Computers Connect to Each Other Through a Network

For our purposes there are two types of computers on a network. These are client computers where people do work and server computers which serve (or perform) requests. Servers serve its customers (clients) by performing the tasks asked of it.

When you visit an Internet website your request to see a page is provided by a server computer. The computer you are sitting at when you ask to see the page is the client computer.

Here is a typical arrangement: (although a single server generally serves many clients)

How Two Computers Talk to each Other

If you are visiting a website, the software on your computer talking to the website is your browser, i.e., Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc. This is the client software.

A diagram is shown below. Notice there is a request going from the software on the client to the software on the server, which travels over the network. A response is returned, which also travels over the same network.

The Management by Statistics Program has Both Client Software and Server Software Included

The server software of Management by Statistics is called the Mastertech Database Manager.

The client software is the Management by Statistics Software.

You may want to install the client and server software on the same computer. The server software is generally installed first, then the client software.

Storage of Your Information in Data Files is Done on the Server

The data files are what is called a database. The main functions of a database are: the storing and organizing data for easy access by authorized users.

Firewalls and Computer Connections

A firewall is a device or software which monitors and controls the connections of a computer. Firewalls are used for security in that they restrict which pieces of software can send and/or receive communications and can even limit which computers a piece of software can communicate with.

If you are running Management by Statistics on a single computer, your firewall should not be an issue at all because software on your computer is simply talking to other software on your computer, so that communication doesn't pass through the firewall.

Almost every computer is equipped with a firewall. The Mastertech Database Manager automatically configures the Windows Firewall to allow connections from computers on your network to SQL Server. Computers outside of your immediate network are disallowed from communicating with SQL Server.

However, there are many firewalls on the market and most all anti-virus programs comes with a firewall of their own.

Most newer firewalls do not need much manual interaction to configure them, if the following procedure is followed.

1. Install the Mastertech Database Manager on your server.
2. Run the Mastertech Database Manager, which will walk you through the database creation and activating of the software. This ensures that SQL Server is properly configured to receive communications from other computers and sets everything up. The Mastertech Database Manager also provides you with the connection information you will need to enter into the client portion of the software.
3. Install the Management by Statistics Software on a client computer.
4. Run the Management by Statistics Software.
5. Enter the connection information that is displayed in the Mastertech Database Manager and click the Test Connection button.

The screen shot below shows where to find the connection settings for your installation.

   

The screen shot below shows where to enter the connection settings for your installation.

   

6. If it doesn't almost immediately display a response, go to the server computer. Look for a notice from the firewall asking if it should allow the connection. Click the appropriate button or item to allow the connection. There may be more than one of these, so it is sometimes necessary to go back and forth between the client and server computers a couple of times.
7. NOTE: Not all connection problems are firewall related. Cases where the connection information is entered incorrectly or the server computer is not connected to the same network or other such issues can prevent a successful connection. If you receive an error message, click here for the steps to handle connection issues.
8. If you have gone through the steps to handle connections and can not get a successful connection after going through the entire list or you get an error message which is not covered in the above link, then contact our Technical Support Rep at US (727) 216-0642.

This article assumes you have installed both the Server and Client software on your computer or computer(s) on your network.

If you want to run the Management by Statistics Software on one computer only, then install both the client and server software on that one computer.

For help on installation, please read Installation on Your Computer Network.

* SQL stands for Structured Query Language, which is the computer programming language used to store, manage and retrieve information from a database.