Sharing Quality Window Resource Files across multiple Users and Workstations

Notice:  In QW 5 Build number 800 and higher (Help About in QW 5 to find your build number)  a Shared Configuration Manager utility has been added  to allow easy management of resource files like Popups, Rules, Statistics, Units of Measure and Security databases and allow these files to be shared across all users of QW 5 in an location.

For information and guidance on how make use of this Shared Configuration Manager Utility please refer to this document:

Shared Configuration Manager Documentation.pdf

Notice: For builds of QW 5 prior to 800 please follow the information below.

There are a number of of resource files associated to Quality Window applications that can be shared by multiple users and workstations across the network.  By taking advantage of this feature it increases consistency and decreases maintenance efforts – change once use many times!

The resources that can be shared are:

• Popup selection files
• QWRules – rules active for applications
• QWStats – Satisitics selected and active for applications
• QWUnits – Unit of meansure definitions
• QWSecure – Security database and settings

The following is a more detailed description on each of these options.

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Popup Files

Quality Window Popup files can be shared by saving or placing them in a folder to which all users have access.

In QWAdmin, click on the folder icon and navigate to the folder containing the Popup file and then select the Popup file.

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Rules, Stats and Units of Measure

By adding a QW50PATH Environment variable, your Quality Window users can share the following files normally found in their local System32 folder.

File	Used for
QWRULES.SYS	Rule Violation definitions
QWSTATS.SYS	Allowable Statistics
QWUNITS.SYS	Unit of Measure definitions

To set a QW50PATH Environment Variable:

1. Right mouse click My Computer
2. Select Properties
3. Click the Advanced tab
4. Click Environment Variables
5. Under System Variable click Add
6. In the Variable name field enter QW50PATH (Note: use zero, not the letter O)
7. In the Variable value field enter the full network path where your QWRULES.SYS, QWSTATS.SYS and QWUNITS.SYS files are located

NOTE:

All users must have create and update rights to the drive and folder where the QWRULES.SYS, QWSTATS.SYS and QWUNITS.SYS are placed.All users using the QW50PATH Environment Variable will be affected by changes to the QWRULES.SYS, QWSTATS.SYS and QWUNITS.SYS files.Example: If one Quality Window user turns off Cpk under statistics it will be turned off for all users.

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Security Settings

Security settings in Quality Window are controlled through the file QWSecure.QWX located in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 directory of the local computer.  If you want to share the security database (QWSecure.dbf) between multiple users on multiple workstations then make the following changes:

• Select the location for the shared QWSecure.dbf file – typically a file server – you will use the path to this location
• Add the following statement to the QWSecure.qwx file for each of the workstations that you want to share the security settings.  You can create it once and copy it to each workstation.
  • QWSecure.SecurityFile = “insert path here\QWSecure.dbf” 
• You can use the QWADMIN – Security option to create user id’s and passwords or copy and exiting QWSecure.dbf to the path you specified.

Here is what that file would look like after you add the new statement: