Configure Gestan

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Gestan requires at least Windows 7. It uses very little RAM.

In terms of disk space, you need around 300 MB for the program directory, and the size of the database is mainly dependent on the graphic elements that you store (in particular photos of the products in the rooms).

Gestan exists in two versions.

• Gestan Standard is a completely free and ad-free version, recommended for starting a small business.
• Gestan Entreprise is a more powerful version, both in terms of functionality and ergonomics, these functions which save time and increase efficiency on a daily basis. Recommended for intense professional use.

Gestan can process data on your computer, on your company server, or in the Cloud.

• in single-user mode: the program and data are on your computer.
• in multi-user mode: the program is on your computer, but the data is on another computer on your local network. This allows several users to work at the same time on the same Gestan database, any modification being immediately visible to all users.
• in Cloud mode: the program and data are on the Gestan Cloud servers. Thus, you can access your Gestan from any computer connected to the Internet

In single-user mode, the default data directory is C:\GESTAN\[the name of your company]. This directory is specified via the installation wizard of Gestan. You can run as many businesses as you want.

The data directory contains the following subdirectories:

• DATABASE which stores the Gestan database (*.fic, *.ndx, *.mmo files)
• DOCUMENTS which contains the files linked to the contacts
• RESOURCES which contains different resources such as stored queries, mailing document templates, etc.
• BACKUP which contains backups made during basic import operations

The organization of the directories is identical in multi-user mode, but here this data directory is a shared directory of your corporate network.

You can install the Gestan base:

• on your company server if you have one (recommended solution)
• on any computer on your corporate network.
• on a NAS: solution not recommended in most cases, because not optimized for fast response times
• on a synchronized cloud location such as Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive: solution strongly not recommended because of the risk of data loss, bandwidth consumption, file conflicts, index errors.

The prerequisite is connect your computers on the same local network (LAN).

Install your Gestan base on the one of your computers best suited to serving as a server for your network: choose the computer that is intended to be in operation most often, or with the best technical characteristics (processor speed, RAM, disk speed) . If your company has a corporate server, install the base on the server.

Then, share your database directory: each Windows user on your network must have read and write rights on the directory (put them in full control).

On each of the computers on your network, install Gestan.

Finally, via the connections screen, declare a new connection which will point to the shared directory of your machine serving as a server.

And that's all ! ;)

Gestan cloud, is Gestan accessible from any computer connected to the Internet.

In this configuration:

• the Gestan program is installed on Gestan Cloud servers;
• the data is installed on Gestan Cloud servers.

It can work either in Terminal Server mode or, thanks to the Java machine, inside a browser.

A classic ADSL connection is sufficient for good response times.

This is the solution we recommend for intensive nomadic use. Additionally, Gestan Cloud has integrated desktop features, which allow you to store other files in the cloud, for example.

Whether Gestan is installed on a computer, on a local computer network, or in the cloud, it works by using an HFSQL database in two possible modes:

• in classic connection mode, the program communicates directly with the database files
• in Client/Server connection mode, the program communicates with a software data server (HFSQL server), which itself communicates with the database files.

The Client/Server operating mode is a little more complex, but allows for better performance when there are many users (from 5-15 depending on the quality of your network) or a large volume Datas. It also allows access to Gestan data from the Internet, for occasional use. Finally, it provides better protection of data files, which are no longer directly accessible (depending on the network rights setting).

The choice between these two connection modes can be made via the connection management screen.

More information on Client/Server mode

VPN is a technique that allows two machines to be connected securely, generally via the Internet. We often speak of a secure “communication tunnel”. With a VPN, you can “see” the remote machine's file tree as if it were on your local machine.

In this configuration:

• the Gestan program is installed on your local machine;
• the data is installed on the server accessible by VPN.

It is the local program that initiates and executes queries to the database. For example, when you request the list of invoices for fiscal year N for customer customer

The limitations are therefore twofold: on the one hand the upload of your office connection, and the download of your VPN client. If at the same time as the VPN you download mp3s while viewing streaming films and checking your emails, you share the bandwidth, and slow down Gestan d'autan.

This option involves installing Gestan on your server, and taking control of the server remotely, logging in, and running Gestan. This is called Terminal Service or Remote Desktop.

In this configuration:

• the Gestan program is installed on the server accessible by RDP;
• the data is installed on the server accessible by RDP.

In this case, all operations are remote: they all run on the server. Only the image, the mouse and the keyboard pass through.

You must either dedicate a PC for this use, or pay for the licenses which go well with Microsoft for the remote desktop, plus the implementation and support. Performance will be better than with a VPN, but the price will be higher.

When you click on the Gestan icon installed on your desktop, Gestan starts on the last database you were working on.

When you have several bases, it may be interesting to open Gestan directly on the base that interests you.

To do this, simply add the “base=x” parameter in the command line which launches Gestan: using the right click on the shortcut icon, open the properties screen and complete it as in example below:

The base=8 chain has been added to the target chain, in order to launch Gestan on the base identified by number 8 in the list of available bases.

If you want to install GESTAN on several user stations, you can also:

1. Install GESTAN not on each workstation but on the server.
2. On each user computer, create a shortcut for the Gestan.exe executable on the desktop.
3. We will now need to make some modifications to the properties of this shortcut:
   • For the target, add before the word explore.
   • For the icon, change the image to better recognize that it is GESTAN.

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