How to Set up QuickBooks Database Server Manager in QuickBooks Desktop

A highly recommendable and useful tool offered by Intuit is the QuickBooks Database Server Manager. If you would like help with installing, updating, and setting up the QuickBooks Database Manager, then read this blog.

QuickBooks Database Server Manager is a utility that enables your configuration with QuickBooks to access on a multi-user platform. QuickBooks is an accounting software that endorses you to handle all your financial transactions and bookkeeping. Irrespective of what type of business you have or you are operating. It assists and guides you through all accounting problems.

This helps to create files for network data and for the company so that they can be stored on the Host Computer. Even with Multiple features of Database Server Manager, you can have multiple process versions in chronological order in one software. It also ensures the proper functioning of Database Services in the background.

Features of QuickBooks Database Server Manager

There are some features of QB Database Server Manager which are mentioned below:

1. Database Server Features

You can open the QB Database Server Manager for the below usage.

• User list who logged in to every company file and these company files are connected to the server
• Status which shows the  QB Database Server service list. These services should be active when the server is hosting the file
• To change the status of the service you can use the Service Administrative Tool to  configure, it also helps to configure the service

2. Update Features

It also helps to download QB Server Updates and view the QB Server versions.

• Go to Start button >>> Click Program or search for QuickBooks Database Manager and click it
• Now click on Updates to check if any updates are available or not
• If any update is available it shows you and accordingly follows the messages on the screen to complete the update

3. System Features

If you want to get any system information where the Database Server is installed you can use the system feature.

• Go to Start button >>> Program >>> QuickBooks >>> QuickBooks Database Server Manager
• Search and click the “System” option
• At the end, locate “System Information” for the computer in which the Database Server has been installed.

System Requirements for QuickBooks Database Server Manager

To download and install QuickBooks Database Server Manager your computer should have some requirements without which QB Server Manager can’t be installed.

System requirements are:

• Dual Core Processor
• Windows Operating System – Windows 10 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, Linux Operating System
• Good Speed Internet
• 2.4GHz, 4GB RAM
• 2.5 GB Space
• Database Server Manager – Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2011, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 SP1, etc.

Install The QuickBooks Database Server Manager in your QuickBooks Desktop

To download then install the QuickBooks database server manager, You need to follow the mentioned below steps:

Step 1: Download Database Server Manager

• Open any browser (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc)
• Type Downloads & Updates QuickBooks Desktop
• Select your Country, Product and then Version
• Click on the Download button.

Step 2: Install Database Server Manager

• Open the QuickBooks Installer and start the Installation Wizard
• Now check if you are connected to the Internet if not connect your computer to an Internet connection.
• After connecting click next to go ahead
• You might see the Agreement and License to accept. Click to accept it and click Next
• Locate and click on Custom or Network options
• Proceed and select the method you want to install the QB Database Server manager
• Check if a license number is required and enter the same
• Click Yes to proceed
• Read all the messages available on the screen and complete the installation.

Step 3: Configure Database Server Manager

If you don’t want default settings you can also configure them in your way.

• Click on Windows
• In the Search bar type services and open it
• Now search QuickBooksDBXX in which XX is the version number
• Open the QuikcBooksDBXX
• Go to the general tab and get the service status tab
• If you find that the service tab is already running stop it
• Go to the start-up type drop-down menu and select the automatic option
• Choose the local system account in the logon tab
• Proceeding further go to the recovery tab and then choose the restart the service from every drop-down available, First Failure, Second Failure, etc.
• At last go to the general tab and then select Start which restarts the Database server manager.

Install Linux Database Server Manager on QuickBooks

If you wish to store your company file on a Linux-based server, then you need to install the Linux database server manager for QuickBooks. Doing so will enable multiple users to work simultaneously on the same company file. However, for now, the solution is only available for QuickBooks Enterprise and not for the pro or premium version of this accounting software.

System Requirements and Components for Linux Database Manager

The minimum system requirements for installing the database manager on a Linux system or server are below:

• Intel Pentium 3 with 1.2 GHz speed or above
• 1 GB of RAM or more
• At least 2.5 GB of free disk space

There are several components included in the installation process that you need to understand. Here is more information regarding the same:

• Database server files – It enables the reading and writing of data in the company file which is stored on the Linux server.
• Qbmonitord.conf – this is the configuration file that contains the list of directories and files that will be monitored for changes. The monitored folders usually contain the company file.
• qbmonitord daemon – this tool creates the important program files which track and sync changes to the company file.

Steps to Install Linux Database Server Manager

In order to install the program on a Linux server, you must be the root user. If you’re using SUSE, then you must have the fam-server package 2.7.0.29 installed on the server. The package must also be running while you install the database server manager.
To install the Linux database server manager, follow the steps provided below:

• Open the Linux server as the root user.
• Download the RPM package for Linux Database Server Manager.
• To verify the integrity of the package, download the public key. This key is provided specifically by Intuit for QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise users.
• Launch the terminal. Enter rpm –import qbdbm-pubkey.asc and Hit Enter. By doing so, you’ve successfully imported the public key into the keyring which contains all the trusted keys on a Linux server.
• Launch the terminal. Enter rpm -K and Hit Enter. In the package name, enter the name of the rpm file downloaded in step 2. By doing so, you’ve verified the signature of the RPM package downloaded from Intuit’s website. If the verification is complete, you’ll receive the message gpg ok.
• Launch the terminal and Enter rpm -ivh. Hit Enter. Again the package name is the name of the rpm package downloaded in Step 2.
• Create a new directory. This directory will store the QuickBooks company file. You can create multiple directories for separate company files or store all company files in a single directory. You must configure this directory as a Samba share directory.
• Save your company files in the directory created in the previous step.

Now you have a server that contains your company file and is ready to be configured for the sync function. Once the configuration is complete, all users will be able to work simultaneously on the company files stored in this Linux server.

Steps to Configure the Linux Database Server Manager

Now that you’ve installed the Linux database server manager, you need to configure it by following the steps provided below:

Step 1 – Set up the directories for the company file

Before accessing the company files on the Linux server, users must create a list of directories containing the QB company file. This list is stored in the qbmonitord.conf file. To do this, follow the steps provided below:

• Launch the terminal. Go to /opt/qb/util/qbmonitord.conf and edit the file.
• Enter the entire list of directories containing the QuickBooks company files on separate lines.
• Restart qbdbfilemon service.

Note - if you’ve stored the company files in a subdirectory, then you need to mention them in the qbmonitord.conf file, as this file does not monitor subdirectories automatically.

Step 2 – Samba Share Directory

A Samba share directory can be mapped and accessed by a Windows client computer. The directory shows up as a separate drive on Windows. To create a Samba share directory on Linux, follow the steps provided below:

• Become the root user on the Linux server.
• Open the Terminal window and type groupadd -r groupname. This creates a group in Linux with the group containing all the QuickBooks users.
• Open /etc/group file and enter the name of the users. You can do so by adding a separate line with groupname: user1, user2, user3…
• Now you need to add each user who’ll be able to access the company file in the shared directory. To do so, type in useradd.
• In order to activate the Samba user account and set up a password to protect the account, type in smbpasswd -a user. You need to repeat the steps for each user. We recommend that you set up passwords for better protection of your accounting data.
• In the terminal, type in chmod -R 775/directory. This allows users you created in the previous steps to make changes to the shared directory in which your company file is stored.
• In the terminal, type in chgrp -R groupname/directory. This changes the share directory’s group ownership.
• Go to /etc/samba. Open the smb.conf file and enter the following lines:
  • [share_name]
  • path = /directory
  • comment = samba share for company files
  • valid users = user1 user2 user3
  • public = no
  • writable = yes
  • printable = no
  • create mask = 0765
• Change the share_name to a name easily recognized by users.  This name will be on the Windows client computer. Also, change the directory to the full path of the directory configured as a samba share.
• In the terminal, type in service smb restart. This will restart the Samba daemon tool.

Now, you’ve successfully installed and configured the Linux database server manager.

Step 3 – Start Logging with qbmonitord.log file

To make sure that you can find all the errors encountered during the sync process, you can enable logging in to the qbmonitord.log file. To do so, follow the steps provided below:

• Once you’ve installed and configured the database server manager, Restart the syslog daemon.
• Go to the terminal.
• Type in /etc/init.d/syslog restart.
• Hit Enter.

Set Up Process and Steps to Use The QuickBooks Database Server Manager

To set up & how to use the Quickbooks database server manager, You need to follow the instructions below steps:

Step 1: Opening the QuickBooks Database Server Manager

• In this step, you have to open the QB Database Server Manager.
• To do that click the Windows button
• then go to Programs >>> QuickBooks
• QuickBooks Database Server Manager.

Step 2: Scan Your Folder Features

Company files that are available on the server need to be checked whether they are allowing access to other users to get the files easily.

• Go to Windows button >>> Programs>>> QuickBooks >>> QuickBooks Database Server Manager
• Now click the Scan folder option
• Look up the folder containing “QuickBooks company files”.
• If you don’t find then search for it
• Once you get the folder having QB company files click Scan
• You can see the folder which is scanning through the progress bar
• When the scan is done the files which is available in the folder are for multi-user access

Step 3 – How to add a folder

• To add the folder you need to follow the below steps
• After opening the QB Database Server Manager, click the Add Folder option
• Now select the folder which you want to add
• You can see the location of the Folders containing company files under “Folder that contains QuickBooks company Files”

Steps 4 – Steps to Remove the folder

• You can remove the folder by first selecting the folder and then clicking on the Remove Folder option

Step 5 – Monitored Drive Features

• While adding any company file to the server, if you want to keep updated your QB Database Server
• Manager you can use Monitored Drive Features.
• Click Start >>> programs>>> QuickBooks >>> QuickBooks Database Manager
• Click the “Monitored Drive Tab” button
• Finally, click on Remove and Rename and then click Select.

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FAQs

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