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I use MET/CAL with MET/TEAM and I've made a change to my metcal.ini file, but when I launch MET/CAL again later, the change is undone, what happened?
 
The following only applies to MET/CAL when used with MET/TEAM.  If you use MET/CAL with MET/Connect, this does NOT apply.

In MET/CAL version 9.0.0, a new User Interface (UI) was introduced to allow making changes to the various settings stored in the metcal.ini file instead of using a text editor. Starting in MET/CAL version 9.1.0, each workstation's metcal.ini file is uploaded to the MET/TEAM database when changes are made via this UI.  Now, when launching MET/CAL, the latest saved copy of this file (and the config.dat, now the instrument_configuration.json, file) are downloaded from the database and overwrite any changes made directly in the file.
 
 
The reason for this change was to support the security settings added in MET/TEAM's Configure>MET/CAL Security menu. If changes could be made directly in the metcal.ini file, then these settings could not be secured by user security groups.
 
 
The upload of these files to the database also supports MET/CAL's new 'Imitate Workstations' functionality, allowing settings to be easily cloned from one workstation to another.
 
In MET/TEAM version 3.1.0, a new system default (Download config files from database on startup) was added to allow users to disable this automatic download feature. It is important to note that disabling this feature, by setting this system default to inactive, will allow anyone with access to the metcal.ini file to circumvent security settings. If necessary to resolve a specific issue, consider only disabling the setting temporarily.
 
 
It's important to understand the order of events that occur with MET/CAL's metcal.ini file because it can lead to some confusion when changing certain settings.
As mentioned above, if MET/CONNECT is being used, no files are uploaded to the database so the rest of this only applies to MET/CAL when used with MET/TEAM.
**Also important to note, if the "Download config files from database on startup" system default is set to inactive, no files are downloaded but they are still uploaded at the indicated times. 
  • Every time MET/CAL is opened, it uses the workstation's local copy of the metcal.ini to determine if it is using MET/TEAM or MET/CONNECT and where the website is located.
  • MET/CAL then uses the 'local' settings to connect to the website and then it downloads the copy of the metcal.ini file from the server and overwrites the local metcal.ini that was just used.**
    NOTE:  If there is not a copy of the metcal.ini file, for this workstation, saved on the server, then this step is skipped and the process continues.
  • If any configuration changes are made to MET/CAL while it is opened, they are saved to the local metcal.ini file and uploaded to MET/TEAM, replacing the previous versions.
  • Every time MET/CAL is closed the current state of the metcal.ini (and instrument_configuration.json) are uploaded to the MET/TEAM or MET/CONNECT database if they are missing.
  • This process repeats every time MET/CAL is used.

This seems straight forward enough, especially when MET/CAL's UI is used for all configuration changes but here is a common scenario, especially for long time users of MET/CAL, who are used to using text editors to modify their metcal.ini files.

Over the weekend MET/TEAM is being moved to a new server.
Friday afternoon all is working correctly, when the user closes MET/CAL, the current metcal.ini with settings for the 'old' server are present in the MET/TEAM database.
Over the weekend IT re-locates MET/TEAM to the new server.  Monday morning the 'experienced' MET/CAL user, uses a text editor to modify the workstations metcal.ini with the new MET/TEAM address on the 'new' server.
Then, then next time MET/CAL is used the steps above are followed...

  • MET/CAL is launched and it gets the 'new' server's email address from the local metcal.ini file that was just modified via a text editor
  • MET/CAL uses these new settings and successfully connects and downloads the metcal.ini file from the server.**  (Quick reminder the metcal.ini being downloaded has has the 'old' MET/TEAM address in it as explained above.)
  • Because all worked as expected, the user is happy and no configuration changes are made with MET/CAL's UI so the local metcal.ini, now with the old MET/TEAM website address is NOT updated or uploaded to MET/TEAM.
  • When MET/CAL is closed, the current state of the metcal.ini file (with the old MET/TEAM address) is still present in the MET/TEAM database.
  • The next time MET/CAL is used, the process is repeated, but this time the 'local' metcal.ini has the old server's address and fails to open (assuming the old server's MET/TEAM website was stopped).

The key to ensuring MET/CAL is correctly configured after any 'external' changes are made to the metcal.ini is to ensure the next time MET/CAL is used, the Configure tab is used to review the externally made changes are still in place, correcting as needed.  If nothing has been changed, then change something, anything, and click the [APPLY] button.  If the change was not desired, then change the setting back, click the [APPLY] button again.  The key is that the [APPLY] button must be clicked to ensure the local metcal.ini file is again updated with the desired changes and uploaded to MET/TEAM.  
Now MET/CAL can be closed with the correctly updated and current metcal.ini file present in MET/TEAM, ready for use the next time MET/CAL is used on this workstation.

Whenever changes are made to the metcal.ini, it is best to open and close MET/CAL two (or even three) times in a row, without making any additional changes. to ensure the desired settings are correctly saved into the MET/TEAM database.

This process needs to be repeated for any MET/CAL workstations that need to be updated. 

In the end, you will find that it is easiest to stop using text editor's to modify the metcal.ini and instead use the MET/CAL UI.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact SoftwareSupport@FlukeCal.com for assistance.