Automatically Updating Configuration Files
In addition to the set of configuration files published by the administrator, MCS maintains a separate file area for each individual user. If a user makes changes to a configuration file on a workstation, EXTRA! uploads the altered file to that user's area on MCS when the user exits EXTRA!.
If the configuration files are assigned to the user by the MCS administrator, MCS automatically updates the files as described in the following sections.
Starting EXTRA!
When a user starts EXTRA!, he or she is prompted for a user ID and password to log on to MCS. Once these are provided, MCS checks the timestamps of configuration files in the following three areas, comparing identically-named files to determine which file was changed most recently:
- the default directories for EXTRA! configuration files on the workstation
- the set of files in the administrator's area on MCS
- the files stored in the individual user's area on MCS
If the most recent configuration file is located
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This occurs
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| On the user's workstation |
The file on the workstation is left "as is." |
| In the individual user's area on the MCS server |
That file is copied to the workstation, overwriting the older file there. |
| In the administrator's area on the MCS server |
The administrator's version of the file is copied to the workstation, overwriting the older file there. |
| In the individual user's area on the MCS server but not on the user's workstation |
That file is copied to the workstation. |
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When a new file is published to the MCS server and assigned to the user, it is copied to the user's workstation. |
Exiting EXTRA! Sessions
When the user exits an EXTRA! session, the following applies:
- If an administrator updated a configuration file on the MCS server while the user's session was running, the updated file is copied to the workstation, overwriting the older file there. If an identically-named file also exists in the user's area on the MCS server, the administrator's version of the file also overwrites the file in the user's area.
- If the option Copy Changes to Server is selected from Global Preferences (the default setting), any user-modified configuration files are copied to the user's area on the MCS server.
As a result, the user always has the most current version of a configuration file, and in the event that he or she moves to another workstation, the configuration files will be downloaded and available on it.
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If the administrator changes a configuration file, the newly-changed file will overwrite any user-modified copies of the file on the workstation and in the user's area on the MCS server. To prevent modifications from being overwritten, the user must save the modified configuration file with a different filename. |
