Fas Guide

Field Accounting System
System Administration Guidelines
Initial Configuration Checks
A Guidebook to FAS Workstation Set-up
FAS Help Desk Documentation
Wednesday, 07 April 1999

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................1
2. CONTROLLING COMMUNICATION COSTS...........................................2
3. NETWORK INSTALLATIONS....................................................................4
4. MAKING THE DISPLAY LARGER (OPTIONAL)......................................5
5. 32 BIT ODBC SETTINGS..........................................................................8
6. MODEM SETTINGS.................................................................................11
7. DIAL UP NETWORKING SETTINGS......................................................18
8. SITA CONNECTION.................................................................................29
9. INITIAL REPLICATION TEST..................................................................36

FAS System Administration Guidelines
1. Introduction
The settings described in this document have already been configured at regional
training centers prior to shipping to field office destinations. The majority of these
settings should not require any adjustment. In case changes are necessary, please
take extreme care in making any changes.
If for any reason you do NOT feel comfortable making any changes to your FAS
workstation, please seek the assistance of local technical support personnel that can
verify your FAS workstation settings.
This Guide contains a series of installation checks to ensure that your FAS configuration is
correct and that your startup goes smoothly.
Settings that are user preferences are indicated as optional. All other settings should
conform to the settings documented in this guide.
Additionally, please keep a log of any changes you have made to assist the FAS Help Desk
in troubleshooting any problems that your office may encounter. If desired, record the
changes on a hardcopy printout of these guides and keep the marked copy in a binder close
to the FAS workstation for later reference.
Forms have been included to assist in the recording of replication information.
Preparation of this document has been greatly assisted by contributions from Ivette
Quintana, FAO/Cuba. We wish to extend our gratitude for her admirable and extensive
volunteer efforts.
Where to report Problems
The following FAS Help Desk post office boxes have been set up for email reporting of
problems related to FAS operations:
FAS Help Desk (English) fas-helpdesk-eng@fao.org

FAS Help Desk (French) fas-helpdesk-fra@fao.org
FAS Help Desk (Spanish) fas-helpdesk-esp@fao.org
FAS Help Desk Documentation 1 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

2. Controlling Communication Costs
Containing FAS communication costs is in everyone’s best interest. Every effort

has been made, and FAS support will continue to review methods, to minimize
the amount of time required for communications between decentralised offices
and Rome headquarters.
The best advice for containing communication costs is close monitoring of any
and all dial-up communications. Perhaps the best analogy is: “If the motor is
running, it’s burning up gasoline”. The same is true for all telephone calls made
through the FAS internal modem. Connect only when you need to and do not
forget to immediately disconnect when done.
The collection of guides in this Initial Configuration Checks document and FAS
Replication Guidelines document outline many important FAS workstation settings that
can help you minimize communication costs. Additionally, there are many helpful hints on
manual procedures that you can follow to further lower FAS operation costs. This chapter
of the Initial Configuration Checks document highlights these settings and hints and
provides references to where the detailed information can be found.
 Make the Dial-up Connect AFTER all other actions to connect to Rome HQ have been
taken. Connecting in the manner outlined the FAS Replication Guidelines document
minimizes the amount of time prior to replication that you will be connected to SITA or
your internet ISP provider (once internet replication is a possibility). If you connect
first then have to go through the FAS startup and menu selections to get to the
necessary FAS “Replicate” button, your meter is already running, so to speak.
Recommended steps are:

1) Open up your FAS session
2) complete everything inside FAS needed for replication except the last step -
clicking on the “Replicate” button
3) start the Dial-up Networking process
4) Once dial-up connection has been made, immediately go back into FAS and click
on the “Replicate” button.
 Monitor each FAS replication from start to finish. Due to the many factors influencing
replication, replication may not be proceeding while your telephone connection
remains active. If the replication gets “stuck” or if transmission speeds are too low,
avoid higher communication costs by disconnecting and attempting replication at a
later time.

Recommendations:
1) Check the transmission speed of the connection. Low transmission speeds equate
to higher communication costs (see steps 14-15 in the FAS Replication Guidelines
document). Only replicate at speeds above 9,600 bps. Connection at speeds lower
than 9,600 bps should be disconnected.
2) Closely monitor the transmission progress (see diagram in step 14 of the FAS
Replication Guidelines). The status of Bytes received and Bytes sent are
continuously updated when a transmission is active. If these totals stop changing, it
is an indication that either the replication process has completed normally or that
you have lost your connection. If replication has ended normally, there will be a
message on the FAS replication Refresh window which states “Replication
completed”. In this case, you should manually disconnect (see steps 22-23 in the
FAS Replication Guidelines document).
3) Keep a manual log of each replication process to help spot if replication times are
in line with other sessions or if your current session is exceeding expected time
limits. The average connection time will vary from office to office, thus only by
keeping a log will the average connection for you office be established. After
recording times have been established, if you notice that the average connection is
lasting more than 15-20 minutes, you are advised to inform the FAS Help Desk
immediately.
 Disconnect immediately AFTER your FAS replication has completed. FAS does not
automatically disconnect your dial-up connection when it completes. You can program
your dial-up session to automatically disconnect, which can help. The greatest savings
are realised by manually disconnecting after replication has completed. This is another
reason for close monitoring of your FAS replication. As explained above, replication
has ended normally when a message on the FAS replication Refresh window states
“Replication completed”. At this point, you should manually disconnect (see steps 22-
23 in the FAS Replication Guidelines document).
 Enable the Automatic Disconnect option of your Dial-up Networking session. Please
see step 5 in the Dial-up Networking section in this Initial Configuration Checks
document. It contains important information on configuring your SITA dial-up
connection with an automatic disconnect feature. This automatic disconnect should
not be relied upon to replace the manual disconnect mentioned above. The
purpose of activating this feature should only be to provide an additional disconnect
safeguard.
 Disable the Log on to network option of your Dial-up Networking session. Please see
step 6 in the Dial-up Networking section in this Initial Configuration Checks
document. If this option is selected, it can lengthen the amount of time necessary to
complete the dial-up connection process. As it is not rneeded for replication, disabling
it can help to reduce communication costs by allowing your replication to start sooner.

FAS System Administration ANNEX

3. Network Installations
The FAS workstations have been configured as stand-alone PCs that communicate
with other equipment via its internal modem.
Changing the FAS network configuration can result in the failure of your FAS
workstation to communicate with Rome HQ. It can also result in the inability of FAS
Help Desk to provide your office with support.
For these reasons, only qualified technical support personnel should complete
alterations of any network settings on the FAS workstation and the FAS Help Desk
should be notified of your intentions BEFORE commencing such modifications.
Due to the cost of a multi-user version of the supporting Oracle database, FAS was
designed as a single user application using Oracle Lite 3.5 database, which is also a single
user database. A network installation for FAS, therefore puts FAS at a very high risk of
database corruption by having the database opened by more than one person at a same
time.
While many smaller offices do not operate in a network environment, more and more
offices are finding that networked offices save both time and money by sharing resources.
This is especially true with sharing printers.
The FAS Help Desk is not opposed to your office making changes to the FAS workstation
to take advantage of a network printer, enable communication with other computers, or
FAS internet replication (when finalised by Oracle) through your office network system.
What is not encouraged, at the time of authoring this documentation, is the installation of
the FAS workstation in a network environment for the purpose of placing the supporting
FAS database on a network share with the intention of further placing multiple copies of
the FAS software on several workstations. To begin with, the FAS workstation has a
unique supporting Oracle software that is NOT included in any FAS installation kits.
These kits contain only the FAS application. Installation of the FAS application alone will
result in FAS not working at all on those additional workstations.
A pseudo network version is being developed for networked office installation. Although
not a multi-user version, it will allow network installation without risk of disabling FAS
operations.
If your office is a networked office, please feel free to make local network configuration
changes to share a network printer and allow peer-peer communications. For a true
network installation of FAS, your patience to wait for the FAS pseudo-network is
respectfully requested. It is the highest priority item on the list of features to be added.


4. Making the Display Larger (Optional)
FAS workstations may be configured with a display setting of 1024x768 at 256 colors.
FAS was designed for 800x600 display at 256 colors, thus you might prefer to change the
display setting to increase the size of objects displayed on your monitor. With the larger
display sizes, text and objects are easier to see.
Step 1. From the Start Menu, select Settings, and finally Control Panel.
The Control Panel window will be displayed.
Step 2. Find and double click on the Display option in the Control Panel.
Alternately, depending on the view mode selected there may not be a list of
options, but icons to be viewed. Find the icon with the Display title and double
click on it.

The Display Properties window is displayed. Click Settings tab along the top of the
window to activate the Settings tab options.
If the Colors setting is already 256 Colors and the Screen area is set to 800 by 600 pixels,
the display is already optimised for FAS.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Under no circumstances should the Colors setting be less that 256
colors nor the Screen area less than 800 x 600. Under these conditions, FAS windows will
not be properly displayed. Some windows will exceed the viewable area and it will be
impossible to click on some buttons or enter text in some fields.
If the settings require changing, continue with Step 3, otherwise click on the OK button to
close the Display Properties window.
Step 3. To change the Colors setting click on the arrow. A pull down list will appear.
Choose the 256 color value and click on it. If the Screen area setting is already
at 800 by 600 pixels, continue with step 5.
NOTE: In the example below, 16 colors are being changed to 256 colors. Higher settings
for colors can be chosen, but these settings will result in slower system performance and
your monitor must be able to support them. If smoother images are important to you,

select a higher color setting only if your monitor can support the setting. The AST
monitors shipped with the FAS workstation will support higher color settings, but be
careful with replacement monitors, they can be damaged by incorrect display settings.
Step 4: To change the Screen area setting, click and hold the left mouse button while
sliding the bar until the 800 by 600 pixels setting is displayed.
Step 5: When you are sure of your settings, click on the Apply button at the bottom of
the Display Properties window.
A confirmation window will be displayed. Click on the OK button.
Another confirmation widow will then appear after a few seconds. Click on the Yes button
to accept the display changes.
Step 6: Click on the OK button of the Display Properties window to return to the
Control Panel window.


5. 32 Bit ODBC Settings
FAS speaks to its Oracle database through Microsoft-provided open database connectivity
drivers. The ODBC settings for FAS must be correct for the FAS program to correctly
process the data stored in this database.
Step 2. Double click on the 32 bit ODBC option in the Control Panel.
Alternately, depending on the view mode selected there may not be a list
of options, but icons to be viewed. Find the icon with the 32-bit ODBC
title and double click on it.

The ODBC Data Source Administrator window is displayed with the User DSN tab active.
Step 3. Select the FIS_OLITE entry in the list and then click on the Configure button.
If the FIS_OLITE entry is for some reason missing, click on the Add button
instead.
The Oracle Lite 3.5 ODBC 2.0 Setup window is displayed

The values in this window should read:
Data Source Name: FIS_OLITE

Data Description: Oracle Lite 35 Data Source (or Oracle Lite Database)
Database Directory: C:\ORAWIN95\OLDB35
Olite Database: FIS_OLITE
Default Isolation Level: Read Committed
Autocommit: On
Default Cursor Type: Static
Most important in your review is to ensure that Default Isolation Level is set to Read
Committed and that Autocommit is set to On. On some FAS workstations, adjustment of
these two parameters have been necessary.

After completing your review, be sure to make a record of any changes that were necessary
and then click on the Ok buttons to close both the Oracle Lite 3.5 ODBC 2.0 Setup and the
ODBC Data Source Administrator windows. For the moment, please leave the Control
Panel open, as there are other options to select in this review process.

6. Modem Settings
Modem settings on FAS workstations may require minor modifications to optimise dial-up
connections to Rome. Your review of all modem settings should be completed even if you
have already successfully connected to Rome through SITA.
Step 2. Find and double click on the Modems option in the Control Panel.
Alternately, depending on the view mode selected there may not be a list of
options, but icons to be viewed. Find the icon with the Modems title and double
click on it.

The Modems Properties window is displayed.
Almost all modems are connected to telephone systems that are capable of using the much
fastest method of Tone dial connections. This feature is a technological advance over the
previously standard Pulse dial method. In some locations, however, tone dial is still may
available and you will have to change the defaulted Tone dial setting to Pulse dial. If you
have any doubts about which type of dial is available in your area, contact your local
telephone company, if and only if, you continue to have trouble getting a dial tone or you
continue to fail in establish a telephone connection.
To change Tone dial to Pulse dial, click on the Dialing Properties button.

The following Dialing Properties window is displayed.
Find the Dial using setting and click on the Pulse Dial text so that the black dot moves to
the white circle immediately to the left of to the Pulse Dial text.
Click on the Apply button.
Please note that no other settings in this Dialing Properties window should require
modification from your current local office settings.
Click on the OK button to close the Dialing Properties window.
Step 3. With the General tab selected, click on the Properties button in the Modems
Properties window. The U.S.Robotics x2 Winmodem Voice Properties window
is displayed.

There are two options on the General tab.
The first setting is the Speaker Volume. This setting should normally not require any
adjustment. If, however, the volume level is either too high or too low when attempting
dial up connections, it can be adjusted by clicking on the slide bar and while holding down
the left mouse button, moving the slide bar to a new speaker volume level.
The second setting, Maximum Speed, is very important. It is what controls the maximum
transmission speed that your modem will attempt to establish with each connection try.
The modem model that shipped with FAS is a 56K (57600) modem, but local line
conditions more often do not allow connections at this rate. Microsoft has chosen to ship
its Network dial-up software to default the maximum transmission speed to 115200. The
FAS workstation modem will never be able to connect at this rate.
By clicking on the arrow in the Maximum Speed option area, change this setting to 57600
to reduce the amount of time it takes for your modem to establish connections. At a later
time, this value can also be changed to 38400 if monitoring of connections shows that
transmission speeds are always lower than this value.
IMPORTANT: Under no circumstances, however, should the Maximum Speed be set

lower than 38400 as this would result in drastically higher communication costs.

Step 4. Click on the Connection tab to display the following options:
Under no circumstances should the Connection preferences section of the Connection tab
be changed. The values are:
Data bits: 8
Parity: none
Stop bits: 1
The Call preferences section can require adjustment for local conditions as follows:
In some areas, the Wait for Dial tone before dialing option, if selected, may not allow a
connection to proceed. If you notice that the modem simply fails to dial, removing the
check in the box to the left of this option may correct dialing failures.
The option Cancel the call if not connected within 60 secs should remain checked, but
the duration of 60 seconds can be shortened if desired. Do not shorten this value to too
low a value, or you risk cancelling all calls if there is insufficient time to connect.
The last option, Disconnect a call if idle for more than 30 mins SHOULD BE
CHECKED and the 30 minutes should be further reduced to 5 minutes.
IMPORTANT: FAILURE TO CHECK this last option box and setting the idle minutes to
5 minutes puts your office at risk of drastically higher communication costs if FAS
replication to Rome is left unattended. FAS has no built-in controls to disconnect your
SITA call to Rome, and without this option checked, an idle line will remain connected. It
is suggested that in addition to enabling this disconnect option, FAS replications are never
left unattended.
There are two buttons on the bottom of the Connection tab window, Port Settings… and
Advanced…. button. Clicking the Port Settings... button displays the following window.
Values shown in this window should not need changing. If, however, there are problems
with your connections, lowering these default settings can correct connection problems.
To lower the settings, click and hold the left mouse button down while moving the slide
bar to the left. Try moving one position a time to correct connection problems. When
done, click on the OK button.
Clicking on the Advanced…. button displays the following window.
These are advanced settings and should only be changed by a technician that understands
the implications of these settings.

The only option in this window that may be important to your office is the Append to log
check box. Placing a  in the checkbox will add connection statistics to the connection
log, preserving prior connection details. Without this checkbox checked, the log will never
contain historical connection data.
The FAS software records the amount of elapsed time it takes to replicate. These times,
however, do not reflect the amount of time that your modem has been connected, both
before and after replication efforts. In order to gather complete statistics, this option has to
be checked to accumulate overall modem connection times. This log will be the only
documentation that your office will have to verify SITA and local telephone charges
resulting from FAS modem connections. In this respect, it is recommended that the
option be enabled.
A word of caution on enabling this option. There are no automatic controls on

regulating the size of this log. The log will continue to grow unchecked unless it is
monitored. Because there are a lot more than just connection times being recorded, it
can grow large very quickly. What is recommended is a manual process at the
beginning of each month to save and rename the log file with year and month and
replacing the log with an empty file to start the new month. This will assist auditing of
communication charges whenever such an audit is desired or required.
The modem connection log file is stored in:
c:\win98\U.S.Robotics x2 Winmodem Voice.log
There are two other tabs on the Modems Properties window, the Distinctive Ring and
Forwarding tabs. Again, these are also advanced settings that should only be changed by a
technician that understands the implications of these settings.
Click the OK button on the U.S.Robotics x2 Winmodem Voice Properties window.
Click the OK button on the Modems Properties window.
Close the Control Panel window.
It is of UTMOST IMPORTANCE to follow up any changes to Modems Properties with

changes in Dial-up Networking, the next section of the initial configuration checks for the
production installation of FAS.


7. Dial Up Networking Settings
In addition to modem settings on FAS workstations, the Dial-up Networking settings may
also require modifications. Your review of all dial-up settings should be completed even if
you have already successfully connected to Rome through SITA.
Step 1. From the Desktop, double click on the Dial-up Networking icon. If this icon has
been removed from the Desktop, alternately double click on the My Computer
icon and follow-up with double clicking on the Dial-up Networking icon in the
My Computer window.
or The Dial-up Networking window

will be displayed.
Step 2. Click on the Connections Menu Bar option and select the Settings…. option
from the pull-down list.

The following Dial-up Networking window is displayed.
With the General tab selected, there are several common options, which can be set for all
dial-up connections. All settings should be as reflected above, with the exception of the
Redial option. Place a  in the Redial check box to force the modem to automatically
retry connecting. The minimum amount of time between tries should not be set to less than
2 seconds.
For locations where the SITA line is very busy, it is advisable to automatically
program redial. However, please remember that FAS replication is started manually, thus
the amount of time that elapses between the time a modem makes connection and when the
user starts replication should be kept to a minimum to prevent higher communication
costs. In short, do not leave the FAS workstation unattended when replicating.
When complete with your changes, click on the OK button.

Step 3: Back in the Dial-up Networking window, use the right mouse button and click
on the entry which is title Field to Rome through SITA. From the pop-up
window select Properties as shown below.
This may be titled SITA – YourCityName or Field Office to Rome through SITA
The Field to Rome through SITA window will be displayed.
If the default local SITA telephone is incorrect, you can re-enter the correct number. It is
NOT the number displayed in this example.

Please note that the following settings for Steps 4-5 are a repeat of the modem settings
that were done earlier in configuring the modem in the Control Panel. It was
necessary to change the modem settings to correctly default settings for any new dial-
up connections that are established in the future. However, is is also necessary to
repeat the default settings here so that the modem connections to SITA behave as you
have previously configured. The only other option is to delete and re-create this dial-
up connection for SITA, which is more work and not recommended due to the risk of
incorrect dial-up configuration.
If no changes were made to the modem settings through the Control Panel, resume
Dial-up Networking configuration checks with Step 6.
Step 4. Click on the Configure… button. The U.S.Robotics x2 Winmodem Voice

Properties window is displayed.
There are two options on the General tab.
The first setting is the Speaker Volume. This setting should normally not require any
adjustment. If, however, the volume level is either too high or too low when attempting
dial up connections, it can be adjusted by clicking on the slide bar and while holding down
the left mouse button, moving the slide bar to a new speaker volume level.

The second setting, Maximum Speed, is very important. It is what controls the maximum
transmission speed that your modem will attempt to establish with each connection try.
The modem that shipped with FAS is a 56K (57600) modem, but local line conditions
more often do not allow connections at this rate. Microsoft has chosen to ship its Network
dial-up software to default the maximum transmission speed to 115200. The FAS
workstation modem cannot connect at this rate.
By clicking on the arrow in the Maximum Speed option area, change this setting to 57600
to reduce the amount of time it takes for your modem to establish connections. This value
can also be changed to 38400 if monitoring of connections shows that transmission speeds
are always lower than this value.
IMPORTANT: Under no circumstances, however, should the Maximum Speed be set

lower than 38400 as this would result in drastically higher communication costs.
Step 5. Click on the Connection tab to display the following options:

Under no circumstances should the Connection preferences section of the Connection tab
be changed. The values are:
Data bits: 8
Parity: none
Stop bits: 1
The Call preferences section can require adjustment for local conditions as follows:
In some areas, the Wait for Dial tone before dialing option, if selected, may not allow a
connection to proceed. If you notice that the modem simply fails to dial, removing the
check in the box to the left of this option may correct dialing failures.
The option Cancel the call if not connected within 60 secs should remain checked, but
the duration of 60 seconds can be shortened if desired. Do not shorten this value to too
low a value, or you risk cancelling all calls if there is insufficient time to connect.
The last option, Disconnect a call if idle for more than 30 mins SHOULD BE
CHECKED and the 30 minutes should be further reduced to 5 minutes.
IMPORTANT: FAILURE TO CHECK this last option box and setting the idle minutes to
5 minutes puts your office at risk of drastically higher communication costs if FAS
replication to Rome is left unattended. FAS has no built-in controls to disconnect your
SITA call to Rome, and without this option checked, an idle line will remain connected. It
is suggested that in addition to enabling this disconnect option, FAS replications are never
left unattended.
There are two buttons on the bottom of the Connection tab window, Port Settings… and
Advanced…. button. Clicking the Port Settings... button displays the following window.
Values shown in this window should not need changing. If, however, there are problems
with your connections, lowering these default settings can correct connection problems.
To lower the settings, click and hold the left mouse button down while moving the slide

bar to the left. Try moving one position a time to correct connection problems. When
done, click on the OK button.
Clicking on the Advanced…. button displays the following window.
These advanced settings should only be changed by a technician that understands the
implications of these settings.
The only option in this window that may be important to your office is the Append to log
check box. Placing a  in the checkbox will add connection statistics to the connection
log, preserving prior connection details. Without this checkbox checked, the log will never
contain historical connection data.
The FAS software records the amount of elapsed time it takes to replicate. These times,
however, do not reflect the amount of time that your modem has been connected, both
before and after replication efforts. In order to gather complete statistics, this option has to
be checked to accumulate overall modem connection times. This log will be the only
documentation that your office will have to verify SITA and local telephone charges
resulting from FAS modem connections. In this respect, it is recommended that the
option be enabled.
One word of caution on enabling this option. There are no automatic controls on
regulating the size of this log. The log will continue to grow unchecked unless it is
monitored. Because there are a lot more than just connection times being recorded, it can
grow large very quickly. What is recommended is a manual process at the beginning of
each month to save and rename the log file with year and month and replacing the log with
an empty file to start the new month. This will assist auditing of communication charges
whenever such an audit is desired or required.

The modem connection log file is stored in:
c:\win98\U.S.Robotics x2 Winmodem Voice.log
There are two other tabs on the Modems Properties window, the Distinctive Ring and
Forwarding tabs. Again, these are also advanced settings that should only be changed by a
technician that understands the implications of these settings.
Click the OK button on the U.S.Robotics x2 Winmodem Voice Properties window.
Step 6: On the Field to Rome through SITA window, select the Server types tab
Type of Dial-up Server should be PPP Internet: Windows NT Server, Windows 98
Only two Advanced options should be checked. Enable software compression and
Record a log file for this connection. This last option should be selected to ensure that a
communication log is maintained for all SITA connections.
Of the Allowed network protocols: options, only the TCP/IP option should be checked.

The TCP/IP settings… button should not require any modifications, but the following
window shows what default settings should be selected.
After ensuring that all options match the above settings, click OK to return to the Field to
Rome through SITA window.

Step 7: On the Field to Rome through SITA window, select the Scripting tab.
After ensuring that all entries and options are set as the above diagram shows, click OK to
return to the Field to Rome through SITA window.

Step 8: On the Field to Rome through SITA window, select the Multilink tab.
After verifying that the only option is Do not use additional devices, click OK to return to
the Field to Rome through SITA window.
Step 9: In the Field to Rome through SITA window, click the OK button.
Step 10: Close the Dial-up Networking window.


8. SITA Connection
Once the Dial-up Networking settings are complete, a test of your local SITA connection
can proceed. Please note that it is only necessary to contact your local SITA
representative when this test cannot be completed. Your local SITA representative may
be concerned about the amount of connect time that FAS requires. However, the increase
over your email SITA connections is estimated at 10%, thus your SITA volume will not
change dramatically.
Step 1: Make sure that the FAS modem is connected to an analog (not digital) telephone
line. If one is not available, a Y-connector can be used to share an existing
connection. In this sharing case, caution must be exercised to use only one
device at a time.
Step 2. From the Desktop, check to see if there is an icon, which provides a shortcut to
the Field to Rome through SITA. If this icon exists, continue with Step 7.
Steps 3-6 are to be performed only if Field to Rome through SITA icon is not found on the
Desktop.
Step 3. From the Desktop, double click on the Dial-up Networking icon. If this icon has
been removed from the Desktop, alternately double click on the My Computer
icon and follow-up with double clicking on the Dial-up Networking icon in the
My Computer window.
or The Dial-up Networking window

will be displayed.

Step 4: From the Dial-up Networking window, use the right mouse button to click on the
Field to Rome through SITA entry. From the pop-up window select Create
Shortcut as shown below.
The Shortcut window will be displayed.
Step 5. Click on the Yes button. This will create a shortcut icon on the Desktop.
Step 6: Close the Dial-up Networking window.
Step 7: From the Desktop, double click on the icon, which reads Shortcut to Field to
Rome through SITA.
Note: by positioning the cursor over the icon and clicking with the right
mouse button, the title of this icon can be shortened to Rome through SITA or
any other title that you prefer. Select the Rename option from the pop-up
window to rename the icon.

The following Connect window is displayed.
User Name - Enter your local office name that was the default Windows
user name that shipped with your FAS workstation.
The user name in the example above, is NOT what you would enter.
Password – Type your password. The intial password for your user name is
“password”. If successfully connected, you will be prompted to change
this initial password the first time you log on to the FAO server. If you
have trouble connecting, please see part D in the troubleshooting
section that follows, What to Do In The Event A Successful SITA
Connection Cannot Be Made.
If you already have security on your FAS PC, put a “” in the check box
beside “Save Password” by clicking with the left mouse button.
Otherwise, leave the check box blank and type the password every time
you need to connect.
Phone number – Your local SITA phone number is already defaulted. If it has
changed or incorrectly specified, you can re-enter it at this time. See
Step 3 of the Dial-up Networking scetion to make the correct telephone
numnber default everytime you open this window.
Check once more to ensure that all fields have been correctly entered: User Name,
Password (you cannot verify it – but ensure that one has been entered) and SITA phone
number.

Step 8: Using the left mouse button, click on the Connect button. The following window
will be displayed.
If dial-up is successful, you may be prompted for the Convenience Callback window as
shown below. Click on the Cancel button to close this window, as callback is not a service
provided by SITA.
Step 9. If communication is established, the window automatically minimizes showing

the icon of two small PCs in the bar at the right lower corner of the display.


Step 10: Double click on the icon of two small PCs (see above) in the bar at the right
lower corner of the display. A screen with connect details is displayed.
Step 11: If the modem shows Connected at 9,600 bps or above, click on the Disconnect
button to terminate the SITA connection.
This concludes a successful SITA test.

What to Do In The Event A Successful SITA Connection Cannot Be Made
A. SITA Connection made, but transmission speed is low
If your connection to SITA succeeded, but the modem speed is lower than 9,600 bps,
record the transmission speed and then click on the Disconnect button to terminate the
SITA connection. Report the transmission speed to the appropriate FAS Help Desk
detailed in the Introduction of this document.
The following example shows a very low transmission speed, which would not be adequate
for FAS replication.
B. SITA connection cannot be made, line is busy
If you get a message that the line to SITA is busy, continue to try. As an aid to redial when
the local SITA line is busy, see the Dial-up Networking Setup section of this Initial
Configuration Checks Guide.
C. SITA connection cannot be made, dial tone is missing
If you do not hear a dial tone, make sure the speaker volume is set at a high enough level to
hear dial-up connections and also check the FAS modem telephone line connections. You
can alternately connect a telephone to the line instead of the modem to verify that a dial
tone is present. If a dial tone cannot be heard with the telephone and you are sure the
telephone is in working order, contact your local telephone company. If a dial tone can be
heard on the telephone, connect the line to the FAS modem and try again. If the missing
dial tone persists, report the problem to the appropriate FAS Help Desk detailed in the
Introduction of this document.
D. SITA connection is ok, but an error returns during the last stage - connecting to Rome
If you get the error message below, it could mean that the Rome HQ computer is
temporarily unavailable due to regular maintenance or servicing. More likely, however, is
that your dial-up networking user name and password combination has failed validation. If
the error below persists, write down the details and report it by email to the appropriate
FAS Help Desk detailed in the Introduction of this document.

If you get any other error message, as above, see is the error can be duplicated by trying
again to connect to SITA. If the error repeats, write down the details and report it by email
to the appropriate FAS Help Desk detailed in the Introduction of this document.


9. Initial Replication Test
The production FAS implementation has been planned to include an initial replication
attempt for the following reasons:
 to ensure that your FAS workstation is capable of replicating

 to gather statistics on the amount of time it takes to replicate monthly DSA and UN
exchange rate updates.
It is most important that this last step in Initial Configuration Checks be completed
immediately after receipt of the FAS implementation kit. The reason for this urgency is
that changes to the Oracle production environment can affect the amount of time that FAS
takes to replicate. For the moment, changes to Oracle are purposely being kept to a
minimum to assist your office in gathering the FAS replication timings. This holding back
on the progress of Oracle configuration can only be sustained for a very short period.
In order to test replication, follow instructions found in the General Guidelines for FAS
Replication document.
To ensure that consistent replication times are reported by all offices, make sure that you
first open the FAS software. Once open, start the Dial-up Networking connection to SITA,
then immediately switch back to FAS to start the replication process. If replication is
successful, RECORD the elapsed time of the SITA connection. Afterwards, manually
disconnect the SITA connection as explained in the General Guidelines for FAS
Replication document.
Report the amount of time it takes your office to perform this initial replication to the
appropriate FAS Help Desk detailed in the Introduction of this document. Please use the
accompanying form for this purpose.
If replication is not possible or the SITA connection cannot be established at an acceptable

transmission speed, record all the details related to the failed replication effort and report
these details to one of the appropriate FAS Help Desks detailed in the Introduction of this
document.

FAS System Configuration Guidelines
INITIAL REPLICATION TEST
(please forward results to the FAS Help Desk)
Office Name: __________________________________________________
Date of Initial Replication test: _____________________________________
Modem connection speed: _________________________________________

(double-click on the icon with the 2 PCs in the lower right corner of your screen)
Time replication test started: _______________________________________
Time replication test completed: _____________________________________
Total number of replication attempts: _________________________________
Total Elapsed time: ______________________________________________
Details of replication problems or reason replication could not be completed:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
FAS Replication Log
for period starting ____________________ ending __________________
Date Start Stop Status

SAMPLE
FAS System Configuration Guidelines
INITIAL REPLICATION TEST
(please forward results to the FAS Help Desk)
Office Name: ________FAOR China________________________________
Date of Initial Replication test: _______26/4/1999_____________________
Modem connection speed: __________14,600 bps______________________

(double-click on the icon with the 2 PCs in the lower right corner of your screen)
Time replication test started: ________14:15_________________________
Time replication test completed: ______14:35_________________________
Total number of replication attempts: _____1_________________________
Total Elapsed time: ___________20 minutes__________________________
Details of replication problems or reason replication could not be completed:
Connection with SITA was continuously busy in the A.M. Re-tried in P.M .
Once connected, replication went forward ok .
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
SAMPLE
FAS Replication Log
Date Start Stop Status
3/4/99 17:14 17:29 SITA connection lost – had to restart

3/4/99 17:45 18:00 had problems re-connecting,
but replication completed on 2nd
attempt.
3/11/99 08:15 08:25 replication completed ok
3/18/99 12:15 12:45 replication completed ok

SAMPLE
FAS Replication Log

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Field Accounting System

System Administration Guidelines

Initial Configuration Checks

A Guidebook to FAS Workstation Set-up

FAS Help Desk Documentation

Wednesday, 07 April 1999

2. CONTROLLING COMMUNICATION COSTS...........................................2

4. MAKING THE DISPLAY LARGER (OPTIONAL)......................................5

5. 32 BIT ODBC SETTINGS..........................................................................8

7. DIAL UP NETWORKING SETTINGS......................................................18

9. INITIAL REPLICATION TEST..................................................................36

Forms have been included to assist in the recording of replication information.

Where to report Problems

FAS Help Desk (English) fas-helpdesk-eng@fao.org

FAS Help Desk Documentation 1 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

2. Controlling Communication Costs

Containing FAS communication costs is in everyone’s best interest. Every effort

Recommended steps are:

FAS Help Desk Documentation 2 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

FAS Help Desk Documentation 3 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

FAS Help Desk Documentation 4 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

FAS Help Desk Documentation 5 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

FAS Help Desk Documentation 6 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

4. Making the Display Larger (Optional)

The Control Panel window will be displayed.

FAS Help Desk Documentation 7 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

FAS Help Desk Documentation 8 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

A confirmation window will be displayed. Click on the OK button.

FAS Help Desk Documentation 9 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

FAS Help Desk Documentation 10 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

5. 32 Bit ODBC Settings

The Control Panel window will be displayed.

FAS Help Desk Documentation 11 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

The Oracle Lite 3.5 ODBC 2.0 Setup window is displayed

FAS Help Desk Documentation 12 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

The values in this window should read:

Data Source Name: FIS_OLITE

FAS Help Desk Documentation 13 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

FAS Help Desk Documentation 14 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

The Control Panel window will be displayed.

FAS Help Desk Documentation 15 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

The Modems Properties window is displayed.

FAS Help Desk Documentation 16 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

The following Dialing Properties window is displayed.

Click on the Apply button.

Click on the OK button to close the Dialing Properties window.

FAS Help Desk Documentation 17 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

There are two options on the General tab.

IMPORTANT: Under no circumstances, however, should the Maximum Speed be set

FAS Help Desk Documentation 18 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

Step 4. Click on the Connection tab to display the following options:

Clicking on the Advanced…. button displays the following window.

FAS Help Desk Documentation 20 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

A word of caution on enabling this option. There are no automatic controls on

The modem connection log file is stored in:

c:\win98\U.S.Robotics x2 Winmodem Voice.log

Click the OK button on the U.S.Robotics x2 Winmodem Voice Properties window.

Click the OK button on the Modems Properties window.

Close the Control Panel window.

It is of UTMOST IMPORTANCE to follow up any changes to Modems Properties with

FAS Help Desk Documentation 21 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

FAS Help Desk Documentation 22 Printed: 07 Apr, 1999

7. Dial Up Networking Settings

Office Name: FAOR China________________________

Date of Initial Replication test: _26/4/1999_______________

Modem connection speed: 14,600 bps____________

Time replication test started: 14:15_________________

Time replication test completed: 14:35___________________

Total number of replication attempts: _1_____________________

Total Elapsed time: _20 minutes________________