Rangecast FAQ
[FAQ-1090] SOP for quality assurance verification of feed site configuration


Page Type: REFERENCE


OVERVIEW

Whenever changes are made to the Rangecast configuration on a PC -- including adding, removing, or renaming any scanner or VOX sender -- this process must be followed to ensure that various configuration settings and reference information is correct.


BACKGROUND

The Rangecast ID of a sender or scanner is a three-part value (e.g. hubname-10-A).

Definitions:

* On the configuration screen, "sender rows" are the rows containing three yellow boxes. Rows that do not have such boxes (including the bottom row on the display, with three brown boxes) are not sender rows.

* On each sender row, the Rangecast ID is the contents of three yellow text-entry boxes. For example, if the three boxes contain "hubname", "10", "A" then the Rangecast ID on that row is "hubname-10-A".


METHOD

1. Reboot the PC.

2. Observe whether a Windows username and/or password is required to use the PC. If so, make a note of this information. (If Windows asks for a password only, a default username will be displayed - record this username.)

3. Observe whether the Rangecast sender software launches automatically after the reboot (without manual action, without entering a Windows username/password.) Make a note of this information (yes/no)

4. If the Rangecast software has automatically started, wait until it has started to launch individual feeds, then stop the software


[FAQ-1088] How to stop Rangecast software on a feed site PC (temporary stop, not decommission)

Rangecast software on a feed site PC includes a "watchdog" process that monitors for software faults, and may automatically relaunch the software if it is not closed correctly. The correct way to stop Rangecast is to click the Rangecast icon, and then press the Stop button.





5. Launch the Rangecast software, and press Configuration. The software will search for attached hardware, a process that takes about 35 seconds. When complete, the text "Port tests complete" will appear in the upper left. [img-configuration_screen]

Note: See "background" for definitions of the terms "sender row" and "Rangecast ID".


6. Verify sender row syntax

Verify that all of the following statements are true about the Rangecast IDs on sender rows:

a) None of the yellow boxes are blank

b) In the Hub column, every row has the name of the customer's hub (correctly spelled, and in lower case) or (in rare cases) an upper-case single letter "X"

c) In the Site column, every row has a two-digit number (note: numbers below 10 must include a leading zero)

d) In the ID column, every row has a single upper-case letter (e.g. "A")

e) Each Rangecast ID (combination of all three columns) is unique -- not duplicated on two rows


7. Verify scanner information

For each sender row with "COM" in the left column:

a) the 2nd/3rd yellow boxes correspond to the ID for a scanner (e.g. 10-A)

b) the 1st yellow box has the name of the customer's hub -- unless it is anticipated that the scanner will be out of service for over one month, then the box should instead have an upper-case "X"

c) the Mode column is blank (shows as a triple dash, e.g. "---")


8. Verify VOX sender information

a) If a VOX sender is supposed to be launched on this PC: Verify the correct Rangecast ID for each VOX sender is shown on a sender row, and that on these rows, the column "Mode" includes the word "VOX"

b) In the mode column, the word "VOX" should not appear, except on sender rows corresponding to VOX senders identified in the prior step


9. Verify non-VOX unlinked senders

For each sender row without the text "COM" in the left column, and without the text "VOX" in the Mode column: Verify that the Rangecast ID is the name of a scanner that is temporarily out of service, but expected to be brought online within a month


10. Verify that all expected scanner hardware is listed

All scanners expected to be operational on this PC should be listed by Rangecast ID on some sender row (that is, no attached hardware is absent from this list)

11. Verify that the "Location Note" field is meaningful

[FAQ-1092] Format of PC identification (Location Note) on Configuration screen

A short name is associated with each PC, to help identify that PC within the a hub. The maximum length of a name is 16 characters. Recommended content includes (a) city location (e.g. 'Norfolk VA'), (b) facility (e.g. 'studio', 'tower'), (c) distinguishing features within a group of co-located scanners (e.g. 'VHF'), (d) if multiple PCs would be similarly described, a numerical ID (e.g. '2'). Care must be taken to ensure the text does not exceed 16 characters, as this is not enforced in the user interface. City names may often need to be abbreviated due to space constraints. For space efficiency, the name of the hub should generally not be included. This text is always reported along with the Rangecast ID of a sender (which includes the hub name), so text is only needed to supply additional information, such as a description of the geographical location or particular PC unit.




12. Verify that the "Special Settings" field is correct. Review your notes about whether the PC automatically launched Rangecast software after rebooting (if NO, then the text "boot=0" must be included in this field; if YES, the text "boot=0" should not be included in this field.) If any other parameters are present, ensure that they reflect your desired configuration on this PC.


[FAQ-1091] Special Settings parameter on PC feed site configuration screen

Special Settings is a field on the PC feed site configuration screen for customizing various aspects of software features and performance. Commands entered here may affect all audio sources on the PC, or be directed to a specific scanner or audio source.




13. Verify that LogMeIn is set up and labelled correctly

[FAQ-1093] How to verify LogMeIn settings on a feed site PC

LogMeIn is a Windows application that provides remote desktop access so Rangecast can maintain feed site PCs, and should be installed on feed site PCs. Most settings (LMI account, LMI name for the PC, and online status) can be verified from the LogMeIn Control Panel, accessed via the Start Menu.




14. Send Rangecast Operations an e-mail containing certain basic information about this feed site PC [img-email_operations_rangecast]

Contents should include:

* The Rangecast ID of all senders shown on the configuration page
* The "Location Note" name shown on the configuration page
* If the PC did not launch Rangecast automatically after rebooting - note this
* If a Windows username/password is needed to reach the desktop after reboot, this info
* If LogMeIn is under a customer's LMI account, the name of this account (as shown in the drop-down list when logged into the Rangecast LMI client)
* If LogMeIn requires a special password, this information
* The e-mail address(es) to contact in the event of technical problems requiring on-site attention by someone with physical access to the PC


EXCEPTIONS

To complete this quality assurance, you will need the following information:

* If scanners should be attached to the PC: A list of scanners that should be attached to the PC (listed by Rangecast ID)

* If there are any other audio sources routed through this PC: A list of the Rangecast ID associated with these sources (note: these are "VOX senders")

* For any scanners that are not presently operational (either by choice, or due to a technical problem), an estimate of whether the outage is short-term (likely to be repaired within a month) or long-term.


CITATIONS

REFERENCE

INDEX


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