Platypus Billing System Integration Manual

Here you find the instructions on how to setup ClearBox Server properly so to integrate it with the Platypus Billing System.

Contents

• Installation
• SQL Server Script
• ODBC Configuration (DSN)
• ClearBox Configuration
• For More Information

Installation

Once the service has been installed, read and follow the instructions below for integrating ClearBox with the Platypus Billing System. Instructions for configuring ClearBox are below. If problems still exist, see ClearBox's manual for more information.

SQL Server Script

Make sure to make a backup of your database before running any of the SQL scripts included with this document

The Platypus_Install.sql script (located in <server root directory>\AAA\) must be used to integrate properly with the database layout. To run this script, go to the SQL Server and open ISQL/w or Query Analyzer - a client program of the SQL Server. Login to the Platypus database using the "platuser" login and password. Open the script and execute it, while in the Platypus database. Once the script finishes, close the client program.

ODBC Configuration (DSN)

For ClearBox to connect to the Platypus database an ODBC DSN (Data Source Name) is used. It is recommended that if this has not already been done, these drivers must be updated with the most current versions available. These updated drivers can be found at Microsoft, where the most current drivers are released in the MDAC (Microsoft Data Access Components) executable. Go to the link below for downloading or more information on MDAC.

http://www.microsoft.com/data

Once MDAC has been updated, a DSN can be created. This is done from the Windows Control Panel, under the icon for ODBC Data Sources.

Once the Data Sources window has been opened...

1. Click on the System DSN tab.

2. Click "Add".
Choose the SQL Server or SQL Server(32-bit) driver
Click "Finished"

3. Enter a name for the DSN (ex. ClearBox)
The description field is not required
Enter the IP address or name of the SQL Server
Click "Next"

4. Select "With SQL Server Authentication"
Enter the platuser login and password
Click the "Client Configuration" button
Choose TCP/IP for the network protocol
Make sure the port # is 1433
Click "OK"
Press Next.

5. Check the "change default database to" checkbox
Verify that the Platypus database is listed as the default database.

6. To finish creating this DSN...
Press Next. Press Finish. Press OK.
Press OK again to exit the ODBC Control Panel.

ClearBox Configuration

Now that a data source has been created, ClearBox needs to be configured to use this data source. This is done with ClearBox's Configurator which is found in the Start menu under ClearBox RADIUS Server.

Once the configuration window is open, select "Users" under the Data Sources group.

Change the Data source type from "MS Access" to "ODBC data source". You should now see a dropdown with a list of data sources appear on the right and a User name and Password field appear.

Choose the data source that was created in the last section. Next, enter the database owner login and password into the User name and Password fields. This should be the same User name and Password that was used in the SQL Server Script section.

Next, click "Test Connection" to make sure that ClearBox can connect to the Platypus database. If that test is successful, click "Apply Changes" and close the application to save the configuration.

That's it for the change to ClearBox. All that needs to be done now is to restart the "ClearBox Enterprise Radius Server" service, which is found in the Windows Control Panel under Services.

For More Information

Be sure to check out the ClearBox documentation or the Platypus help file for more information or any added features which are not covered in this document, or how the radius server works or is configured. Also, remember that if you are having problems with the setup or need a more detailed explanation, write BoardTown at platypus@boardtown.com. You can also contact ClearBox support by email at: support@xperiencetech.com.