Low Level Documentation
 
Library Fieldpine Internals Replication Gds Security Fpos.dll Startup logic PosGreen Network PosGreen Install Process Multicast Protocol Data Structures Settings Logic Trace

Logic

Security Model Product Distribution Gateways Staff Login Stock Levels Shipping Addresses Agency Stores Remote Reports Sales Handlers

PosGreen Engine This engine provides the bulk of the POS processing at checkouts. It can be used directly or via central servers as a remote service.

Contexts & Sessions

Advanced

Spill Database Debugging

Reference Data

refdata Country refdata SystemString

PosGreen Installation Description

This page outlines how the installer works. Read this page if you wish to customise how the installer works. If you wanting to install a lane now, see /docs/Cfg/InstallPosGreen.htm

The installer is built into the PosGreen.exe program. This is the same program you run on a day to day basis to use the Pos for trading purposes. We recommend you always install using the latest version from https://fieldpine.com/kits/PosGreen.exe to ensure you have the latest version.

When the installer runs it is trying to complete the following tasks

  • Verify the installation is permitted
  • Download and install the relevant files, which includes site specific customisations
  • Auto register this lane so it is a known lane from Head Office
  • Obtain the store it is operating in and allocate unique internal keys

PosGreen Startup Flow

  1. Checks if the file fpos.dll exists in the current folder. If this file is found then:
    1. It checks that fpos.dll has been digitally signed by Fieldpine. This includes checking the full certification chain.
    2. If the certificate is not found or cannot be validated, the user is informed https://fieldpine.com/support/PosGreenInstall/CodeNotSigned.htm
    3. PosGreen will exit this install process and continue normally.
  2. Internet connectivity is checked and the install process pauses until Fieldpine.com websites are reachable.
  3. An installation screen is created to display to the user and the following background tasks are launched:
    1. A scan for DNS entries
    2. A scan of the harddrive for known Fielpine installation locations. Verifying if already installed
    3. USB drives are monitored to see if installation instructions are provided on a USB thumb drive
    4. Local network (multicast) is queried to see if other Fieldpine applications are already running
  4. The user is given control and asked to select where or how they wish to install. See /docs/Cfg/InstallPosGreen.htm Step 3 Fieldpine Install Main

Installation Steps

  1. If the installation was selected to load from a DNS or network location
    1. The file SERVER/OpenApi2..../Lane/InstallFile/..../fpos_all.ctl is downloaded and saved. This contains site specific instructions and configuration.
    2. The file SERVER/OpenApi2..../Lane/InstallFile/..../fpos_blank.ctl is downloaded and saved as fpos.ctl. This contains a series of commands that should only be run by the current lane. If no fpos_blank.ctl file is availabe, a default one is provided. Once created, the installation values are written to this file
    3. An instruction command is requested from SERVER/OpenApi2..../Lane/InstallFile/..../listall This provides a list of all files that are in the installation directories that should be downloaded
    4. The latest Fieldpine release kit is downloaded and installed if not blocked by install rules. This may download from fieldpine.com or *.fieldpine.com hosts
    5. The installing program launches PosGreen.exe from the target installation folder and silently exits.

PosGreen First Run

At this point all the required files should have been downloaded and are in the Pos folder.

  1. The performs normal startup processing /docs/internals/FposStartup.htm is performed until settings are initialised.
  2. The Pos detects that it has not been licensed (nb, this means allocated a unique number, not restricting due to payment). If the setting LicenceMode=detect is NOT defined in the fpos_all.ctl or fpos.ctl file then an error is displayed and the Pos stops
  3. Defined values for Location#, Lane# and UniqueId# are detected.
    • The database connector may allocate these values if using a central database mode of operation
    • The HeadOffice server is queried for /OpenApi2/Lane/Register which can instruct the current lane how to proceed. Any instructions received are saved to fpos.ctl and possibly LastRunInfo.txt
  4. If no suitable values are automatically discovered, the Pos displays the webpage http://localhost:PORT/prompt_deploy_detect.htm to prompt the user. This file is not distributed as part of the standard Fieldpine install files and needs to be supplied from the installing server. Fieldpine does provide a standard version you can use. Corporate IT departments can supply their own version of this file if they wish.
  5. This web page will guide the user with what additional information is required. Typically this is only selecting the current store name
  6. This web page informs the local Pos of the selected values.
  7. The running Pos takes these values and repeats this process from step#2. The /Register API call will typically succeed once a store has been selected.
  8. Once this install prompting loop is complete, the Pos will continue to start as normal.