Lion Time Clock Upgrades

If you've upgraded your time clock server computer to OS 10.7 Lion and the daemon shows as stopped, then you need to upgrade your time clock software to Virtual TimeClock '11 Release 2.

The Basic, Pro, and Client editions of Virtual TimeClock '11 Release 1 will technically still run on Lion, but the time clock server which runs as a background process (called a daemon on Mac) will not start even though the Server Manager app will still open. Virtual TimeClock '11 Release 2 is a free upgrade for all customers enrolled in our software maintenance and support program. Time clock upgrade instructions can be found on our website.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Did Your Remote Clients Stop Talking?

Remote time clock clients will lose their connection if you move your time clock server to a different computer and don't take a couple of important items into consideration. Remember how remote time clock clients connect: a remote client talks directly to the router at the time clock server location. The router says, "Hey! I know you. You're a time clock client. Let me send you over to the time clock server computer. I know it's address." This is what we call port forwarding.

Moving your time clock server will break port forwarding unless you do one of two things to keep you're remote clients talking. One is to give the new time clock server the same static IP address as the old time clock server computer. Then the remote clients won't know the difference. The other option is to access your router configuration settings and change the port forward to point to the IP address of the new time clock server computer. Again, the remote clients won't know the difference. Either one will solve the problem and keep your networked time clocks on speaking terms with one another.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Employee Timecard Report Dates

Have you ever noticed that when you print employee timecards for payroll that you have to change the current period dates? That's because you haven't been closing your payroll periods.

When printing timecards, Virtual TimeClock will always use the stored totals from a closed payroll period rather than recalculating the totals again. This is important since wages, overtime, and time deduction rules may change. By closing payroll periods, timecards for a closed period retrieve the historical totals rather than calculating hours based on the current settings for each employee. Closing payroll periods also advances the current period based on your payroll settings.

Once all hours for a payroll period have been entered, reviewed, and corrected the payroll period should be closed. Go to the Tools menu and choose Close Payroll Period.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Setting a Static IP Address on Mac

A couple of weeks ago, I provided you with instructions on how to set a static IP address on Windows computers. This post will show you how to do the same thing on a Mac. You'll want to do this if your time clock clients fail to connect to the time clock server after the computer is rebooted. It's probably getting a dynamic IP address from the router which causes it to sometimes get a different address the next time the computer is turned on. That's why your time clock software works perfectly for months until you get hit with a power outage, or someone turns off the computer.

Here are the instructions for assigning a static IP address on Mac computers.

Go to the Apple menu, choose System Preferences and select Network from the Internet & Wireless row. Select your network interface from the list on the left (probably the one with the green status indicator). Change it from Using DHCP to Using DHCP with manual address so it should still get all the Internet stuff it needs automatically. It'll look something like this when you're all done:

When you give a static IP address to a computer, the router may not know that address is being used so it may try to give it to another computer later. So you'll want to give your computer an IP address that's not likely to be given out to others.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Is Your Mac Getting Sleepy?

If you're running networked time clocks and clients are unable to connect to the time clock server at random times, or clients are being mysteriously disconnected, then you'll want to check the energy saver settings on the time clock server computer.

Go to the Apple menu and choose System Preferences. Select Energy Saver from the Hardware row. The first setting you'll see is a slide bar to control when the computer goes to sleep. Make sure this is set to Never. The second slide bar is for putting the display to sleep. This can be set to whatever you want because it doesn't have any affect on your time clock software. Next, you'll see a series of checkboxes. Make sure the one that says Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible is not checked.

Your energy saver settings should look something like this when you're all done:

If there's a delay when you go to clock in or out, chances are your time clock client computer is going to sleep as well. Keep it awake the same way.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Customizing Time Clock Report Dates

The Report Writer is a great tool for customizing the different timecard reports that are built into your time clock software, or for creating new ones. You can change report options, formatting, and even what data to include. If there's a particular report you run often, you may want to set the default date range so you're not always having to change it at run time.

For example, let's say you've created a custom report called 'Last Week's Labor Hours' but every time you run the report you have to change the date range from Current Period to Last Week. Here's an easy solution. Go to the Reports menu and choose Report Writer. Choose the report you want to customize from the list of reports on the left. You'll see a Default Date popup menu at the top, right below Report Name and Report Type. It probably says Current period. Click on it and pick Last Week from the selection list.

Save the changes and now whenever you run the report the date range will automatically default to the previous week. This is just a small example of what can be done with the Report Writer, so don't be shy about exploring some of the other options.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.

Setting a Static IP Address in Windows

One of the reasons time clock clients fail to connect to the time clock server is because the IP address of the time clock server computer changes. The reason this happens is because the computer running the time clock server is receiving a dynamic IP address from the router. This makes it easy on the end user since no configuration is required to set up your computer and use the Internet, but your computer may get a different address the next time the computer is turned on. That's why your time clock software works perfectly for months until you get hit with a power outage, or someone turns off the computer. When the computer is started again, clients can't connect and you get a message like the following when you launch the Server Manager.

You'll also need to set a static IP address on the time clock server computer if you plan on using Virtual TimeClock over the Internet. Here are some easy instructions for assigning a static IP address on Windows computers.

Setting a Static IP Address on Windows XP

Setting a Static IP Address on Windows Vista

Setting a Static IP Address on Windows 7

When you give a static IP address to a computer, the router may not know that address is being used so it may try to give it to another computer later. So you'll want to give your computer an IP address that's not likely to be given out to others.

Jeff
Technical Support Team
Redcort Software, Inc.