The Network version of Camelot works on virtually all standard Windows compatible network setups (either Peer to Peer or Client/Server).
IMPORTANT: For all versions of Camelot, if you are running Windows 7 or the Windows Vista operating system, you need to be sure you have turned off the User Account Control "feature". Click here to learn how to do this.
IMPORTANT: For all versions of Camelot, if you are running Windows 7 or the Windows Vista operating system, you need to be sure you have turned off the User Account Control "feature". Click here to learn how to do this.
Camelot 3.x Installation
The newer versions of Camelot (3.x and higher) use a true client/server database platform using the TCP/IP networking protocol. So there is a special program on the server computer that runs always to allow database access. This database engine program is called Firebird (fbserver.exe), and the Camelot server installation program will install and configure this software for you.
PLEASE NOTE: The word "Server" here means whichever computer you choose on your local network to house the database file and run the database server program. It does NOT have to be an expensive high-end "Server Computer" - that is, it doesn't have to run Windows 2003-2008 Server or be a "Network Server" type of computer, unless of course you have more than 20 users and a database with more than 150,000 clients - in which case you probably want an actual "Network Server" type of computer. Otherwise, any computer that meets our recommended system requirements can act as your "Server" for Camelot.
Server Installation
1. Decide which computer on the network will be the Server computer, or in other words, the computer where the Camelot database file will be stored. Install Camelot on your chosen Server machine first. Usually you should choose the fastest machine with the fastest and largest hard drive on the network to be your Server machine.
2. During the installation, you will be asked if you are installing on a network, to which you would answer "Yes", and then you will be asked if the current machine is the Server, and so if it is, answer "Yes". The installation program will then show you the IP address of that machine on your local area network. You need to write down this number as it will be needed when installing the network client versions on all of the other computers within your office.
3. Click Next or Continue through the installation, and that is it. You do need to be sure to reboot the server computer after the installation is finished.
Client/Workstation Installation
1. After installing Camelot on your chosen server machine, install it onto all of the client/workstation machines. When running the Camelot installation program on the client machines, you will answer "Yes" you are on a network, but "No" this is not the server machine, and it will then ask you to put in the IP address of your server machine, which you should've written down during the server installation.
For hardware requirements, see the help on Recommended System Requirements.
For Camelot Version 2.x (and lower):
Network Installation
The Network version of Camelot works on virtually all standard Windows compatible network setups (either Peer to Peer or Client/Server).
IMPORTANT: The hard drive where the database file is stored must be shared with Full Access so that any workstations who will be running Camelot have access to it. Also, your network must be running at 100Mbps. This will make a huge performance difference. See the help on Recommended System Requirements for some recommendations for network hardware. If you don't know what you are running now, then you may want to check with whoever you bought you network equipment from. We also recommend that you have someone locally who can help you with networking issues, since we cannot support hardware issues.
Server Installation
1. Decide which computer on the network will be the Server computer, or in other words, the computer where the Camelot database file will be stored. Install Camelot on your chosen Server machine first. Usually you should choose the fastest machine with the fastest and largest hard drive on the network to be your Server machine.
2. Click the Network Installation button on the first installation screen on your Server machine. Then choose Server for the first machine. For Server installation, the rest of the installation process will be the same as the Single-User installation, so refer to it above if necessary.
Workstation Installation
1. After installing Camelot on your chosen server machine, install it onto all of the workstations. Click the Network Installation button on the first installation screen on your Workstation machine. Then choose Workstation for this machine.
2. Select the location of the Camelot database file on the server machine. You can do this by clicking the button labeled Browse on the screen. Normally, the installation program will automatically find the location of your Server installation for you, and inform you of its location, so all you have to do is click OK.
3. If a network installation is found, you will also be prompted to map that location to a drive letter on the workstation. We recommend that you choose a drive letter you will remember and that can be the same on each workstation.
Network Installation onto a Dedicated Server
Most users of Camelot use a peer-to-peer network setup, but if you have a dedicated server that is not actually running Windows, then you will not be able to install the Server version of Camelot directly onto it. Instead, follow these steps:
1. Choose a workstation on which to temporarily install the server version of Camelot, and install it just onto the C: drive of this workstation.
2. Once it has been installed, just open the Windows Explorer, under the C: drive, double-click Program Files, right-click on Camelot, and choose Copy.
3. Now, on the left, find the shared network hard-drive (usually it is named F:, but it could be some other letter), right-click on it, and choose Paste.
4. Once all the files are copied, just uninstall Camelot from this Workstation by going to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs, then choose Camelot in the list and click Add/Remove to automatically uninstall.
5. Now just install onto this machine again, except this time do it as a Network Workstation.
6. In one of the installation screens, you will be asked for the location of the database file that will be shared over the network. You will choose the drive found in step 3, then double-click the Camelot folder, then the Database folder, then the file named Data.mdb. This is your shared database file.
7. You can then just do steps 5 and 6 on each workstation. Remember that your shared database files are on that server machine, so you will want to be backing that up regularly.
For hardware requirements, see the help on Recommended System Requirements.
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