Meridian Norstar Hourglass Interface Program
Version 1.1

Overview

The Hourglass interface program is a DOS program. It is used to convert timer and telephone records from a Meridian Norstar Phone System to be compatible with the TABS III Merge Data Capture Transactions program. The Hourglass interface program must reside in the same directory as the TABS III programs in order to work properly.

This program only works with "closed collection" files. Hourglass timer records are accumulated and stored in binary files and are sequentially named N0000001, N0000002, N0000003, etc. When you close the binary files using Hourglass Administration, closed collection files are created. These closed collection files are distinguished from the open collection files by their extensions. Closed regular Timer collection files have a filename extension of TSD and closed Long Distance Timer collection files have an extension of LSD (the S stands for stored). Open collection files have TCD and LCD extensions (the C stands for current). After closing your collection files, you can determine the names of the newly closed files by exiting to DOS and entering the DOS command "DIR *.?SD". The newly closed files will be displayed on your screen with today's date (i.e. the closing date). For example: N000012.LSD and N000012.TSD.

Both fee and cost transactions can be converted by the Hourglass interface program. When converting a TSD file, fee transactions will be converted. When converting an LSD file, cost transactions will be converted. You can configure the Hourglass interface program to ignore timer records that have a timed duration less than a duration of your choosing. You can also configure the Hourglass interface program to ignore long distance call records whose costs are less than a specified dollar amount of your choosing.

Note: Numbers do not allow decimal points. The Hourglass interface program will automatically insert a decimal point based on the Key Length defined in the TABS III system (i.e. if TABS III is set up for file numbers with two decimal places, an Hourglass file number of 10000 will be imported as 100.00).

Important: TABS III fee transactions require an attorney number for each timer transaction. You must configure the Hourglass program in a certain way to accomplish this. From the main menu of Hourglass, access the Configure Hourglass System menu. Then, select Register Telephone Sets. Each Set Number has a User Name associated with it. Immediately following the User Name, enter a "/" character and the User's TABS III timekeeper number. For example:

        A.G. Bell/12

        W. Churchill/24

You may need to abbreviate names that are too long, but it is important that a "/" character and the TABS III timekeeper number are the last characters in the User Name field for each telephone set. This will allow the Hourglass interface program to convert timer collection records properly.

Note: The Create Validation Files program must be run before you can successfully use this data capture device interface program. The Create Validation Files program is found in TABS III by selecting the following menu options Maintenance|Integration|Create Validation Files. When creating validation files, select a Validation File Type of Data Capture Device.

Installation

The Hourglass interface program (Hourconv.EXE) must be transferred to the directory on your hard disk where the TABS III program files reside. This is done by using the INSTALL program on the Hourglass interface program disk.

To install the Hourglass interface program on your hard disk:

  1. Insert the Hourglass interface program disk into your floppy disk drive.
  2. From a DOS prompt, make the floppy disk drive the default drive by entering the drive letter followed by a "colon". For example, if your floppy disk drive is drive A, then enter:

    3.         A:

  3. From the floppy disk drive prompt, enter the command:

    4.         INSTALL

    Note: The INSTALL program has a built-in search feature that will find where your TABS III program files reside. On larger network hard drives, this search feature can take quite a bit of time. If you know where the TABS III program files reside, you can bypass this search feature by entering the path following the install command. For example, if the TABS III program files reside on drive F: in a directory named "STI", you would enter: INSTALL F:\STI

  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software onto your hard disk. The Install program will locate your TABS III software on your hard disk so that the interface program can be transferred to the same directory as TABS III. After the installation process, the message "Installation Complete" will be displayed.
    5.

Executing the HOURGLASS Interface Program

Use the following procedure for conversion:

  1. Transfer a closed collection file from your phone system to your computer's hard disk in the directory where your TABS III programs reside.
  2. From a DOS prompt, start the interface program by entering:

    3.         HOURCONV filename

    where filename is the name of the closed collection file to be converted. It should end with an extension of either TSD or LSD.

  3. The first time you run the HOURCONV program, you will be asked to enter the TABS III fee transaction code number that you would like to use for timer transactions. You should add a transaction code in TABS III with a Type Code of 5 (Miscellaneous) with a description that can be used when importing Hourglass timer transactions. Timer records that have a non-blank Task Name and/or Task Detail Name will be converted using the Task Name descriptions for the TABS III transaction description text. However, if the Task Name descriptions are blank then the description for the Type 5 tcode that you specify here will be used.

    4. You will also be asked to enter the TABS III cost transaction code number that you use for telephone cost transactions. You can also specify the minimum phone call duration before a fee transaction will be created. For example, if you don't want to charge a fee for phone calls less than 6 minutes, enter 6. Lastly, you will be asked to specify a minimum cost to be billed for phone calls. Any long distance calls less than the amount that you specify here will not be converted.

  4. Next, you will be asked "Is it OK to continue? (Y/N)". If you enter "N" the program will be aborted. If you enter "Y" the program will look for the filename that you specify containing the Hourglass phone data. If the file is found to contain data, the program will display the message "Converting Transactions" followed by a count for each transaction read from the file. The files T3FEEKEY.REM, T3FEE.REM, T3FDESC1.REM or T3EXPKEY.REM, T3EXP.REM, T3EDESC1.DTA will be created which can be merged with the main TABS III data files. You must start TABS III and run the Merge Data Capture Transactions program.

Note: If you are not using a demo version of the program, the closed collection file that you specified when starting the interface program will be deleted from your TABS III directory when the conversion is complete to avoid double posting of the data.

Note: You may change the telephone transaction codes in the future by deleting the file HOURCONV.PRM which is created in your TABS III directory. This will enable you to go through the setup procedure described above in Step 3 as a first time user of the program.