App Manager Configuration Options

The configuration options affect how App Manager works and its appearance. These options include the connection strings for the App Server and App Manager to talk to the App Server Configuration Database and allow you to change the colour scheme of the window. The App Server checks the configuration options every 10 seconds for changes, so any changes are effectively immediate, except a change to the connection string for the App Server Configuration Database used by the App Server, which requires the NDL Digitise App Server service to be restarted.

 

The values of these options are stored locally on the PC running App Manager and not in the App Server's Configuration Database. Consequently, changes here won't affect a remote version of the App Server and, so, if you want to change any of these options, including the database used by an App Server as its App Server Configuration Database, you must run App Manager on the same machine as the App Server. In addition, you may need to run App Manager using the Windows Run as administrator option in order to have sufficient privileges to change these options.

 

To display the options, in the top left-hand corner of the App Manager window choose File → Options.

The Options dialog box will appear, containing the following options:

Database category

Manager

An App Server's configuration settings are stored in an App Server Configuration Database and can be viewed and edited within a copy of App Manager. App Manager doesn't connect to the App Server; it only reads and updates the settings stored in an App Server Configuration Database. You then separately configure the App Sever to tell it which Configuration Database to use to obtain it's configuration settings and to record its logs etc. App Server reads the values stored in its designated Configuration Database at regular intervals and will automatically pick up any changes you make.

 

This option specifies the ADO database connection string for the App Server Configuration Database you want App Manager to read and edit.

You can only specify one Configuration Database, but if you want to view and edit a different Configuration Database, you can change the value here to point at the required database. This allows you to use a single copy of App Manager to view and edit settings for multiple App Servers, if required. If you change this setting whilst connected, the App Manager should reconnect to the new connection string automatically.

For more information about specifying connection strings, see Configure Connection Strings for App Server Configuration Database & App Manager.

 

The connection string specified here will be used when you load App Manager and choose the Connect button from the initial screen. The connection appears in the left-hand pane of the App Manager window under the Server tree as Local (whether the database is, in fact, local or remote).

The Configuration settings, audit logs and usage statistics displayed in App Manager are those stored in the database specified here.

App Manager can be used to connect to a Configuration Database stored on the same machine or on a separate machine elsewhere.

 

To tell an App Server which Configuration Database to use, use the Server option below.

 

Server

This option tells an App Server which Configuration Database has been designated for it to use. You will need to enter the ADO database connection string required to connect to the relevant database. An App Server extracts its configuration settings from the specified database and also uses it to store information about apps which have been registered with the server, diagnostic and audit logs, usage statistics etc.

This option can only be used to view and change the connection string used by a local copy of App Server, i.e. a copy of App Server running on the same machine as the App Manager you are using to view the option. You cannot modify this option using a remote copy of App Manager. This is because App Manager stores this connection string locally on the machine it is running on and an App Server will look for its Configuration Database connection string locally as well.

For more information about specifying connection strings, see Configure Connection Strings for App Server Configuration Database & App Manager.

 

In order to update the value in this option, App Manager needs to run as an administrator. You can do this by loading App Manager using the Windows Run as administrator option. If you haven't done this, when you change this option it will ask you if you want it to restart with elevated privileges. Click Continue to restart App Manager and update the Server setting's value.

After changing this setting, you will need to stop and restart the NDL Digitise App Server service, using the Windows Services applet, for the change to take effect.

Appearance category

Colour Scheme

Choose a colour scheme for the App Manager window.

Default value: OFFICE2013WHITE

 

Right To Left Toolbars

Ribbon and caption will be right-justified.

Default value: Off

 

Animate Toolbars

This option is no longer used and can be ignored.

Default value: On

 

Minimize to system tray

When minimized, application icon appears in system tray rather than the taskbar.

Default value: On

 

Limit this application to single instance

Prevents more than one instance of App Manager running on the desktop.

Default value: On