FAQ
From RedrockWiki
Technical and Installation FAQs
How do I install the software?
The Trac software will be available for download after purchase has been made. Contact Support@Go-Redrock.com for the link to download the latest release of the software. The download link will provide a complete installation package, including the web server and database. On a Windows server, the download will be a self-extracting exe file that will install the Trac application on the C: drive. On a Mac server, the download will be a complete Trac folder with the necessary web files, database, and Trac package that can be copied to your Applications folder.
What are the Server Requirements?
The server requirements to run your Trac application are very minimal. It is not required to have server-class hardware or operating system, and a very capable server can be found for under $1000.
At minimum you want a P4 2GHz processor, 1 GB RAM, 2 GB Hard Disk space.
What is the required server operating system?
The Trac system can be installed on any Windows OS 2000 and newer and any Mac OS X release (10.0 - 10.6, not compatible with OS X Lion). A future version (no ETA) of the Trac application will run on Linux.
Can the server be assigned a DHCP IP Address?
No, the Trac application requires a static server IP Address. The IP Address is used to check your installation code and also to access your Trac application web interface.
Can I install the Trac application on multiple computers?
No, your Trac application will only be installed on a single computer. This computer will be the server (even if it is not 'server' hardware). The users can access your Trac application from any web-enabled device on the network. As a web-based application, there is no need to install the software on any other computer.
Can I install the Trac application on a virtual machine?
Yes, the Trac application runs fine on virtual servers.
Why does the Trac application quit whenever it is started?
Windows Server 2003 and newer operating systems utilize a software technology called Data Execution Prevention (DEP) that performs additional checks on memory to help prevent malicious code from running on a system. The primary benefit of DEP is to help prevent code execution from data pages. Your Trac system utilizes this memory for some execution of scripts and will need to be set up as an exception in your Windows DEP settings.
Can the Trac application use the campus LDAP or Active Directory to log in users?
Yes, the Trac application is LDAP and Active Directory compatible. The authentication would be customized by Redrock Software. Redrock Software would need the LDAP/AD Server Address, Base DN, and a valid username & password to create, test, and implement the LDAP/AD Authentication script.
Can the Trac application be integrated with our campus Portal, Single Sign-On (SSO), CAS, WebAuth, or other?
Yes, the Trac application can integrate with Portals, SSO, CAS, or WebAuth. This integration is customized by Redrock Software. Redrock Software would work with your campus IT Dept to fully integrate the Trac application.
How can our Trac website be secured?
Redrock Software recommends utilizing a 3rd party application named Stunnel to encrypt the data between the web server and the users' web browsers. Stunnel is a free, open-source SSL wrapper that is installed on the server with the Trac application. The Trac application connects with Stunnel without encryption on the local server. Then Stunnel encrypts the data and connects with the users' browsers across the network.
Can we use an SQL database for the Trac application?
No, the Trac application utilizes a 4th Dimension database (http://www.4d.com). The web server front end is developed specifically for use with this integrated database. A future version (no ETA) of the Trac application will utilize an SQL database.
Can we run our Trac site from an IIS web server?
No, the Trac application utilizes a custom web server developed by Redrock Software. The web server was developed to integrate fully with the built-in 4th Dimension database.
Can we run our Trac site from an Apache web server?
No, the Trac application utilizes a custom web server developed by Redrock Software. The web server was developed to integrate fully with the built-in 4th Dimension database.
Can our Student Information System integrate with our Trac application?
The Trac application can import data from any source as long as it is provided in the correct format. The data needs to be provided in a flat file format. .TXT, .CSV, .DAT, .LIS, and .XML are examples of valid file formats. The Trac application will not import data from Excel files. The data must be saved in a flat format. The order and delimiter of the fields is completely up to your preference, however, the format, order, and delimiter of the fields must remain consistent with every import. Redrock Software recommends that the student demographic data be imported with the students' course registrations and course instructors.
Can the Trac application run as a service on the server?
Yes, the Trac application can be run as a service so a user is not required to remain logged on to the server for the Trac application to run. The Trac application is installed as a service by utilizing a small application named Winserv. See the article, Install the Trac Application as a Service, for more detail to install the service with the Winserv utility.
User FAQs
What is a Profile?
A Center Profile is a new feature introduced in version 4.0. A Center Profile allows you to set up users, consultants, groups, and centers that share preferences and settings. The Groups will establish group privileges and settings for users and consultants. The Centers will share the global profile settings, but the groups' and users' access can be limited by center.
Why would I need another Profile?
Another Profile would be needed when multiple centers cannot agree on the settings within the same Profile. There are three key areas of settings in which centers might have a conflict: Log In/Out, Appointment Scheduling, and Email Settings.
Can I add a Profile to my existing Trac system?
Yes, a Profile may be added to an existing system at any time. A Profile has an additional cost. You need to contact Redrock Support for assistance in purchasing and activating a new Profile.
How do I set up another Profile?
First, you need to purchase a Profile License by contacting Sales@Go-Redrock.com. Second, you need to choose Center Profiles from your Trac Navigation Search Glass. From the Center Profile Listing, choose Create New from the List Options menu. Third, you need to name your Center Profile and save it. When you save your Profile, your Profile is assigned a Sequence number. Finally, email that Sequence number to Redrock Support<Support@Go-Redrock.com>. Redrock Support will generate a unique Activation Code for your Profile and you can enter that code to activate your Center Profile.
How do I set up multiple centers?
A Centers tab appears at the top of your Profile Entry screen. This tab gives access to the unique Centers that are set up for the Profile. A Center in the Trac application is a unit that has unique Consultants, Schedules, Visits, and Reports. The Centers will most often be setup according to unique departments, however, you may set up your Centers according to any convention that fits your needs.
How do I set our school logo?
The Trac system provides a place for a logo image to appear as a banner in the upper-right corner of your Trac system web pages. The banner is a GIF image file named SchoolBanner.gif and is placed on the Trac server in the Webfolder/TracWeb40 folder of your Trac application installation directory. Redrock Software recommends an image height no greater than 75 pixels for your banner. Consider the users' screen resolutions when considering the width of the banner image. A Trac System Administrator can upload the banner image through the Trac system via the Utilities & Prefs.
How do I change the Trac colors?
A Trac System Administrator can set up the default colors of the titles and title bars on the Trac system windows. The Trac System Administrator can set these colors from the System Preferences found in the Utilities & Prefs. The campusColorData preference provides a setup utility to select and test colors before implementing the colors for your Trac system.
How do I change the login instructions?
Any user that logs into your Trac system will log in through the same screen, so the login instructions are global to your Trac system. The instructions are found in the System Prefs. The name of the pref is MsgsAll. The instructions can be formatted with HTML to customize your fonts, colors, and sizes or add links and images.
How do I set up a nice URL or website to access the Trac system?
Your Trac application serves the Trac system web pages from the IP Address of the server. Your Trac system will be accessible via web browser by entering the IP Address as the URL. You can set up a domain name for that IP Address through your network administrator. When your site has a domain name, you will be able to access your Trac system by a recognizable address like trac.college.edu.
How do I load student data to my Trac system?
Your Trac system can import student information from an ASCII flat file. You obtain that file from your student information system. Provide a sample of the file to Redrock Support and you will receive a script that imports the data from the flat file to your Trac system database. So long as your file format remains the same, you will be able to continue to import updated student data to your Trac system. The entire process can be automated so you do not even need to do anything.
How do I load course data to my Trac system?
Your Trac system can import course registration information from an ASCII flat file. You obtain that file from your student information system. Provide a sample of the file to Redrock Support and you will receive a script that imports the data from the flat file to your Trac system database. So long as your file format remains the same, you will be able to continue to import updated course registrations to your Trac system. The entire process can be automated so you do not even need to do anything.
How do I notify instructors when their students are visiting?
The Trac system has a couple of standard functions in place to allow you to contact the faculty when their students visit your center(s) for assistance. You can ask the students to check a box to email their instructor as they sign out of a visit. You can ask the tutors to enter their session notes and then click a button to email the visit information and notes to the instructor. You can even automate a process to run nightly or weekly and email the faculty a list of all of their students that have visited. Redrock Support will assist you in setting up these options.
How do I set up emails from my Trac system?
The Trac system has a global setting to store a value for an SMTP Mail Server. The setting is found in the System Preferences. The preference name is MAILSERVER. It can be entered with a domain name or an IP Address. The mail server needs to allow anonymous mail relay from the Trac server IP Address. An incorrectly entered mail server can cause your Trac system to operate very slowly as it attempts to connect to a non-existent mail server when scheduling or cancelling appointments.
How do I send an email to a group of students?
The Trac Navigation allows you to search students very quickly. When you have searched and found a selection of students, you can choose to send an email to this entire group at once. You can do so by choosing to Send Note from the List Options menu. Enter your email subject and message and then choose if it is an email or just a note within your Trac system. Click Send Message to complete the message and send it to the group of students.
How do I email students a reminder of their appointments?
Each Center Profile has its own unique preferences and settings. The Email tab in the Center Profile Prefs allows you to set up and format email reminders for appointments. Reminders may be sent to students, consultants, or both. The reminder message is formatted differently for the students and consultants. A student can receive a reminder for each appointment that they have scheduled the next day. A consultant can receive one email that details all of their scheduled appointments for the next day.
Additionally, the Trac system has a global setting that controls when email reminders are sent. The Automated Events tab in the Utilities and Prefs contains the timing settings and activation of the Email Reminders.
How do I email consultants a reminder of their appointments?
Each Center Profile has its own unique preferences and settings. The Email tab in the Center Profile Prefs allows you to set up and format email reminders for appointments. Reminders may be sent to students, consultants, or both. The reminder message is formatted differently for the students and consultants. A student can receive a reminder for each appointment that they have scheduled the next day. A consultant can receive one email that details all of their scheduled appointments for the next day.
Additionally, the Trac system has a global setting that controls when email reminders are sent. The Automated Events tab in the Utilities and Prefs contains the timing settings and activation of the Email Reminders.
How do I receive a copy of the emails that are sent to students?
Each Center Profile has its own unique preferences and settings. The Email tab in the Center Profile Prefs allows you to configure email settings. You can configure a Center email address that will be used to send email confirmations and reminders to the students. There are checkbox settings to allow this same email address receive a copy of the appointment confirmations, reminders, and cancellations.
What is an availability?
An availability is an appointed time that a consultant offers for student appointments or drop-in visits.
What is an appointment?
Record that a student reserved a time to meet with a consultant. An appointment may be assigned a status to identify the outcome of the reserved time.
What is a visit?
Record that a student utilized the services offered at your center(s). Visits may be logged in real time by asking the student to sign in when they arrive and sign out when they leave or they may be recorded after the fact.
What is the difference between a visit and an appointment?
Can I book my appointments in Outlook?
How do Trac appointments integrate with Outlook?
When an appointment is scheduled the Trac application can send a confirmation email. Included in the email is an iCal attachment. This attachment will display appointments in your Outlook calendar as meeting invitations.
Why do I need to specify when I am available?
Can I block times from my schedule?
Yes. Blocking times can be done in two ways. First an individual consultant can create an availability block by creating an availability and then un-checking the "is availability" checkbox in the top right corner of the availability creation window prior to saving. The second method is creating a block for an entire center which can only be done by administrators in the Center Profile> Centers tab.
How do I block times that my school/center is closed?
To create a center block you must have admin privileges to the Center Profile. In the Center Profile you will go to the Centers tab and click on the ID number of the center you would like to create the block for. Click on the "new" button in the center of the page and enter the details of the block. Note: if you would like to create a block for all center you will need to choose the Center Profile and check the box "is Global to all Subcenters?" located above the description field.
