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Run Kofax ReadSoft Entrance on the same computer using multiple databases

 Important: The procedure described here should only be used by those with very advanced knowledge of Kofax ReadSoft Entrance specifically and computer systems in general. Note also that starting with Kofax ReadSoft Entrance 6.0.3, PM Services must be selected as an option in the Custom Setup dialog when the program is installed to be able to use this functionality.

The following procedures describe how to set up and run Kofax ReadSoft Entrance against multiple databases (that is, production systems) from the same computer. Running Kofax ReadSoft Entrance this way requires a powerful computer, and it is very important great care is taken when creating separate PM services and configuring each system. Once set up, each production system is configured and runs separately with its own database, even though all production systems use the same executable files to run the Kofax ReadSoft Entrance modules.

Note that when setting up the system this way, all Interpret and Transfer instances and databases must be run on the same computer where Kofax ReadSoft Entrance is installed. So in this case, when additional instances of Interpret are set up separately for the various production systems, the name of the computer where Kofax ReadSoft Entrance is installed and on which the production systems are configured, must be specified for the Run on server setting for each instance.

  1. On the computer to be used for multiple production systems, where Kofax ReadSoft Entrance is already installed, navigate to \Users\Public\ReadSoft\INVOICES and copy everything in the folder (that is, the \INVOICES folder).
  2. Somewhere on the computer, create a new global folder for each new production system, such as, C:\Users\Public\ReadSoft\INVOICES2 and C:\Users\Public\ReadSoft\INVOICES3, or C:\share\INVOICES2 and C:\share\INVOICES3, so on, depending on where you want the folders.
  3. In the new \INVOICES folder for each production system (...\INVOICES2 and ...\INVOICES3 in this case), paste the content copied in step 1.
  4. In the \GlobalPath folder for each new production system (...\INVOICES2\GlobalPath and ...\INVOICES3\GlobalPath in this case), open eiglobal.ini and in the [Database] section, ensure the "Server= " setting is the name of the same computer on which Kofax ReadSoft Entrance is installed and the production systems are configured. The database name must be unique for the production system. Also adjust the user name, and password settings appropriately, if needed.
  5. To provide separate folders for logs and so on, and to avoid files becoming locked, open eilocal.ini in the \INVOICES folder for each production system (...\INVOICES2 and ...\INVOICES3 in this case), and change the following settings accordingly in the [Directory] section:
 For this example, the changes marked in bold below would be needed (corresponding changes for the other production system in this example would be the same except \INVOICES3 would be used instead):
    • GlobalPath=C:\Users\Public\ReadSoft\INVOICES2\GlobalPath\ or GlobalPath=C:\share\INVOICES2\GlobalPath\
    • LogFile=C:\Users\Public\ReadSoft\INVOICES2\Log\ or LogFile=C:\share\INVOICES2\Log\
    • Images=C:\Users\Public\ReadSoft\INVOICES2\Images\ or Images=C:\share\INVOICES2\Images\
    • TransferFiles=C:\Users\Public\ReadSoft\INVOICES2\Transfer\ or TransferFiles=C:\share\INVOICES2\Transfer\
    • BatchPaperDir=C:\Users\Public\ReadSoft\INVOICES2\BatchPaperDir\ or BatchPaperDir=C:share\INVOICES2\BatchPaperDir\
    • ColorImageArchivePath=C:\Users\Public\ReadSoft\INVOICES2\ColorImg\ or ColorImageArchivePath=C:\share\INVOICES2\ColorImg\
    • EventMapDir=C:\Users\Public\ReadSoft\INVOICES2\Evmap\ or EventMapDir=C:\share\INVOICES2\Evmap\


      Note The path to Programs= should not be changed.
  6. If REPORTER is to be used, the MsgSequenceFilePath and XMLMessagePath flags in ReporterPlugin.ini need to point to separate folders.

    7. Register or unregister INVOICES PM services for individual production systems

    If PM Services are selected as an option when Kofax ReadSoft Entrance is installed, two Windows services are created - INVOICES PMService and INVOICES PMService Client. To be able to run separate Kofax ReadSoft Entrance productions systems on the same computer, new instances of these services must be created for each additional Kofax ReadSoft Entrance production system (that is, database).

    Note If you are upgrading Kofax ReadSoft Entrance on a computer on which additional instances of the services have been registered previously, they must be unregistered before continuing with the following procedure. This can be done from a command prompt using the following syntax:
    • "sc delete "INVOICES PMServiceA" where A, in this case, is the <ServiceID> specified for the service. The <ServiceID> specified on your system may be different.
    • "sc delete "INVOICES PMService ClientA" where A, in this case, is the <ServiceID> specified for the service. The <ServiceID> specified on your system may be different.

    Do the following to create new INVOICES PM services for additional production systems:

  7. Open a command prompt using Run as administrator and navigate to the \Bin\PMService\Server folder for the Kofax ReadSoft Entrance installation (that is, C:\Program Files (x86)\ReadSoft\INVOICES\Bin\PMService\Server, if default settings are used), type the following, and press Enter: 

INVOICES.PMService /Install /ServiceID <ServiceID> /inifile <ini-file> 

 where <ServiceID> is a single letter from A-Z written in quotation marks ("A", for example) and <ini-file> is the path to the eilocal.ini file for the intended production system, also enclosed in quotation marks.

 For the sake of our example taken from the previous section, it would be INVOICES.PMService /Install /ServiceID "A" /inifile "\\<server name>\Users\Public\ReadSoft\INVOICES2"

 The service, INVOICES PMServiceA, is then registered and added to the Windows Services dialog.

  8. Using the command prompt window again, navigate to the \Bin\PMService\Client folder for the Kofax ReadSoft Entrance installation (that is, C:\Program Files (x86)\ReadSoft\INVOICES\Bin\PMService\Client, if default settings are used), and do the exact same thing for INVOICES.PMService.Client. That is, type the following:

INVOICES.PMService.Client /Install /ServiceID <ServiceID> /inifile <ini-file>

 where <ServiceID> is the same letter specified for INVOICES.PMService in the previous step, written in quotation marks (that is, "A", for our example), and <ini-file> is the path to the same eilocal.ini file specified for INVOICES.PMService in the previous step, also enclosed in quotation marks. 

 Note: The <ini-file> path must be written i UNC format even though the service being created is on the same computer (that is, \\ComputerName\SharedFolder\Resource, not C:\SharedFolder\Resource).

 For the sake of our example taken from the previous section, it would be INVOICES.PMService.Client /Install /ServiceID "A" /inifile "\\<server name>\Users\Public\ReadSoft\INVOICES2"


 The service, INVOICES PMService ClientA, is then registered and added to the Windows Services dialog.

The following procedures describe how to set up and run Kofax ReadSoft Entrance against multiple databases (that is, production systems) from the same computer. Running Kofax ReadSoft Entrance this way requires a powerful computer, and it is very important great care is taken when creating separate PM services and configuring each system. Once set up, each production system is configured and runs separately with its own database, even though all production systems use the same executable files to run the Kofax ReadSoft Entrance modules.

Note that when setting up the system this way, all Interpret and Transfer instances and databases must be run on the same computer where Kofax ReadSoft Entrance is installed. So in this case, when additional instances of Interpret are set up separately for the various production systems, the name of the computer where Kofax ReadSoft Entrance is installed and on which the production systems are configured, must be specified for the Run on server setting for each instance.

Set up additional Kofax ReadSoft Entrance production systems on the same computer

Do the following for each production system meant to run on the same computer:

Unregister INVOICES PM services for individual production systems

The procedure to remove an INVOICES PM service is the same as when registering one, as is described above, except that the following syntax should be used instead:

  • INVOICES.PMService /Uninstall /Service ID <ID>  (as in the example, INVOICES.PMService /Uninstall /Service "A")
  • INVOICES.PMService.Client /Uninstall /Service ID <ID>  (as in the example, INVOICES.PMService.Client /Uninstall /Service "A")
  1. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the \Bin folder of the Kofax ReadSoft Entrance installation (C:\Program Files (x86)\ReadSoft\INVOICES\Bin, by default).
  2. In the folder, right-click each of the following executable files, click Create shortcut, and click Yes to put the shortcuts on the desktop.
    • eimngr.exe (Manager module)
    • eiscan.exe (Scan module)
    • eiitrp.exe (Interpret module)
    • eiveri.exe (Verify module)
    • eitran.exe (Transfer module)
    • eiopti.exe (Optimize module)
  3. On the desktop, change the name of each shortcut to indicate to which production system it belongs (for example, Manager2, Scan2, Interpret2, and so on).
  4. Right-click each shortcut, click Properties, and add "/eid <path>" directly after what is currently in the Target box on the Shortcut tab of the dialog, where <path> refers to path written in UNC format to the eilocal.ini file for the production system to which the shortcut belongs.

 For example, if Kofax ReadSoft Entrance is installed in the default location, and the global folder for the intended production system is C:\share\INVOICES2, the following text should be found in the Target box of the shortcut to open the correct database when the shortcut is used:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\ReadSoft\INVOICES\Bin\eimngr.exe" /eid "\\<computername>\INVOICES"

 Then in this case, the database referenced in the INI files in connection with C:\share\INVOICES2 is used when the program opens.

Start and stop services for individual production systems

When using Kofax ReadSoft Entrance on the same computer for multiple databases (production systems), Kofax ReadSoft Entrance services cannot be started or stopped using the menu items in the Manager module (that is: Administration > Services > Start service or Stop service). These services can either be started or stopped using the Windows Services manager or by opening a Command Prompt window as an administrator and typing the following syntax:

  • net start "INVOICES PMService<ServiceID>" to start services for a specific production system.
  • net stop "INVOICES PMService<ServiceID>" to stop services for a specific production system.

Example:

Use the following strings to start or stop Kofax ReadSoft Entrance services registered with ServiceID "A".

  • net start "INVOICES PMServiceA"
  • net stop "INVOICES PMServiceA"

Create separate shortcuts to start modules in different production systems

For ease of use when starting Kofax ReadSoft Entrance modules, do the following for each production system to create separate shortcuts for all of the Kofax ReadSoft Entrance modules.