The Stack Controller

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Overview

• By default, Monsoon Order Manager stores pending post requests on the local workstation using the Stack Controller within the program file .

• The "Local" stack controller is recommended for smaller Web stores with a low volume of orders. However, if you are using the Order Status System or Monsoon Order Manager becomes "hung up" while importing orders, processing tracking numbers, or sending email, you probably need to set up a Shared Stack Controller instead.

About the Stack Controller

• The Stack Controller is very similar to a print queue. Take for example, order status changes: as you process orders, status change data needs to be sent to your website, so the data is queued in the stack controller until Monsoon Order Manager checks for post requests to send. At regular intervals, the program attempts to send these post stack requests to your website.
• Behind the scenes, Monsoon Order Manager gives control of this process to Internet Explorer. If Internet Explorer encounters a problem (i.e., it doesn't receive a response from the Website), it appears as though Monsoon Order Manager is not responding when in fact it is waiting for a sign from Internet Explorer that the post stack requests were sent successfully. The delay becomes a problem when dozens or hundreds of posts are waiting in the queue and each one is delayed; Monsoon Order Manager could be unavailable for several minutes.
• When using a Shared Stack Controller, requests from each workstation running Monsoon Order Manager are stored in the shared data file rather than the program file on a given workstation. If Internet Explorer encounters a problem, Monsoon Order Manager stops responding only on the machine designated as the Shared Stack Controller, not on all of the local workstations. Users can continue to work on the local workstations and eventually the program attempts to re-send the post stack requests from the shared stack controller.

Note: Monsoon Order Manager must be open and running on the PC hosting the shared post stack controller at all times for the data to be updated. If the PC fails or is replaced, return to these directions to assign a new shared post stack controller.

Set up a Shared Stack Controller

This process should be performed off-hours, as records are constantly added to the stack as orders are processed or ATP changes.

First, make sure the post stack controllers on each computer are clear:

1. From the Main Menu, press Ctrl+Shift+S.

2. A message box opens indicating if the number of records in the stack. Select OK.

3. If the stack contains records, select Yes to open the Post Stack Viewer. If there are no records in the stack, select No. Proceed to the next section.

4. If you selected Yes to open the Post Stack Viewer, select the Send Now button.

5. When all records have been sent successfully, select Close.

Then, set up the Shared Post Stack Controller:

1. Decide which computer will be the designated stack controller. If your data file is stored on a file server, use that device.

2. Go to the Main Menu>Settings>System Functions>Set System Parameters or select System Parameters on the Quick Clicks menu.

3. Select the Program system parameter group.

4. Select the parameter WebStackController. In the Parameter Text field, enter the name of the computer hosting the shared stack controller.

To determine the computer name of the workstation, right-click on the My Computer desktop icon and select Properties. select the Computer Name tab. Look for the value in the Full Computer Name field, and enter up to the first 15 characters of the computer name (value to the left of the period separating the computer name from the domain name) into the WebStackController parameter. Depending on the operating system, these steps may vary slightly. This example depicts a Windows XP installation.

5. Select Save.

6. Select on the WebStackLocation system parameter. Select Shared from the list. Select Save.

7. Select Close to exit the Set System Parameters dialog box.

Additional Information

Created: 1/27/12

Revised: 10/11/12

Published: 08/19/15