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Elliott 8.6 Installation & Directory Structures

← Elliott Version 8.6
Release Date: 11/14/2022
Revise Date: 09/28/2023
Version: 8.6

Network Share to Host Elliott
Elliott relies on the PSQL database engine.  On your PSQL server, you should have a network share to host the Elliott8 folder.  For example, you could create a "D:\Acct" folder as a network share. Right click on the folder and choose "Properties."  Then in the "Sharing" folder, click on the "Share..." button to share. If you already have a network share to host Elliott, you can skip this step. See sample screen below:


Add the "Everyone" group with "Read" permission to this share. See sample screen below:

To give Everyone group the "Read" permission is needed to map the network drive.  For further security control of Elliott folder, please refer to the following article for more details:

Install Elliott on the Server to the Network Share
The installation utility Elliott86.exe must run on the PSQL server. By default, it will recommend that you install install it in the "C:\Elliott8" folder.  You should change it to the network share folder -- for example, "D:\Acct."  If your Elliott folder was previously installed, choose that folder (e.g., D:\Acct\Elliott7). If Elliott was not previously installed, choose to install it in "D:\Acct\Elliott8." 

Even though the folder name can be flexible, keep in mind that Elliott has a maximum limitation of 50 characters for the folder path and file name. Also, Elliott does not work when your folder name includes space characters.

Map Drive
All Elliott users should map the same network drive when running Elliott. This includes running Elliott directly on the PSQL server. So the next step is to map a network drive (e.g., M:) that points to the network share of D:\Acct.  To do so, you can right click on "This PC" and choose "Map network drive..." If you already have the network drive mapped, you can skip this step.


In the above example, we choose to map the "M:" drive to run Elliott. The folder has the format of "\\server\share."  Make sure "Reconnect at sign-in" is selected and click "Finish" to complete the mapping.

Run from Local Directory
In Elliott 8.6, we do not recommend that you run Elliott from the network drive directly. Instead, we recommend that you run from a local path. To do so, in Windows Explorer, navigate to the Elliott network drive (e.g., "M") and to the folder "\Elliott8\Bin86" to execute the "EL860.EXE" program.  This program will install Elliott 8.6 to a local path and create a desktop shortcut to run in the future.  By default, the path will be: "C:\users\<userid>\AppData\Local\Netcellent\<networkdrive>\<ElliottRoot>\Bin86."  See sample screen below where 
  • <userid> is "emk"
  • <networkdrive> is "M"
  • <ElliottRoot> is "Elliott8"

Once this utility is done with the copying of the Bin86 folder from the network drive to the local path, it will create a shortcut on your desktop for your convenience. 

Elliott 8.6 Directory Structure
This section explains the Elliott directory structure on the network drive (e.g., M;\Elliott8). See the following sample screen:


  • <root>: This is where you installed Elliott. For example "M:\Elliott8."
  • <root>\APINV: This is the default folder for the Elliott AP Invoice images link folder.
  • <root>\ Bin:  Contains all Elliott 8.2 program files, DLL files, and registration files. It you were previously on 8.2, this is the leftover folder. Elliott 8.6 also installs 8.2 DDF40 files in the  <root>\Bin\DDF40\LASTUPDATE folder.
  • <root>\Bin\DDF40\LASTUPDATE: Elliott 8.6 installs this folder to deliver 8.2 compatible DDF files. If you are still using a numeric document number format, then you still need 8.2 DDF to create databases for relational operations. The Elliott 8.6 installation utility does not install directly to <root>\Bin\DDF40 folder to avoid conflict with the PSQL database engine.  Instead, when you login to Elliott 8.6 as SUPERVISOR, the system will attempt to copy DDF files in the LASTUPDATE folder to the parent <root>\Bin\DDF40 folder.
  • <root>\ Bin85: All Elliott 8.5 program files, DDL files, and config files are in this folder. If you were previously on 8.5, this is the leftover folder. 
  • <root>\ Bin86:  All Elliott 8.6 program files, DLL files, and config files are in this folder.
  • <root>\ Bin86\DAT2BTR: This folder stores a list of empty BTR files to be used when you optionally convert DAT to BTR files to tighten up security.
  • <root>\ Bin86\DDF40: This is the same as the <root>\DDF40 folder in Elliott 7.x. It has been moved here to simplify the directory structure. In Elliott 8.x, we do not need files in the <root>\DDF folder. The DDF files in this folder will be cached by Elliott upon startup to be used in some scenarios.
  • <root>\ Bin86\DDF40\STDDDF: The DDF files in this folder, in general, should be the same as files in the <root>\Bin86\DDF40 folder. When we use EL860DB.EXE to create ELI86DATA* databases, we use DDF files in this folder. For this reason, it is likely the DDF files in this folder will be opened by the PSQL engine if Elliott 8.6 users are active in the system. Hence, during an Elliott 8.6 update, we do not update DDF files in this folder to avoid conflict. When you login to Elliott 8.6 as SUPERVISOR, the system will attempt to copy DDF files in the <root>\Bin86\DDF40 folder to this folder.  
  • <root>\ Bin86\DDFROOT: The DDF files in this folder define the data structure of those BTR files in the <root> folder.
  • <root>\ Bin86\DDFROOT\STDDDF: The DDF files in this folder, in general, should be the same as the files in the <root>\Bin86\DDFROOT folder. When we use EL860DB.EXE to create ELI86ROOT database, we use DDF files in this folder. For this reason, it is likely the DDF files in this folder will be opened by the PSQL engine if Elliott 8.6 users are active in the system. Hence, during an Elliott 8.6 update, we do not update DDF files in this folder to avoid conflict.  When you login to Elliott 8.6 as SUPERVISOR, the system will attempt to copy DDF files in the <root>\Bin86\DDFROOT folder to this folder.  
  • <root>\ Bin86\ErrorMsg:  This is the same as the <root>\Help folder in Elliott 7.x. It is renamed because this folder no longer contains online help files. It has been moved under the Bin folder to simplify the directory structure.
  • <root>\ Bin86\FORMS: This is the same as the <root>\Forms folder in Elliott 7.x. It has been moved here to simplify the directory structure.    
  • <root>\ Bin86\Logo: This is used to store company logos on laser forms.  
  • <root>\ Bin86\NewData:  When you create a new company, the system used to copy standard files from the <root> to the DATA_?? sub-folder in 7.x. Now the system copies from the <root>\bin\NewData instead. This simplifies NTFS security requirements.   
  • <root>\ Bin86\RW: This is used to stored custom Report Desk required resources.  
  • <root>\ Bin86\Wave: This is the same as the <root>\Wave folder in Elliott 7.x. It has been moved here to simplify the directory structure.     
  • <root>\ CCSig: This is the folder to store credit card device signature bmp files.
  • <root>\ CONTRACT:  This is the default folder for the Elliott Contract link folder.
  • <root>\ DATA:  The Elliott primary company (01) that stores Elliott *.BTR data files. There are also *.DAT data files for setup. You can optionally convert them to *.BTR to tighten up NTFS security. Please see KB article for details: https://support.elliott.com/knowledgebase/articles/1998253-how-to-eliminate-ascii-dat-files-from-elliott-data
  • <root>\ Doc: This folder contains Elliott documents. 
  • <root>\ FIMAGES: This is the default folder for the Elliott item full images link folder.
  • <root>\ IMAGES:  This is the default folder for tge Elliott item Images link folder.
  • <root>\ LOG: The Log files used to reside under DATA folders. They have been moved to this folder to simplify the structure. The sub-directory structure under Log is like <root>\Log\<company>\<module>. Most Log files are saved in the Log folders and sub-folders, but there are some exceptions. Some may be saved in the Windows %Temp% directory. SimEvent.log file is the online credit card processing log file that is stored in the Bin folder.
  • <root>\ MACRO: This folder is used to store Elliott macro files.
  • <root>\ Reports: Spooled Reports used to reside under DATA folders. They have been moved to this folder to simplify the structure. The sub-directory structure under Reports is like <root>\Reports\<company>\<module>.
  • <root>\ SPEC:  This is the default folder for the Elliott item specification link folder.
  • <root>\ TUTORIAL: This is a folder for a tutorial company, just like DATA. No Elliott security applies to this directory.
  • <root>\*.BTR Files: These are database files that are used by all companies and hence are stored in the root directory. These includes security, control center menu statistics, Report Desk, PowerSearch, Avalara and other misc. files.

Installation Scenarios

The same Elliott86.exe installation utility can be used to install a new Elliott folder, or update prior Elliott versions to add the 8.6 option.  Lastly, it can be used to update the already installed Elliott 8.6 to the latest version.

New Installation

When you try to install an Elliott folder from scratch, all of the folders listed above (except DATA* folders) will be included.

Install to Prior Elliott 7.5, 8.2, or 8.5 Folder

If you are trying to update a prior version of Elliott, this installation utility will only create the <root>\Bin86 folder without affecting any other Elliott folder.  That is to say, you can continue to run prior Elliott versions without being affected by the new folder <root>\Bin86.

Update Existing Elliott 8.6 Folder

If you are trying to update a previous Elliott 8.6 installation, the content in the <root>\Bin86 folder will be updated. The exception is that we do not update the following three folders: 
  • <root>\Bin86\DDF40\STDDDF: We create ELI86DATA* databases with DDF files in this folder.
  • <root>\Bin86\DDFROOT\STDDDF: We create ELI86ROOT databases with DDF files in this folder.
  • <root>\Bin\DDF40: We create ELIDATA* databases with DDF files in this folder.
If you are actively using the Elliott 8.6 relational database features, then it is likely the DDF files in these folders are opened by the PSQL engine.  Elliott 8.6 installation does update these folders to avoid conflict.  On the other hand, we do update DDF files in the following folders:
  • <root>\Bin86\DDF40
  • <root>\Bin96\DDFROOT 
  • <root>\Bin\DDF40\LASTUPDATE
After Updating Existing Elliott 8.6 -- Login SUPERVISOR to Complete
After you are done with the Elliott 8.6 installation to update the previous Elliott 8.6, you should also update the DDF files that are used by Elliott databases. To get this done, the easier way is to login to Elliott 8.6 as SUPERVISOR. The system will automatically check if the DDF files require synchronization. If you do this during the evening when all Elliott users are out, then you have a good chance to synchronize DDF files successfully. This is a necessary step if you are using a relational feature in Elliott 8.6 like Report Desk, PowerSearch, or Avalara.  Please see the following KB article for more details:

Video Resources
You can see the following KB article for link for YouTube video on installing Elliott 8.6:


EMK

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