Aloha GuestManager

Application Install
How To Guide

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 Aloha Guest Manager Installation
Table of Contents
System Requirements.......................................................................................................... 3
Pre-Requisites ..................................................................................................................... 3
Getting Started with Installing AGM.................................................................................. 3
Start Server Install............................................................................................................... 3
Create Configuration File ................................................................................................... 5
Complete Server Install....................................................................................................... 9
Terminal Install................................................................................................................. 11
Starting Aloha GuestManager........................................................................................... 12
Configuring Devices ......................................................................................................... 13
Printer Settings.................................................................................................................. 19
Configuring Aloha POS Integration ................................................................................. 20

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System Requirements
Terminal:
• Windows XP Pro or higher (Support for Windows XPe will be addressed by image
changes)
• 1G RAM
• .Net Framework v. 3.0
• 2GB+ of available drive storage (to support .Net 3.0 install). Most Radiant terminals will
ship with the .NET 3.0 framework already installed.
Server
• Windows XP Pro or Windows 2003
• 1MB of RAM
• Intel P4 1.5GHz+ processor or similar
• .Net Framework v. 3.0
• SQL Server Express 2005
• SQL Server Management Studio Express

Pre-Requisites
SQL Express 2005 is the database engine that drives the Aloha Guest Manager (AGM)
product. SQL Express 2005, SQL Management Studio Express and .NET 3.0 framework
must be installed on the machine that is hosting the AGM Business Service programs.
.NET 3.0 framework must be installed on all AlohaGuestManagerTerminals. See AGM
Pre-requisite How To document for instructions on installing these pre-requisites prior to
following the install instructions in this document.

Additionally, the Guest Manager starter database must be installed and attached. These
instructions are included in the “AGM Pre-requisite How To” document.

Getting Started with Installing AGM

The Guest Manager starter database must be installed and attached before continuing
with the installation. Refer to the Pre-Requisites document for completing this step.

The Aloha Guest Manager User interface application must be installed on each
terminal/workstation that Aloha Guest Manager will run. Each GuestManager terminal
should be named AGM and follow a sequential numbering, i.e., AGM1, AGM2, AGM3,
etc. The Aloha Guest Manager Server component should be installed on the AlohaBOH
machine.

Copy the InstallGM.msi to the server and each machine/terminal that will run Aloha
Guest Manager and follow these steps:

Start Server Install

Step 1: Launch the msi on the server machine

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Step 2: Select “Server” option
Step 3: Once msi complete select finish and validate the following directories are
installed on the server machine under the Program Files directory:

Step 4: Copy in custom graphics

If you have custom graphics that you are using or if you are using the Aloha Guest
Manager starter graphics, these should be copied to the
Program Files\Radiant Systems\GuestManager\Media\Graphics folder at this point.

First, delete all files in the graphics directory that were put there with the msi and then
copy in the starter graphics from the AGM Starter Graphics zip file. This must done
before continuing to the next step so that these graphics are used when updating the
server and the terminals.

Step 5: Go to the:
Program Files\Radiant Systems\GuestManager\Bin\GuestManagerSettings directory and
launch the file: GuestManagerSettings.exe. This will launch the GMSettings application
used to create\edit the configuration file. This file is needed to complete the installation.
Follow the directions in the next section.

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Create Configuration File
The GMSettings configuration tool is used to set-up the terminal information and to
configure the application settings. In most cases, the Terminals tab in the configuration
tool provides the correct default settings for the GuestManager terminals and very few
fields need to be changed.

Launch the GMSettings.exe file from within the:

Program Files\Radiant Systems\GuestManager directory on the server machine.

• Go to the Terminals Tab

• Specify the number of terminals (including the Server machine)
• A tab will be created for each machine. The first tab will be auto named
AlohaBOH. All additional tabs will be named AGMx.
• Click the first Machine tab to set-up the server settings

Configuration Tab
• Set computer name if not AlohaBOH
• Select Run User Interface (will run the GuestManager application on the server
machine)
• Select Run Host Services

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Host Services Tab
• Set Logging level to Info
• Select Run Standard Host Services (leave other boxes unchecked)
• On Standard Services Tab:
o Leave Terminal IP field blank (unless the machine has 2 network cards in
which case you will need to specify the IP address to use)
o Leave all other boxes set to the default values
o Do not change any settings on the Centralized Guest Data Services or the
Online Reservations Services tabs

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 User Interface Tab
• Set Logging level to Info
• Select Run Standard Host Services (leave other boxes unchecked)
• Leave Terminal IP field blank (unless the machine has 2 network cards in which
case you will need to specify the IP address to use)
• Leave all other boxes set to the default values

For the remaining terminals, select only Run User Interface. Only change the Computer
name and set the terminal IP on the User Interfaces tab if necessary (see above for cases
when this is required)

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Page 8 of 23
Database Tab
Go to the Database tab to ensure that the database is connected.
Make sure that the Database Connection is OK. If it is not, you may need to specify the
Database Server Name:

Important Note: databaseServerName = SQL Server Connection Name

(open SQL Server Management Studio to see the Connection Name).
The default is SQLExpress for the database name. It will be different if you installed
SQLServerExpress as a named instance.

Select Save. The guestmanagerconfig.xml file will be created in the:

Program Files\Radiant Systems\GuestManager directory.

Complete Server Install

Now that the configuration files is created you are ready to complete the server install.

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Step 1: Go to the
Program Files\Radiant Systems\GuestManager\Bin\GuestManagerUpdate directory

Step 2: Launch the GuestManagerUpdate.exe file

This executable will install the Aloha Guest Manager Service and install the application
software files in the Bin directory.

Step 3: Validate the following directories are created in the Bin directory. You may
need to refresh to see these directories.

Step 4: Validate the following services are created and set to automatic by opening up
Services from the control panel. Validate that the:

“Aloha Guest Manager Host” service is started and that the Startup Type is set to
“Automatic”

“Aloha GuestManager File Services” service is started and that the Startup Type is set to
“Automatic”

Step 5: Create a shortcut on the desktop that points to the GuestManager.exe found in the
Program Files\Radiant Systems\GuestManager\Bin\GuestManager directory. Make sure
you point to the directory under Bin.

Step 6: Launch the shortcut and make sure that GuestManager application loads
successfully. Stop the app before continuing with the terminal installation.

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Terminal Install
Follow these steps on each terminal that you are installing Aloha Guest Manager.

Step 1: Launch the msi on the terminal

Step 2: Select “Terminal” option
Step 3: Once msi complete select finish and validate the following directories are
installed on the terminal machine under the Program Files directory:

Step 4: Go to the
Program Files\Radiant Systems\GuestManager\Bin\GuestManagerUpdate directory

Step 5: Launch the GuestManagerUpdate.exe file

This executable will install the application software files and configuration file from the
server into the Bin directory on the terminal.

Step 6: Validate the following directories are created in the Bin directory. You may
need to refresh to see these directories.

Step 7: Create a shortcut on the desktop that points to the GuestManager.exe found in the

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Program Files\Radiant Systems\GuestManager\Bin\GuestManager directory.

Step 8: Launch the shortcut and make sure that GuestManager application loads
successfully.

Starting Aloha GuestManager

On the Server - Once all of the files are installed on all machines, ensure the services on
the AGM host server are started. Open Services under the Admin feature under Control
Panel on the server. Make sure the SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER),
AlohaGuestManagerHost and the Aloha Guest Manager Fileservices services are started.
If they are not, start them by right clicking the service and selecting <start>. These
services should not be running on the Guest Manager terminals (only the server).
MSSQLServer service must be started FIRST.

On the AGM Terminal - Create an Aloha Guest Manager shortcut on each machine
associated to GuestManager.exe. Select the shortcut to launch the GuestManager
application. This includes the server if GuestManager will be running on the server
machine.

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Configuring Devices
The GMSettings configuration tool is used to set-up the 3rd party paging and handheld
devices that GuestManager will integrate to. The transmitter for the device must be
connected to either the BOH server machine or one of the GuestManager terminals. A
single site may support multiple devices (i.e., a paging system and a handheld system).
However, only one transmitter can be attached to each machine. The specific machine
with the transmitter attached must be set-up to run the device service and have the correct
settings defined in the GMSettings tool for the specific transmitter.

Configuring the Devices in GMSettings

Launch the GMSettings.exe file from within the Radiant Systems\GuestManager
directory on the server machine (or the shortcut that you created on the desktop).
• Go to the Terminals Tab
• Select the tab for the specific machine that the transmitter will be connected to

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Configuration Tab
• Select Run Devices

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Devices Tab
• Set Logging level to Info
• Select the type of device being installed Pagers, Pager Board, or Remote Update
(only one can be selected per machine)
• Select the appropriate tab for the type of device selected (Pagers, Pager Board, or
Remote Update):
o Leave Terminal IP field blank (unless the machine has 2 network cards in
which case you will need to specify the IP address to use)
o The default service Port is 8099. This port number must be different than
the Service Port specified for the UI interface and Host Services (which is
set to 8095 as default). So you should not have to change this for the first
device being configured.
o If the site is supporting multiple devices, each device must have a unique
ServicePort. For a second device, set the ServicePort to 8105. For a third
device set the ServicePort to 8115.
o The Service Discovery Port must match the Service Discovery Port for the
User Interface and Host Services tabs. This should not have to be changed
from the default value unless it was changed for the UI and Host Services.

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• Select the Transmitter Tab:
o Set the Port to the COM port that the transmitter is attached to
o The other settings have default settings that should not have to be
changed. If required though, these settings may be changed for the
specific transmitter.

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• Select the Pager Type Tab:
For Pagers:
o Set the correct CAP Code for the transmitter (you may need to obtain this
info from the 3rd party provider of the device)
o The other settings have default settings that should not have to be
changed. If required though, these settings may be changed for the
specific transmitter.

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For PagerBoard:
o Microframe is the only supported PagerBoard option currently. All
settings have default settings that should not have to be changed. If
required though, these settings may be changed for the specific
transmitter.

For RemoteUpdate:
o Table Scout is the only supported remote update handheld option currently
o The TableScout interface supports 4 button options on the handheld device
ƒ Dirty (Bus)
ƒ Clear
ƒ Closed
ƒ Nothing
o For each button #, set the correct function that the button should support

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Printer Settings
The dip switch settings on the printer hardware (Epson TM88) may need to be adjusted.
If the printer prints all ????, then the printer is configured correctly, but the dip switches
need to be changed. The specific printer should be set to one of the following options:

Option 1
Set 1: Down, Down, Down, Down, Down, Up, Up, Down
Set 2: All should be down

Option 2
Set 1: Down, Up, Up, Down, Down, Up, Up, Down
Set 2: All should be down

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Configuring Aloha POS Integration
The Aloha POS terminals can be used to mark tables as dirty or clean and the table status
will be updated on the Aloha GuestManager terminals. On the Aloha Log-in screen you
may turn on an option to display the “Bus Request” and the “Clear Table” buttons. A
user would select which status they want and then will be prompted to enter the table
number.

This feature is optional. To turn on this feature, follow the instructions below:

Step 1: Specify the correct path for the Aloha\tmp directory on the Aloha fileserver in
the AGM Database.
• Leave the SQLServer service running.
• In services, stop the Aloha GuestManager Host service.
• In the AlohaGuestManager database (open SQLServer Management
Studio on the file server.
• Open the Site Parameter table. Populate the “posmsg_location” field
with the path to the Aloha\tmp directory on the File Server (usually
c:\Aloha\Tmp, but could differ from client to client.
• Share the Aloha\tmp directory by allowing full access to everyone.
This will allow the AGM terminals to have read/write access to that
directory.
• Start the AlohaGuestManagerHost Service.

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2. Turn on the “Make Table Dirty” feature in Aloha Manager to have the dirty/clean
option show up on the login screen. Navigate to “Maintenance\Store Settings” in
Aloha Manager.

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3. Select Group System:

4. Set Third Party Interface to “ProHost (1).

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5. When properly configured, the Employee Log-in screen will contain two
additional buttons at the bottom of the screen. There are two buttons at the bottom
of the screen. One says Clear Table and the other says Bus Request. When you
select either button, you will be prompted for the table number.

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