SYSTEM SETTINGS

Use this screen to select some basic settings that affect the entire system. The information entered in the Company Settings group box can be changed only in this screen. You can set the items in the Company Defaults group box, however, individually for each user in other screens. For convenience, you should set the system defaults here and make changes on an individual basis as needed.

Set up the settings and defaults in this screen when you first initialize Costpoint or when a new company is added.

Company ID

You originally set up the Company ID in the G/L Settings screen. To complete the setup of a new company, you must also add rows in the following screens: Set Up Company Info in Costpoint General Ledger and Project Settings in Costpoint Project Setup.

The unlabeled field to the right displays the description of the company.

Company Settings

You can maintain the settings in this group box only in this screen. These settings are system-wide and therefore affect all users of this Costpoint database.

Web Active

Select this check box if you are using the Costpoint Web product.  If you select this check box, the URL, System Name, Database, User ID, and Password fields are required in the Corporate subtask.

Use Web Security Model for Client/Server

Select this check box to enable using Web Security for this company.

Selection of this option also enables you to minimize user information setup between Web and Client/Server. When this option is selected (for any company),  user information set up in Web flows to C/S automatically.

Information common to both Web and Client/Server is maintained only in the Web.

Information specific to Web or Client/Server is still maintained in the respective system.

For example, when a user is added (or deleted) in the Web, that user is automatically added (or deleted) in Client/Server. All user information common to Client/Server (General Information, Workflow information, Company assignment) syncs up to Client/Server automatically. User information specific to Web is excluded (Printing Defaults, Authentication & Password information).

This option allows you to use application rights defined in the Web for Client/Server applications. This option has no affect on application rights in the Web application and can be elected by company within Costpoint.

If all companies do not elect to use this option, application rights must be set up for those companies in Client/Server.

If the company is not using application security in the Web version, the system still uses applications rights setup in Client/Server.

You must enter the Web Application Server Information and the Admin Schema Information on the Corporate Settings subtask of this screen to use this function.

When users login to Client/Server, the system checks if the current company uses Web security. If it does, the system connects to the Web Admin schema to retrieve application rights for the user.

Some parts of applications in Client/Server are no longer applicable when this option is selected. The system cautions the user when the application is opened.

For example, when you access the Maintain Users application with this option selected, only some of the fields can be changed and this information message displays:

The option to use Web Security in Client Server is on. Only Client Server specific information can be updated in this application. Use the Maintain Users application in the Web to update all other information.

The following applications are no longer applicable when this option is selected:

For these applications, this message similar to this displays:

Warning: Web security rights are being used as specified in the System Settings screen. Client Server security rights maintained in this application are not applicable.

Default Purging Age

Enter the number of days you want the system to retain data in the various report tables. The value in this field is used as the default in the Purge Report Table Data screen.

Role

For Oracle users only - Enter the role to be temporarily granted to Costpoint users when temporary tables are created in Costpoint functions.  This allows users who do not normally have CREATE TABLE privileges outside of Costpoint to be able to create required temporary tables during a Costpoint session. Leave this field blank if you are not using Oracle or if an appropriate database role is not set up by the Oracle DBA.    

Org Security

Select this check box to activate organizational security for Costpoint. When a new Costpoint database is installed, this box is initially clear. For more information on this subject, refer to Special Topic SA-5, Organizational Security.

Autoload Lookup

Select this check box if you want a lookup screen to be automatically loaded with data. If this check box is not selected, the table on the lookup screen is empty until you click the Execute button on the toolbar. When a new Costpoint database is installed, this check box is initially selected, so that autoload is enabled.

Save Process History

Select this check box to save the history of processes run on the process server. Use the Print/Purge Process History screen in Costpoint Process Management to print or delete the process history.

If the Process Server is running and you have selected or cleared the Save Process History check box, the server must be brought down and restarted to make your change effective.

Print Process History

Select this check box if you want to print the history of a process immediately after it is executed on the process server. The Process History Report prints to the same printer as the process.

If the Process Server is running and you have selected or cleared the Print Process History check box, the server must be brought down and restarted to make your change effective.

Allow Password Reuse

Select this check box if you want to allow Costpoint users to reuse old passwords. (Previously used passwords are not saved in the history file.) If this check box is later cleared, Costpoint starts to save used passwords, and users are not able to reuse any password established from then on.

Save Process/Report Log

Select this check box to save the Process/Report log. Use the Print/Purge Costpoint Process/Report Log screen to print or delete the Process/Report log.

Maximum Rows

You can use this group box to specify how many rows can be retrieved in various screens.

Lookup

Use this field to specify how many rows can be retrieved from the database for a lookup screen. If more rows are found, only this number displays. The setting can be from 10 to 32,000 rows. When a new Costpoint database is installed, this field is set to 200.

Query

Use this field to specify how many rows can be retrieved from the database for a query or subquery screen. If more rows are found, only this number displays. The setting can be from 10 to 32,000 rows. When a new Costpoint database is installed, this field is set to 1000.

Find

Use this field to specify how many rows can be retrieved from the database for a find screen. If more rows are found, only this number displays. The setting can be from 10 to 32,000 rows. When a new Costpoint database is installed, this is set to 1000. This same field also controls the number of rows that can be retrieved in a clone screen.

Table

Use this field to specify how many rows can be retrieved from the database for a table in a Costpoint function. If more rows are found, only this number displays. The setting can be from 10 to 32,000 rows. When a new Costpoint database is installed, this is set to 1000.

Email System

Costpoint Workflow uses this group box to determine whether activities and messages should be routed through email, and which email protocol to use.

Use Email for Workflow Notification

Select this check box to receive Workflow notification through email. Workflow can route activities and messages through any MAPI-compatible email package, or a specified SMTP server.

Email Protocol

MAPI (Messaging Application Program Interface)

Select this option to have this standard Windows program communicate with your computer's MAPI-compatible email system. This option is selected by default.

There are two issues to be aware of when using MAPI. 

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)

Select this option to send email messages between servers via the Internet. Selecting this option gives you the flexibility to choose any email client to receive Workflow emails.

With SMTP, the email client (for example, Outlook) does not send Workflow mail, and therefore the Outlook security display prompts are avoided.  Also, when you use SMTP, the From: section of the email reflects the Costpoint user who initiated the activity.  

Email ID/Profile

If MAPI is selected:

The Email ID/Profile should contain a valid Outlook profile that Workflow can use to create an email connection, if a connection is not already established. You may want to set up a special profile for Costpoint Workflow.

When it is time to route activities and messages, Costpoint Workflow checks whether the current user is connected to email. If a connection to email is already established, Workflow uses that connection to route activities and messages. If no email connection exists, Costpoint Workflow logs into the email system with the profile provided in this screen.  If this profile does not exist on the workstation that is sending the Workflow email, a Choose Profile dialog box displays asking which workstation's profile should be used.

If SMTP is selected:

The Email ID/Profile is used in the From: section of the confirmation test email, which is sent whenever you set up a Workflow user in the Maintain Users screen. It does not have to be a valid email address, but it should be a fully qualified email address (for example, Workflow@test.com).

SMTP Server Name

Enter the name of the Internet email server that is responsible for sending outgoing mail. 

SMTP Server User ID

Enter a system account user ID to be used for SMTP server authentication.  

SMTP Server Password

Enter the password of the SMTP Server User ID to be used for SMTP server authentication. 

The SMTP Server User ID and Password allows you to send Workflow email outside of your local email server.

SMTP Port Number

Enter the port number to be used when sending email via SMTP protocol (Default is 25).  

Company Defaults

Use this group box to set the Company defaults. You can override these settings in the Maintain General Preferences screen (which is accessed by selecting Preferences in the Options menu) and the Maintain Users screen.

Multiple Active Functions

You can use this group box to specify how the system handles a request from a user to open more than one Costpoint function at a single workstation. Inexperienced Windows users sometimes become confused when running several processes at the same time. Costpoint system administrators should consider the experience of their users before selecting an option in this group box.

Always Close

Select this option to have the system close a function when the user tries to open a new one. If data was entered in the function being closed, the user is allowed to save the data first. This option is selected by default.

Ask Each Time

Select this option to have the system ask if the user wants the old function closed before the new one is opened. It allows the user to have more than one function open.

No Restriction

Select this option to have the system open new functions without closing any functions that are already open, and without asking whether the old functions should be closed.

Form Background Color

This field displays the system default background color for all Costpoint screens. When Costpoint is installed, the initial default system background color is gray.

Modify

Click this button to open the Color subtask, where you can choose or create a new system default color.

Print Report Criteria

Select this check box if you want the report criteria (for example, sort options and other parameters) to be printed on the first page of all reports. This check box is selected by default.

Page Setup

Click this button to open the Page Setup subtask where you can override Costpoint's pre-installed report defaults.

Input Message Buffer Size

Use this field to set the default size (in bytes) of the input message buffer for a user's workstation. The input message buffer is the area in memory that holds the result of a query to the database. The larger it is, the faster your queries to the database are, but you have fewer resources for other applications. If your buffer is smaller, your queries run slower, but you are able to have more Windows applications open at the same time. We recommend an initial value of 2000 for Oracle and SQLBase users, and 8000 for Sybase and MS SQL Server users.

Whenever you change anything in this screen, all current Costpoint users must exit and reenter Costpoint before the changes can take effect. Any user who stays in Costpoint continues to use the old settings and defaults.

Corporate

Click this button to open the Corporate Settings subtask.