Remote Acess with MPS
To access a ProScenium over a remote connection (LAN or connected by
dial-up modem) you have to follow these steps:
Section applicable to both LAN and dial-up connections:
1) Install an updated version of MPS (Version 8.30 or higher) on the main
computer (the one with the fixtures connected, called A in the following)
2) Install a file called Apache.exe, available for download on request on the
Digimedia website. This is an autoextracting archive that installs a Web Server on your PC, with all the files required to run the MPS Remote Access.
3) Install a network with TCP-IP on Windows 98. In The Apache folder you
will find an HTML document that explains how to configure a network in
Windows.
This file is called C:\Apache\htdocs\configure your remote access server.htm
You can give any TCP-IP address, but be aware that the free addresses (not
used on Internet) start above 190.x.x.x.
A valid TCP-IP address for computer A is 192.168.56.1 (recommended number for local networks).
4) In Windows/System you will find a file called Conagent.exe. Click with
the right button on this file and select Properties. In the Other tab, you
have to deselect the check-box Close/prompt to close. This will avoid to
have a Dos error when you close Apache shutting down the system (no confirmation is asked to the user)
5) Place a shortcut to C:\Apache\Apache.exe in your Windows\StartUp folder (to
automatically start Apache each time you open Windows)
7) From another computer on the same network (called B in the following) run
a browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape)
8) If your network is well configured you can type on the browser on
computer B the URL http://192.168.56.1 and you will see the Martin ProScenium Remote Administration Tool homepage on your browser.
9) The Martin ProScenium Remote Administration Tool is a web-page with 3
frames:
a) the Top Frame is the Status line, where you receive a feedback from
Machine A (if commands are executed, a configuration of the remote machine...)
b) the Button Panel: from here you can send MCI commands to computer A
(you can select commands from a list or type your own MPS MCI Commands)
c) the Webcam. If you have installed a Webcam on Computer A (Creative Technology Video Blaster Webcam II is perfect for this use and has been tested), and the ISpy software that comes with it, you will see a picture of your installation every 10 seconds. To do so, you have to configure ISpy to
load every 10 seconds the captured image on a file called MPSWebcam.jpg in the C:\Apache\htdocs folder.
Section applicable to dial-up connections:
If you need wide-area remote control (Computer A and B are not on the same LAN, they are geographically distant) and Computer A does not have a permanent address on the Internet, you can create a private TCP-IP network using a temporary dial-up connection from Computer B to Computer A. This guarantees
privacy (only the users that are given number and password for dial-up
access to Computer A will be able to remotely control the MPS site), and is
accomplished as described in the following.
10) Install a modem in Computer A and Computer B
Install the Remote Access Server of Windows98 in computer A:
1.Open My Computer
2.Open Dial-Up Networking. If you don't see it
this icon in My Computer, then you need to install Dial-Up
Networking from WIndows98 distribution.
3.At this point Dial-Up Networking is open
4.Click on Connections. You should see an item called
Dial-Up Server.
11) Install a Dial-Up Network connection on Computer B (like the one you
use to connect to your Internet Service Provider to access Internet):
1.Open My Computer
2.Double Click on Dial-Up Networking.
3.Select Make New Connections . Follow the wizard,
entering the phone number for the phone line of Computer A
modem. I named my new connection Dial-Up Networking Server for
this example.
4.When you've completed the connection wizard, right click on
your new connection icon: and select Properties.
Then click on the Server tab, which should be filled out similarly
to the one shown below:
Note that there will be a tab for each modem you
have installed in your system.
12) After this you can remotely control MPS on Computer A just calling
Computer A modem by Computer B modem. When the connection is established, Computer A will have TCP-IP address 192.168.56.1 (standard used by Microsoft
for local dial-up network) and so, as explained above for the LAN case,
from Computer B browser you type the URL http://192.168.56.1 and you will see the Martin ProScenium Remote Administration Tool homepage on your browser.
Note. If you need both LAN and dial-up remote access, then you can use
TCP-IP address 192.168.55.xyz on your LAN and leave 192.168.56.xyz
available for the Dial-Up private network. Browsers on different computers
on LAN and remote dial-up computers will have to issue the appropriate server URL to control MPS.