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Integration

Systems information

The information in this topic is primarily intended for your qualified IT professional to use while planning for changes such as server migrations or when setting up, configuring, and troubleshooting CS applications. This topic can also help you share technical details of our applications with other staff members in your office or when discussing an issue with our Support team.

Practice CS Directories

Practice CS has 4 primary installation directories:
Directory Path
Description
\WinCSI\Practice CS
This directory contains application level files and folders on the network. In addition to the executables the application uses, it also contains imperative configuration settings files, as well as folders where license and application updates are ran from and stored.
\WinCSI\Practice CS Data
Unlike other CS Professional Suite applications, no pertinent client/firm data is located here. In addition to files used to help the application communicate with the proper SQL instance, this directory also consists of folders and files used by Practice CS for integration and data sharing.
C:\Program Files\Creativesolutions\ Practice CS *
This folder gets created on the workstation during a desktop installation. It will contain version folders, .dll files, executables, and other files that need to be ran locally on the machine rather than on the network.
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\ MSSQL10_50<SQLInstanceName>\MSSQL\DATA **
This is a location on the server where your SQL instance resides, which is where the actual firm/client data is located.

Files by category

Listed are important Practice CS files sorted by category.
Global Files
Directory Path
File Name
Description
\WinCSI\Practice CS
Networkinstallation.ini
This is the file that the workstation's Localinstallation.ini points to upon launching the application. The application then uses the information in this file to determine the location of the other needed components such as: data location information, license file locations, network application files, and any special configurations added to the application.
Version.Dat
This file holds the version of Practice CS that is installed on the network and is compared to the local version of the file to determine if the workstation needs to be updated upon launching the application.
CSIUPD.exe
This is the executable that is used to access CS Connect in order to download updates and licenses.
\WinCSI\Practice CS\DESKTOP
SETUP.EXE
This executable is what is browsed to and used to install Practice CS to the local workstation.
\WinCSI\Practice CS Data
DataSource.xml
This file holds the name of the SQL instance that the application is using. Other files also contain this same information, but this is the one the application primarily looks to for it.
\WinCSI\Practice CS Data\CISData
In this folder, the application will build and update files for each client in order for other CS Suite Applications to compare data that is being data shared to or from Practice CS.
C:\WinCSI\Practice CS Data\Data
This folder holds information that is directly integrated with Practice CS and is where other applications within the suite would send files that will be automatically imported into the application upon launch.
IntegrationSettings.xml
This file is created when integration is enabled within the application. This file will state, which Practice CS firm has been enabled for integration, as well as which SQL instance that firm is using.
Local Installation Files
During the desktop set up of Practice CS, files are installed on the workstation. These files are workstation specific and don’t affect other users in the application. Here is a sample of a few of these integral local files:
Directory Path
File Name
Description
C:\Users\<UID>\AppData\Local\Creative Solutions\Practice CS
ClientSettings.xml
This is the Practice CS user preference file, which holds stored login information, as well as some filter/search settings, dashboard information and other various user-specific configurations.
Log.xml
Whenever Practice CS throws an error, this file is created with the appropriate information for further troubleshooting, if needed. If you select Send log file on the received error, the log file will be emailed to the appropriate Development Team for review and tracking purposes. The sent log file is renamed to log.xml.000. Each time a log file is sent, the files will be renamed and kept up to log.xml.005.
C:\ProgramData\Creative Solutions\Practice CS
LocalInstallation.ini
This file points the workstation installation of Practice CS to the appropriate shared network files and additionally points to a locally installed version of SQL to use if Remote Time Entry is enabled.
DisconnectedDataSource.xml
This file is created during the installation of Remote Time Entry on a workstation and functions in place of the Datasource.xml when the computer is no longer connected to the network that contains the shared WinCSI directory.
C:\Program Files\Creative Solutions\Practice CS\<version>
CreativeSolutions.Practice.exe
This is the executable that runs Practice CS on the workstation. Unlike a few other CS Professional Suite applications that store and run the executable from its shared WinCSI directory, Practice CS keeps this file local and workstation specific.
CreativeSolutions.Practice.exe.Config
This .config file can be modified to let for more in-depth error log file information. When edited, it lets for capturing information, warnings, and errors within the application, rather than just error messages.
Version.dat
This file is created during a desktop setup and records what version of Practice CS is running. Upon opening the application, this file is compared against its network version to determine if a local update is needed.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Creative Solutions\Practice CS\<version>\Practice CS
Wcis_p.dll
This file controls data sharing for Practice CS with other applications. In rare circumstances, this file can be manually registered to resolve local data sharing issues.
SQL Files
Directory Path
File Name
Description
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.<SQLInstanceName>\MSSQL\DATA
*
CSP_<FirmID>_<FirmName>.mdf
This is the primary database file on the server where your SQL instance resides and contains the actual database data for the program.
CSP_<FirmID>_<FirmName>.ldf
This is the transaction log file on the server where your SQL instance resides. Transactions made in the application are written to this file, which then stores them as it writes the requests to the .mdf file.
Backup.bdf
If using the automatic backup process within Practice CS, this is the most current backup of the SQL data.
CSP_<FirmID>_<FirmName>_<timestamp>.bdf
Although the naming of this file can be modified during the process, this is the default naming convention and file for one-time manual backups of SQL that have been initiated from Practice CS.

Installation prerequisites

Practice CS has several prerequisites for the operating system in order to run the application on a workstation, including Internet Explorer, Microsoft .NET Framework, and Microsoft Visual C++. The desktop setup for Practice CS will check that your workstation has these components and automatically install any prerequisites that are missing. If you need to individually reinstall or repair the separate components required to run Practice CS, see the table for the location of the appropriate installation files.
Directory Path
File Name
Description
\WinCSI\Practice CS\DESKTOP
Setup.exe
Executable file to run the Practice CS desktop setup.
\WinCSI\Practice CS\DESKTOP\MSI
dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe
Executable file to install or repair Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0
\WinCSI\Practice CS\DESKTOP\MSI\VC2010SP1
vcredist_x86.exe
Installer file to install or repair Microsoft Visual C++ 2010
See the following links for information on the Microsoft components:

This article applies to:

  • Product: Practice CS
  • Subject: Integration