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Design Time Pro

Don't just manage... analyze.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

• I upgraded my computer and now it's asking me for a key but I've already registered.

  When Design Time Pro gets registered on your PC it is locked to that specific PC. Just like Windows activation it uses the keys of certain system components to identify the computer it is locked to. If you need to re-register DTP you must visit the support page and provide us with your order details and the original computer ID and unlock code you used to register Design Time Pro on your PC.

• Will Design Time Pro work with SQL Express?

  Yes. Design Time Pro will work with the express versions of SQL 2008. However, all express versions of SQL come with limitations and you should be aware of those before using the express versions. To find out the limitations of SQL Express 2008 visit the Microsoft SQL page a http://www.microsoft.com/sql.

• If we purchase Design Time Pro do I need to purchase SQL?

  Absolutely not. The full version of SQL is not required. As a matter of fact, a company with about 10 users entering time billings everyday and about 700 projects per year would take about 6 years before they reached the 4GB limit. Also, to alleviate any future investment of SQL for small to medium sized companies using the express version Design Time Pro will include an archive feature built-in to it in future versions for maintenance subscribers and new users only.

• Do my users need to be connected to the internet when using the software?

  Ideally yes, but there's a good reason. Updates are pushed to our end-users via our web servers. These updates means your users are always upto date on maintenance releases which include bug fixes, patches and new features. In some cases if we find that one of our Design Time Pro customers has discovered a bug in the software or has requested a new feature, depending on the request you may see an update pushed out as soon as 24 hours after making the request.

• Does the SQL database need to be on a server?

  No. Design Time Pro can run as a completely stand-alone product and the database can reside on the same PC it's installed on. As a matter of fact you can have an entire team running separate local versions of Design Time Pro.

• How come my feature request was not included in the last update?

  All requests are put in a queue that are prioritized based on the number of requests for that same feature so your request may not be released until later versions.

Licensing

• What is the yearly maintenance fee?

  Design Time Pro is "leased software" and the end-user never actually owns the software only the data produced by it. The reason for this price model is so that we can keep the initial costs low for our end-users but more importantly so that we can continue to improve on Design Time Pro based on customer feedback and feature requests. The yearly maintenance fee also includes continued free upgrades of the software and support requests. Customer feature requests are only limited to existing maintenance subscribers and we try to accomodate all requests.

• Are there any additional benefits to purchasing the 2 year subscription other than cost?

  Convenience. Design Time Pro will not warn you again about your subscription ending until 30 days prior to your subscription ending in the second year (instead of the first) from the date you enter the new unlock code.

Troubleshooting

• The Design Time Pro client fails to connect to my SQL database.

  Check your SQL permissions. Design Time Pro requires that you give your users read and write access to the database and also make them DB owners. Also, keep in mind that the SQL server may be listening on a different port other than the default 1433. If that is the case you must specify the port in your connection string. Also, please check any firewall rules that may be preventing the connection to be made such as the Windows firewall. Consult the SQL manual for further information.

• The install did not install a desktop shortcut and I don't see the program group.

  If there are pending installs on your PC the installer may not be able to finish installing all the appropriate shortcuts. Also, Design Time Pro will only create a Start Menu shortcut and not a program group under All Programs.

  Workaround: Uninstall Design Time Pro, restart your computer and re-install. Your shortcuts should appear.

• Design Time Pro says it lost its connection to the database!

  Design Time Pro uses the same Microsoft technology used by Microsoft's SQL Client to connect to it's SQL servers, thus if Design Time Pro says it can't connect to your SQL server it's likely that the issue lies either at the server or on your network. Also, please check any firewall rules that may have changed since your last successful connection.

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