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Laptop Walkabout for SOAPware 4.X & MSDE, SQL2000, or SQL2005 Databases.

• SOAPware 4.x
• SOAPware SQL
• SOAPware MSDE, SQL2000, or SQL2005

Laptop walkabout for MSDE/SQL

It is highly recommended that you read the entire procedure thoroughly, including all warnings, before beginning. It is also advisable to print a copy of the instructions and follow them step-by-step each time until you are familiar and comfortable with the process.

Assumptions

• SOAPware version 4.74 or later.
• SOAPware using MSDE or SQL databases.
• All systems must have Windows (2000, 2000 Server, XP, or 2003 Server)

Setup
 

NOTE: It is possible to transfer all existing data by checking all of the SOAPware boxes in both steps 2 and 6. However, if your network server is running SQL Server and has databases larger than 2 GB, those will fail to load under MSDE on the laptop. If you know that is not the case, however, then you can transfer all data to your laptop.

1. Install the MSDE server on the laptop. Any reasonably new laptop should be capable of running it well, as it is not particularly resource-intensive. Follow the setup instructions that are included with the MSDE installation kit.
   
   It is possible to install SQL Server on your laptop instead of MSDE, but since it is not free and it requires more system resources to run, this is not recommended for most users.
    
2. Install the SOAPware Data Manager on the laptop. During the installation, select the option to Attach Databases to Server, and select the server instance from step 1. It should be COMPUTERNAME/SWDATA. This will setup empty SOAPware databases on the laptop.
    

It is now recommended that patient charts only be moved over on an as-needed basis.

However, it can be convenient to transfer existing User and Codes data to the laptop in some cases. To transfer databases:
 

1. On your network server, start the Data Manager (Start – Programs – SOAPware – Server – Data Manager), select your NETWORK data server, enter the login information (if needed), and click OK.
2. Click on the Backup tab, make sure all the SOAPware Databases are checked (Charts, Codes, and Users will be included automatically).
3. Click the Select Folder button to choose a backup location on the server’s hard drive, then click the Backup button. It is recommended that you create an empty folder to store your backups. The backup files will have the extension .BAK.
4. Copy the backup files onto your laptop, either across the network or by burning them onto a CD. This will be easier if you created an empty folder for them in step 3.
5. On your laptop, start the Data Manager, select your LAPTOP data server, enter the login information (if needed), and click OK.
6. Click on the Restore tab, check all SOAPware Database boxes, uncheck the boxes in the SQL Databases box, and click Restore.
7. In the Browse for Folder window, select the location of the files you transferred from your network server in step 4, and click OK.
8. To finalize the restore, in Data Manager click Actions - Add SOAPware Account.

When the operation progress window closes, the transfer is complete and you should now have access to all of your SOAPware user and code data on your laptop. Although this process can be repeated to transfer future changes to your codes database, it is generally preferable to use the Customization Editor available from www.soapware.com/downloads/ for updating codes and templates.

NOTE: It is possible to transfer all existing data by checking all of the SOAPware boxes in both steps 2 and 6, however if your network server is running SQL Server and has databases larger than 2 GB, those will fail to load under MSDE on the laptop. If you know that is not the case, however, then you can transfer all data to your laptop.
 

DAILY PROCEDURES

Leaving the Office:

1. While still connected to the office network’s databases, export the charts that you will need to use off-site from your Pulled Charts list. Save them to an easily located folder on your laptop, such as perhaps an Exported Charts folder on your desktop.
    
2. Run the Client Database Setup utility on the laptop. If the server setup was completed correctly the server name dropdown list should now contain both the name of the network server and the name of the laptop server. Select the LAPTOP server and click the Add DSNs button. A message box should appear stating that the DSNs were added successfully. SOAPware is now connected to the laptop’s databases.
    
3. Start SOAPware and import the charts you just exported before the database change. Those charts are now ready to work with off-site.

Returning to the office:

1. Before reconnecting to the office’s database server, export the charts you’ve worked with on the laptop. Again, select an easily located folder on the laptop to export them to.
    
2. Run the Client Database Setup utility on the laptop. The server name dropdown list should contain the name of the network server and the name of the laptop server. Select the NETWORK server and click Add DSNs. SOAPware is now connected to the network’s databases.
    
3. Start SOAPware and import the charts you just exported. Updated versions of those charts are now in the office databases, and your laptop is again connected to the network.

Warnings

Always be sure that you are connected to the correct databases. This can be especially confusing on other computers in your office, since when your laptop is on the network its MSDE server will be listed in the Client Setup utility along with the main office server.

Remember that any changes made to a chart on the office server between the time it is exported and the time it is imported may be lost. This also applies to changes made to the laptop copy after it has been exported to the server. To phrase it in terms of paper charts, you can only have one real, active copy of a chart. There may be photocopies available, but all permanent changes should be made to the original. In SOAPware, the “original” copy is the one that is moved back and forth between the two systems.

Importing and Exporting Charts

In order to export a chart, it must first be in your pulled charts list. You cannot export charts directly to a CDRW drive.
 

1. Click File – Export. This will bring up a Save As dialog. The default name is SW_Exported_Charts.zip, but you can change this if you need to. You will also select a location on your computer to export the file to. This should be a folder that you can easily relocate when you are ready to import the charts or copy the export file to another system. After making the necessary changes and selections, click the Save button.
    
2. Next, in the Available Charts list, select the chart(s) you wish to export. Only the charts highlighted in blue will be exported. It is not necessary to hold down the shift or control keys to select multiple charts. You can also use the Select All button to select all of the charts. When you are done, click Export.

        If newly imported charts do not appear in your pulled charts list, check in the chart rack for them.

Warning: Remember that the imported chart will overwrite any existing chart data for the same patient that is already in SOAPware.

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