Visual Quality Configuration Utility - The Database tab


 

By default, Visual Quality uses Microsoft Access as database. The database is a file (vesdata.mdb) which you find in the data directory under the Visual Quality installation directory. Is this for instance c:\program files\visual quality and have you selected 'demo' as databaser, then the location of vesdata.mdb is c:\program files\visual quality\data\demo\database.
In a client/server setup the database on the server is used. In case the server is called vqserver, and the share to the Visual Quality installations directory on the server is vq, the path would be \\vqserver\vq\data\demo\database.

For larger installations, Microsoft SQL Server is a better choice than Access, both in terms of maintenance, security and performance. If the server computer already has SQL Server installed it is easy to have Visual Quality use this database. Actually, the SQL Server instance doesn't even need to be on the same server machine as Visual Quality. In case the server machine has access to another machine with SQL Server installed, this can be used as a VQ Database Server as well.

To enable Visual Quality to use Microsoft SQL Server you should follow the procedure described below.

Configuration of Microsoft SQL Server on the server and on clients

In case you want to use Microsoft SQL Server as database, you must configure this in Visual Quality Configuration Utility on all client machines  where Visual Quality is installed. First, however, you must configure SQL Server and install the VQ databases on the server machine.


On the server

Choose SQL Server and enter the name of the SQL Server database server in the field Server. As mentioned above, this can be a local installation of SQL Server or a SQL Server instance on another computer on the network. As an example, if a Microsoft SQL Express instance exists on a computer called DBServer on the network, you should enter DBServer\SQLExpress in the field Server.

 

You use the button Database wizard... to create the Visual Quality databases on the selected server.
This wizard will guide you in creating the two Visual Quality default databaser (Standard og Demo) in SQL Server. At the same time the wizard creates a Visual Quality user (VESMasterUser) in SQL Server. This is the user Visual Quality, Visual Quality Web Acccess and Visual Quality Alert Service use to log on to SQL Server.
By default there is no password for this user, but you can provide one by clicking the button next to the field.

Click Database wizard...

 

If you have created your own (Access) database then you should check Include all databases in Visual Quality. By doing this, you databases will be created in SQL Server as well.

Click Next:

 

 

To create the Visual Quality SQL Server user and the Visual Quality databases the wizard needs to log on to SQL Server as administrator (typically the user sa). Provide the password for the user and click Next.


 

At this point all the VQ databases will be created in SQL Server. This operation can take up to 10 minutes or more depending on the amount of data which needs to be copied over from the Access databases
Click Finish to close the wizard.

 

On the clients

Select SQL Server and enter the name of the SQL Server database instance in the field Server (in the example DBServer\SQLExpress).
In case you selected a password for VESMasterUser in the previous section, you should specify it here as well by using the button next to the Password field.