There are many variables that affect how your install Financial Navigator. Read this post, read the Installation section of each manual you receive, ask Financial Navigator Technical Support for advice, and have your consultants review your plans.

This post discusses Full Installations only. A Full Installation installs all the program files. You do a Full Install either on the server if you are on a network or on your local desktop (or laptop) computer if you are not on a network.

Workstation Installations are used only for the desktop (or laptop) computers connected to a server. The workstations themselves do not have the folders described below. Instead, they use mapped drive(s) to point to the folders on the server.

Here are some suggestions:

If you are using a server, you need to map a drive on each workstation to the folder(s) on your server that have the Financial Navigator programs and data. You can use multiple letters to map to separate folders for data and program. You can use existing mapped drives. Everyone in the office should map drives the same way. For instance, you might map “N” to the D: drive on the server. You also need to give each user read and write privileges to the Financial Navigator program and data folders.

Decide where you want the Financial Navigator programs to go. By default, Navigator installs to C:\Program Files\FN\. That is fine if you are not on a network. Even on a network, it’s OK as long as the C:\ drive is on the server and not a workstation. But most servers use other drives for programs, Something like D:\FN\. Wherever you decide, put the programs in a folder called “FN”.

Decide where you want the Navigator data to go. By default, it is the same folder as the Navigator programs. It is better to have a separate folder for Navigator data. Name that folder “FNdata”. It can be on the same drive as the Navigator programs, perhaps C:\FNdata\ or D:\FNdata\.

Decide where you want Navigator data backups to go. Even if you have your IT department doing automatic backups, it is nice to your own folder for quick backups. Name that folder “FNbackups”. It can be on the same drive as the Navigator programs, perhaps C:\ FNbackups\ or D:\ FNbackups\.

Sometimes it is easier to get new versions from our website than wait for a CD in the mail. It is handly to have all these downloaded installation files in one place, perhaps D:\FNinstall\. You might even want to copy the CDs to folders in D:\FNinstall so that they are easy to find form any workstation.

Now you have fourfolders that look something like this on the server:
D:\FN\
D:\FNdata\
D:\FNbackups\
D:\FNinstall\

On workstations, the drive letter will the mapped drive, so the three folders might look like:
N:\FN\
N:\FNdata\
N:\FNbackups\
N:\FNinstall\

Now you are ready to do the actual installation. Start with the Navigator CD or the downloaded files.

You can do the installation from a workstation or the server, whichever is more convenient.

Be careful during the installation and read the screens carefully. It is easy to accidentally install to something like C:\Program Files\FN\FN\. Each workstation remebers where the last Financial Navigator software was installed. Usually that is the location you want but check the screen each time.

See the Installation section of your manuals for detailed installation procedures.

- David
FNI Technical Support

[This message has been edited by fni_support (edited 06-08-2007).]

In Navigator 9.0, all data is in a single file. Navigator 9.0 automaticaly adds the date to the file name when you make a backup. You can skip this section if you have 9.0 or later.

For Version 8.2 and earlier, the Navigator data for each entity is stored in folders, one folder for each year. You can name the folders anything you like, but it is best to include something close to the entity’s name and the year in the folder name.

Because each folder is one year’s data for one entity, I call them “entity-year” folders.

I suggest putting the year after the entity name, with an underscore in between. This is easy to read and sort and helps Navigator automatically create the correct entity-year folder name when you begin a new year.

If you store you data in N:\FNData\, your entity-year folder might look like this:

• N:\FNData\Smith_07
• N:\FNData\Smith_08
• N:\FNData\Jones_07
• N:\FNData\Jones_08

• N:\FNBackup\Smith_07_20071231
• N:\FNBackup\Smith_07_20080103
• N:\FNBackup\Smith_08_20080102
• N:\FNBackup\Smith_08_20080103
• N:\FNBackup\Smith_08_20080103A

- David
FNI Technical Support

[This message has been edited by David (edited 01-08-2008).]

Navigator 9.0 Suggested Folders

• Only one computer
• Network with server and multiple workstations, new user
• Network with server and multiple workstations, existing 8.2 files

These are only suggustions. Modify to suit you needs. By default, Navigator will create the /data/ folder in the FN 9.0 program folder. If you want the 9.0 data somewhere else, you will need to edit the fnsql.ini file (not recommended).

For network installs, these examples assume you are using the D: drive on server. Share D:\Finnav\. Map workstation to D:\Finnav\ using an drive letter. Do the actual install from any workstation, not the server.

Only one computer

Program: C:\FN\
Data: C:\FN\data\
Backup: C:\FNbackup\
Installation: C:\FNinstalls

Network, New User

Program: D:\Finnav\FN\
Data: D:\Finnav\FN\data\
Backup: D:\Finnav\FNbackup\
Installation: D:\Finnav\FNinstalls

Network, Exisiting 8.2 files

Program: D:\Finnav\FN90\
Data: D:\Finnav\FN90\data\
Backup: D:\Finnav\FNbackup\
Installation: D:\Finnav\FNinstalls

David
FNI Support

[This message has been edited by David (edited 12-17-2008).]