UDP and Auto-HTML Export...

Use this forum to request and discuss features you would like to see added to Ascendis Caller ID.
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CallerDude
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:40 pm

UDP and Auto-HTML Export...

Post by CallerDude »

Hi, Bill! I have two feature requests this evening:

1) Add UDP as an option for both the server and clients. This way, you don't have to have a client list on the server side. You can add/remove clients at will, without worrying about manually adding them to the server list.

2) Automatically export calls to an HTML file at an interval of every h hours, or at t time of day, every day. This way, the Ascendis server software, which may be on a computer that isn't used/easily accessed, can export calls to a place any device with a browser on the LAN can read it. Additionally, there are multiple free programs that will copy a file to a server on the net at a time/interval of your choosing. Now, you can browse calls from any device which can access a webpage.

By allowing a choice between interval or set time of day, you can have Ascendis automatically save an HTML file every evening, or, every so often.

:-)

What do you think?
CallerDude
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:40 pm

Post by CallerDude »

Bill, I apologize. I did not see the wonderful web server included in the software. Can the default path to "Web root" be altered to a removable USB flash device? I am using a thinclient with Enhanced Write Filter, which blocks saves to disk. Will it still save correctly to a USB flash drive, and when I enter the IP of the server computer, will it still find the HTML file if the path points to a USB disk?

Since my computer loses all changes once it reboots/is shutdown, when Ascendis opens again, the caller list will be blank. Will this reset the HTML history to "zero" as well? Or, will the HTML history remain "safe" even though the main history gets erased on reboot?

If I install Ascendis directly to a USB flash drive, and change the webroot to a different directory on that same drive, will that obviate the entire issue, since the USB is not write protected, and changes will persist between reboots?
Bill Root
Site Admin
Posts: 1025
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 1:29 pm
Location: Perrysburg, OH
Contact:

Re: UDP and Auto-HTML Export...

Post by Bill Root »

Hi CallerDude,
CallerDude wrote:I have two feature requests this evening:

1) Add UDP as an option for both the server and clients.
In the early days, Ascendis Caller ID used UDP for networking. However, it was too unreliable, and didn't work over the internet. I made a note of your request, but no one else has requested this, so it's hard to imagine the effort, code and user interface complexity being worthwhile.
This way, you don't have to have a client list on the server side. You can add/remove clients at will, without worrying about manually adding them to the server list.
If you're talking about native Ascendis Caller ID networking, the server doesn't need a client list. The clients need to know the server name or IP address. In some installations clients need to know about multiple servers.

If you're talking about YAC networking, which works backwards from most client/server systems, then I'm not aware of YAC UDP support.
2) Automatically export calls to an HTML file at an interval of every h hours, or at t time of day, every day. ...
As you discovered, Ascendis Caller ID has a built in web server.
I did not see the wonderful web server included in the software. Can the default path to "Web root" be altered to a removable USB flash device?
No, the default WebRoot path cannot be changed as it's defined in the executable. You can change the WebRoot path in the network settings.
I am using a thinclient with Enhanced Write Filter, which blocks saves to disk. Will it still save correctly to a USB flash drive
I don't know. I'm not familiar with your software or configuration. Have you tried it?
, and when I enter the IP of the server computer, will it still find the HTML file if the path points to a USB disk?
If WebRoot in Ascendis Caller ID is configured to point to the USB disk and Ascendis Caller ID can read and write to the USB disk, then the web server should work as usual.
Since my computer loses all changes once it reboots/is shutdown, when Ascendis opens again, the caller list will be blank. Will this reset the HTML history to "zero" as well? Or, will the HTML history remain "safe" even though the main history gets erased on reboot?
If the Ascendis Caller ID database is lost when the machine reboots, the web server will serve pages indicating such. The HTML files are generated on the fly, except when cached, and I think the cache is only valid while Ascendis Caller ID is running.
If I install Ascendis directly to a USB flash drive, and change the webroot to a different directory on that same drive, will that obviate the entire issue, since the USB is not write protected, and changes will persist between reboots?
The Ascendis Caller ID database is the issue here -- it is kept in the Microsoft sanctioned location, which will not be on the flash drive unless the system was booted from the flash drive or you've somehow convinced Windows that application data should be stored there.

There is a way to configure Ascendis Caller ID using an INI file, and the INI file can specify the data folder. Here is a dated HOWTO for using an INI file to store settings:

Code: Select all

Instructions for configuring Ascendis Caller ID to store settings in an ini
file.

1) Make sure all users have write access to the folder containing the Ascendis
   Caller ID executable file (normally
   C:\Program Files\Ascendis Software\Caller ID\CallerID.EXE)
2) Create a file named CallerID.ini in the same folder as CallerID.exe
3) Edit CallerID.ini
4) Enter the following text into CallerID.ini:
   [Main]
   UseIniFile=1
5) Save and close CallerID.ini
6) Start (or restart) Ascendis Caller ID

Since the ini file you just created doesn't have any settings in it, you will
have to reconfigure Ascendis Caller ID.

Device information is not stored in the ini file.
To specify the data folder in the INI file, add the following line in the "Main" section:

Code: Select all

DataLocation=2
The "2" means to store the data in the program folder. (This won't work as expected in Windows Vista and Windows 7 since the program folder is not writable; it should work in Windows XP if the user has admin privileges.) Another valid setting is "3", which means to use the "DataPathSetting" in the same section. The normal value is "1", which means to use the common application data folder.

Using an INI file to store settings is not documented, and there are some quirks, but we use it here during development. Don't change the INI file while Ascendis Caller ID is running unless you want to lose your changes.


Finest regards,
Bill Root
Ascendis Software LLC
CallerDude
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:40 pm

Post by CallerDude »

Clear, concise, and very, very helpful.

Thank you very much!
CallerDude
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:40 pm

Post by CallerDude »

I am going to attempt to implement these changes tonight- I'll let you know how it works out! :-)

EDIT: It works! It took me awhile to discover that once you use the INI file to specify settings, you must locate the "Webroot" directory in the same place Ascendis is installed:

IF C:\Ascendis

THEN Webroot must be

C:\Ascendis\Webroot

I tweaked my network settings, released/renewed several times over, etc. until I realized it had to be there. Changing the web server directory manually wouldn't work.

It is perfect now! Thank you, Bill.
Bill Root
Site Admin
Posts: 1025
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 1:29 pm
Location: Perrysburg, OH
Contact:

Post by Bill Root »

Hi CallerDude,
It took me awhile to discover that once you use the INI file to specify settings, you must locate the "Webroot" directory in the same place Ascendis is installed:
I'm sorry this wasn't explained in the help, and I understand how you came to this conclusion. The "Web root" setting is interpreted as a relative path (relative to the data path) if it contains no path information (i.e., is just a single folder name) or starts with "..\". Otherwise it's interpreted as an absolute path. For example:
  • "MyFolder" -> <data path>\MyFolder
    "C:\Webroot" -> C:\Webroot
In your setup, if the data path is C:\Ascendis, then the following settings for web root will have the same result:
  • C:\Ascendis\Webroot
    Webroot
I changed the help to reflect this.


Finest regards,
Bill Root
Ascendis Software LLC
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