Orion POS Remote Polling Configuration

February 2013

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Orion POS Remote Polling Configuration
The Orion Point of Sale System has the ability to link any number of remote locations together. In Point of Sale
processing, this is referred to as Remote Polling. Historically, remote polling was done with modems and was a
complex, time consuming process. Today, with the Internet available worldwide, this process is much quicker and
much more efficient.

The Orion Point of Sale System is capable of linking a large number of remote locations (branch offices) to a
common head office.

Orion remote Polling works by having a company Database at the head office and setting up a SQL database on a
server or workstation at the remote location to facilitate the transfer of data to and from the remote location. All
of the setup and maintenance of the system is done from the head office. Once setup, enough data is sent to the
remote location from the head office to allow transactions to be processed at the remote location. At the end of
the day or whenever it is convenient, the sales transaction data can be sent back to the head office to be posted
into the Accpac Accounting System.

The Orion Remote Polling System is designed to be controlled from the head office. When you set up the system,
you must have an Orion Location record and at least one workstation for each remote location. The Workstation
must reference the Orion POS Location Record.

The remote polling can be run from the Synchronize Locations option in the remote polling section of the
management console or can be scheduled to run automatically through the Orion Tasks feature of Orion POS.
Further, you can set up the Orion POS Remote Polling option to run automatically through the Orion Task
Scheduler.

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Setting up Remote Polling in Orion Point of Sale

At the Head Office (HOST) Location

To set up remote polling, first ensure that the Head office location is fully functioning. This means that
Sage ERP 300 is installed and the database has at least 1 A/R, GL and Bank Services Transaction, and that
the Inventory has at least one fully setup item (an Item, a price list and stock received at one location (at
least for one item)).

Setup The Orion POS and refresh the data at the host.
You should be able to run the Orion POS and process and post at least one transaction to the accounting
system.

Orion POS must have a POS location set up for the head office location and at least one additional
location set up in Orion for EACH OF THE REMOTE LOCATIONS that you plan to communicate with.

The new locations in the POS Database (in Orion) that are remote locations must be identified as being so.
Identify the remote locations as remote polling locations by filling in the external IP Address of the
computer at the remote location and identifying a port TCP/IP Port to use in the file transfer (note: do not
use port 1433 (the default SQL port)). We have had success using port 1648 as our default. You can use
ant port that you wish (though we recommend using 1648).

Note: The port identified above is the port that will be used in ongoing synchronizations. Orion POS
uses the port above to synchronize data for this location. When you physically setup the remote location
you MUST port forward the firewall to the computer at the remote location that has the Orion Database
installed on it.

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At the Head Office Location, set up at least one POS workstation for each of the remote POS locations.
Remember, all of the setup should be done at the head office location.

Note that the POS Location field in the image below corresponds to the remote location for this remote
workstation.

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At the Remote Location

Connecting Orion POS to the Remote Location Database

Install Microsoft SQL (or SQL Express) and the Orion POS Software on a computer at the remote location.
We suggest that the computer selected to hold the database is a server (if there is one at the store);
otherwise a Microsoft Windows Professional workstation will do.

Note: There are many versions of MS SQL Express to choose from. Currently, we suggest that you use MS
SQL Express with Tools (either the x64 or x86 versions depending on your computer and/or
requirements. The With Tools option includes the SQL Management Studio. The Management Studio
will be required for SQL Maintenance).

Next, run the wizard (Management Console) at the remote and setup a remote polled workstation
Choose the third option, Remote Workstation and press next to proceed to the next screen.
Note: The check box to the right is for setting up an additional workstation at the remote location and will
not create a SQL Database if checked.

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Setup the rest of the connection data here to connect Orion POS to the database at the remote
workstation.

Enter the following:

Database ID The name of the database at the remote location. This name can be anything
that you choose to setup. It does not have to be the same as the database on
the server.

Server Address The name of the computer at the remote location that contains the Orion
POS database. If the Database is installed on a SQL Instance, the instance name
may need to be added here (ie.SERVER_NAME/INSTANCE).

User Name Usually the sa (SQL System Administrator user).

Password The sa Password

Press the Create Database Button once all of the parameters are set to create an empty database at the
remote location.

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Installing the Remote Service

With the release of Orion 3.0, we have made available a Windows service for use at the remote locations.
This service will allow you to connect, at any time, to an Orion remote database to facilitate data
transfers.

The remote service is available on the Orion POS download page and can be installed and set to run
automatically. To adjust the settings in the service, go into the services section of the windows control
panel and open the Orion Remoting Service.

The Remote Service is typically installed on the same computer that the MS SQL Database is installed on
at the remote location.

Initially, Do not turn on the remote service.

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Remote Polling for the First Time
If you choose not to install the Orion Remoting Service, the Management Console MUST be open on one
of the remote workstations in order for the polling to work.

At the head office select the Remote Polling option. The Remote Location should appear in the list of
available Locations to Poll.

Proceed to run the remote polling by pressing the Execute Synchronization button after checking off the
one or more of the check boxes (Import or Export or Both)..

This is the Database Synchronization screen in the Management Console at the Head Office Location.

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The first time that you run the remote polling you must choose to export data to the remote. The system
will not completely setup if you do not do this.

We recommend that you select to export only a couple of times to ensure that a complete set of data gets
to the remote location. After sending the data, wait for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the data at the remote
location to populate the remote database. If you look at the POS Screen, the company name will appear if
the remote polling has completed at the remote location.

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Problem Resolution

Following are the most common problems encountered when setting up Remote Polling with Orion POS.

Orion POS Setup Issues

No Remote Workstation Setup

Microsoft Firewall:

Port Forwarding from the Remote Location Firewall

Remote Port Conflicts

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MS SQL or MS SQL Express

Start the MS SQL Server Configuration Manager tool

Turn on TCP/IP

Turn on MS SQL Browser

The most common problem is failure to correctly open the port at the remote locations firewall and forward the
port to the computer at the remote that contains the Orion POS Database.

The selected port is not opened in the Windows firewall.

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Remote Polling Checklist
Following are the steps to follow when setting up a Remote POS location for ORION Point of Sale.

At the Remote location:

Install MS SQL or MS SQL Express at the remote location

Make Sure that SQL is setup with SQL authentication and that there is a sa Password. We normally set
the sa password to: SYSadmin1 do to the default requirement to have a strongly secured password in
most windows based computers.

Start the MS SQL Configuration Manager tool and check to see that TCP/IP is turned on (Enabled).

Start the MS SQL SQL Configuration Manager and check to see that the SQL Express Browser is turned
on.

Install the Orion POS Workstation Software (example: OSetupERP4-009-8.exe).

Start the Orion Console and run the Wizard to create and connect the SQL Database.

Make sure that you port forward port 1648 on the remote locations firewall to direct the data sent to that
port through to the computer that the Orion POS Database resides on.

Turn off the Microsoft Firewall on the computer at least until you have the polling configured and
operating.

Start the Orion Management Console at the remote location and leave the software sitting at the login
screen. Do not log into the console and do not have the Orion Remote Service Running. You could run the
Netstat.exe (example: netstat a ) from a command prompt to see if the port that you are using (in this
case 1648) is Listening for incoming data.

Run www.whatismyip.com or www.ipchicken.com and determine the external IP address of the

remote location.

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At the Head Office Location:

Make sure that the POS is operational at the head office location.

Setup a POS location for the new remote POS Location. Make sure that you enter the external IP address
that you found at the remote location on the remote tab of the location. Enter the SQL Port on the screen
as well. You can now test the connection to the remote location once you enter and save the information
at this point by pressing the test button.

Setup at least one POS Workstation for the new remote POS Location.

You can now export the Orion POS Data to the newly created database at the new remote POS Location.

If you were successful in doing this, the company name should now appear at the new remote location.

Exit and restart the remote location and send the data from the head office to the remote location a
second time.

Copy any crystal reports and pos license files to the appropriate places at the remote location.

You are now ready to enter transactions at the remote location.

Enter transactions throughout the day and then cash out the remote location.

Start the management console and again, leave the system sitting at the consoles login screen.

At the head office, enter the remote polling menu item and import the data from the remote location.

You can automate this process in the Orion Consoles Task Manager.

Note: The Remote Service is normally used at the remote locations to monitor the TCP/IP port looking for activity.
This is how the software knows when to begin processing. Orion also has the ability to operate without the service
by starting the management console and sitting at the login screen. The advantage to using the management
console instead of the remote service is that you can see the data moving (on a screen provided in the software).
The advantage to using the service is that you can completely automate this process and have the software run
unattended. The problem with the remote service is that you cannot have screens of data in a service so you
cannot see activity. This was designed into Windows so that a service can operate even if you are not logged onto
the computer.

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Useful Tools

Following are some tools that may be helpful in setting up a remote location.

IPCONFIG

From a Dos BOX (CMD prompt) you can run the IPCONFIG program to determine the IP Address of the
computer.

Syntax: ipconfig /all

NETSTAT

From a Dos BOX (CMD prompt) you can run the netstat.exe program. This will tell you if the remote port
that you selected is Listening for an incoming signal from the head office location.

Syntax: netstat a

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