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UserGuide PDF
UserGuide PDF
UserGuide PDF
Easy-to-use, Complete
Cyber Cafe Management Software
by
iCafe Manager User Guide
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction 7
1.1 About the Manual 7
1.2 Intended Audience 7
1.3 Conventions Used 8
1.4 Revision History 8
1.5 Introduction to iCafe Manager 8
1.5.1 iCafe Manager Server 8
1.5.2 iCafe Manager Client 13
Chapter 2: Installation 15
2.1 System Requirements 15
2.1.1 Additional Important Requirements 17
2.2 Setup 21
2.2.1 To Install the iCafe Manager Server 22
2.2.2 To Install the iCafe Manager Client 33
Chapter 4: Configuration 49
4.1 To Configure the Server 49
4.1.1 To Configure the Network 49
6.3 Customers 81
6.3.1 To Add Different Types of Customers 81
6.3.2 To Find a Customer 100
6.3.3 To View, Edit, or Delete a Customer Record 103
6.3.4 To Block and Unblock a Customer 110
6.3.5 To Assign a Terminal to a Customer 115
6.3.6 To View Membership Details and Renew Membership 116
Index 263
Introduction | 7
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.
iCafe Manager is an easy-to-use, complete cyber cafe management software. It helps you manage accounts for
internet surfing as well as the sale of products and other services while providing single-point, centralized
management of the cafes terminals.
iCafe Manager ensures that your cafe follows the new rules for cyber cafes defined under the IT Act 2001. It is
recommended by state police departments across India. Particularly, its User Registration feature lets you
capture customer details for legal requirements, protects your cafe from misuse, and helps in national security
and prevention of terrorist threats.
Its Customer Management feature helps you create permanent accounts for frequent customers and manage
membership packages.
The Print Management feature lets you manage multiple printers and charge customers for their usage.
iCafe Manager enables you to block unwanted websites, monitor the websites visited by customers, and
manage the bandwidth used by them.
It has extensive reports to help you track and analyze all aspects of your business.
iCafe Manager products are used by the majority of cyber cafes in India — more than 17,000 cafes in over 350
cities and towns.
Note:
The text of a Menu Bar tab becomes green when the tab is active.
All these tabs are explained briefly here. They are also discussed in detail in other
chapters of this user guide.
Home
Clicking this tab opens the Home screen, which mainly consists of the Quick Access Menu, the Terminals Pane,
the Updates Pane, and the Quick Help.
The following tasks are available on this screen:
Add or find a customer in the iCafe database.
Add a product or service sale to the database.
Shutdown, restart, or re-connect all terminals.
Generate the Daily Register, Collection, and Terminal Usage reports.
10 | Chapter 1
Users
Clicking this tab opens the Users screen where you can manage your cyber cafe’s customer details and create
customer-related reports.
The following tasks are available on this screen:
Add, view, edit, or delete a customer’s details in your cafe’s iCafe database.
Find an existing customer in your cafe’s iCafe database or in the online iCafe database.
Import a customer record from the online iCafe database to your cafe’s iCafe database.
Convert a Registered User to a Member and view a Member’s membership details.
Generate the Daily Register, User List, User History, Member List, and Member History reports.
Rate Plan
Clicking this tab opens the Rate Plan screen where you can manage your cyber cafe’s rate plans and
membership packages and create related reports.
The following tasks are available on this screen:
Add, edit, or delete a rate plan in your cyber cafe’s iCafe database.
Add, edit, or delete a membership package in the database.
Generate the Member List and Member History reports.
Note: For more information on rate plans see Section 6.1, and for more information on
membership packages see Section6.2.
Clicking this tab opens the Products & Services screen where you can manage your cyber cafe’s product and
service details and create related reports.
The following tasks are available on this screen:
Add, edit, or delete the details of a product or service in your cyber cafe’s iCafe database.
Add a product, a service, or a sale in the database.
Generate the Product List, Purchase, as well as Product and Service Consumption reports.
Note: For more information on tasks related to products and services, see Chapter 7.
Introduction | 11
Print Manager
Clicking this tab opens the Print Manager screen where you can manage printer settings and create printer-
related reports.
The following tasks are available on this screen:
Change printer settings.
Generate the Printer Usage and Printer Summary reports.
Bandwidth Monitor
Clicking this tab opens the Bandwidth Monitor screen where you can enable the feature to monitor the
bandwidth used by every terminal in your cafe. You can also set a download limit for the terminals as well as an
alert to inform the customers when the limit is exceeded.
Note: For more information on the bandwidth monitoring feature, see the topic
Bandwidth Monitor tab in Section 8.8.
Clicking this tab opens the Track & Block Websites screen where you can block as well as track websites on your
cafe’s client terminals.
Note: For more information on website blocking and tracking, see Chapter 9.
Reports
Clicking this tab opens the Reports screen where you can generate and view many different reports that fall in
the following categories:
General Reports
Financial Reports
User Reports
Cafe Management Reports
Product and Service Reports
12 | Chapter 1
Printer Reports
Internet Usage Reports
Lock Server
Clicking the Lock Server tab locks the iCafe Manager server and disables all its options. In the locked state, it is
not possible to perform any tasks on the server.
Note: For more information on locking the server, see Section 8.9.
Settings
Clicking this tab opens the Settings screen where you can manage the following application settings:
General
Cafe Details
Auto Close Session
Rate Plan Configuration
Employees
Printer Settings
Receipt Customization
Bandwidth Monitor
Client Configuration
Notice Board
Clicking this tab opens the iCafe Manager Notice Board, which is a promotional page that provides information
such as iCafe Manager’s new features and product releases.
Note: For more information about the Notice Board, see Section 14.3.
Introduction | 13
Help
Clicking this tab opens the Help screen where you can obtain help related to iCafe Manager using the following
options:
FAQ
Quick Start Guide
Product Manual
Knowledge Base
Training Videos
Product Slideshow
Useful Downloads
Contact Us
Note: For more information on the different help options, see Chapter 14.
Regular desktop
2.
Chapter 2: Installation
The basic system requirements to install iCafe Manager are listed in Table 2.1.
Figure 2.1 and Figure 2.2 show the default server and client screens respectively.
Firewall
Firewall is software that runs on a computer and inspects network traffic passing through it. It is located at the
Gateway Server and protects the private network resources from the users of other networks. A firewall’s basic
task is to regulate the flow between computer networks of different levels.
If you have Windows Firewall installed in your network, you may see the following dialog box on starting
iCafe Manager.
18 | Chapter 2
Result: When Unblock is selected, you can proceed with the installation of the iCafe Manager client.
If you use any other firewall in your network, then you must manually add iCafe Manager to the exception
list. To do so, first locate the file CCMUI.exe from the folder where the source files of iCafe Manager are
stored.
2. In the Control Panel, click on Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options.
The Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options window appears.
3. In the Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options window, click on Regional and Language Options.
20 | Chapter 2
4. In the Standards and formats box of the Regional Options tab, select English (United States) and then click
Customize. The Customize Regional Options dialog box appears.
2.2 Setup
To download the iCafe Manager server and the iCafe Manager client, do the following:
1. In your internet browser, open the link http://www.icafemanager.com/download.
The iCafe Manager download page appears.
2. On the download page, click the text to download the setup file for the iCafe
Manager server to the desired location on the computer.
3. Click the text to download the setup file for only the iCafe Manager client.
OR
Click the text to download the setup file for the iCafe Manager client with Deep
Freeze.
Note: For information on how to install the iCafe Manager client with Deep Freeze, see
Chapter 3.
Result: The iCafe Manager server and client setup files are downloaded.
After the wizard extracts the files needed to install iCafe Manager, the welcome screen appears.
2. Click Next
The License Agreement dialog box appears.
3. Click I accept the terms of the license agreement, and then click Next.
The Choose Destination Location dialog box appears.
4. To install iCafe Manager on a different folder apart from the default C: drive, click Change.
5. Click Next. The wizard copies all required files for installation.
After the wizard finishes copying the files, the Ready to Install the Program dialog box appears.
6. Click Install.
The Install Shield Wizard Completed dialog box appears.
7. Click Finish.
The Setup Wizard welcome screen appears.
Note:
The cafe code assigned to your cafe by Ideacts Innovations is required for activating the
server.
If you do not have a cafe code, register your cafe at
http://www.icafemanager.com/register or through the setup wizard as explained
below and then obtain the code from the email sent by Ideacts Innovations to the email
ID that you provided during registration.
a. If you have a cafe code, enter the Cafe Code and then click Verify.
OR
I. If you do not have a cafe code, select Get Cafe Code and then click on Click Here to Register.
The iCafe Manager - Cafe Registration screen appears.
28 | Chapter 2
II. In the cafe registration screen, provide all the necessary information about your cyber cafe and then
click Finish.
The Setup Wizard [Step 1] - Product Activation screen appears again.
III. Enter the Cafe Code obtained from the email ID that you provided during registration, and then click
Verify.
On verification, the Owner Name and Cafe Address appear in the wizard.
Note:
IIPL Identification No. is left blank for the cafe owner.
IIPL Identification No. is filled when the installation is done by an employee of Ideacts
Innovations.
c. Click OK.
The Setup Wizard [Step 2] – Rate Plan screen appears.
a. On the Setup Wizard [Step 2] – Rate Plan screen, select the Duration of the rate plan. For example, 30
minutes.
b. Enter Rate based on the duration. For example, Rs. 10.
c. Click Add.
The rate plan is added.
30 | Chapter 2
9. Click Next.
The final Setup Wizard screen appears.
10.Click Finish.
The Server Login dialog box appears.
11.Enter default login details for Employee Name as “admin” and Password as “password”.
12.Click Login.
The server’s Home screen appears with no terminals connected.
Note: The server can also be started by clicking Start > All Programs > iCafe Manager >
iCafe Manager Server as shown in Figure 2.27.
Installation | 33
As the wizard prepares for the setup, the welcome screen appears.
2. Click Next.
The Choose Destination Location dialog box appears.
Click Browse to install the iCafe Manager client in a folder other than the default C: drive.
3. Click Next.
The wizard begins installing the iCafe Manager client.
When installation is complete, the InstallShield Wizard Complete dialog box appears.
4. Click Finish.
A dialog box appears, asking to restart the computer to complete the installation.
Note:
Reboot the system for the setup to complete the installation process.
Login as an Administrator to activate the terminal before you start using the iCafe
Manager client.
After the iCafe Manager client is installed and the system is rebooted, the Activate Terminal dialog box appears
through which the terminal must be activated. Each terminal is given a unique terminal code that you can use to
identify the terminal in your cafe’s online reports.
3. Verify that the details are correct, and then click Activate Terminal.
Result: The terminal is activated and the client login screen appears with the cafe name displayed.
At this point, the client application starts and looks for the server on the network. If it finds the server, it connects
to it and displays the cafe name and other information on the left top of the following window. And if it does not
find the server, it will remain in the disconnected state and connects to the server automatically when it starts.
Installation | 39
Faronics’ Deep Freeze is a software application which freezes your system so that any changes made will not be
permanent. It provides immediate immunity from many of the problems that affect computers today. When the
system becomes unstable for reasons like virus, driver misconfigurations, then you simply need to reboot it. Deep
Freeze restores the system to the state it was in when last frozen within a few seconds.
Before installing the iCafe Manager client with Deep Freeze, ensure the following:
Minimum 15 MB free space on the system drive. In a default Windows setup, the system drive is C:
15 MB free space on the drive where you will install the iCafe Manager client.
Active internet connection on the computer. This is needed to activate the terminal during setup.
Uninstall any previous version of Deep Freeze that may be installed on the computer.
Note:
It is strongly recommended that you install the iCafe Manager client with Deep Freeze
on a formatted machine because the system will return to a clean state each time it is
restarted.
Do not install Deep Freeze on a machine that is virus infected or has disk problems
because it will result in an issue after every start.
To install the iCafe Manager client with Deep Freeze, do the following:
1. Extract and run the setup file you downloaded for the iCafe Manager client with Deep Freeze.
The InstallShield Wizard starts installing the iCafe Manager client along with Deep Freeze on the computer.
42 | Chapter 3
As the wizard prepares for the setup, the welcome screen appears.
2. Click Next.
The Choose Destination Folder dialog box appears.
Click Browse to install the iCafe Manager client in a folder other than the default C: drive.
3. Click Next.
The Select Drives for Faronics Deep Freeze dialog box appears.
4. Select the drives that you want to freeze using Faronics Deep Freeze.
The wizard begins installing the iCafe Manager client.
When installation is complete, the InstallShield Wizard Complete dialog box appears.
5. Click Finish.
A dialog box appears, asking to restart the computer to complete the installation.
Note:
Reboot the system for the setup to complete the client installation process.
Login as an Administrator to activate the terminal before you start using the iCafe
Manager client.
After the iCafe Manager client is installed and the system is rebooted, the Activate Terminal dialog box appears
through which the terminal must be activated. Each terminal is given a unique terminal code that you can use to
identify the terminal in your cafe’s online reports.
2. Verify that the details are correct, and then click Activate Terminal.
The terminal is activated, and the Faronics Deep Freeze setup begins.
Deep Freeze | 47
After the machine restarts, the following dialog box to set a password appears.
3. Set a Deep Freeze password.
After setting the Deep Freeze password, you will gain access to the Deep Freeze.
Result: The iCafe Manager client is installed with Deep Freeze.
Note: Save your Deep Freeze password in a safe location where you can find it easily. The
password is set only once and your machine cannot be unlocked without it.
4.
48 | Chapter 3
Configuration | 49
Chapter 4: Configuration
4.1 To Configure the Server
4.1.1 To Configure the Network
Note: Please read this section only if you use a dual LAN configuration.
If the network has a dual LAN configuration, after the installation of the iCafe Manager server and client, the
following screen appears on the server with only one or no client terminals connected.
iCafe Manager cannot work with a dual LAN network. As a dual LAN network configuration has the following:
Two different networks
Two different IP ranges
Two switches not connected to each other
Two different Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
One server
An application like iCafe Manager works on a single network by using one IP range. Such a network has the
following configuration:
All the terminals must be of the same IP range.
All the terminals must be connected to a common switch (see Figure 4.3).
All switches in a large network must be connected to each other (see Figure 4.4).
Both the configurations are suitable for iCafe Manager to work successfully.
Configuration | 51
To start the iCafe Manager client, click Start > All Programs > iCafe Manger > Start iCafe Manager Client.
Note: To configure the login screen of the iCafe Manager client, see the topic Client
Configuration tab in Section 8.8.
54 | Chapter 4
Home Screen | 55
5.
In addition to the four main sections listed above, the following sections provide some additional information on
the Home screen:
Version Details
This section displays the version of iCafe Manager being used.
Date-Time and Login Details
This section displays the current day, date, and time, as well as the name of the employee who is logged in to
the server.
Cafe Details
This section displays the cyber cafe’s name and its cafe code.
Switch Employee and Search Help
To switch from the currently logged in employee to another employee, click the arrow next to the Switch
Employee box and then select the new employee’s name. (For more information about switching an
employee, see Section 8.2.)
To search for information on http://www.icafemanager.com, type the relevant text in the Search Help box
and then click the search icon next to it or press Enter. A new browser window appears displaying a
customized search page.
56 | Chapter 5
When no terminals are set up as iCafe Manager client, the Home screen appears as follows:
When the iCafe Manager client application is installed on any terminal in your cyber cafe’s computer network, the
Home screen appears as follows:
Updates Pane
The rest of the chapter discusses the four main sections of the Home screen in detail.
58 | Chapter 5
If no terminals are connected to the iCafe Manager server, the Terminals Pane appears as follows:
After terminals on your computer network are set up as iCafe Manager client, they are displayed in the Terminals
Pane in either the table view or the icon view as selected in its upper-right corner.
Table View
The following information about each terminal and its session is displayed in the table view:
Terminal Status – Current status of the terminal
Terminal Name – Name of the terminal of which the session details are displayed
Name – Name of the customer whose session details are displayed
Type – Type of the customer
Internet Usage (Rs.) – Amount charged for the usage of the internet
Products/Services (Rs.) – Amount charged for products/services purchased by the customer
Total Amount (Rs.) – Total amount to be paid by the customer
Time Remaining (HH:MM) – The remaining time of the session
Time In – The time at which customer logged in
Duration (HH:MM) – The duration of the session
Download (MB) – The size of the files downloaded by the customer
Credit Amount (Rs.) – Previous balance of the customer
Home Screen | 59
Note:
Download (MB) is displayed only when the Bandwidth Manager is enabled.
Time In, Duration (HH:MM), and Download (MB) are displayed in the Terminals Pane
only if Quick Help is collapsed. If it is expanded, they are displayed in the Terminal
Information tab of the Updates Pane (see Section 5.2.3).
Icon View
Only the terminal name and customer name for each terminal is displayed in the icon view.
Summary Section
A summary section providing the following information is displayed below the details of individual terminals:
Terminals – Total number of terminals acting as a iCafe Manager client in the cafe
Connected – Number of connected terminals
Disconnected – Number of disconnected terminals
Busy – Number of busy terminals
Idle – Number of idle terminals
Buttons
The following buttons appear at the bottom of the Terminals Pane:
Note:
Add User / Walk-in… is enabled for a terminal only when it is idle.
The remaining buttons are enabled for a terminal only when it has an active session.
User Logout
To logout a customer from a terminal, select the terminal, click User Logout and then click Yes in the
confirmation box that appears.
Note: For more information on how to set session time, see Section 8.3.
The different states of the terminals are represented by different icons depending on the type of customer
accessing the terminal and the state of the terminal.
Users, Registered Users, and Members are represented by red, green, and blue colours respectively as shown in
Table 5.1.
Any customer who visits the cafe even once and whose name is
User stored in the cafe’s local database is considered a User even if the
person provides no other information.
The icons in Table 5.2 are a combination of the type of customer accessing the terminal and the state of the
terminal.
Restarted After
When the terminal restarts after an abnormal OFF state
Abnormal Off
Note: The colour of the customer on the icon will change to green for a Registered User
and blue for a Member.
Home Screen | 63
For example, the different icons in Figure 5.9 denote the following terminal states and customer types:
1. Switched Off
2. Idle
3. Awaiting Re-login
4. Abnormal Restart (User)
5. Abnormal Restart (Registered User)
6. Abnormal Restart (Member)
7. Busy (User)
8. Busy (Registered User)
9. Busy (Member)
10.Abnormal Off (User)
11.Abnormal Off (Registered User)
12.Abnormal Off (Member)
13.Session Complete (User)
14.Session Complete (Registered User)
15.Session Complete (Member)
In the table view also, the terminal states and customer types are represented by the same colours as shown in
Figure 5.10.
Note:
An invoice is automatically generated when a customer logs out and a session is closed
at a terminal. In the Closed Sessions tab, click View Details… to see the bill details.
In the Closed Sessions tab, click the arrow symbol next to any column heading to
arrange the closed session records in ascending or descending order of that column.
The Event Log tab displays a record of events that occur on the terminals, such as when a customer logs in or logs
out on a terminal. The following information is displayed in the tab every time an event takes place:
Terminal Name – Name of the terminal where the event took place
Date Time – Date and time of the event
Message – Message describing the event
Note: The Download column appears only when the Bandwidth Monitor is enabled.
Figure 5.13: Terminal Information Tab - Table View - Quick Help Expanded
Home Screen | 67
Figure 5.14: Terminal Information Tab - Icon View - Quick Help Collapsed
Figure 5.15: Terminal Information Tab - Icon View - Quick Help Expanded
Depending on which of the above conditions holds true, the Terminal Information tab displays some or all of the
following information related to the terminal selected in the Terminals Pane:
Terminal Name – Name of the terminal selected in the Terminals Pane
Name – Name of the customer who is using the terminal
Type – Type of the customer who is using the terminal
Internet Usage (Rs.) – The bill amount for internet usage
Product/Services (Rs.) – The bill amount for products or services purchased by the customer
Total Amount (Rs.) – Total amount in rupees to be charged for the session and other products/services
purchased
Time Remaining (HH:MM) – The remaining browsing time
Time In – Login time of the current session at the terminal
Duration (HH:MM) – Total duration of the session in hours and minutes
Download (MB) – The size of the files downloaded by the customer (displayed only when the Bandwidth
Manager is enabled)
Home Screen | 69
Each of the Quick Access Menu options on the Home screen is explained briefly in this section.
Note: For a detailed explanation on how to add a customer, see Section 6.3.1.
Note: For a detailed explanation on how to find a customer, see Section 6.3.2.
Note: For a detailed explanation on how to add a product or service sale, see Section
7.4.
Note: For more details on how to re-connect all terminals, see Section 8.12.
Note: For more details on how to shutdown all terminals, see Section 8.10.
Home Screen | 71
Note: For more details on how to restart all terminals, see Section 8.11.
Note: For more details on the Daily Register Report, see Section 11.1.1.
Note: For more details on the Collection Report, see Section 11.2.1.
Note: For more details on the Terminal Usage Report, see Section 11.4.1.
Note: Quick Help changes according to the screen. A different Quick Help section
appears on every screen opened from the Menu Bar and offers guidance specifically
related to the features and functions on that screen.
72 | Chapter 5
3. Click Add.
Result: The rate plan is added to iCafe Manager, and it appears in the Rate Plans grid.
The selected rate plan’s existing details appear in the Add/ Edit Rate Plan panel.
2. In the Add / Edit Rate Plan panel, change the rate plan information as desired, and then click Save.
Result: The rate plan is edited, and the edited details appear in the Rate Plans grid.
Note: A rate plan cannot be deleted while a customer is using it at a client terminal.
1. In the Rate Plans grid, select the rate plan you want to remove, and then click Delete.
2. Click Yes.
Result: The rate plan is deleted from iCafe Manager, and it disappears from the Rate Plans grid.
Result: The new membership package is added to iCafe Manager, and it appears in the Membership Packages grid.
The existing details of the selected membership package appear in the Add Membership Package panel.
3. Edit the details as needed, and then click Save.
Result: The membership details are edited, and the edited information appears in the Membership Packages grid.
3. Click Yes.
Result: The membership package is deleted from iCafe Manager, and it disappears from the Membership Packages
grid.
Using the Rate Plan Configuration tab on the server’s Settings screen, you can enable pulse-based membership for
your cyber cafe and manage its settings.
Note: For information on how to enable pulse-based membership, see the topic Rate Plan
Configuration tab in Section 8.8.
Note: The Rate Plan screen has links to the following reports:
Member List Report (see Section11.3.5)
Member History Report (see Section11.3.4)
For more information on reports, see Chapter 11.
6.3 Customers
By creating records in iCafe Manager for the customers who visit your cafe to use the internet facility, they can be
quickly searched in the iCafe database and assigned a terminal, which saves time. Three types of customers can be
created in iCafe Manager, namely:
Users
Registered Users
Members
2. In the Name box of the Add User dialog box, type the customer’s name.
3. If a terminal is not already selected, or if the selection needs to be changed, in the Select Terminal box select
the terminal to be assigned to the customer.
4. To limit the amount of time for which the customer can access the terminal, in the Set Session Time box type
the session time.
5. Click Add User/Walk-in.
Result: The customer becomes a User of the cafe and can log in in the Users section of the selected terminal’s login
screen.
84 | Chapter 6
Besides logging in a customer as a User from the server, a customer can also directly login on the iCafe Manager
client screen and become a User of the cafe.
To add and log in a User from the client terminal, do the following:
Ask the customer to type his or her name in the Users section of the client login screen and then click Start Session.
This makes the customer a User of the cafe. The cafe administrator has the option of completing the User’s details
at the time of closing the session or when the User logs out.
Rate Plans and Customers | 85
To complete the User’s details at the time of closing the session, do the following:
1. In the Close Session dialog box that appears when the session is closed, click Edit User Details…
2. In the Edit User dialog box, complete the available details of the User and then click Finish.
Result: The details are added to the User’s record in the iCafe database.
Rate Plans and Customers | 87
If a User logs out from a client terminal and the session is not yet closed, it is possible to re-login the person from
the server.
Note: In order to use the re-login feature, the server should not be in
Auto Close Session mode. In other words, Auto Close Session should be
Off.
A customer must register only once with iCafe Manager by providing all the necessary details. The login ID and
password received can then be used by the Registered User to login at any iCafe Manager cafe.
To add and log in a new Registered User from the server, do the following:
1. In the Quick Access Menu of either the Home or the Users screen, click Add User.
Note: If an email ID is provided, the customer needs to verify it using the verification link
sent to the same ID. This email ID can be used as a login ID.
In the Login ID box, type the login ID that the customer wants to use for logging in at iCafe Manager cafes.
Note: The customer’s Email ID can also be used as the Login ID. To do so, in the Login ID
box type the same value that was provided in the Email ID box.
In the Membership Package box, select a membership package if the customer wants to buy one.
For the User Picture and Photo ID Picture, do the following:
I. Click Start Webcam.
II. Ask the customer to stand in front of the webcam and focus to take a picture.
III. Click Take Picture to capture the photograph.
Note: If a webcam is not available, click Browse to select the photograph that is saved as
an image on the system. In other words, either take pictures of the customer and the
photo ID using a webcam or select pictures already saved on the system.
Click Add Registered User.
Rate Plans and Customers | 91
The customer is added to the cafe database as a Registered User and needs to now set a password and
security question before starting a browsing session.
3. Allow the customer to set a password and security question from a client terminal as follows:
a. If a terminal was not assigned in the Add User dialog box, provide the customer a terminal and then ask the
person to type the previously selected login ID in the Registered Users section of the terminal’s login screen
and click Start Session. The User Registration dialog box with the customer’s name appears.
OR
If a terminal was assigned in the Add User dialog box, the User Registration dialog box with the
customer’s name appears on the terminal.
b. Ask the customer to enter the desired password, select a security question and provide its answer, select I
agree to the Terms & Conditions, and then click Submit in the User Registration dialog box.
92 | Chapter 6
Note: This login ID and password can be used to log in at all cyber cafes using iCafe
Manager.
Rate Plans and Customers | 93
Result: The Registered User is now logged in at the terminal, and the person’s name appears with the terminal in
the Terminals Pane on the server’s Home screen.
Note: Offline registration is possible in iCafe Manager when the local (cafe)
server is unable to establish communication with the online (live) server for
synchronization.
94 | Chapter 6
To register a customer who is already present in the iCafe database as a User (walk-in), do the following:
1. In the User List on the Users screen, select the User to be registered and then click Register User.
OR
In the User List on the Users screen, right-click on the record of the User to be registered and then click Register
User.
2. Provide the customer details necessary for registering the User and then complete the registration by setting a
password and security question.
Note: To understand the requirements and procedure for registering a customer, see the
previous procedure for registering a new customer.
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If a Registered User or Member logs out from a client terminal and the session is not yet closed, it is possible to re-
login the person from the server.
Note: In order to use the re-login feature, the server should not be in
Auto Close Session mode. In other words, Auto Close Session should be
Off.
Result: The Registered User or Member can re-login by entering the login password on the terminal’s login screen.
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6.3.1.3 Members
A Member is a customer with a membership package purchased from your cafe and still within its validity period.
Note:
For information about membership packages, see Section 6.2.
Only a Registered User can have a membership package.
A new customer can be added as a Member at the time of being registered
by providing the Name, specifying a Login ID, selecting the desired
Membership Package, and then clicking Add User as Member in the Add
User dialog box.
The Convert to Member dialog box appears with the Registered User’s name.
Note: For a customer becoming a Member for the first time, Carry forward balance
minutes cannot be selected.
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3. Click Pay to sell the membership package to the customer after receiving payment, or click Pay & Print to also
print the invoice.
Result: The Registered User becomes a Member of the cafe and is now displayed as a Member in the User List on
the Users screen.
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The application also offers the option to search in the online iCafe database when the customer is not found in
the cafe's iCafe database.
Note: Online search is possible only when the iCafe Manager server is connected to the
internet and two or more fields of the customer’s details were filled during registration.
4. If the required customer record appears in the list, select it and then click Next.
The Search User Online dialog box appears with details of the selected customer.
5. To save the customer’s record in the cafe’s iCafe database, click Finish.
Result: The customer record is found and saved in the cafe’s iCafe database.
Note:
Online search is possible only when the iCafe Manager server is connected to the
internet.
It is also possible to find a customer in the online iCafe database by providing atleast
the Email / Login ID or the Name in the Find a User section of the Users screen and
then clicking Find in Online Database.
The View My Profile dialog box appears with details of the selected customer.
2. To close the dialog box after viewing the customer details, click Cancel.
Result: The customer details are viewed.
Note: To view the details of a customer who is logged in at a terminal, right-click on that
terminal in the Terminals Pane on the Home screen and then click View User Details...
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The Edit User dialog box appears with details of the selected customer.
2. Edit the customer’s details as needed.
Note: For help about the different customer details, see Section 6.3.1.2.
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3. Click Finish.
Result: The customer details are edited.
Result: The customer’s record is deleted from the cafe’s iCafe database.
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The Edit User dialog box appears with details of the selected customer.
2. Select Block User.
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3. Click Finish.
3. Click Finish.
The View Membership Package Details dialog box appears displaying details of the customer’s membership
package.
2. To close the dialog box after viewing the membership details, click Cancel.
Result: The membership details are viewed.
Cyber cafes may also sell items or services at their cafe centers. Cafe owners maintain an inventory of the items
that they sell. Services include printing, scanning, writing a CD/DVD, and products include selling CD’s, pen drive,
cold drinks, coffee and so on. The main objective is to manage all these things using iCafe Manager.
3. Click Finish.
Result: The service is added to the list of products and services.
The Add Product dialog box appears with the current date displayed as the product’s purchase date.
2. In the dialog box, do the following:
Note: The Name, Quantity, Cost (Rs.), and Rate (Rs.) fields are mandatory.
Enter Name.
Enter Description.
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Note: The Warning Level of the product raises an alert when the available quantity
reaches the minimum level. It indicates that you should buy more of the product. In
the example shown in the above image, when the mouse pad stock reaches 5, a
warning is displayed.
3. Click Finish.
Depending on whether a product or a service is selected for editing, the Edit Product or Edit Service dialog box
appears.
2. In the Edit Product or Edit Service dialog box, enter new data in the fields that need to be edited.
3. Click Finish.
Result: The product or service details are edited.
Note:
A product or service cannot be deleted if an invoice has already been created for it.
A service cannot be deleted if it is linked to a printer through the Print Manager.
2. Click Yes.
Result: The selected product or service is deleted.
Note: Add Purchase is active only when a product in the list is selected.
The Add Purchase dialog box appears displaying the product name and with the current date selected as the
purchase date.
2. In the Add Purchase dialog box, do the following:
Select the Purchase Date if it is different from the current date.
Enter the Quantity.
Enter the Cost (Rs.).
Total Cost (Rs.) is automatically calculated and displayed.
Enter Notes.
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Note: The Products & Services screen has links to the following reports:
Product List Report (see Section11.5.1)
Purchase Report (see Section11.2.4)
Product and Service Consumption Report (see Section 11.5.2)
For more information on reports, see Chapter 11.
The Add a Product/Service Sale dialog box appears with an automatically generated Invoice No., current Date,
User name, and Terminal name displayed.
Note: Select the invoice Date if it is different from the current date.
Note: The fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory and cannot be left blank.
7.4.1.2 Selling to a customer at the time of logging off or closing the session
A product or service can also be sold to a customer at the time of closing the person’s internet session.
To add a product or service sale to the customer’s invoice at the time of closing the session, do the following:
1. In the Terminals Pane, right-click on the terminal at which the customer is using the internet facility and then
click Close Session…
The Close Session dialog box appears with an automatically generated Invoice No.; current Date; User name,
Terminal name; Previous Balance of credit; cost of the internet usage; as well as total invoice amount Total (Rs.)
displayed.
Note:
Previous Balance is the amount of credit previously given and yet to be paid by the
customer.
At this stage, the total invoice amount Total (Rs.) is displayed as the sum of the
Previous Balance and the cost of the session’s internet usage.
The invoice Date can be changed if needed.
Products and Services | 135
Note: The fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory and cannot be left blank.
Note: The value in the Credit (Rs.) field cannot be less than zero or greater than Total
(Rs.).
The credit amount is automatically deducted from the total invoice amount Total (Rs.).
Note: For more information about the credit facility offered in iCafe Manager, see Section
7.4.1.3.
7. After receiving money from the customer and returning the excess cash, click Pay to add the sale and close the
dialog box, or click Pay & Print to also print the invoice.
Result: The product/service sale is added to the customer’s invoice for internet usage.
Note:
The credit facility is offered only to customers who use the cafe’s internet facility, and
not to those who buy only a product or service from the cafe separately.
The credit feature is not available while selling membership packages.
Note:
The cafe’s credit information is displayed in the following reports:
Collection Report (see Section11.2.1 )
Monthly Collection Report (see Section 11.2.3)
Summary Collection Report (see Section 11.2.2)
Invoice List Report (see Section 11.2.5)
Invoice Details Report (see Section 11.2.6)
The credit balance of a customer is displayed in the following report and screen:
User List on the Users screen (see Figure 6.49)
Credit Report (see Section 11.2.8)
For more information on reports, see Chapter 11.
If the customer logs in to another session later, when it is being closed and the total invoice amount for it is being
calculated, the sum of the customer’s previous outstanding credit amounts is displayed as Previous Balance in the
Close Session dialog box and is included in the total invoice amount Total (Rs.) for that session. At this time, if the
customer pays the total amount including the previous balance, the credit balance of the customer becomes zero.
If the outstanding credit amount is paid off by the customer separately without logging in to a session, the credit
balance can be deleted in the Credit Report by clicking Delete next to the credit amount and then clicking Yes in the
confirmation box that appears.
Note:
After the first time you give credit to a customer while closing a session, you can
continue giving credit to the same customer at the time of closing future sessions too.
The credit will be carried forward to the next session as Previous Balance.
In order to correctly maintain the credit details of Users (walk-in customers), ensure
that a User with a pending credit amount does not log in directly from a client terminal.
Instead, assign a terminal to the User from the server’s Users screen so that the correct
customer can be selected and logged in if there are multiple customers with the same
name.
When the credit balance is paid off and becomes zero, it is not displayed in the User List
and the Credit Report.
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To sell a product or service to a customer not using the internet facility at your cafe, do the following:
1. In the Quick Access Menu on the Home or the Products & Services screen, click Add a Sale.
The Add a Product/Service Sale dialog box appears displaying an automatically generated Invoice No. and with
the current date selected as the invoice date.
2. In the Add a Product/Service Sale dialog box, do the following:
Note: The fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory and cannot be left blank.
Select the Date of the invoice if it is different from the current date.
Enter User name.
Enter Address.
Products and Services | 139
7. After receiving money from the customer and returning the excess cash, click Pay to add the sale and close the
dialog box, or click Pay & Print to also print the invoice.
8.
iCafe Manager provides the manager/admin with certain rights. These rights allow him to have better control than
the other employees of the cafe.
Admin login at an iCafe Manager client terminal might be required in the following two scenarios:
When the client terminal is connected to iCafe Manager server
When the client machine is unable to connect to the iCafe Manager server
When the client terminal is connected to the iCafe Manager server, do the following:
1. On the client terminal’s login screen, click Admin Login.
2. In the Employee Login dialog box, enter the login credentials of an employee who has admin rights as follows:
Enter Employee Name.
Enter Password.
3. Click Login
The iCafe Manager: Settings dialog box appears.
4. To close the iCafe Manager client application on the terminal, click Close Cafe Client.
OR
To shutdown the terminal, click Shutdown Terminal.
OR
To restart the terminal, click Restart Terminal.
OR
To log off from the admin login, click Close.
Other methods for closing the iCafe Manager client login screen:
If the iCafe Manager server and client are connected, an employee with admin rights logged in at the server can
close the client application.
In the Terminals Pane on the server’s Home screen, right-click on the terminal on which the iCafe Manager client
needs to be closed and then click Close Cafe Client.
Note: The Close Cafe Client option is not available on a busy terminal, i.e. a terminal
where someone is logged in.
Figure 8.4: Closing the Client When it is Connected with the Server
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If the iCafe Manager client was not connected to the iCafe Manager server since its reboot, it is possible to close
the iCafe Manager client on a terminal using one of the following methods:
If there is internet connectivity on the terminal, use the cafe code and password sent to your email at the
time of cafe registration.
If the terminal does not have internet connection, use the cafe code to close the iCafe Manager client login
screen.
Suppose an employee works for first half of the day, and another employee works for the second half and the first
person finishes his work for the day, and returns his work to the second person. Then, the second person must login
with his name and password, and manage the work for the remaining part of the day. This is done by switching the
employee.
In the following example, before switching the employee, the employee who is logged in is “admin”:
To switch from the currently logged in employee to another employee, do the following:
1. On the server’s Home screen, click the arrow next to the Switch Employee box and then select the new
employee’s name.
3. Click Login.
The new employee is now logged in to the server.
The Set Session Time option is used to set time for a customer’s session. By setting a session time, the customer is
logged off when the time expires after two warnings. The customer can also see the Time Remaining in the Session
Details window on the client terminal.
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The Set Session Time dialog box appears with the following information about the session displayed:
Terminal Name – Name of the terminal where the session is active
User Name – Name of the customer logged in to the session
Total Session Time – Total time the session has already been active
Time Remaining – Time remaining for the session to end if a session time was previously set for it
2. In the Set Session Time box, enter the time duration in minutes after which you want the session to end.
Note: The value entered in Set Session Time should be greater than the value displayed
in Total Session Time.
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3. Click Save.
When 60 seconds remain before the session ends, the customer receives an alert about the remaining session time.
3. Click Renew.
Result: The session time is renewed.
Note: A session can be renewed only while it is active. If the session ends or the customer
logs out, a new session needs to be started if the customer needs more session time.
2. In the Terminal box, select an idle terminal to which the customer’s session will be transferred.
3. Click Switch.
Result: The customer session is transferred from the previous terminal to the new selected terminal.
The Close Session dialog box appears with the Invoice No., invoice Date, User name, Terminal name, customer’s
Previous Balance of credit, and the Total (Rs.) that the customer has to pay.
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Note: You can also sell products and other services to the customer while closing the
session. For more information on how to do that, see Section 7.4.1.2.
2. Click Pay.
Result: The customer session is closed.
Note: This can be done only if the customer’s previous membership is still within its
validity period, otherwise the Renew Membership Package... option is unavailable when
you right-click on the terminal where the customer is logged in.
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OR
Find the customer whose membership is to be renewed (see Section 6.3.2), and then do the following:
In the User List on the Users screen, select the Member whose membership is to be renewed and then click
Renew Membership…
OR
In the User List on the Users screen, right-click on the Member’s record whose membership is to be renewed
and then click Renew Membership…
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The Renew Membership Package dialog box appears displaying details of the customer’s existing membership
package.
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Note:
Carry forward balance minutes can be used when a member is unable to use all the
minutes of the previous package within its validity period. Either some or all the
remaining minutes of the old package can be carried forward to the new package as
Minutes to carry forward.
For a customer who becomes a member for the first time, Carry forward balance
minutes is not selected.
Carry forward balance minutes cannot be selected if the expiry date of the old package
has passed.
3. Select Carry forward balance minutes if needed, and then enter the Minutes to carry forward.
4. Click Pay.
The membership is renewed to the selected package, and the Minutes Remaining from the previous package
are added to it. In the above example, the Minutes Remaining in the membership are recalculated from 600 to
3600.
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General tab
Through the General tab, you can choose to close all the applications that are open on a terminal when a
customer logs out from it or when its session is closed from the server.
Here, you can also enable the SMS service to get a daily alert via SMS having the following information about
your cafe for the previous day:
Amount collected as charges for browsing sessions
Amount collected for sale of products and services
Total revenue
Time when the server was started
Time when the server was closed
Total number of terminals used
4. Click Save.
The Application Settings dialog box appears.
5. Click OK.
Result: The features to close applications on a terminal upon logout and to receive a daily SMS alert with the cafe’s
financial, server, and terminal information for the previous day are configured successfully.
Managerial Tasks | 165
Note: Both the Cyber Cafe Name and Cyber Cafe Address fields are mandatory.
4. Click Save.
The Application Settings dialog box appears (see Figure 8.29).
5. Click OK.
Note:
When this feature is selected, the session will automatically close, and after that it will
not be possible to change the customer’s bill or use the re-login feature.
When you select this feature, the Show alert on customer logout check box becomes
enabled.
3. To display an alert on the server when a customer logs out from a client terminal, select Show alert on user
logout.
Note: When the customer logs out from the client terminal while the server is in the Auto
Close Session mode, the session details are displayed in the Closed Sessions tab of the
Updates Pane. At the same time if the application is not on the Home screen, the Home
tab in the Menu Bar becomes orange in colour and blinks to indicate this event.
Note: When iCafe Manager is in Auto Close Session mode, this status of the server is
displayed at the top of the Terminals Pane on the server’s Home screen as Auto Close
Session is On.
Note: All fields marked (*) in the Rate Plan Configuration tab are mandatory.
Note:
When pulse-based membership is enabled, sessions for Members will have to be closed
in the same manner as closing sessions for Registered Users.
When you select this feature, the Pulse Time and Display pulse deductions on client
terminals fields are enabled.
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Note:
If pulse-based membership is enabled, this field is mandatory and should not be left
blank.
When you select this feature, the number of minutes specified as pulse time will be
deducted from the customer’s membership package.
4. To display the number of minutes deducted from the customer’s membership package on the client terminal,
select Display Pulse Time deductions on User Terminals.
Note: When this feature is selected, information regarding pulse deductions will be
displayed on the Session Details and Session Logout screens of the client terminal.
5. Click Save.
The Application Settings dialog box appears (see Figure 8.29).
6. Click OK.
Note: When pulse based membership is enabled, the session needs to be closed from the
server even for cafe Members.
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Employees tab
The Employees tab is used to create and manage the details of employees accessing iCafe Manager. In this tab,
you can add, edit, or delete an employee’s details in your cafe’s iCafe database.
The person who administers the cafe has full rights for iCafe Manager, while the other employees have limited
rights. The administrator or admin adds new employees to iCafe Manager and assigns only certain rights to
them.
When many people work in the cafe, then the Employees tab is used to create multiple employee logins. A
separate login account must be created for everyone managing iCafe Manager so that it allows the cafe owner
or administrator to track the activities performed by each employee separately.
Note: A default employee Admin is already present on the system, and as the
administrator only this person can close the iCafe Manager application.
Note:
If the Employee Type selected is Administrator, by default the person is given all the
employee permissions. However, if the Employee Type selected is Employee, only
certain permissions are given by default and the administrator or cafe owner can decide
to remove or add permissions.
To undo any changes made to the employee permissions and to restore the default
permissions, click Reset to Default.
3. Click Finish.
The new employee’s record appears in the employee list.
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4. Click Save.
Result: A new employee is added to iCafe Manager with the selected permissions.
Note: Only employees with admin rights can edit employee details.
2. In the Add/Edit Employee Details dialog box, change any or all of the following details:
Employee Name
Employee Type
Password
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Note: Only employees with admin rights can delete employee details.
1. In the list of employees, select the name of the employee whose details you want to delete.
2. Click Delete.
4. Click Save.
Note: For information about configuring settings for individual printers, see Section 10.1.
Note: If no service is defined in iCafe Manager yet or if a new service needs to be added,
in the Select a Service box select Add New Service. For information on how to add a
service, see Section 6.2.1.
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4. Click Save.
A confirmation box appears asking whether you would like to apply the settings to all the printers on the
network.
5. Click Yes.
The Application Settings dialog box appears (see Figure 8.29).
6. Click OK.
Result: The desired settings are applied to all the printers on the iCafe Manager network.
Managerial Tasks | 177
4. Click Save.
The Application Settings dialog box appears (see Figure 8.29)
5. Click OK.
Note: The download limit can be from 1 MB to 9999 MB, and no decimals are allowed.
4. To display on the server the amount of data downloaded on each terminal, select Show Download Progress.
When the size of the downloaded data reaches 50%, 75%, and 90% of the download limit, the server gets
notifications in the following ways:
The colour of the customer row in the Terminal Information tab on the Home screen changes as follows:
Note: The following examples are for a total download limit of 100 MB.
a. When the downloaded data reaches 50% of the download limit, the row background turns Blue.
b. When the downloaded data reaches 75% of the limit, the row background turns Orange.
c. When the downloaded data reaches 90% of the limit, the row background turns Red.
OR
If the Terminal Information tab is not visible (when the Terminals Pane is displayed in table view and Quick
Help is collapsed), the text in the Download (MB) column of the Terminals Pane is displayed in bold style and
reflects colours as follows:
Note: The following examples are for a total download limit of 8 MB.
5. To warn the customer when the download limit is exceeded on the terminal, select Alert User.
When 90% of the download limit is reached, the customer at the terminal receives an alert.
6. Click Save.
The Application Settings dialog box appears (see Figure 8.29).
7. Click OK.
Note: The Daily Bandwidth Consumption Report provides details of the data downloaded
and the bandwidth consumed at each terminal on a specified date.
Managerial Tasks | 181
Note: Atleast one of the two types of login should be selected, i.e. for Users or for
Registered Users/Members.
4. Click Save.
The Application Settings dialog box appears (see Figure 8.29).
5. Click OK.
To lock the server, in the server’s Menu Bar click Lock Server.
Note: You can select a terminal to view the terminal information even when the server is
locked.
Result: The server is locked, and the Lock Server tab in the server’s Menu Bar changes to Unlock Server.
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Unlock Server unlocks the server after it has been locked using Lock Server.
1. To unlock the server, in the server’s Menu Bar click Unlock Server.
The Server Login dialog box appears.
2. In the Server Login dialog box, enter Employee Name and Password and then click Login.
2. Click Yes.
2. Click Yes
2. Click Yes.
Note: The option for cafe management reports is available on the server’s Reports
screen.
Note: For more information on the Terminal Usage Report, see Section11.4.1.
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Note: For more information on the Server Up Time Report, see Section11.4.2.
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Note: For more information on the Close Cafe Client Report, see Section11.4.3.
Website Blocking and Tracking | 191
9.
Website Blocking
The Website Blocking feature enables you to prevent customers from surfing unwanted websites in your cafe.
These websites typically have adult or objectionable content or are banned under government rules. Using this
feature you can block a complete website or certain webpages and links in advance, thus avoiding potential legal
problems. It also helps maintain a clean environment in your cafe, in which all types of customers are comfortable
surfing.
Note: All fields marked (*) in the Blocking Websites panel are mandatory.
Note:
To block more websites, repeat step 3.
To unblock a website, select it in the Blocked Websites grid and then click Remove.
To unblock all the websites in the Blocked Websites grid, click Remove All.
3. Click Save.
Result: Website blocking is enabled.
Note:
When a website URL, for example www.yahoo.com, is provided in the Site box, the
entire website and all its contents, including all sub-domains / directories, are blocked.
However, when only a sub-domain of the website such as mail.yahoo.com is provided in
the Site box, only that is blocked while the other sub-domains of the website such as
http://in.answers.yahoo.com and http://in.finance.yahoo.com are still accessible.
The websites of iCafe Manager cannot be blocked.
Up to 250 sites can be blocked in iCafe Manager.
The URL Blocking Report provides a list of the blocked domains or websites.
Website Tracking
The Website Tracking feature lets you record and save the URLs of websites visited by a customer from a client
terminal. This data is not only useful for the cafe owner, but also critical to law and order enforcement authorities
to monitor and prevent illegal activities.
When website tracking is enabled on the iCafe Manager server, each customer’s browsing history, if any, is stored
at a chosen location on your computer as a text file (CSV format). The filename contains the customer’s name and
the login time of the session, and the file stores the URL of visited websites as well as the time when each website
was opened and then closed.
Note:
Website Tracking is an optional feature and is disabled by default.
The website tracking data is not uploaded to the online server but stored only locally in
your cafe.
Note: All fields marked (*) in the Tracking Websites panel are mandatory.
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Note: Click Terms & Conditions next to the Enable Website Tracking check box, to read
the additional terms and conditions for enabling website tracking.
Note: Tracking the complete website address requires more disk space than tracking only
the website.
4. Click Browse and choose a folder path where you want to create the text file that stores website tracking data.
Note: Click Open this folder to view the contents of the folder specified in the Folder
Path box.
5. In the Keep only last box, type the number of days for which you would like to keep website tracking data after
it is saved.
Note: The minimum number of days that can be entered is 365 days. By default the
tracked data is saved in the folder path for 365 days. Upon completion of that duration,
files older than 365 days are deleted.
6. Click Save.
Note:
The data about the tracked websites is not uploaded to the iCafe Manager online
server. It is available only in your cafe, in the specified folder path.
To save the data, select a drive which has sufficient space. By default the data is saved
in the WebsiteTracking folder where iCafe Manager is installed.
At least one CSV file is created for each day.
The CSV format is a text file format.
Note: CSV files can be opened using both Notepad and Excel.
The CSV file contains the following fields if the Complete Website Address option is selected:
CustomerId – The customer’s login ID in the case of Registered Users, and “DIRECTUSER” in the case of Users
CustomerName – Name of the customer
TerminalName – Name of the computer that the customer used for browsing
URLId – Used for internal purpose only
URL – The URL browsed by the customer at the terminal
TimeStamp – Date and time when the URL was browsed
The file contains the following fields if the Only Website option is selected:
Site – The website browsed
Count – The number of times the website was browsed
Duration – The duration for which the website was browsed
10.
Note: With the Print Manager, multiple printers can also be monitored.
When no printer is configured for the Print Manager, the on-screen help text provides guidance on how to setup up
Print Manager.
Note: If no service is defined in iCafe Manager yet or if a new service needs to be added,
in the Select a Service box select Add New Service. For information on how to add a
service, see Section 6.2.1.
6. Click Save.
Result: The selected printer is configured for the Print Manager.
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In addition to the details listed in Manage Print Jobs, Completed Print Jobs also displays the Amount (Rs.), while
it does not display the status of the print job as it is already completed.
Amount (Rs.): The total amount the customer must pay the cafe for printouts
Note: If the print command is given from the server or from a terminal that does not have
the iCafe Manager client installed and running, the User Name displayed is Unknown.
Common Tasks
Links to the following common printer-related tasks are also available on the Print Manager screen:
Related Reports
Links to the following two printer-related reports are available on the Print Manager screen:
Note: For more information on the Printer Usage Report, see Section 11.6.1.
Note: For more information on the Printer Summary Report, see Section 11.6.2.
Reports | 203
There are many types of reports that you can generate on the iCafe Manager server to quickly view and understand
useful information. All these reports are listed in the left panel of the server’s Reports screen. Some of these
reports are also provided on the other server screens as needed.
The reports of the iCafe Manager server are classified into the following seven categories:
General Reports – This category has the following general purpose report:
Daily Register Report
Financial Reports – This category has the following reports showing the cyber cafe’s financial details:
Collection Report
Summary Collection Report
Monthly Collection Report
Purchase Report
Invoice List Report
Invoice Detail Report
Adjustment Report
User Reports – This category has the following reports related to the cafe’s customers:
User List Report
User History Report
User Details Report
Member History Report
Member List Reports
Cafe Management Reports – This category has the following reports related to managing the cyber cafe:
Terminal Usage Report
Server Up Time Report
Close Cafe Client Report
Product And Service Reports – This category has the following reports related to the products and services
provided by the cyber cafe:
Product List Report
Product and Service Consumption Report
Printer Reports – This category has the following reports related to the printers used in the cyber cafe:
Printer Usage Report
Printer Summary Report
Internet Usage Reports – This category has the following reports related to internet usage in the cyber cafe:
Website Blocking Report
Daily Bandwidth Consumption Report
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Before discussing each report in detail, let us understand a typical report screen.
On any report screen, you will always find the following two elements:
Report Filter: It is a filter section where you can give one or more conditions for the report. It helps in getting
customized or selected reports to suit your need. For example, you can specify the name of an employee in the
Employee field of the report filter to generate a report for one particular employee.
Report Toolbar: It is a toolbar with many features that can be used for a report. It appears above the report.
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Note: One or more of these buttons might be disabled depending on the report.
Reports | 207
Each report available on the Reports screen is explained in the remaining chapter.
Note:
You should be logged in to the server to view the reports.
Mandatory fields for generating reports are marked with a red asterisk in the figures.
Note: If you are already on the Reports screen, in the left panel of the screen, click Daily
Register Report.
2. In the Date box of the report filter, select the date for which you want to view the Daily Register Report.
3. Click Show.
Result: The Daily Register Report for the selected date appears.
Reports | 209
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the three types of customers
of your cyber cafe, i.e., Users, Registered Users, and Members.
6. In the Employee box, select the name of the employee whose collections you want view in the report.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the employees of the cyber
cafe.
7. Click Show.
Result: The Collection Report for the selected dates, customer type, and employee appears.
Result: The Summary Collection Report for the selected range of dates appears.
212 | Chapter 11
Result: The Monthly Collection Report for the selected range of months appears.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the products purchased
during the specified date range.
6. Click Show.
Result: The Purchase Report for the selected date range and product appears.
Result: The Invoice List Report for the selected date range appears.
216 | Chapter 11
1. In the Menu Bar of the server screen, click Reports. The default Daily Register Report screen appears.
2. In the left panel of the Reports screen, click More Reports and then click Invoice Detail Report under Financial
Reports. The default Invoice Detail Report screen appears with a report filter.
3. In the Invoice No. box of the report filter, type the invoice number for which you want to view the details.
4. Click Show.
Result: The Invoice Detail Report for the selected invoice number appears.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the employees who gave
discounts during the specified date range.
6. In the User Name box, select the customer for whom you want to view the report.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the customers to whom a
discount was given during the specified date range.
7. Click Show.
Result: The Adjustment Report for the selected date range, employee, and customer appears.
Reports | 219
Result: The Credit Report for the selected month and year appears.
Note: To delete the record of credit that has been cleared, in the credit report click Delete
next to the credit amount, and then click Yes in the confirmation box that appears.
220 | Chapter 11
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all three types of customers of
your cafe, i.e., Users, Registered Users, and Members.
6. Click Show.
Result: The User List Report for the selected date range and customer type appears.
Note: The User History Report does not give a record of the customer’s sessions in cyber
cafes other than your own.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the customers of your cyber
cafe.
6. Click Show.
Result: The User History Report for the selected date range and customer appears.
Reports | 223
1. In the Menu Bar of the server screen, click Reports. The default Daily Register Report screen appears.
2. In the left panel of the Reports screen, click More Reports and then click User Details Report under User
Reports. The default User Details Report screen appears with a report filter.
3. In the User Name box, select the customer for whom you want to view the User Details Report.
4. Click Show.
Result: The User Details Report for the selected customer appears.
Note: There is an additional row in the report for every time a membership package was
purchased.
1. In the Menu Bar of the server screen, click Reports. The default Daily Register Report screen appears.
2. In the left panel of the Reports screen, click More Reports and then click Member History Report under User
Reports. The default Member History Report screen appears with a report filter.
3. In the User Name box, select the customer for whom you want to view the Member History Report. The
following details appear next to the customer’s name:
Current Membership Package – Name of the customer’s current membership package.
Total Minutes Granted – Total number of minutes granted in the membership package.
Rate (Rs.) – Rate of the membership package.
4. Click Show.
Result: The Member History Report for the selected customer and month appears.
226 | Chapter 11
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the customers of your cyber
cafe.
6. In the Membership Package Name box, select the membership package for which you want the report.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the types of membership
packages offered by the cyber cafe.
7. Click Show.
Result: The Member List Report for the selected date range, customer, and membership package appears.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the terminals in the cafe that
are connected to the iCafe Manager server.
6. In the Type box, select the type of customer for which you want the report.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all three types of customers of
your cyber cafe, i.e., Users, Registered Users, and Members.
7. Click Show.
Result: The Terminal Usage Report for the selected date range, terminal, and customer type appears.
Reports | 229
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the employees of the cyber
cafe.
6. In the Type box, select the type of employee for which you want the report.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the types of employees in
your cyber cafe, i.e., Online Verification, Administrator, and Employees.
7. In the Terminal Name box, select the terminal of which you want to view the report.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the terminals of the cyber
cafe.
8. Click Show.
Result: The Close Cafe Client Report for the selected date range, employee, and employee type appears.
Result: The Product List Report for the selected product name appears.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the products and services
sold by the cyber cafe.
6. Click Show.
Result: The Product and Service Consumption Report for the selected date range and product/service appears.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the printers in the cyber cafe
that are connected to the iCafe Manager server.
6. In the User Name box, select the customer for whom you want the report.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the customers of your cyber
cafe.
7. In the Terminal Name box, select the terminal for which you want the report.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the terminals in the cyber
cafe that are connected to the iCafe Manager server.
8. In the Employee Name box, select the employee for whom you want the report.
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the employees of the cyber
cafe.
9. Click Show.
Result: The Printer Usage Report for the selected date range, printer, customer, terminal, and employee appears.
Reports | 235
Note: The amount is calculated using the rate of the service selected for each printer.
236 | Chapter 11
Note: If this field is left blank, the report is generated for all the printers in the cyber cafe
that are connected to the iCafe Manager server.
6. Click Show.
Result: The Printer Summary Report for the selected date range and printer appears.
The Website Blocking Report provides a list of all the domains and sites blocked in your cafe by iCafe Manager. The
following information is displayed in the report:
Sites – The websites and webpages to which access is blocked on the client terminals by iCafe Manager
Result: The Website Blocking Report appears with a list of the websites and webpages currently blocked on the
iCafe Manager client terminals.
12.
12.1.1 Backup
The Backup option allows you to maintain a backup of the database on a different system or removable disk.
4. Click OK.
Note: The backup scheduler does not overwrite old backups. Each time the scheduler
runs, a new backup file is created at the folder location specified.
If you select to take backups every time the server is closed, while closing the iCafe Manager server a
confirmation box for taking a backup before closing the server appears.
Backup and Restore | 243
Note: See Figure 12.5 for the Schedule Backups dialog box.
Note:
Always select a time when the iCafe Manager server is running.
If the server application is closed at the specified time of the backup, backup is taken
immediately after the server is executed.
To choose a folder path for storing the backup, click Browse next to the Backup Folder Path box and then
select the desired path.
In the Keep only last box, enter the number of latest backup copies that you want to keep.
3. Click OK.
Note: Even after scheduling backups, regular backups can be taken using the Backup
option (see Figure 12.2).
244 | Chapter 12
2. To choose the folder path for restoring the backup file, click Browse next to the Restore Folder Path box.
3. Click Restore.
A confirmation box appears, asking whether you want to restore from the selected backup file.
4. Click Yes.
A dialog box appears, informing about the successful completion of the restore process. On clicking OK, iCafe
Manager restarts.
5. Click OK.
The iCafe Manager server restarts and the Server Login dialog box appears.
13.
Note: For information about a feature, click Help on the button of that feature.
Result: The features of iCafe Speed Enhancer are set as per your specifications.
iCafe Speed Enhancer | 249
Note:
iCafe Speed Enhancer can be opened only for an idle terminal.
To apply settings for all terminals, click on iCafe Speed Enhancer in the Quick Access
Menu on the Settings screen. By doing this, the settings that you specify are applied to
all the remaining terminals that are connected to the network as soon as you click Close
on the iCafe Speed Enhancer screen.
Any new terminals connected to the network at a later stage also receive these settings.
The iCafe Manager client terminals need to be restarted for changes in some of the
features to take effect.
250 | Chapter 13
Help | 251
14.
14.1 F1 Help
Online help regarding iCafe Manager can be obtained on the application’s server by pressing the F1 key.
On pressing F1 the first time, a dialog box appears that prompts to download the entire help file for future use.
In the dialog box, click Download to download and store the file locally in the iCafe Manager application path.
Note:
Click on a heading in the Quick Help section to expand or collapse that help topic.
Collapse prior topics in the section in order to view the last topic if it is not visible.
14.4 Contact Us
The Contact Us panel shows various methods to contact iCafe Manager support. It appears on the server’s Help
screen and displays the following information:
Email – Email ID to contact iCafe Manager support
iCafe Manager helpline – Toll-free phone number of the iCafe Manager Helpline where you can call as well as a
number where you can send a message for help
Online feedback page – URL link to the online feedback page
Office contact details – URL link to a list of names and contact details of iCafe Manager account managers in
different locations of India
Button for requesting technical support – Help can be obtained for technical problems by clicking on this button.
An iCafe Manager support executive contacts you within four hours after you do so.
Contact details of your city’s iCafe Manager account manager – Name, phone number, and email ID of the iCafe
Manager account manager of your city
14.5 FAQ
The FAQ option takes you to a webpage that provides answers to frequently asked questions related to iCafe
Manager. It is available on the server’s Help screen and can also be accessed directly from
http://www.icafemanager.com/faq.
Index
256, 257, 259, 261, 262, 264, 265, 267, 268, 270,
A 272
Activation, 28, 29, 30, 31
E
Adjustment Report, 4, 234, 249, 250
admin login, 163 employee, 30, 61, 162, 163, 164, 166, 167, 168, 191,
192, 193, 194, 195, 199, 201, 216, 232, 235, 238,
Application Settings, 3, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188,
240, 249, 263, 264, 268, 269
189, 190, 192, 201, 202, 203, 206, 207
Employees tab, 191, 192
Auto Close Session, 12, 67, 70, 71, 72, 97, 107, 184,
187, 188, 189 Event Log, 2, 71, 72, 73
Auto Close Session mode, 97, 107, 187, 188 F
Auto Close Session tab, 187
F1 Help, 5, 288, 290
B FAQ, 5, 13, 288, 293, 294
Backup, 5, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282 Financial Reports, 4, 12, 234, 239, 244, 246, 248, 249,
250
Bandwidth Monitor, 11, 12, 73, 184, 203, 204, 206
Firewall, 17, 18
block, 7, 11, 122, 220
browsing history, 221, 223, 226 G
C General Reports, 4, 12, 234, 238
General tab, 184, 185
Cafe Details tab, 186
Cafe Management Reports, 4, 12, 234, 260, 261, 262, H
264
Help, 5, 9, 13, 61, 65, 73, 74, 75, 76, 80, 81, 205, 286,
cafe’s iCafe database, 10
288, 289, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296, 298, 299,
client, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 22, 23, 37, 39, 41, 42, 300, 301
43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 55, 59, 60, 62,
Home screen, 9, 35, 61, 62, 63, 77, 78, 80, 92, 103,
63, 64, 66, 67, 71, 86, 94, 96, 101, 107, 122, 155,
118, 164, 166, 176, 187, 188, 204, 210, 211, 212,
161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 169, 173, 187, 189, 190,
286
207, 212, 216, 221, 231, 263, 264, 270, 284, 287
Client Configuration tab, 60, 206, 207 I
Close Cafe Client Report, 4, 213, 216, 217, 234, 263, iCafe database, 9, 10, 67, 78, 79, 91, 96, 104, 112,
264, 265 113, 115, 116, 122, 191, 251, 252
Closed Sessions, 2, 71, 72, 187 iCafe Manager Desktop, 13, 14
Collection Report, 4, 77, 80, 155, 234, 239, 240, 241, iCafe Speed Enhancer, 5, 284, 286, 287
242, 243, 244
icon view, 64, 65
configuration, 55, 56, 57
installation, 15, 18, 25, 30, 41, 42, 50, 52, 55
Contact Us, 13, 288, 293
D InstallShield, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42,
46, 47, 48, 50
Daily Register Report, 4, 77, 80, 131, 234, 238, 239,
240, 242, 243, 244, 246, 248, 249, 250, 252, 254, Internet Usage Reports, 12, 234, 270, 272
Invoice Detail Report, 4, 234, 247, 248
264 | Index
Invoice List Report, 4, 155, 234, 245, 246 Product, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 12, 13, 28, 29, 30, 76, 134, 136,
137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 147,
K 149, 150, 151, 154, 156, 158, 234, 240, 244, 245,
Knowledge Base, 13, 288, 298 246, 265, 266, 267, 268, 288, 296, 297, 299, 300
Product and Service Consumption Report, 147, 234,
L 266, 267, 268
LAN, 55, 56, 57 Product And Service Reports, 234, 265, 267
Lock Server, 12, 208, 209 Product List Report, 265
login, 35, 44, 60, 67, 68, 69, 92, 94, 96, 97, 98, 100, Product Manual, 5, 13, 288, 296, 297
101, 103, 107, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 187, Product Slideshow, 13, 288, 299, 300
191, 207, 222, 224, 252, 255 Products & Services screen, 10, 133, 134, 136, 156
Pulse Based Membership, 91, 189
M
purchase, 7, 137, 144, 145, 146, 244, 258
Member, 10, 68, 69, 91, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112,
Purchase Report, 4, 146, 147, 148, 234, 244, 245
129, 131, 178, 207, 234, 238, 240, 252, 257, 258,
259, 260, 261 Q
Member History Report, 4, 257
Quick Access Menu, 2, 9, 61, 77, 78, 92, 98, 156, 210,
Member List Report, 4, 259
211, 212, 287
membership package, 7, 10, 68, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91,
Quick Help, 9, 61, 65, 73, 74, 75, 76, 80, 81, 205, 288,
100, 108, 110, 111, 130, 179, 180, 190, 239, 246,
291
257, 258, 259
Quick Start Guide, 13, 288, 295
Monthly Collection Report, 155, 234, 242, 243, 244
R
N
rate plan, 7, 10, 32, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86
Notice Board, 5, 12, 13, 288, 292
Rate Plan Configuration tab, 91, 189
O Rate Plan screen, 10, 31, 32, 82, 84, 87, 89
online iCafe database, 10, 79, 251, 252 Receipt Customization tab, 202, 203
Re-connect, 3, 77, 79, 212
P Registered User, 10, 68, 69, 91, 97, 98, 99, 101, 103,
Password, 35, 52, 163, 167, 193, 197, 207, 209, 284 104, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 161, 189, 207,
print jobs, 230, 232, 268 224, 238, 240, 252, 261
Print Manager, 4, 11, 142, 201, 227, 228, 229, 230, Registered User, 69
231, 232 Registered Users, 68
Print Manager screen, 11, 228, 230, 231, 232 re-login, 69
Printer Reports, 4, 12, 234, 268, 270 Re-login, 69, 107, 161
printer settings, 11, 161 Renew Session Time, 171, 172, 173
Printer Settings tab, 201 Report Filter, 235
Printer Summary Report, 5, 232, 234, 269, 270 Report Toolbar, 236, 238
Printer Usage Report, 4, 232, 234, 268, 269 Reports screen, 12, 213, 233
Restart, 3, 42, 50, 69, 77, 79, 163, 211, 284
product, 7, 9, 10, 13, 79, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 142, Restore, 5, 274, 280, 281, 282
144, 145, 146, 148, 149, 151, 154, 155, 156, 157,
240, 244, 245, 246, 247, 265, 266, 267, 268, 292,
294, 295, 296, 298, 299, 300, 301
Index | 265
S Terminals Pane, 2, 9, 61, 64, 65, 66, 67, 73, 74, 75, 76,
92, 103, 118, 149, 151, 164, 171, 173, 176, 188,
scheduled backup, 161, 277, 279
204, 212, 286
server, 7, 8, 12, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 35, 36, 43, 44, 51,
Track & Block Websites screen, 11
55, 56, 61, 64, 68, 69, 77, 82, 87, 89, 91, 92, 94, 96,
97, 98, 103, 104, 107, 113, 116, 133, 134, 136, 155, Training Videos, 13, 288, 298, 299
162, 164, 165, 166, 168, 169, 171, 173, 176, 183, Transfer Session, 173, 174
185, 186, 187, 188, 191, 203, 204, 208, 209, 210,
211, 212, 215, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 228, 230, U
231, 233, 234, 237, 238, 240, 242, 243, 244, 246, unblock, 125, 220
248, 249, 250, 252, 254, 256, 257, 259, 261, 262,
unlock, 53, 209
263, 264, 265, 267, 268, 270, 272, 278, 279, 282,
286, 288, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296, 298, 299, Updates Pane, 2, 9, 61, 65, 71, 187
300, 301 Useful Downloads, 13, 288, 301
Server Up Time Report, 4, 213, 215, 216, 234, 262, User, 67, 68, 69, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96, 97, 104, 105, 106,
263 155, 161, 207, 224, 238, 240, 252, 261
service, 7, 9, 10, 79, 139, 140, 142, 148, 149, 151, User Details Report, 234, 255, 256
154, 155, 156, 157, 185, 201, 229, 231, 240, 246, User Details Report, 256
247, 266, 267, 269
User History Report, 131, 234, 253, 254, 255
Service, 150
User List Report, 131, 234, 251, 252, 253
session time, 67, 93, 100, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173
User Registration, 7, 101, 102, 103
Session Time, 3, 67, 93, 100, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173
User Reports, 12, 234, 251, 252, 254, 256, 257, 259
Settings screen, 12, 91, 274, 277, 280, 286, 287
Users screen, 10, 98, 104, 108, 111, 112, 116, 119,
setup, 15, 22, 23, 37, 38, 42, 45, 46, 47, 50, 52, 227, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127, 129, 131, 155, 178
231, 237
User List Report, 252
Shutdown, 3, 9, 77, 79, 161, 163, 210, 284
Summary Collection Report, 155, 234, 241, 242 V
Switch Employee, 61, 166, 167 verification, 30, 100
system requirements, 15
W
T walk-in, 67, 104, 155
table view, 64, 70, 205 Warning Level, 137, 138
Terminal Information, 2, 65, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 204, Website Blocking, 219, 220, 234, 270, 271
205 Website Tracking, 219, 221, 222
Terminal Usage Report, 4, 77, 80, 213, 214, 215, 234,
260, 261, 262