Unlock the Power

Within Your Data

IDEA Server 10

IDEA Server Administration

User Guide
 CA407

IDEA Server Administration

User Guide

IDEA Server 10.4

Copyright © 2018 (v10.4) CaseWare IDEA Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in any retrieval system or translated
into any language in any form by any means without the permission of CaseWare IDEA Inc.

CaseWare IDEA Inc. is a privately held software development and marketing company, with
offices in Toronto and Ottawa, Canada, related companies in The Netherlands and China, and
CaseWare Analytics Partners serving over 90 countries. CaseWare IDEA Inc. is a subsidiary
of CaseWare International Inc., the world leader in business-intelligence software for
auditors, accountants, and systems and financial professionals.

IDEA is distributed under an exclusive license by:

CaseWare IDEA Inc.

1400 St. Laurent Blvd., Suite 500
Ottawa, ON K1K 4H4
Canada
1-800-265-4332
www.casewareanalytics.com

IDEA® is a registered trademark of CaseWare International Inc.

CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Version: CA407_LTR_10.4_01
 Contents

Section 1
Introduction 7
Overview 8
Feedback 8
IDEA Server Administration 9
Printing Administration Pages 10
Searching 10
Sorting Displayed Information 10
Refreshing Displayed Information 10
Accessing IDEA Server Administration 11
Keyboard Shortcut Keys 13

Section 2
Dashboard Administration 15
Dashboard 16
Viewing the State of Services Running on the Server 17
Viewing Software Compatibility 18
Viewing ODBC Compatibility 19

Section 3
Users and Groups Administration 21
Users and Groups 22
User Account Types 23
New Users 23
Assigning User Account Types 24
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Changing the ISAdmin Account Password 25

Section 4
Projects Administration 27
Projects 28
Viewing Users Associated with a Project 30
Displaying or Hiding Sub-Projects 31
Assigning Team Leaders to IDEA Server Projects 32
Moving Projects 33
Uploading Library Files 34
Archiving IDEA Server Projects 35
Restoring Archived Projects 36
Deleting Archived Projects 37
Canceling Tasks from the Progress Pane 38

Section 5
Server Configuration Administration 39
Server Configuration 40
Editing Server Settings 41
Setting the Number of Concurrent Tasks 41
Decommissioning IDEA Task Servers 42
Activating IDEA Task Servers 43
Viewing Server and Project Location Information 44
Editing Outgoing Mail Server Settings 45
Configuring Outgoing Mail Server Settings 45
Testing Outgoing Mail Server Settings 46
Setting the Managed Projects Location for IDEA Server Only Mode Users 47

Section 6
Task List Administration 49
Task List 50
Organizing Displayed Tasks 51
Stopping Tasks 52

6
Section 1

Introduction
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Overview
IDEA Server is a powerful data analysis application that operates using network servers.
While you view the data and perform your analysis using the IDEA client installed on your
computer, all your data storage and processing is done on a server.

IDEA Server Administration is a tool used by IDEA Server Administrators to manage users
and groups, IDEA Server projects, server configuration, and tasks within the IDEA Server
environment.

IDEA Server Administration can be installed on the machine hosting IDEA Task Management
Server or any other machine in the IDEA Server environment. For more information on
installation options, see the IDEA Server Installation Guide.

This document details how to use IDEA Server Administration to manage the IDEA Server
environment.

Feedback
Your feedback is important to us. Send your documentation-related comments to
IDEAdocumentation@caseware.com.

8
 Section 1: Introduction

IDEA Server Administration

IDEA Server Administration is a desktop application that lets IDEA Server Administrators
manage the IDEA Server environment. When an IDEA Server Administrator logs in to IDEA
Server Administration, they can access the following administration pages:

Page Description

Dashboard Displays all the servers within the IDEA Server environment and
indicates whether they are functioning successfully. From this
page, you can manage server information, such as software or
ODBC incompatibilities.

Users and Groups Lists all IDEA Server users specified in Corporate License
Manager. From this page, you can edit user accounts and change
password information for the IDEA Server Administrator account.

Projects Lists all IDEA Server projects and their associated sub-projects.
From this page you can modify, archive, and unarchive existing
IDEA Server projects.

Server Configuration Define active and inactive servers and view server locations.

Task List Displays the 5,000 most recent IDEA Server tasks. From this page,
you can view information on tasks, as well as stop or terminate
tasks.

The IDEA Server Administration window may also display a Progress pane at the bottom of
the window. From the Progress pane, you can view the progress of a move project or upload
files task being performed, view a list of queued move project tasks, as well as cancel any of
those listed tasks.

From the toolbar, you can perform the following common tasks:

l Print

l Find

l Sort

l Refresh

9
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Printing Administration Pages

You can print any of the administration pages. You can select the page orientation, preview
the print job, and set printer options.

To print administration pages:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click the administration page you want to
print.

2. From the main toolbar, click the Print button and select Print from the drop-down list.

3. Set printer options, if required.

4. Click OK.

Searching
Search for a particular item on the Users and Groups, Projects, and Task List administration
pages.

To perform a search:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Users and Groups, Projects, or
Task List.

The selected administration page appears.

2. From the toolbar on the selected administration page, in the Find drop-down field,
enter your search criteria or select an existing criteria from the drop-down list.

3. Click the Find button.

The first item that matches your criteria is highlighted in the list.

Sorting Displayed Information

On each administration page, you can double-click the column headings to sort the displayed
information.

Refreshing Displayed Information

You can manually refresh the information on the page.

To refresh a page:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click an administration page.

2. From the main toolbar, click the Refresh button.

10
 Section 1: Introduction

Accessing IDEA Server Administration

Only users with an IDEA Server Administrator account can access IDEA Server
Administration.

IDEA Server Administration is packaged with a default IDEA Server Administrator user
account (ISAdmin). All other users are populated by Corporate License Manager and are
assigned Basic User accounts by default.

Upon initial setup, you must log in to IDEA Server Administration with the default IDEA
Server Administrator account (ISAdmin). You can then assign IDEA Server Administrator
privileges to other licensed IDEA Corporate users. Any user with IDEA Server Administrator
permissions can log in to IDEA Server Administration using their credentials.

You can only perform IDEA Server Administration tasks with the ISAdmin account.

To access IDEA Server Administration:

1. From the Windows Start menu (e.g., Windows 10), navigate to the IDEA Server
folder.

2. Click IDEA Server Administration.

The Select Server dialog box appears.

3. Enter your credentials for the Username and Password fields.

ISAdmin Account Default Credentials

If this is the first time ISAdmin is being accessed after installation, you must
use the default credentials for the ISAdmin account:
l Username: ISAdmin
l Password: ISAdmin

You must connect to the server that hosts IDEA Task Management Server.

4. From the Server drop-down list, select the server that you want to connect to.

If the required server is not listed, you can add it.

a. Click Servers....

The Add/Remove Servers dialog box appears. It lists a maximum of 10 servers.

b. Click Add.

The Add IDEA Server dialog box appears.

c. In the Name field, enter the name of the server you want to add.

The server name can contain a maximum of 50 characters.

d. In the Authentication Port field, accept the default or enter the appropriate
port information.

11
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

e. Click OK.

The server name is added to the IDEA Server list in the Add/Remove Servers
dialog box.

f. Click Close.

g. From the Server drop-down list, select the server name you just added.

5. Click OK.

If a server was not selected, IDEA Server Administration tries to connect to the
last known server.

Security
To prevent unauthorized users from accessing the default IDEA Server
Administrator account (ISAdmin), it is recommended to change the default
password for this account.

12
 Section 1: Introduction

Keyboard Shortcut Keys

IDEA Server Administration includes shortcut keys that allow you to change focus between
the left and right panes and access dialog boxes using your keyboard instead of the mouse.

Shortcut Key When Pressed in the Left Pane When Pressed in the Right
Pane

Enter Moves focus to the grid in the right Only applicable in the Server
pane. Configuration and Users and
Groups administration pages.
If Server Configuration is selected
Opens the Edit dialog box for the
and Enter is pressed, the focus
selected item.
moves to the Servers tab in the
right pane.

Esc Not applicable. Moves focus to the left pane.

Tab Not applicable. Moves focus to the left pane.

Only applicable in the Server

Configuration administration page
when the focus is on the Servers
tab.

Moves focus to grid in the Servers

tab.

13
 Section 2

Dashboard Administration
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Dashboard
The Dashboard is the starting page of the IDEA Server Administration window. It displays all
the servers within the IDEA Server environment and indicates whether they are functioning
successfully. The following information can be viewed for each server:

Name Description

Server The name of the server.

Server Type The server type, such as Task Management Server or Task Server.

Note: There can only be one Task Management Server.

Software Indicates whether any software inconsistencies have been detected.

ODBC Indicates whether any DSN inconsistencies have been detected.

Services Indicates whether all services are running successfully or if

inconsistencies have been detected.

Disk Space The amount of free disk space on the drive where the IDEA database files
are stored. When the disk space falls below 1 GB the text is displayed in
red.

OS The version of the operating system that is installed on the machine.

You can perform the following tasks from the Dashboard page:

l View software compatibility

l View ODBC compatibility

l View the state of services running on the server

l Print, sort, or refresh the page

16
 Section 2: Dashboard Administration

Viewing the State of Services Running on the Server

The Services column indicates if the collection of sub-services that make up the IDEA Server
service are all running (green check mark) or if inconsistencies were found (red X).

To view the state of services running on the server:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Dashboard.

The Dashboard page appears.

2. In the Services column for a particular server, click the indicator icon (green check
mark or red X).

The Services dialog box appears indicating whether all services are running or
displaying any inconsistencies in the State column.

3. Close the dialog box.

17
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Viewing Software Compatibility

All servers within the IDEA Server environment must contain a supported operating system
and the same core software. This includes the same .NET version and the same IDEA Server
software files.

The Software column on the Dashboard page indicates whether servers have the correct core
software (green check mark) or if software inconsistencies have been found (red X). When
inconsistencies have been found you can click the red X to see where the inconsistencies are
occurring. The Software Compatibility dialog box appears displaying all core software and
operating system information for each server. The IDEA Server Administrator needs to
ensure that all servers within the IDEA Server environment are configured similarly to
resolve all conflicts.

To view software compatibility:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Dashboard.

The Dashboard page appears.

2. In the Software column for a particular server, click the indicator icon (green check
mark or red X).

l When you click the green check mark, a message appears indicating that
incompatibilities have not been found. Click OK.

l When you click the red X, the Software Compatibility dialog box appears
displaying where inconsistencies were found. Verify that all servers are running
supported operating systems and the same .NET version. If inconsistencies were
found, a red X appears in the IDEA Server column.

3. In the Software Compatibility dialog box, from the IDEA Server column, click the red
X.

The Software Compatibility dialog box now displays inconsistencies found with the IDEA
Server software, such as missing files.

4. Click Close to exit the dialog boxes.

18
 Section 2: Dashboard Administration

Viewing ODBC Compatibility

All servers within the IDEA Server environment must contain the same DSN information. The
ODBC column on the Dashboard page indicates whether the DSNs are the same as found on
other servers (green check mark) or if DSN inconsistencies have been found (red X).

The IDEA Server Administrator needs to ensure that all servers within the IDEA Server
environment are configured similarly to resolve all conflicts.

To view ODBC compatibility:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Dashboard.

The Dashboard page appears.

2. In the ODBC column for a particular server, click the indicator icon (green check mark
or red X).

l When you click the green check mark icon, a message appears indicating that no
incompatibilities have been found. Click OK.

l When you click the red X, the ODBC Compatibility dialog box appears displaying
where inconsistencies were found.

3. Click the red X for a particular listed DSN to display more information on the issue.

4. Click Close to exit the dialog box.

19
 Section 3

Users and Groups Administration

CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Users and Groups

The Users and Groups page in IDEA Server Administration lists all users specified from
Corporate License Manager. The list is grouped by user account type: Administrator, Team
Leader, and Basic User. The columns can be sorted by double-clicking the column header.

From this page, you can maintain user accounts, which includes changing the password for
the default ISAdmin account or assigning user account types to all other IDEA Server users.
Users can only access information in the IDEA Server environment from IDEA, if they have
been assigned an IDEA Server user account type. User account types define the type of
access users have within the IDEA Server environment.

From the Users and Groups page, you can view the following information:

Column Description

Name The name of the IDEA Server user.

Displays the licensed user's display name. If the display name

(in Active Directory) is not defined, then the user's full name is
used. This information is derived from the Active Directory
group that was defined during the installation of Corporate
License Manager.

Username The user's system credentials to log into the IDEA Server
network.

Assigned Projects The number of projects the user is assigned to.

Logged In Indicates whether the user is logged in to the IDEA Server

network.

Workstation The workstation ID or IP address associated to the computer

the user used to log in to the IDEA Server network.

You can perform the following tasks from the Users and Groups page:

l Assign user accounts

l Change the ISAdmin account Password

l Print, search, sort, or refresh the page

22
 Section 3: Users and Groups Administration

User Account Types

User account types define the type of access users have within the IDEA Server environment.

There are three IDEA Server user account types:

User Account Description

Basic User Can access IDEA Server projects that are assigned to them. By default, all
new users specified from the Corporate License Manager are assigned the
Basic User account type.

Team Leader A Basic User with additional project management permissions. Team
Leaders can access the Project Administration task in IDEA to create,
manage and assign users to IDEA Server projects, that they created.
Users defined as Team Leaders can also be given Administrator
permissions.

Administrator A Basic User with additional IDEA Server environment permissions.

Administrators can access IDEA Server Administration to manage servers,
users and groups, projects and tasks. Users defined as Administrators can
also be given Team Leader permissions.

New Users
When new users are granted access to IDEA in Corporate License Manager, IDEA Server
Administration automatically adds the new users the next time the Users and Groups page is
accessed or when you refresh the page. By default, new users are assigned Basic User
accounts.

23
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Assigning User Account Types

By default, all new users are assigned a Basic User account type. These users can access
IDEA Server projects that are assigned to them. However, if you want to give users
permissions to manage IDEA Server projects or access IDEA Server Administration, you
must change their assigned user account type. IDEA Server Administrators can modify the
user account type assigned to all users.

A user account can be assigned both a Team Leader and an Administrator account at the
same time. A Basic User account cannot be combined with any other account type.

Other User Information

User information, such as the user's name and password is defined by the Corporate
License Manager and cannot be edited within IDEA Server Administration.

To assign access permissions to a user:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Users and Groups.

The Users and Groups page appears.

2. Select a user from the list.

3. From the Users and Groups toolbar, click the Edit button.

The Edit User dialog box appears.

4. From the Account Type section, select the appropriate role for the user.

5. Click OK.

24
 Section 3: Users and Groups Administration

Changing the ISAdmin Account Password

The ISAdmin account is the default IDEA Server Administrator account used to initially access
IDEA Server Administration. The ISAdmin account is not part of the IDEA Server group and;
therefore, cannot log in to IDEA using the ISAdmin username to perform analysis tasks. For
security reasons, it is recommended to change the default ISAdmin password after the first
time you use this account to log in to IDEA Server Administration.

To change the ISAdmin account password:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Users and Groups.

The Users and Groups page appears.

2. From the Administrator group list, select the ISAdmin account.

3. From the Users and Groups toolbar, click the Edit button.

The Edit User dialog box appears.

4. Click Change Password.

The Change Password dialog box appears.

5. In the New password field, enter a new password for the account.

The new password can have a maximum of 50 characters and is case sensitive.

6. In the Confirm password field, enter the new password again.

7. In the Password hint field, enter a phrase that will help you remember the password.

The password hint can have a maximum of 200 characters.

8. Click OK.

25
 Section 4

Projects Administration
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Projects
A project is a sort of IDEA Server container used to hold or group a set of original files that
make up the data imported from a client, as well as any files subsequently formed through
analysis. The Projects page lists all IDEA Server projects and their associated sub-projects.
You can view project information, edit, move, upload files to, and archive and unarchive
existing projects. IDEA Server projects are created, modified, and deleted, in IDEA, by users
who are defined as Team Leaders.

Projects undergoing administrative changes are temporarily unavailable and appear

grayed out in the list.

The following limitations apply to IDEA Server projects:

l Maximum number of projects: 1,000

l Maximum number of sub-levels per project: 3

l Maximum number of databases per project: 2,500

l Maximum number of folders per project: 50

From the Projects page, you can view the following information for each project on the
server:

Column Description

Name The IDEA Server project name.

Server The name of the IDEA Task Server on which the project is
stored.

Users The number of users who have access to the project.

Disk Space The total disk space used (in GB) for the project.

Last Accessed The date and time the project was last accessed. An empty field
indicates the project has not been accessed yet.

Folder Name The relative path used to locate the project folder on the IDEA
Task Server.

Team Leader The Team Leader associated with the project.

You can perform the following tasks from the Projects page:

l View the users associated with a project

l Display or hide sub-projects

l Assign new Team Leaders to projects

l Move project

28
 Section 4: Projects Administration

l Upload library files

l Archive projects

l Restore archived projects

l Delete archived projects

l Cancel tasks from the progress pane

l Print, search, sort, or refresh the page

29
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Viewing Users Associated with a Project

The Users column on the Projects page in IDEA Server Administration displays a numbered
link for each project. The number represents the number of users who have access to the
project. You can view the names of the users associated to the project.

To view users associated with a project:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Projects.

The Projects page appears.

2. From the Users column for the required project, click the numbered link.

The Users in project dialog box appears. It displays all the users associated with the
project.

3. Click OK to close the dialog box and return to the Projects page.

30
 Section 4: Projects Administration

Displaying or Hiding Sub-Projects

The Name column on the Projects page in IDEA Server Administration displays all the active
projects in the IDEA Server environment. By default, parent-child relationships are displayed
between projects and sub--projects. You can hide or display this level of information.

To display or hide sub-projects:

l Click on a project node to either display or hide sub-projects.

l In the Name column, right-click and select Expand All to expand all collapsed nodes.

l In the Name column, right-click and select Collapse All to collapse all expanded
nodes.

31
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Assigning Team Leaders to IDEA Server Projects

The Change Team Leader dialog box lets IDEA Server Administrators assign new Team
Leaders to existing IDEA Server projects. The dialog box lists the name of the selected
project, the current Team Leader associated with the project and a list of existing Team
Leaders within the IDEA Server environment.

To assign a Team Leader to a project:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Projects.

The Projects page appears.

2. Select a project from the list.

Projects undergoing administrative changes are temporarily unavailable and

appear grayed out in the list.

3. From the Projects toolbar, click the Edit button.

The Change Team Leader dialog box appears.

4. From the Select a new team leader list, select a new team leader for the project.

5. Click OK to update the project information.

6. Click OK to confirm the project has been updated.

32
 Section 4: Projects Administration

Moving Projects
If you have more than one IDEA Task Server in your IDEA Server environment, you can
move projects between servers for load balancing. Only one project can be moved at a time,
but you can create move project tasks for other projects while a project is being moved. The
tasks will be queued in the order they were initiated.

The Progress pane, at the bottom of the IDEA Server Administration window, displays the
project that is currently being moved and any other queued move project tasks. When a
project is being moved, it cannot be accessed by other users. Projects that are queued to be
moved are still accessible to users.

Notes and Limitations

l Projects cannot be moved if they are currently being accessed by other users,
have running tasks, or are undergoing administrative changes.
l When moving a project that has an associated sub-project, only the parent
project is moved to the specified location. The sub-project (child) does not get
moved. The location of the projects does not affect parent-child relationships.

To move a project:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Projects.

The Projects page appears.

2. Select a project from the list.

Only one project can be moved at a time.

3. From the Projects toolbar, click the Move button.

The Move Projects dialog box appears. It displays all available IDEA Task Servers along
with the amount of free disk space available on each server.

4. Select the server to which you want to move the project.

5. Click OK.

6. If the size of the project exceeds the available disk space listed, you are prompted to
confirm the move. The available disk space listed may not reflect the actual disk space
available at the time the move is performed; therefore, you may have adequate disk
space. Do one of the following:

l Click Yes to proceed with the move.

If there is enough disk space on the server, the task proceeds successfully;
otherwise, the project is not moved.

l Click No to cancel the move.

7. From the main toolbar, click the Refresh button to update the information in the list.

33
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Uploading Library Files

You can upload files directly to a Library group in a project that you created. This is
particularly useful if the required files are large and you want to prevent excessive downtime
for the users.

The Progress pane, at the bottom of the IDEA Server Administration window, displays the
progress of the upload files task.

Notes and Limitations

You can only upload files to a project that you created. You cannot upload files to a
project created by another user.

To upload files:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Projects.

2. Select the project to which you want to upload the files.

Projects undergoing administrative changes are temporarily unavailable and

appear grayed out in the list.

3. From the Projects toolbar, click the Upload Library Files button.

4. In the Select Destination Library Group dialog box, select the relevant Library group
and then click OK.

5. Navigate to and select the files to upload and then click Open.

Only the files relevant to the selected Library group are shown.

In IDEA, the files will appear in the Current Project Library in the relevant Library
group.

34
 Section 4: Projects Administration

Archiving IDEA Server Projects

IDEA Server projects that are currently not being used can be archived. Archived projects are
moved from their current location to an archived projects folder. The archived projects folder
location was set during installation and cannot be modified using IDEA Server Administration.

Once a project is archived, it cannot be accessed from IDEA. Archiving a project helps free up
space against the total number of allowable active IDEA Server projects. There is no limit to
the number of IDEA Server projects that can be archived.

Notes and Limitations

l A project cannot be archived if the project and/or associated sub-projects are
currently being accessed by other users or have running tasks.
l Only top-level projects can be archived. Archiving a top-level project also
archives all sub-projects.
l Archived projects do not retain member information (Team Leader or team
members).

To archive an IDEA Server Project:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Projects.

The Projects page appears.

2. Select a project from the list.

Projects undergoing administrative changes are temporarily unavailable and

appear grayed out in the list.

3. From the Projects toolbar, click the Archive button.

4. Click Yes to confirm.

5. Click OK to acknowledge the project has been archived.

35
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Restoring Archived Projects

When an archived project is restored, it is moved from the archive folder to its original folder
and is accessible from the Projects page in IDEA Server Administration. Only archived top-
level projects can be restored. Restoring archived top-level projects also restores all its sub-
projects.

Notes and Limitations

l Archived projects do not retain member information (Team Leader or team
members). After restoring an archived project, you must assign a new Team
Leader to the project.
l Archived projects are not restored if the restored project exceeds the
maximum project limit (1,000 projects). Other IDEA Server projects must be
deleted or archived to make room for the restored projects.

To restore a project:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Projects.

The Projects page appears.

2. From the Projects toolbar, click the Unarchive button.

The Archived Projects dialog box appears.

3. Select a project from the list.

4. Click Unarchive.

The project is restored to its original folder and is listed in the Projects page.

36
 Section 4: Projects Administration

Deleting Archived Projects

When an archived project is deleted, all associated sub-projects are also deleted from IDEA
Server.

To delete an archived project:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Projects.

The Projects page appears.

2. From the Projects toolbar, click the Unarchive button.

The Archived Projects dialog box appears.

3. Select a project from the list.

4. Click Delete.

5. Click OK to confirm the delete request.

37
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Canceling Tasks from the Progress Pane

The Progress pane appears at the bottom of the IDEA Server Administration window when
you perform a move project or upload files task. From the Progress pane, you can view the
progress of a move project or upload files task being performed, view a list of queued move
project tasks, as well as cancel any of those listed tasks. The Cancel button in the progress
bar has the same functionality as the Stop button on the Task List page. It will safely cancel a
task that is being performed or queued.

The Progress pane only displays a progress bar for any move project or upload files tasks you
perform during your current instance of IDEA Server Administration. If you exit out of IDEA
Server Administration and then re-open it, this information will no longer be displayed at the
bottom of the window. You can access this information on the Task List page.

To cancel tasks:

1. From the Progress pane, click the associated Cancel button for the task you want to
cancel.

2. Click Yes to confirm the cancel request.

38
 Section 5

Server Configuration
Administration
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Server Configuration
The Server Configuration page lets you configure which servers are active, the number of
concurrent running tasks allowed, and file locations for each server. The Server Configuration
page contains the following tabs:

Tab Description

Server Displays information for all servers in the IDEA Server environment.

From this tab, you can also set the number of concurrent tasks,
decommission an active server, and activate a decommissioned server.

Locations Displays server and project locations.

E-mail Lets you edit and test outgoing mail server settings.

IDEA Server Lets you set the Managed Projects location for IDEA Server Only Mode users.
Only Mode

You can also print, sort, and refresh the displayed information on each tab.

40
 Section 5: Server Configuration Administration

Editing Server Settings

The Server tab on the Server Configuration administration page displays the following
information for each server in the IDEA Server environment:

Column Description

Name The name of the server

Concurrent Tasks The total number of tasks that can be run concurrently on the
server.

Running Tasks The total number of tasks that are currently running on the
server.

Projects The total number of IDEA Server projects on the server.

# Files The total number of files on the server. These files can be part
of different projects.

Active Indicates whether the server is active (check mark) or inactive

(x).

You can perform the following tasks from this tab:

l Set the number of concurrent tasks on an IDEA Task Server

l Decommission IDEA Tasks Servers

l Activate IDEA Task Servers

Setting the Number of Concurrent Tasks

The Edit Server dialog box lists the current number of concurrent tasks allowed on the
selected IDEA Task Server. Depending on the space on each IDEA Task Server and the size of
the files that are being used, you can change the maximum number of concurrent tasks on an
IDEA Task Server at any given time. These changes impact the speed of the tasks that are
run.

The maximum number of concurrent tasks must be greater than 0 and less than
2,147,483,647. It is recommended that the maximum number be no greater than the number
of cores on the selected IDEA Task Server. Increasing the number beyond the recommended
maximum may severely degrade server performance.

41
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Notes and Limitations

l After modifying the number of concurrent tasks, you must restart the IDEA
Server service on the IDEA Task Server, on which the changes were made, for
the changes to be implemented.
l By default, the number of concurrent tasks is set to 3. To add additional
concurrent tasks, the system requirements must be adjusted to the following:
an additional 1 GB + 1 core per additional concurrent task.

To set the number of concurrent tasks:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Server Configuration.

The Server Configuration page appears. The Servers tab is displayed by default.

2. Select a server from the list.

3. From the Server Configuration toolbar, click the Edit button.

The Edit Server dialog box appears.

4. In the Concurrent tasks field, enter the total number of tasks that can be run at the
same time.

5. Click OK.

Decommissioning IDEA Task Servers

When decommissioning a server either for maintenance (e.g., moving the machine to
another location or improving performance) or to uninstall it, you should deactivate the
server by setting it to an Inactive state. This ensures that the projects located on that server
cannot be accessed and tasks cannot be run while the server is being decommissioned.

While an IDEA Task Server is in an Inactive state:

l Projects located on the server are inaccessible until the server is activated again.

l All tasks that are currently running on the server will finish and queued tasks will
remain queued and will be executed the next time the server is activated.

If you are decommissioning an IDEA Task Server for maintenance, you should deactivate the
server and then perform the maintenance tasks. Once the maintenance tasks are completed,
you can then activate the server again to gain access to the projects located on the server.

If you are uninstalling an IDEA Task Server, it is recommended to move the projects to
another active IDEA Task Server, deactivate the server, and then uninstall it. Note that you
cannot uninstall an IDEA Task Server that exists on the same machine as the IDEA Task
Management Server.

42
 Section 5: Server Configuration Administration

To decommission an IDEA Task Server:

1. If required, move projects from the IDEA Task Server to be decommissioned to another
active IDEA Task Server.

2. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Server Configuration.

The Server Configuration page appears. The Servers tab is displayed by default.

3. Select a server from the list that is in an Active state.

4. From the Server Configuration toolbar, click the Edit button.

The Edit Server dialog box appears.

5. From the Status drop-down list, select Inactive.

6. Click OK.

You can now perform maintenance on the server or uninstall the server. An error
message is displayed if errors occur while deactivating the server.

Activating IDEA Task Servers

When an IDEA Task Server is installed it is set to an Active state by default. While in an
Active state, projects can be created, modified, and accessed on the IDEA Task Server and
tasks can be run on those projects.

IDEA Task Servers can be deactivated, and while in this state, projects located on the server
cannot be accessed. You can use the Edit Server dialog box to return a deactivated server to
an Active state.

To activate an IDEA Task Server:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Server Configuration.

The Server Configuration page appears. The Servers tab is displayed by default.

2. Select a server from the list that is in an Inactive state.

3. From the Server Configuration toolbar, click the Edit button.

The Edit Server dialog box appears.

4. From the Status drop-down list, select Active.

5. Click OK.

43
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Viewing Server and Project Location Information

The Locations tab on the Server Configuration administration page displays the following
information for each server in the IDEA Server environment:

Column Description

Server The name of the server.

Projects The location where IDEA Server projects are saved.

Temp The temporary directory used by the server. This directory is

used by tasks running on the server that require a temporary
directory location.

44
 Section 5: Server Configuration Administration

Editing Outgoing Mail Server Settings

The E-mail tab on the Server Configuration administration page displays the out-going e-mail
settings:

Column Description

SMTP server The name of the outgoing mail server.

Port The port used for the outgoing mail server.

From e-mail The e-mail account from which e-mails will be sent.

E-mail account The e-mail account to which an e-mail will be sent in order to
verify that the SMTP settings are valid.

You can perform the following tasks from this tab:

l Configure outgoing mail server settings

l Test outgoing mail server settings

Configuring Outgoing Mail Server Settings

The Edit E-Mail dialog box lets you configure your outgoing mail settings. You can specify the
SMTP server, the port and the e-mail address from which e-mails will be sent. The account is
used to send e-mails from automated macros that have been configured for e-mail
notification.

IDEA Server Service

When the outgoing mail server settings are modified, you must restart the IDEA
Server service on the IDEA Task Management Server for the changes to be
implemented.

To configure the outgoing mail server settings:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Server Configuration.

The Server Configuration page appears. The Servers tab is displayed by default.

2. Click the E-mail tab.

3. From the Server Configuration toolbar, click the Edit button.

The Edit E-mail dialog box appears.

4. In the SMTP server field, enter the name of the outgoing mail server.

5. In the Port field, enter the port used for the outgoing mail server.

The default port number is 25. You can enter a value up to 65,000.

45
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

6. In the From e-mail field, enter an e-mail account on the SMTP server from which mail
will be sent.

7. Click OK.

Testing Outgoing Mail Server Settings

You can send a test e-mail to a specified e-mail address to test the current SMTP settings.
The test e-mail will not be delivered to the specified e-mail account if there are any errors in
the SMTP settings.

To test the outgoing mail server settings:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Server Configuration.

The Server Configuration page appears. The Servers tab is displayed by default.

2. Click the E-mail tab.

3. In the E-mail account field, enter an e-mail address to where you want to send the
test e-mail.

4. Click Send.

5. Click OK.

46
 Section 5: Server Configuration Administration

Setting the Managed Projects Location for IDEA Server Only

Mode Users
The IDEA Server Only Mode tab on the Server Configuration administration page displays the
shared network location used to remotely store the local files of IDEA Server Only Mode
users.

For IDEA Server Only Mode users, IDEA Server Administrators set the location of the
Managed projects. This location must be a shared network location that all IDEA Server Only
Mode users have full access (read and write) to. By default, the location is set to:

\\<IDEASERVERNAME>\<Data storage folder name defined during installation>

Using the default setting, the following folder structure is created on the shared network
location ("desktop") and on IDEA Server:
<IDEASERVERNAME>
<Data storage folder name defined during installation>
SOMProject
<Numbered string representing user account>
IDEA Projects
Default
Library Groups
Local Library
Library Groups

On IDEA Server, the SOMProject folder will take the place of the Projects folder. By default,
all IDEA Server Only Mode users have full access to these folders. IDEA Server
Administrators are responsible for setting Windows permission restrictions at the
<Numbered string representing user account> level, if required.

When in IDEA Server Only Mode, the following locations are in place:

File Location
Source Files IDEA Server (Source Files.ILB)

Import Definition Files IDEA Server (Import Definitions.ILB)

Exports IDEA Server (Exports.ILB)

Custom Functions IDEA Server (Custom Functions.ILB)

Open an Equation Network shared location (Equations.ILB)

Save an Equation Network shared location (Equations.ILB)

Open an IDEAScript Macro Network shared location (Macros.ILB)

Save an IDEAScript Macro Network shared location (Macros.ILB)

Run an IDEAScript Macro Network shared location (Macros.ILB)

Export from Project Overview Network shared location (Results.ILB)

47
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

File Location
Export from Field Statistics Network shared location (Results.ILB)

Monetary Unit Sampling - Hit Point Report - Export Network shared location (Results.ILB)

Export from Results Network shared location (Results.ILB)

Publish to Adobe PDF Network shared location (Results.ILB)

Publish to Microsoft Word Network shared location (Results.ILB)

To set the IDEA Server Only Mode path:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click IDEA Server Only Mode.

2. Click the Browse button adjacent to the IDEA Server Only Mode path field to
navigate to and select a shared network location.

3. Click Apply.

48
 Section 6

Task List Administration

CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Task List
The Task List displays the 5,000 most recent IDEA Server tasks that are being or have been
run, that are pending or have been canceled. From the Task List page, you can view
information on tasks, stop, and terminate tasks.

You can view the following information for each task on the server:

Column Description

Name The name of the task being run or that has been run.

Username The name of the user who created the task.

State The status of the task being run or that has been run.

l Queued

l Scheduled

l Starting

l Running

l Error

l Completed

l Retry

l User Cancelled

Progress Indicates the percentage of the task that has completed.

Server The name of the server where the IDEA Task Service in use is
located.

Project The name of the project associated with the task.

Started The date and time the task was started.

Completed The date and time the task was completed or stopped. An empty
field indicates the task has not completed yet.

Status Relevant error messages associated with an Aborted task.

You can perform the following task from the Task page:

l Organize tasks by groups of information

l Stop a task

l Terminate a task

l Print, search, sort, or refresh the page

50
 Section 6: Task List Administration

Organizing Displayed Tasks

By default, all tasks are grouped by project name. You can click the Grouped by button to
display the projects in ascending or descending order. You can also choose to group the Task
List by other groups of information, such as user names or servers. IDEA Server controls how
many tasks are shown by deleting the oldest tasks to keep the maximum number of tasks
displayed at 5,000. This value cannot be modifed.

To organize displayed tasks:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Task List.

The Task List page appears.

2. Click and drag a column header to Task List toolbar by the Grouped by field.

A grouping button appears with the column header name.

3. Click the grouping button to sort the Task List by that particular group in ascending or
descending order.

4. To remove a grouping, click and drag the grouping button from the Task List toolbar
back to the column headings.

51
CA407 IDEA Server Administration User Guide

Stopping Tasks
Stopping a task in IDEA Server Administration lets you safely cancel a task that is running,
queued or scheduled. When a task is stopped, the user who created the task receives a
message indicating the task was stopped and no results are sent to the user.

To stop a task:

1. In the IDEA Server Administration window, click Task List.

The Task List page appears.

2. Select the task you want to stop.

3. From the Task List toolbar, click the Stop button.

4. Click Yes to confirm.

5. Click OK.

52
Section 6: Task List Administration

53
 CaseWare IDEA Inc.
1400 St. Laurent Blvd., Suite 500
Ottawa, ON K1K 4H4
Canada
1-800-265-4332
www.casewareanalytics.com