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Solo installation

This page is for the case where Vehistra runs on a single computer – no server, no network shares and no additional database installation.

If several workstations are to work on the same fleet at the same time, Server setup is the right route instead.

What the difference is

| | Solo | Network | | -------------------------------- | ----------------------- | -------------------------------- | | Database | a file on this computer | SQL Server on the company server | | To install in addition | nothing | Microsoft SQL Server Express | | Concurrent users | one | as many as you like | | Network shares, firewall, TCP/IP | not needed | needed | | Time required | about 10 minutes | about 60 minutes |

You can move to network operation later without losing data.

What you need

  • A Windows PC (64-bit), Windows 10 or newer
  • Administrator rights for the installation
  • The file Vehistra-Setup.exe
  • About 2 GB of free disk space

Important: in a solo installation, program, database and backup live on the same device. If the disk fails, everything is gone unless a backup exists off the machine. See the backup section below.

1. Install Vehistra

  1. Double click Vehistra-Setup.exe and confirm the Windows prompt.
  2. For the installation type choose “Solo-Platz-Installation – alles auf diesem Computer, ohne Datenbankserver” (solo installation – everything on this computer, without a database server).
  3. Leave the checkbox “Jetzt die örtliche Datenbank einrichten” (set up the local database now) ticked.

Choosing solo mode installs the setup wizard as well and links it in the start menu.

If the wizard reports that the .NET Desktop Runtime 10 is missing: download it from https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/10.0 under “Desktop Runtime” for “Windows x64”, install it and start the setup again.

2. Create the database

The setup wizard opens with the subtitle “Solo-Platz einrichten”. It walks through the same twelve steps as on a server, but speaks the right language – and every field is already pre-filled:

| Step | In solo mode | | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 2 Database server | “No database server is needed for a solo installation” | | 3 Database file | The location is pre-filled, just click “test connection” | | 4 Database | “Create database” – the file is created | | 6 Documents folder | pre-filled with C:\Vehistra\Dokumente | | 7 Backup folder | pre-filled with C:\Vehistra\Backups; put it on another drive if you can | | 9 Network shares | not needed | | 12 Completion | no configuration file needed – close the wizard |

In step 10 you create the first administrator account. Note the password somewhere safe.

Where the data lives

C:\ProgramData\LSP Virtual Services\Vehistra\Vehistra.db

Plus the folders for documents, backups and updates from steps 6 to 8.

3. Verify the setup

Start “Serverprüfung” (server check) from the start menu. Its first line names the operating mode, and in solo mode it skips everything that does not exist there – network shares, SQL service, firewall. Every line should read “IN ORDNUNG”.

4. Backup – especially important here

In network operation the backup sits on a server that is usually backed up separately. In a solo installation everything is on one device at first: a failed disk then means database and backup are gone.

The backup from within the program creates a complete copy of the database file and then opens it to check it for damage. That works even while Vehistra is running.

Never copy the file Vehistra.db by hand while Vehistra is running. The most recent changes are still in the companion file Vehistra.db-wal and would be missing. Always use the backup from within the program – it produces a consistent copy.

Also set up a copy off the machine, for example on an external disk, and check once a month that a backup can be restored – see Backup and restore.

5. Moving to network operation later

As the operation grows, a solo installation can be expanded into network operation without losing data. The full guide in the repository describes this in a chapter of its own.

If something is wrong

If the database file is missing or empty, Vehistra reports this at startup with the steps to check, instead of silently creating an empty database. Further failure patterns are listed under Troubleshooting.

Updates

Updates work as in network operation, only the update folder sits on the same PC. The update package keeps the chosen operating mode: a solo installation does not lose its setup wizard. See Updates.