network architecture. Here is how you do it:

  1. Get the ODB running on whatever machine/os you desire (Mac or Windows). Download our ODB Instructions from here (http://files.BookingCenter.com/odb/ODBSetup.exe) and for Mac OS X from here (http://files.BookingCenter.com/odb/ODBSetup.dmg).
  2. After installing and configuring ODB as explained in the instructions from the above step, open BookingCenter Desktop on the server (the same machine as ODB was installed upon using instructions provided above)
  3. Open Parameters- > System Config
  4. Click Edit
  5. Enable 'Use ODB'
  6. Click on 'ODB path button' and find the ODB_Admin.df1 file, which was installed as instructions above provide in Step 1 explained.
  7. Close all BookingCenter windows, and from the FILE menu, choose 'logon' and you will now login to the ODB_Admin.df1 which ought to be pointing to the production (or test copy) of your BookingCenter datafile.

When you are done with your test, to revert BACK to non-ODB, simply:

  1. Launch BookingCenter Desktop
  2. Open Parameters- > System Config
  3. Click Edit
  4. Disable 'Use ODB'
  5. From the FILE menu, choose 'logon' and you will now login directly to your BookingCenter datafile.

    This was a simple test so you can see how it works.

If you purchased a second serial number to run multiple copies of BookingCenter on two different machines that are NOT networked, then please read the FAQ at http://www.bookingcenter.com/help/multiple_machines.html to learn how to best manage this scenario. If you have any additional questions about networking BookingCenter, please read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).

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