During the installation of Allpro Insulator your connection string and other details on this form will be set by your Allpro representative. If for some reason you find yourself doing the install, or this form pops up, the settings that you will need to set will be explained here.

If this form pops up, the first step is always to click the Exit link and try again. If that does not work, make sure the database computer or server is in fact turned on.

 

Connection Type

Directions to complete each step of the setup process can be found on this page. Please scroll down and locate the section where you have a question.

The first field is a drop-down for setting your Connection Type. There are three options in this drop down that can be selected.

• Local DB Only: This will be selected if the database you are connecting to is being hosted on your local machine, and/or other computers on your network are connecting to this machines database, and you are NOT using the Allpro Cloud Services on this system.
• Local DB with Cloud Sync: This will be selected if the database you are connecting to is being hosted on your local machine, and/or other computers on your network are connecting to this machines database, and you USE the Allpro Cloud Services on this system.
• LAN Only: This will be selected if the database you are connecting to is being hosted on another computer on your network, and you are NOT using the Allpro Cloud Services on this system.

 

Database Path

The second field, Database Path, is the connection string for the instance of SQL Server. This instance is either running on your local machine or on another machine on your network. Once you have determined where the instance of SQL Server, you will use that machines (or your machines) computer name in this string. The connection string must always be formatted exactly as the example listed below.

ComputerName-PC\SQLALLPRO

In this example, you will replace ComputerName-PC with the name of the computer that the instance of SQL Server is on that contains your database. It is very important that the second part of the connection string read \SQLALLPRO. This will always be the name of the instance, and must remain the same.

 

Dropbox Path – No Longer Relevant for Most Users

This feature is no longer relevant as documents may be stored in the database, starting in V13

The third and final field, Dropbox Path, is meant to be set to the root of your Dropbox folder. Allpro Insulator no longer requires Dropbox for the purpose of syncing your database, but with this useful free utility we have still included functionality for this service. If you intend on using the export to Dropbox feature, which allows you to manually, or automatically export Estimates, job sheets, and other useful reports, Dropbox will need to be installed. We included this feature for individuals that would like to see their Estimates (or other reports) on the go or without having to power up your PC. With Dropbox installed on your smart-phone or other mobile devices, you will be able to view exported reports that you have already created for fast reference. To set this path simply press the “Browse” button and search for the Dropbox folder. Select the Dropbox folder and press “OK”.

Once you have completed filling out this form, be sure to press the “Save Changes” button, and allow Allpro Insulator to restart.

 

Connection Issues

If you have reached the connection string page and it will not let you enter the program, you may need to restart your instance of SQL server. The easiest way to do this is to restart your computer, in most cases this will restart the service.

Click on start and then go to All Programs. In the list of all programs, you should see a folder labeled Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 or SQL Server 2014. Expand this folder and then expand the folder named Configuration Tools. Inside this folder you will see a program named SQL Server Configuration Manager, click on this program to open it.

Once this opens, move your mouse to the left side of the screen and select SQL Server Services. You will see that in the large view window there is an item labeled “SQL Server (SQLALLPRO)”. This is your instance of SQL Server. To restart this service click on the “SQL Server (SQLALLPRO)” instance and then on the Restart Service button. It is located in the tool-bar above the location where the server is listed (highlighted in yellow in the image below).

Once you have restarted this service re-open your Allpro Insulator software and see if you can connect. If you are still not able to connect to your database, contact Allpro Technology for further assistance.

Remember: The connection Type and Database Path are set at the time of your install by your Allpro Representative. This should not be changed without contacting Allpro Technology or having been instructed by your network administrator or Allpro Technology.

If you have any questions or are unable to fix the issue on your own, please contact Allpro Technology at (231) 839-7928 or email info@allprotechnology.com.