Note: The Atlas SQL Alias Manager and DBC files are used to configure database connections for the Aeon Desktop Client applications and are not used by the Aeon Web Client.
The Atlas SQL Alias Manager, or SAM, is used in the process of creating and maintaining a database connection (DBC) files referred to as SQL Aliases. These aliases are used by Aeon when performing any database operation. Connections between the versions of Aeon that use the .NET framework and the SQL Server are managed using the SQL Alias Manager.
The SQL Alias Manager shows available products and DBC files listed on the left with database connection information for the selected DBC file in the middle.
The .DBC File
The SQL Alias Manager creates a logon dbc file that stores the SQL server connection string information and the Aeon site information and password. This file is encrypted and it can only be opened using the SQL Alias Manager. If you have already specified this file using the SQL Alias Manager, it will automatically open the next time you open the SQL Alias Manager. You can have multiple logon dbc files on a machine and each one you've opened in the SQL Alias Manager will be listed.
Location of the .DBC File
Where you save this file is stored in the registry and will be used by all the different Aeon components on that machine that use the Alias Manager. The current default DBC file for the machine is displayed at the bottom of the Alias Manager in the status bar. To select a specific DBC file to use for the system, choose it on the list on the left and hit the Set Default (Current User) or Set Default (Local Machine) button in the ribbon:
- Setting a DBC at the machine level- Requires administrator privileges.
- Setting a DBC at the user level- does NOT require administrator privileges; therefore, individual users will be able to configure their workstations without assistance from IT staff. Setting the DBC file location will have to be performed for each user of the workstation since the default DBC configuration for one user will not be set as the default for other users. It is recommended to save the DBC in a location accessible to all users (e.g., C:\Users\Public) so it will only have to be created once. If you don't choose to put the DBC file in a location accessible machine-wide, we recommend storing it under the My Documents\Aeon folder (will not be accessible to other users and doesn't require admin privileges).
Enhanced Security
Since the SQL Alias Manager encrypts the logon dbc file, a staff user can't see any passwords saved in the file. Opening the file in the Alias Manager will not display the passwords and will also not allow copying of the passwords using the clipboard.
Creating a New Database Connection
Each computer that will be using the Aeon Desktop Client will need the SQL Alias Manager (SAM) installed and configured in order for Aeon to work. The SAM will be installed by default when installing the Aeon Desktop Client and a shortcut will display on the desktop.
You will likely need to right click on the SQL Alias Manager icon and select Run as Administrator to complete the configuration steps below.
- Right click on the SQL Alias Manager icon and select Run as Administrator.
- Click the New button on the ribbon interface. A menu will appear.
- Click Aeon to create a new profile for Aeon.
- In the middle Database Connection column, fill in your Aeon Server address.
- Fill in your Aeon Database name. The default is AeonData.
- Leave the Connect Timout checkbox blank. This will be populated with the default values when the profile is saved. Also, leave the Username and Password fields blank unless instructed otherwise by your database administrator.
- If your SQL server supports encrypted connections, you can check the Secure box. This will encrypt the connection to the SQL server. Please note that if your SQL server does not support encrypted connections, checking this box will cause the connection to fail.
- Click Save to save the profile alias. Atlas recommends saving the file as your databasename.dbc (e.g. Aeondata.dbc) in the folder where the desktop client program files are saved. The default is C:\Program Files(x86)\Aeon\logon.dbc. Please see Creating a New Aeon Database File for more information.
- After saving the alias, click the Set Default (Local Machine) button to set that alias as the default alias to use for all users on that computer, or the Set Default (Current User) button to set that alias as the default alias to use for the current user.
Setting an Alias for the Web Pages
This step is exclusively used when setting up a locally hosted server, not for desktop client installation.
Aeon uses the dbc file exclusively to connect to the database so an additional .dbc file needs to be created for the web pages. After updating Aeon, create a new dbc file for the web pages. This file should be located in the same folder as the Aeon.dll, which is by default C:\Program Files (x86)\Aeon\Web.
Removing an Alias
Because the aliases are directly attached to .dbc files, removing an alias can be done simply by deleting the associated .dbc file.
Using an Alternate Username and Password
If you have configured your Aeon server with a different username/password or if your server has multiple sites, you will need to enter that different username/password in the fields for the alias. Atlas can provide you with those alternate values as needed. Otherwise, the default values assigned while making the alias will work best.