Installing LAS version 12 or 14 on a Network

League Administration Software is designed so that multiple users can concurrently share a single database across a network.
As with any network software, installation can be complicated to someone who isn't familiar with Windows networking, so we recommend you have a network professional aid you with installation if you aren't comfortable with these instructions.

Note: There is now a patch available that resolves some file contention issues with v12 and early v14 on the network.
Instructions on installing this patch are available here.

Requirements for Clients:

• Each client computer must be a Windows based PC that meets the requirements to run LAS.
• Each client must have Drive-Letter-Access to the network share that will hold the LAS database.
  (note that if you are using a Windows Domain, this drive mapping will have to be made on a per-user basis, instead of for the client computer)
• The LAS Client software must be installed on each client computer.
• Do NOT mix client computers running v12 and v14 of LAS. The databases are NOT compatible.
  Follow these upgrade instructions if you are currently running LAS v12 on the network.
• Windows Vista Notes:
  
  • Network Shares are not accessible during installation by default. This is significant since LAS Network Edition always uses a Network Share to connect the client computers to the primary database folder.
    For more details, see Microsoft Knowledgebase Article KB937624
    There are three ways to resolve this issue:
    1) -- Use the Command Prompt:
    1. Launch an "elevated" command prompt
    2. Use "NET USE" to map the drive that will store the LAS data, and which will normally already be mapped for a standard user.
    3. Launch the LAS installer using that command prompt. This will ensure that the mapped drive is available to the install wizard.
    
    2) -- Adjust how Mapped Drives are Shared
    Follow the instructions in the above-mentioned KB937624 to add the DWORD registry value "EnableLinkedConnections" with a value of 1, to the registry key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" 3) -- Turn off the UAC Service (this is not recommended) following the instructions here: http://www.petri.co.il/disable_uac_in_windows_vista.htm
  Requirements for the Sever:
  • The server can be a dedicated file server, or a peer on the network. In fact, the server itself can have the LAS client software installed on it, and be used for accessing the LAS data.
  • The server must make at least one "share" available with Read/Write access to each client that will be using LAS on the network.
    (note that if you are using a Windows Domain, these permissions must be set on a per-user basis, instead of setting the permissions on the "share" itself.)
  Installation Steps:
  • Identify which computers will be LAS client computers.
    
    
  • Decide which drive letter will be used on the LAS client computers to access the data.
    It makes things much less confusing if all the clients use the same drive letter.
    
    
  • Select a computer to be the LAS data server.
    (If you have a dedicated server, this would be a good computer to select!)
    
    
  • Select a location on the LAS data server to be the shared LAS data directory.
    Perhaps "C:\UserData\LASDATA"
    
    
  • Create a share (or identify one that exists already) that contains the shared LAS data directory and make sure that the LAS client computers will have these permissions in the shared data directory using that share:
    • Create, Read, Write and Delete Files
    • List Files
    • Create Folder/Directory
    To create a share in Windows XP Professional on a small network:
    • Click Start --> My Computer
    • Double Click "Local Disk C:"
    • Click "Show the contents of this folder"
    • In "File and Folder Tasks" (on the left) click "Make a New Folder".
      Name the new folder "UserData"
    • Right click the "UserData" folder and select "Sharing and Security"
    • If there is a link called "Network Setup Wizard", click that link.
      Follow through the wizard, and make note of what you put (or what was in) the field called "Computer Name" (perhaps "LASSERVER") on the "Give this computer a description and a name" step of the wizard.
    • Once you are done with the wizard, and have restarted the computer, you will have a checkbox called "Share this folder on the network" in the dialog that appears when you right click "UserData" and select "Sharing and Security".
      Make that checkbox checked, leave the share name as "UserData", and make sure that "Allow network users to change my files" is checked, too.
      Click "OK"
    • Open up the "UserData" folder, and create a folder inside it called "LASDATA". This is the shared LAS data directory and can be referred to in UNC as "\\servername\sharename" So, given the servername and sharename we used in the previous steps, our example's UNC share would be "\\LASSERVER\UserData"
    
    
    
  • Download the LAS Network Installer:
    Click the link below
    Save the downloaded file in the shared LAS data directory ( c:\UserData\LASDATA in our example )
    
    For your Information:
    When running the LAS Network Installer, you will be given three choices between "Setup Types"
    This is the essential meaning of each choice:
    • Primary Database -- Put the standard Menu files, etc, into the data directory that is selected.
    • Network Client -- Install the application, create the menu shortcuts, and make the LAS application start using the specified data directory.
    • Standard Installation -- Do both of the above two setup types simultaneously.
    
    
    
  • Initialize the shared LAS data directory:
    
    • Still on the LAS data server computer, run the LAS Network Installer that you just downloaded.
      
    • When you get to the step "Database Folder" select your shared LAS data directory ( c:\UserData\LASDATA in our example )
    • When you get to the step "Setup Type" select "Primary Database"
      
    (or, if you want to be able to run the LAS application on the LAS data server computer, select "Standard Installation")
    
    • Finally, Click "Finish". The LAS Database will be initialized in your shared LAS data directory ( c:\UserData\LASDATA in our example )
    
    
    
  • Connect the LAS Client Computers to the "LAS data server":
    • If you created a "Network Setup Wizard Disk" in the Windows XP Network Setup Wizard, you can use this to configure all the LAS Client Computers to properly access the network.
    • On each LAS Client Computer, connect a drive to the shared LAS data directory
      (These steps are practically identical on all versions of Windows)
      • Open "My Computer"
      • Select "Tools --> Map Network Drive" in the "My Computer" window menu.
        (on some versions of Windows 98, you have to right-click "Network Neighborhood" and then select "Map Network Drive")
      • Select the same "Drive" letter on each computer.
        For this example, we'll use "L:"
      • Enter the UNC name for the shared LAS data directory in the field called "Folder"
        (Or, click the "Browse" button and browse to the shared LAS data directory)
      • Make sure that "Reconnect at logon" is checked
      • Click "Finish" to make the connection.
    
    
    
  • Install the LAS Client application on each of the LAS Client Computers:
    • Click "Start-->Run"
    • Type "L:\LASDATA\lasw12.exe"
      (using the drive letter and shared LAS data directory that was selected above)
      and click "OK"
    • Follow through the Setup Wizard. You will have to enter the LAS Network Edition Registration Key on each client computer.
    • When you get to the step "Database Folder" select your shared LAS data directory on the network drive:
      ( L:\UserData\LASDATA in our example )
    • When you get to the step "Setup Type" select "Network Client"
    • Finally, Click "Finish". The LAS client application will be installed, and the database directory will point to your shared LAS data directory.
  • Install the LAS Network Patch Once:
    • Make sure LAS is not running on any computer on your network.
    • Download the LAS Network Patch from here: http://www.allamericansportsware.com/fixes/12/netpatch.plg
    • When asked if you want to "Save" or "Open" the target file, select "Open"
    • LAS should launch and load the plug-in
    • A dialog box will appear asking: "Do you want to install the "Network Misc File-in-Use" patch?"
      Click "Yes" to finish installing the patch.
    • The patch should install and then finish loading LAS.
      LAS will now better deal with multi-user competition for opening files.

    Note: You only have to install this patch from one of the workstations on your network installation of LAS. It gets installed into the shared LAS data folder, and will apply to all the LAS client computers from then on.

  Each of your clients should now be ready to access the shared database on the server using the shortcuts in their start menues!
  
  

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  Upgrading from v12 to v14:

  Do NOT mix client computers running v12 and v14 of LAS. The databases are NOT compatible.

  Follow these steps to Upgrade from v12 to v14:

  1. First, Backup Your Data!
  2. Follow the database preparation instructions which will install the latest menu and system files into the primary database.
  3. Follow the client computer installation instructions to upgrade each client computer. At the end of the install wizard, you can let it automatically start LAS... the first client that does will convert the database to the v14 format.

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  Download LAS for Windows by clicking on the link below! LAS Network Edition Version 14 You will need your LAS v14 Network Edition Registration Key After Installing LAS Network-Only Build Version 14 If you get Error 1722 while installing: "There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program run as part of the setup did not finish as expected." on a Windows 2000 client, this Network-only build of LAS v14 should prevent this problem. Installing LAS v14 on a Network.pdf You can download this PDF, print it, and use it for later reference.

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  Please send your questions and comments via email to support@AllAmericanSportsWare.com.

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