README.TXT for installation of RAVEN (updated 09/14/2005) This file contains information pertaining to the installation of the RAVEN 8.x software product. Please note that this release of RAVEN is available only in a 32-bit edition. The installation files are located on the CD in the root directory. ----------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- Section 1: Minimum System Requirements Section 2: Upgrading from a previous installation of RAVEN Section 3: Setting up the RAVEN software for Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP Section 4: Installing RAVEN on a network Section 5: Logging in for the first time Section 6: Multi-user operation Section 7: Printing of MDS Forms Section 8: Uninstalling RAVEN --------------------------- MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS --------------------------- To operate the software, you will need the following MINIMUM hardware/software: - IBM-compatible PC with Pentium 200 Mhz or higher processor - VGA-compatible display monitor - Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP - Microsoft-compatible mouse or pointing device - Hard disk with a minimum of 40 megabytes of space - Sixteen megabytes of RAM (32 are recommended for Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP) - CD-ROM drive (if you are installing from CD). For printing the MDS Forms, you will also need: - Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 3.01 or higher - Laser printer. -------------------------------------------------- UPGRADING FROM A PREVIOUS INSTALLATION OF RAVEN -------------------------------------------------- If you are upgrading from a previous installation of RAVEN, the following tasks MUST be performed before installing RAVEN 7.x: 1. Backup the existing installation databases (all files with extension .MDB). For more information on how RAVEN can be backed up, please read the RAVEN Help Desk Note on this topic (HELPDESK.PDF). RAVEN 8.x warns you if a patch is required for a version prior to 4.x. However, you must have executed the patch in 4.x before being able to run RAVEN 8.x. If the patch is required this fact will be noted and you will be unable to continue with 8.x execution until the patch is completed using version 4.x. 2. Note all facility, RUG and option settings. You will need to respecify the settings for RAVEN 8.x, since this release updates the data dictionary. --------------------------------------------------------- SETTING UP THE RAVEN SOFTWARE FOR WINDOWS 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP --------------------------------------------------------- Here are the steps for installing the RAVEN software under Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP (ATTENTION CD USERS: Skip to Step 3.): 1. Download the SETUPMDS.ZIP. Click on the Web page link to download the file SETUPMDS.ZIP to your computer. This file is a self-extracting file which contains the complete software package. It is recommended that the file be saved to a temporary directory on your computer (e.g., C:\TEMP\). 2. Decompress the SETUPMDS.ZIP files. Use an unzipping utility such as PKUNZIP or WINZIP to extract all of the installation files into C:\TEMP. 3. Run the SETUP.EXE. CD USERS: First, close all other running applications and load the CD into the CD-ROM drive. Then, choose "Run" from the Start menu and type :\SETUP (where is the drive letter of the CD-ROM drive) in the Command Line text box, then click on the button. This action will start the RAVEN software installation program. DOWNLOADERS: First, close all other running applications. Then, choose "Run" from the Start menu and type C:\TEMP\SETUP in the Command Line text box, then click on the button. This action will start the RAVEN software installation program. 4. Follow the installation program instructions. Three types of installations are possible. The Full Install option installs everything except Section S databases and the developer sample files. The Custom option allows the user to select exactly what components are installed; note that this is the only option that includes the Section S files and the developer sample files. The installation program will also guide the user in specifying an installation directory and a program group for the RAVEN icons. 5. Run the RAVEN software. When the setup is complete, it will create the "MDS RAVEN System" submenu under the Start/Programs menu. From this submenu, click on the "MDS RAVEN System" menu item. This action will start the RAVEN software program. ---------------------------------------------------- INSTALLING RAVEN ON A NETWORK ---------------------------------------------------- RAVEN 8.x has two network configuration possibilities. Configuration 1 has the advantage that the RAVEN software is only installed to one location. Configuration 2 offers the best multi-user performance, since the MDS.MDB, Section S MDB, MDSDICT.MDB and, MDSTRACK.MDB are the only databases accessed by multiple users. Configuration 1: All RAVEN application files on the network Here are the steps to follow in setting up this RAVEN configuration on a network: 1. Create or designate a network volume (storage space on a network drive) to which all RAVEN users will have read-write access. 2. Establish a drive mapping for each user to this network volume (e.g., G:\, for the purposes of these instructions). For Novell users, this mapping could be part of a system or user login script. For Windows NT network users, it could be a permanent drive mapping that can be established using Windows Explorer or File Manager (depending on the Windows version). 3. For each client machine, install the software, specifying g:\mds for the directory instead of the default c:\mds. Use the Full Install method on all client machines unless Section S is required then use the custom install (including Section S databases on the first machine and then use the Full Install on all other client machines). 4. The administrator should then set up facility and employee information in RAVEN. The administrator may want to add the residents as well. 5. RAVEN may now be used to create and enter assessment data. Configuration 2: RAVEN data entry databases on the network; all other files local Here are the steps to follow in setting up this RAVEN configuration on a network: 1. Create or designate a network volume (storage space on a network drive) to which all RAVEN users will have read-write access. 2. Establish a drive mapping for each user to this network volume (e.g., G:\, for the purposes of these instructions). For Novell users, this mapping could be part of a system or user login script. For Windows NT network users, it could be a permanent drive mapping that can be established using Windows Explorer or File Manager (depending on the Windows version). 3. For each client machine, install the software to a local directory (e.g., C:\MDS). Use the Full Install option in the installation program (or the Custom option, if Section S databases are required). After installation is complete, copy MDS.MDB, the Section S MDB, if applicable,the MDSDICT.MDB and the MDSTRACK.MDB to the desired network drive/path.It may also be a good idea to copy the repair.exe to the network drive/path as well in case of a corrupt database. Then run RAVEN and click Administration |Preferences menu item. Select the Location tab. Enter the network on the drive/path to the MDS.MDB, Section S, MDSTRACK, and MDSDICT MDBs on the resulting screen. Exit RAVEN, then run RAVEN again to put the network path into effect. 4. The administrator should then set up facility and employee information in RAVEN. The administrator may want to add the residents as well. In order to ensure that preference options are the same for all client PCs, the administrator should set these options and (a) distribute the resulting MDSDICT.MDB to the application directory on the network, and (b) distribute the resulting MDS.INI to the WINDOWS\MDSPRINT directory of each client PC. 5. RAVEN may now be used to create and enter assessment data. NOTE TO WINDOWS NT USERS: Do not install RAVEN on a Windows NT Server from the server itself and then map the client workstations to the NT server directory. RAVEN expects the actual installation path to be available at several places in the software. Therefore, if RAVEN is installed using Configuration 1 to D:\MDS_NT (for example) on the NT server, but the clients map their logical F: drive to this directory, the software will expect to locate data files at D:\MDS_NT on the CLIENT machine! This problem can be avoided by installing RAVEN on the NT Server from a client PC (similar to the Novell method). The administrator should pick a logical drive that all clients will use and install to a subdirectory of it (e.g., F:\MDS_NT). DO NOT INSTALL RAVEN TO THE ROOT OF A LOGICAL DRIVE (e.g., F:\); users have reported operational problems with this installation method. ----------------------------- LOGGING IN FOR THE FIRST TIME ----------------------------- When the RAVEN program is launched, a login screen appears. Type MDS for both the user ID and password, then click on the OK button. Note that the user MDS has administrator rights; therefore, it is then possible to set up facility, employee and resident information - necessary steps before entering assessments. -------------------- MULTI-USER OPERATION -------------------- When operating RAVEN in a multi-user (i.e., networked) configuration, it is possible to refresh the resident and assessment information on the RAVEN Management screen. This capability is useful in determining if residents have been added or if assessments have been opened recently. To refresh both the resident and assessment lists from the RAVEN Management screen, press the F5 key. To refresh only the assessment list for the currently selected resident, press the Shift+F5 keys simultaneously. ----------------------------- PRINTING OF MDS FORMS ----------------------------- In order to print the MDS Forms, Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.x or higher must be installed on the user PC. Installation files for 32-bit versions of Acrobat Reader are available on the CD in the subdirectory ACROBAT. Acrobat Reader can also be downloaded from the Adobe web site (www.adobe.com). In addition, the Systems Administrator must go to the Preferences menu, select the Paths item and provide the path/file name to the Acrobat Reader executable. If this path/file name is NOT provided, printing of MDS Forms is automatically disabled. Note that when the Acrobat Reader path/file name is entered on the Preferences window, the application creates a MDSPRINT directory on the user's system directory (e.g., c:\WINDOWS) and a MDS.INI file to reside there. The MDSPRINT directory contains the PDF files representing the various MDS assessments. The MDS.INI stores the Acrobat Reader path/file name as well as paths for the backup, import, export, reports and print from file functions. When the user prints an assessment, the system checks whether a valid Adobe Acrobat Reader path and file name are specified. If so, then the application creates the assessment data overlay (FDF) file, which is called ACROFU.FDF. This file is created in the MDSPRINT directory. The applications then checks whether the appropriate PDF file already exists in the MDSPRINT directory. If not, the application copies the PDF file to the MDSPRINT directory. Finally, Adobe Acrobat Reader is launched with appropriate command line parameters. Note that these command line parameters are documented by Adobe but not (!) officially supported. If printing problems occur, the user can attempt to print the form manually. Exit RAVEN, go to the MDSPRINT directory, and execute one of the following commands from a DOS Window, a Command Prompt or the Run option on the Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP Start Menu: ACRORD32 /p ACROFU.FDF (for 32-bit Acrobat Reader) If the printing problems persist, it is likely that the cause is related to the specific PC system configuration. Adobe technical support is available at www.adobe.com. While Adobe does not officially support these command line parameters, a user discussion group is available and this topic is discussed often. ----------------------------- UNINSTALLING RAVEN ----------------------------- In order to uninstall RAVEN, click the Uninstall RAVEN icon in the MDS RAVEN System group. NOTE!!! The 32-bit uninstall procedure has been enhanced and will not remove the databases (the user must delete them manually, if desired). Note that the uninstall does not delete the following types of files: .LDB files (which are automatically created when a database is opened) .ZIP files (if compression is enabled for RAVEN backups) MDS.INI in the WINDOWS\MDSPRINT directory (this file is also created by RAVEN) Therefore, if the above files exist, the uninstall procedure will not be able to delete the installation directory (e.g., C:\MDS). The remaining files can be deleted via Windows Explorer or File Manager, if desired. Updated 09/14/2005