Terminal Open Data Flow

Show TOC

The following data flow occurs during the Terminal Open phase:

Process

The terminal synchronizes its system date and time with the date and time detected on the server machine.
The terminal retrieves, from the server, any new parameter files that have arrived over the course of the evening, by comparing the server’s \parm directory with the terminal’s, and downloading any new files from the server’s \parm directory into its own \parm directory.
The terminal will consider a parameter file to be ‘new’, and therefore apply that file, if the file has a different file time, file date, or file size than that of the file currently existing in the terminal’s \parm directory.
The terminal updates its open/close state in the state.reg file, which is located in the terminal’s \rdata directory.
An Open Terminal status for that terminal is sent to the server.

Parameter file types

There are four different types of parameter files, with each type being stored or behaving in a separate manner.

Parameter File Type	Examples
Type 1 The parameter file gets pulled to the register if it has changed. The register only looks to its own local copy. Changes made at the server to this type of parameter file would not be instantly reflected across the store. The majority of parameter files are Type 1 parameter files.	register and keyboard files department files (such as dept.dpt) tax files (such as taxtable.tax) tender files (such as tender.tdr)
Type 2 The parameter file does not get pulled to the register. Instead, the register requests the relevant data from the server whenever it is needed. Changes made to a Type 2 parameter file are instantly reflected across the store.	PLU files layaway and other pending transaction files
Type 3 The parameter file gets pulled down to the register. The terminal still looks only to the server’s copy for its information, unless the POS Xpress is off-line.	cashier.clg
Type 4 The file is not converted, only read, so the Configurator is not needed to make changes to it. Copied to the register during a Manager Code 414.	POS.ini

Parameter File Type

Examples

Type 1

The parameter file gets pulled to the register if it has changed.

The register only looks to its own local copy. Changes made at the server to this type of parameter file would not be instantly reflected across the store.

The majority of parameter files are Type 1 parameter files.

department files (such as dept.dpt)

tax files (such as taxtable.tax)

tender files (such as tender.tdr)

Type 2

The parameter file does not get pulled to the register.

Instead, the register requests the relevant data from the server whenever it is needed.

Changes made to a Type 2 parameter file are instantly reflected across the store.

PLU files

layaway and other pending transaction files

Type 3

The parameter file gets pulled down to the register.

The terminal still looks only to the server’s copy for its information, unless the POS Xpress is off-line.

cashier.clg

Type 4

The file is not converted, only read, so the Configurator is not needed to make changes to it.

Copied to the register during a Manager Code 414.

POS.ini

Recommendation

The Local.ini file is generally a copy of the POS.ini file. If there are any differences detected between the two files, the server will always use the settings found in the Local.ini rather than the POS.ini. Because of this feature, you can create a global POS.ini file for all your stores, and still use individual Local.ini files for regional settings.

End of the recommendation.

Directory Structure

The Xpress Server and Point of Sale (POS) application have the same sub-directory structure branching off of their program directories. C:\Program Files\SAP\Retail Systems\Xpress Server is the default program directory for the Xpress Server, while C:\Program Files\SAP\Point of Sale is the default program directory for the terminal and Point of Sale application. Two of the most important subdirectories that appear in both the server and the terminal are \rdata and \sdata. The ‘r’ in \rdata stands for “register”. The ‘s’ in \sdata stands for “server” or “store”.