[RetailEdge Moderator]

There have been a number of questions about how to install RetailEdge on a computer or laptop that is going be periodically disconnected from the network for use "off-line". For instance, writing POs at a trade show, ringing in sales at a temporary register for a trunk show or trade show, managing your customer or inventory list at home, or simply taking your data home to export your deposits to QuickBooks. If you are interested in running RetailEdge for this type of use you should do the following (this assumes that the laptop is not the computer where the store's data resides):

1. Install the Client Server installation on the laptop. This will install an instance of the RetailEdge dataserver on the local machine.

2. Make sure the store's computer that contains the data has a static internal IP address (i.e., 192.168.1.100).

3. Connect to the store's database by choosing Server Connection from the Tools|Settings Menu and typing in the IP of the Store's dataserver IP (e.g., 192.168.1.100)

4. Make a backup of the stores data, by choosing Backup from the Tools|Backup menu item and save the file to your laptop.

5. Connect to the laptops database by choosing Server Connection from the Tools|Settings Menu and typing in the IP of the laptop's dataserver IP (e.g., 127.0.0.1)

5. Restore the store's backup file into the local database by choosing Restore from the Tools|Backup menu item.

You will now have a complete snapshot of the stores data in your laptop and can disconnect from the network and work on this RetailEdge data remotely. BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN YOU DO A RESTORE OPERATION THAT YOU KNOW WHAT DATABASE YOU ARE CONNECTED TO.

If you want to take data back into the store's RetailEdge data, you should perform the following:

1. Export the data that you want to bring back to the store in a REDI file format by choosing Export from the Tools menu and saving the export file to the laptop's drive or some other local media. RetailEdge currently supports doing this with sales, purchase orders, customers, departments, vendors and inventory.

2. Follow the directions above in reverse to reconnect to the store's dataserver.

3. Import the saved REDI export file by choosing Import from the Tools menu.

NOTE:

It sometimes helps alleviate confusion about which dataset you are working on by creating a "local" and "store" copy of RetailEdge.

You can do this by doing the following:

1. Open Windows Explorer.

2. Find the RetailEdge 8.0 installation directory (typically c:\program files\high meadow business solutions\retailedge 8.0.

3. Copy the contents of this file, minus the server sub folder, to another folder (e.g., RetailEdge 8.0 Local)

4. Create a shortcut on your desktop for the new copy of RetailEdge 8.0 located in the RetailEdge 8.0 Local Folder. You should now have two shortcuts on your desktop. One for the copy of RetailEdge created during the original installation. And one for the new copy.

5. Rename the new shortcut something like RetailEdge 8.0 Local.

6. Open the RetailEdge 8.0 Local Copy and set the Server IP to 127.0.0.1.

7. Open the RetailEdge 8.0 (original copy) and make sure it is pointing to the store's dataserver IP.

You should now be able to open both copies of RetailEdge and backup and restore data from the Original to the Local copy of RetailEdge. Also you should be able to Import/Export from one into the other.