New Online Help System For Ollie/8
To make life even easier for your end-users, Ollie/8 is now installed with a WebHelp version of our End User and Admin Guides. Like our SAFE documentation, the new help system is completely indexed so users can get the details they need fast saving support time and shortening training time.

CUSTOMER SPECIFIC HELP
We know that many of you have designed your own help text which you want to preserve. We will support this in the following ways:

1. You can identify these pages by adding an HTML Meta Tag in the header of each page [OLLIE_DONT_TOUCH]. Once this is done, the pages will not be overwritten as we publish updates to the help system.

2. You can indicate where your customer specific help pages should be included in the main Ollie Help index and table of contents, again using an HTML Meta Tags [OLLIE_INDEX-KEY] and [TOC-KEY]. With each update to the help system, we will scan the latest version of your documents and re-compile the index and table of contents to include your pages.

Regular support time will be charged for the initial inclusion of your documents into the help system, but there is no charge for ongoing updates to the help system.

AVAILABILITY
The new Webhelp system is available now along with 30 other improvements in Ollie Version 8.1. If you are an existing RSS customer you will receive this update automatically. If you are using an earlier version of Ollie, you can upgrade to Ollie/8 now and save 10% if you order before the end of the year! To find out more, or to schedule your upgrade, e-mail Ken or Jen in Customer Service for complete information.

Til Next Time!
 

SAFE Tip: Backups (Yes, It's Boring!)
It's another SAFE tip on backups. But this time, we'll spare you the lectures on 'why' you should be backing up and simply point you towards the new Backup Script feature in your UTILITIES menu.

This innocuous little gizmo does one very humble task: It executes a SQL Script to back up your database onto another hard drive on your network.

Big deal, you say? Already have a 'backup system'? That's great. But the SAFE Backup Scripter takes up only a minute or two and creates a backup file that you (and we) will always know how to access and restore from.

You can refer to the on line help for all the gory details, but the main thing to keep in mind is that this is something you can use to back up all the databases your Simple Accounting users work in.

Tip: Perform a new backup every day---without the Append option. Since the screen will suggest a unique file name for each backup, you can always tell the contents of your backup file at a glance. Then, once a month, move the BKP files onto DVDs for cold storage.

Trap: SQL Server backs up files to drive letters of the SQL Server Computer. For example, if you specify that you want to back up to the 'C' drive, you are not backing up to the 'C' drive on your computer. Rather, you are backing up to the 'C' drive on the machine where SQL Server is installed! So be careful and specify the drive you want to back up to as if you were sitting at the server console.

Security Tips And Traps: Since you are backing up your data, you should make sure that only the right people and the right data are involved.

1. Obviously, you want to use your Security Templates to disable/hide this feature from everyone but the designated 'backer-upper'.
    
2. Since you are backing up to a server share, you should make sure that the drive letter to back up to is not one that is generally available to other employees. This will prevent them from backing up your databases and wandering off with the information!
    
3. Your network administrator may want to deny access for SAFE users to any databases not needed by those employees. The SAFE Backup Utility will only allow users to select databases to which they have been granted access by SQL Server. So, if your company has other databases, this will prevent SAFE users from backing up that data.

The SAFE Backup Utility is an easy to use way to supplement your main backup system. You can never have too many backups; especially backups that can be restored in 3 minutes by pretty much anyone in your office and all it requires is some extra disk space!

NEXT TIME
In our next issue, we'll discuss how to do sophisticated mail merges that are ridiculously easy for everything from Past Due Notices to Reordering Reminders. You'll also learn a lot more about our Export Data Process that's so simple a child can do it (no, not just Al Einstein's kid.)

Til Then!

Ciaran's Corner: For Duty And Humanity!
And if it was a good enough reason for Larry, Curly And Moe to go out and serve their fellow man, then it should be good enough for all of us!

So as we approach the end of the year I want to tell you that we have two openings for Beta Testers, my favourite people on planet earth (just kidding Dear!). OK, almost my favourite.

Beta Testers are my favourite people because, like those who donate blood, they perform a totally wonderful service that everyone in the community benefits from and everyone is grateful for. And virtually no one wants to do.

So instead of trying to appeal to your sense of altruism and high-mindedness, I'm going to break it down with some totally selfish reasons to Beta Test the next version of SAFE. And hopefully make a point (as per usual).

1. When you Beta Test, you not only perform a selfless act, going (only a little) out of your way to help us polish new releases, but you also get the kind of direct feedback that many of you long for. Now how many of you long for those days of yore when you could actually pick up the phone and chew the fat with the developers? Here ya go, mate!

2. Beta Testers are also key sources for feature requests. And their requests are always given top priority. Ever wonder how we determine which suggestions to implement first? Ever wonder why a feature works the way it does? Well, it's because we looked at our options and if possible, went the way that the Beta Testers wanted it. Seems fair to me. They put themselves out for us. So we returned the favour.

3. Beta Testers end up getting a lot of things cheaper than your. Again, because we are in closer contact with them, they essentially get certain work done as 'standard equipment' that you find 'optional'.

4. And finally, Beta Testers get the fastest response from us on technical issues. Since they are on the bleeding edge, this is critical both for them and us.

What kills me, as I write this, is that I have to sell this concept every so often. Sure we know it's your business and you're right to be cautious. But Beta code isn't simply plucked from the trees. It's already been thoroughly tested in-house, plus it's almost always built on an existing code-base that's been used (by you) and thousands of others since 1996! Still, there's nothing like having a few dozen businesses pound on something to hit all the weak spots that we never would think of. The Beta program isn't for adding new features, but it is for polishing new features; making them more self-explanatory, more stream-lined, or more flexible, and sometimes simply fixing spelling errors!

So for all you get, what do we require of you? Ah, there's the rub!

1. First, you need to agree to a confidentiality agreement. And it's no boilerplate. If you break it, we will be cross!

2. You agree to submit various status reports. These are usually done weekly and will take about a half an hour.

3. You agree to perform certain tests and fill out result reports. These are usually suites that simulate various business processes.

4. You agree to take the time to submit bug reports according to a specific form. This includes lots of detail and screen shots.

5. You need to agree to test various areas with rigor. If you agree to test in order to get the benefits but don't exercise the bits we need stressed, you will be asked to leave straight away. So don't sign up unless you really use the bits we're interested in.

Generally, these requirements demand using the program live. There simply isn't a practical way for most businesses to test in depth on a 'practice system'.

I can think of a dozen customers right now who would be perfect for this. You already submit issues well; you know the program inside out and you have a significant investment in custom code so you know how the development process works here. If this sounds like something that you could do. If this sounds like something that would benefit your company. If this sounds like something that makes you want to help your fellow Forms Distributors on four continents?

Welcome Aboard!

For Duty And Humanity!

Ciarān Marron
Technical Support Manager
cm@suntowersystems.com

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End of E-News From The Suntower, Volume VIII #23