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Teamwork Information Exchange (tm)
Installation & Startup
Guide
Five User 60 Day Evaluation Copy
You may legally obtain a copy of Teamwork Information Exchange (TIE)
from a friend, 'Otto-Williams Ltd., a public bulletin board, or a
computer dealer and try it out for a period of 60 days. However, 60
days after TIE has been installed on your hard drive, the program will
stop working.
If you would like to continue using TIE beyond the 60 day trial
period, you must purchase a licensed copy from 'Otto-Williams Ltd. or
an authorized dealer.
"Teamwork Information Exchange" and the OWL Logo are trademarks of
'Otto-Williams Ltd.
Copyright (c) 1993 'Otto-Williams Ltd.
All Rights Reserved
Introduction
Teamwork Information Exchange (TIE) is a complete multi-user system
designed to provide work groups with a tool to enhance intra-group
communications and improve time management, work flow and
productivity. TIE combines electronic mail, personal time scheduling,
meeting scheduling, task management and personal to do lists into a
single fully integrated system.
TIE's electronic mail (E-Mail) subsystem differs from stand-alone
systems by combining standard e-mail capabilities with automatic
messaging. For example, when a meeting is scheduled, rescheduled or
canceled; TIE automatically creates and sends mail messages to all
attendees announcing the status. Similarly, TIE creates mail messages
to inform appropriate users of assignment, delivery and completion of
tasks.
The Personal Schedule subsystem provides each user with a semi-private
workday scheduling system. While other users will have access your
composite daily schedule, they cannot see the details (descriptions of
individual items) in your personal schedule. For example, if you
schedule an appointment with your doctor, other users, when scheduling
a meeting, will see only that you have reserved that time for an
appointment.
TIE's Meeting subsystem provides an automatic means of scheduling
meetings by displaying the schedules of attendees so that you can
quickly identify a time when both personnel and meeting resources are
available. An auto schedule function is available to search all
applicable schedules to find the first time when all personnel and
resources are simultaneously available. Each time a meeting is
scheduled or rescheduled, the personal schedules of all attendees are
automatically updated and e-mail messages are automatically sent to
inform attendees of a change in their schedules. Meeting agenda's can
be reviewed on-line or printed for distribution.
The task management subsystem is designed to track the progress and
status of work assignments and to provide an objective means of
measuring individual performance. Effective work management requires
clear communication of the work to be performed, when it is due and
how successful performance will be measured. TIE incorporates these
elements through written assignments, specified due dates and complete
reporting of on-time performance. In addition, the task management
subsystem provides an effective means for employees and supervisors to
communicate progress on assigned tasks.
While simple in concept, TIE's To Do subsystem can be a powerful tool
in managing your workday. By maintaining a prioritized list of things
to be done on a given workday, you can key into those things that are
the highest priority while addressing lower priority items as time
permits. To Do items that are not completed on the day they are
scheduled are automatically moved forward until they are completed.
This way, what you didn't get around to yesterday, won't be forgotten
today.
The Report subsystem brings each of TIE's major subsystems together to
provide hard copy or on-screen information about your schedule, work
assignments, to do lists, etc.
System Requirements & Configuration
TIE may be run on any IBM compatible PC using DOS 3.3 or above and is
compatible with all network software that adheres to the file sharing
protocols of DOS 3.3 and above. TIE requires a minimum of 400K of
available conventional memory. While not required, performance will
improve with the availability of LIM 3.2 or higher expanded (EMM)
memory.
Configuration Requirement: A minimum of 31 file handles must be
established to run TIE. The following line should appear in the
CONFIG.SYS file of all workstations running TIE.
FILES=31
Values above 31 may be substituted if other applications require more
file handles. Values above 31 may be required if your workstation is
running memory resident (TSR) applications or utilities such as shell
programs.
Note: The expanded memory manager (EMM386) shipped with DOS 6.0 causes
erroneous out-of-memory messages when loaded using the "NOEMS"
switch. If you are using EMM386, remove "NOEMS" from the command line
in CONFIG.SYS, and restart your computer. The following device
command is compatible with the memory requirements of TIE.
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE AUTO RAM
Installing TIE On Your Network
For multi-user access, TIE's data files must be installed on a network
server. The main program (TIE.EXE) may be installed on the network
server, on individual workstations or both. Note that not all
networks support running workstation resident copies of TIE with
access to the data files on the server. We recommend that, were
possible, the program be installed on each work station. This
configuration reduces network traffic and improves performance.
If you downloaded Teamwork Information Exchange from a bulletin board
or other data service, you will have already extracted all files from
the ZIP or other archive file you downloaded.
To install TIE on the network server, create a directory on your
server's hard drive named "\TIE" to hold the extracted files and copy
all extracted files to the new directory. Note: the original ZIP or
other archive file should be stored off on a floppy disk and kept as a
backup.
To install the TIE main program on a network work station, create a
directory on the work station's hard drive named "\TIE" and copy file
TIE.EXE to the new directory.
Running TIE
When starting TIE from a command prompt, the command line allows for
specification of the location of shared data files, optional mouse
configuration parameters and optional environment parameters. The
order of parameters in the command line is as follows:
TIE [data drive\directory] [mouse parameters] [environment
parameters]
The brackets are not typed and are shown to indicate that each
parameter set is optional. Whenever the data drive and directory is
specified, it must be the first parameter on the command line.
Data Drive and Directory
It is necessary to specify the location of TIE's shared data
files when they do not reside in the default directory from which
TIE is started. The drive and directory specification must be in
the form: g:\TIE\ where g is the data disk drive and "\TIE\" is
the directory where TIE's shared data files are located.
Note that the trailing back slash is required. TIE searches the
default or specified data directory for all shared data files at
startup. If the files are not found, TIE will display a warning
message and terminate.
Mouse Parameters
In most instances it should not be necessary to enter any mouse
parameters on the command line. On EGA or better monitors the
mouse is displayed as a true mouse (arrow) cursor. On other
displays the mouse cursor is displayed as a block cursor.
The mouse parameters that can be entered on the command line are
as follows:
/nv Disable video bit manipulations. You may want to try this
parameter just to see if you like the screen appearance
better.
/ng Disable graphic mouse cursor. If the mouse cursor does not
behave properly when running in a DOS window under Windows
3.x you may need to use this parameter.
If both parameters are used on the command line, a space is
required between them. Example: TIE /nv /ng
Environment Parameters
Several environment parameters can be passed to TIE either on the
command line or through the SET CLIPPER environment variable.
The environment settings are as follows:
E<nExpandedKB> The E option limits the amount of LIM-compatible
memory the TIE uses. A value of "E512" would limit the amount of
expanded memory to 512 kilobytes. There should not be any reason
to use this option.
F<nHandles> The F option specifies the number of file
handles that are available. A value of F31 (31 file
handles) is the minimum required by TIE. You must also
specify a minimum of FILES=31 in your config.sys file.
BADCACHE Some caches that use expanded (LIM) memory do not
expect that other applications will be using expanded memory
and can burst into memory segments that TIE is using. The
BADCACHE option provides a way around this.
SWAPPATH <d:\directory> The virtual memory management
system used by TIE loads as much of the program into memory
as will fit. When additional code segments are needed, the
system swaps unneeded segments to expanded memory and loads
the required code. If expanded memory is unavailable or
exhausted, the code segments are swapped to the default
disk. The SWAPPATH option allows these swap files to be
redirected to an alternative drive and directory. To reduce
network traffic and improve program performance, the
location where swap files are written should be the local
workstation's hard disk. If TIE is installed on the
workstation, this is the default. Otherwise the SWAPPATH
option should be used.
TEMPPATH <d:\directory> Sorting and indexing routines in
TIE use temporary scratch files to buffer data as the
proceed. If the drive where the TIE resides does not have
enough disk space or is read only, an alternate drive and
directory can be specified.
Any one or more of these parameters may be passed to TIE on the
command line by entering two slashes before the first parameter
and separating each parameter with a semicolon. Example:
TIE d:\tie\ //F31;SWAPPATH C:\TIE;TEMPPATH C:\TIE
Alternatively, these parameters may be declared at system startup
and passed to TIE from the "CLIPPER" environment variable.
Example:
SET CLIPPER=F31;SWAPPATH C:\TIE;TEMPPATH C:\TIE
When placed in your autoexec.bat file, this line has the same
effect as passing the F, SWAPPPATH, and TEMPPATH options on TIE's
command line.
Establishing a System Operator
TIE is distributed with all of its data files empty. Because
there are no defined users in the system when TIE is first run,
the log on screen is temporarily bypassed and replaced by a data
entry screen which allows definition of an initial user. By
default, this initial user must be given the maximum (System
Operator) privileges in order that additional users can be added
to the system. When TIE initially starts for the first time,
enter the information requested for all fields. Be certain that
you memorize or write down your User ID before saving the
entries.
Immediately after saving the data on the user definition screen,
the logon screen will be displayed. After correctly entering
your User ID, you will have full access to all program
functions.
Adding Users
Additional users may be defined by selecting the Setup - Users -
Add User options. TIE defines three types of users and resources
as follows.
System Operator: The system operator user type is designed for
network administrators. Persons designated as system operators
have special privileges to perform file maintenance functions and
to add and delete other users and resources. A minimum of one
user must be designated as a system operator.
User: The "User" user type is provided for regular program users
and provides its owner with privileges to use all the standard
features of TIE. Users of this type may setup new Non-User /
Resources but may not add User or System Operator type users to
the system or execute the special file maintenance functions.
Non-User/Resource: The non-user class is designed to provide a
means for scheduling meetings with individuals who do not have
access to your network. Since the individual cannot log into the
program, all mail messages addressed to a non-user are discarded
before being written to disk. Non-Users are not counted against
the total number of licensed users. In addition to individuals,
this user type also provides for scheduling of physical resources
that may be required in planning a meeting. These resources may
include conference rooms, audio visual equipment, or any other
resource that must be available at a meeting.
A unique User ID must be entered for each user and non-user added
to the system. TIE will inform you if you enter a duplicate User
ID. After entering a valid new User ID, enter the User Type
using "S" for System Operator, "U" for User and "R" for
Resource/Non-User. Next, enter the users preferred time format
(12 hour am/pm or 24 hour format) followed by the normal work
schedule data. Work schedule data includes the user's normal
starting and ending times and user's normal work days (default is
Monday through Friday). Note that working hours are entered in
your preferred time format and not in the new user's preferred
time format. "User" class individuals are privileged to modify
their personal work schedule information without System Operator
assistance.
Troubleshooting
Out of Memory
If you receive an Out of Memory message when running this program
it means that you either do not have enough conventional memory
available to run the program or there is a fault in expanded
memory.
We have noted that the expanded memory manager (EMM386) shipped
with DOS 6.0 causes erroneous out-of-memory messages when loaded
using the "NOEMS" switch. If you are using EMM386, remove
"NOEMS" from the command line in CONFIG.SYS, and restart your
computer. This often can solve the out of memory problem.
The amount of memory available for running applications can also
be increased removing unnecessary TSR programs (screen savers,
DOS shells, pop-ups, mouse drivers, etc.) If you are using DOS
version 5.0 or higher, you may be able to load some of these
programs into high memory.
Runtime Errors
The most serious type of potential problem is a run-time error.
If this occurs, it will cause the program to abort. When this
happens, the program will list several lines of text which
indicate the cause of the error and it's location in the
program's source code.
If you get a run-time error, make a note of the error message.
Run-time errors can be the result of errors in data entry,
improper system configuration, or failure to have your printer on-
line and ready when print operations are being performed. Check
your data using the browse functions to be sure that you have
entered it correctly. Run the Reindex option from the file menu
to insure that all files are properly indexed. Also, check that
your system is properly configured ("FILES=31" in your CONFIG.SYS
file, printer turned on and on-line when printing reports).
Sharing Violation
On some networks a sharing violation can occur when two or more
users attempt to execute a portion of TIE the same time. To
solve this problem, set the file attribute of TIE.EXE to read
only. This can be done using the DOS attribute command as
follows:
ATTRIB +R drive:\TIE\TIE.EXE
It should never be necessary to change the file attribute on a
workstation installed program.
Getting Help
If you are unable to resolve a problem on your own, send us a
letter with the exact text of the error message (if any) and a
compete description of the problem, your computer system
(computer, memory, graphics card, DOS version, etc.), the option
you were running when the error occurred, and any supplemental
data which you entered under the option. Sample printouts are
often key to uncovering the source of a problem. We will
investigate the problem and respond as quickly as possible.
For more information or technical assistance write to:
'Otto-Williams Ltd.
P.O. Box 794
Lanham, MD 20703-0795
Phone: 301-306-0409
