Client-Side vs. Server-Side

Before setup begins, a decision must be made about which method to produce letters to use: Client-Side or Server-Side. Client-side requires a licensed version of Microsoft Word be installed on each individual workstation, whereas server-side requires a licensed version of Word only be installed on the IIS server. Although both work, Microsoft recommends Word be installed on individual workstations as this is how it is designed to operate. Both letter operations require specific security settings.

For detailed instructions on how to perform the following tasks, refer to the documents labeled, AMSI Evolution Suite Special Considerations and Client-Side and Server-Side Letters on your eSite installation CD. Or, visit Infor Xtreme Support at www.InforXtreme.com and download a free PDF version from the website's Downloads section.

Security Settings

Processing letters on a client workstation is the AMSI recommended choice and requires the following client or system adjustments:

—MIME settings in IIS must be modified to include .DAT files

—eSite must be listed as a Trusted site in IIS

—Active X controls must be enabled

Printing Client-Side Letters

When letters print, a Word (.doc) and Mail Merge (.dat) file get stored on your local system and over time can accumulate in number. System-generated scripts clear out any pre-existing temporary data prior to creating new .doc and .dat files for the specified file and user. This eliminates the need to practice a manual routine deletion process.

Security Settings

Processing Letters through a server merge location may pose a security risk if you expose the site to the internet instead of the intranet. The primary reason to run server-side letters is that you do not need Microsoft Word installed on the workstation; however you still need the appropriate number of licenses of Microsoft Word for each use connecting to the server. Running server-side letters is not recommended due to security risks, as well as excess resources used. Because this process is complicated, it must be performed by an IT professional. If running server-side letters is required, then one of the following techniques must be used to process the letters through your server:

—Using IIS set the Anonymous User account to the Administrator. When using this method, everything running over the web server is using the Administrator account. We suggest that you restrict access in order to minimize user problems.

—Using dcomcnfg set Word to always run under the Administrator account. When using this method, your website is not using the Administrator account; however Word always is.

—Users running eSite version 4.3.00 or higher with server-side letters and Windows 2003 must enable Word to check for macros. When this feature is disabled, an error message displays within eSite when a letter that includes macros is run. By default, Microsoft Word 2003 has security features in place that cause the process to fail. Enabling Word to check for macros corrects the problem. Refer to Using Macros i Letters.

Processing & Printing Server-Side Letters

Server-side letters display in an HTML page and cannot be edited in that format. If printed from the HTML page, the letter may print with formatting problems and may not look as you intended. The quick fix is to open the letter in the HTML page and click the small Word icon in the upper right corner. This causes the system to display the letter again, this time in an MS Word document template where the letter can be edited and printed without the previous formatting problems.