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5th Revision, 1/2013
Contents
About This Guide ................................................................................................................ 1
Getting Help ........................................................................................................................ 2
Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................................................ 2
B2W Knowledge Base ...................................................................................................... 2
24-hour Technical Support ............................................................................................... 2
Context-Sensitive Online Help .......................................................................................... 2
B2W Support Website Alerts ............................................................................................ 3
Technical Overview ............................................................................................................ 4
System Components ........................................................................................................ 4
Database Server .......................................................................................................... 4
License Pool ................................................................................................................. 4
B2W Estimate Database .............................................................................................. 5
Client Software ............................................................................................................. 5
Administration Software ............................................................................................... 5
Configuration Options ....................................................................................................... 6
Stand-Alone.................................................................................................................. 6
Client/Server................................................................................................................. 6
Windows Terminal Services / Citrix ............................................................................. 7
Mobile Estimating ............................................................................................................. 8
Mobile Estimating Requirements ................................................................................. 9
More Information .......................................................................................................... 9
Installing and Configuring B2W Estimate ...................................................................... 10
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements .................................................. 10
Installing B2W Estimate ................................................................................................. 10
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool ................................................ 10
Activating B2W Estimate ................................................................................................ 10
Changing the Administrator Password ........................................................................... 11
Managing Add-Ins .......................................................................................................... 12
Configuring Users and Groups ....................................................................................... 15
Managing Groups ....................................................................................................... 15
Managing Users ......................................................................................................... 16
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions ............................................... 18
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases............................................................. 24
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate Databases .................................. 24
Shared License Pool .................................................................................................. 24
Unique Users and Groups .......................................................................................... 24
Creating Additional Databases ....................................................................................... 25
Administering Different Databases ................................................................................. 27
Command Line Switches ........................................................................................... 28
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate Database .................................................................... 29
Purge Deleted Data ........................................................................................................ 29
Archiving Estimates ........................................................................................................ 29
Archive estimates ....................................................................................................... 29
Restore estimates ...................................................................................................... 30
Access an archive database ...................................................................................... 31
About This Guide
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide outlines the process of installing B2W Estimate
in several different configurations, including stand-alone, client/server, and Windows
Terminal Services or Citrix. In addition, it describes the features of the B2W Estimate
Administration tool that are related to a successful and complete installation.
The installation guide is separated into five chapters:
Chapter 1 – Technical Overview discusses the system components that comprise a
B2W Estimate installation and briefly describes the two main installation types.
Chapter 2 – Installing and Configuring B2W Estimate describes the administrative
functions that are found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool, such as creating
groups and users and installing add-ins.
Chapter 3 – Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases discusses the option
of creating additional B2W Estimate databases and gives you some pointers on
managing multiple B2W Estimate databases.
Chapter 4 – Maintaining Your B2W Estimate Database describes two features
found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your
database stays well organized for optimum performance.
Page 1 of 32
Getting Help
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide is one of many tools at your disposal as you
install B2W Estimate. B2W Software provides a host of technical support resources
to help you get the answers you need, when you need them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have you ever wondered how to do a certain task in B2W Estimate? Chances are
other users have as well! Check the Frequently Asked Questions page on B2W
Software’s premium support web site for the latest answers to your questions.
The frequently asked questions page is located at:
http://support.b2wsoftware.com/faq
B2W Knowledge Base
B2W Software provides an extensive online knowledge base of known problems,
bugs, and tips accessible via the internet. The knowledge base is continually updated
with important bug notifications and workarounds.
Access the B2W Knowledge Base on our premium support website and use it to find
fast solutions to technical problems with B2W Estimate.
The knowledge base is located at: http://support.b2wsoftware.com/knowledgebase
Note If you want to receive an e-mail each time a new KB article is published, you
can subscribe to our free alert service at:
http://support.b2wsoftware.com/alerts/default.asp.
24-hour Technical Support
B2W Software is home to the finest technical support call center in the industry. The
B2W technical support staff is at your service providing quick professional resolutions
to your technical support issues, answers to your questions, and responses to your
feedback and suggestions.
We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (888) 390-8822 or
[email protected].
Context-Sensitive Online Help
The fastest way to get your questions answered is to refer to B2W Estimate's contextsensitive help system.
Access the help system by clicking Help
keyboard.
on the toolbar or by pressing F1 on your
The online help system is designed to automatically display a topic which
corresponds to exactly what you were doing in B2W Estimate. Once inside the help
Page 2 of 32
system, you can navigate to other help topics by using the table of contents, the
index, or by performing a keyword or text search.
B2W Support Website Alerts
The B2W Support Website allows you to subscribe to an e-mail alert system which
can be configured to send you an automatic e-mail every time a product, add-in,
report, or piece of documentation is published or updated. You can even subscribe to
receive alerts when new knowledge base articles are published.
These e-mail alerts ensure you are among the first to know whenever one of your
subscribed files has been updated and is ready for download. You will receive an email clearly listing which files have been updated.
You can subscribe to this free alert service at:
http://www.support.b2wsoftware.com/alerts/default.asp
Page 3 of 32
Technical Overview
Before installing B2W Estimate, it’s important to become familiar with B2W Estimate’s
five system components. Understanding these components and knowing where each
resides helps to ensure a smooth implementation.
System Components
Every B2W Estimate implementation consists of the following five system
components:

Database server

License pool

B2W Estimate database

Client software

Administration software
On a single-user workstation or in a terminal server environment, all five components
reside on one computer. In a client/server environment, all five components reside on
your dedicated B2W Estimate server, but the client software and administrative
software are also installed on network workstations.
Note: If you install B2W Estimate on a server with Windows Terminal Services
capabilities, your workstations that connect to the B2W Estimate database through a
LAN can still do so in a traditional client/server fashion. In this case, B2W Estimate
would be installed on those workstations as “Network Workstations,” which means
that the client software and administrative software would also reside on the
workstations.
Database Server
The database server is an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 2008/2012/2014 that
stores and manages one or more B2W Estimate databases. Depending on your
installation environment, the database server may reside on a dedicated network
server, or may just be a SQL Server Express instance on an individual workstation.
License Pool
The license pool resides on the database server and contains a number of concurrent
licenses that allow access to B2W Estimate by the client software. After you have
installed B2W Estimate, you will activate your license pool for the number of B2W
Estimate licenses purchased by your company. When an estimator launches B2W
Estimate, one license from the license pool becomes “in use.” When that estimator
closes their B2W Estimate program window, the license becomes “available.”
Note: Using the B2W Estimate Administration tool does not consume a license.
Page 4 of 32
B2W Estimate Database
The B2W Estimate database resides on the database server and contains the
following information:

B2W Estimate user accounts. A user account is created for each
estimator or manager who requires access to the system.

Resources. Resources consist of cost-related information such as labor,
equipment, and materials, as well as other information such as
subcontractors, vendors, and customers.

Item templates. Item templates allow estimators to configure the cost
structure of bid items for subsequent use while creating estimates. Item
templates are contained in what is referred to in the client application as
“item databases.”

Estimates. All estimates created in the system reside in the B2W
Estimate database.
During the installation process, the B2W Estimate setup program installs two unique
B2W Estimate databases on your database server:

B2WData. This is an empty database intended for your company-specific
users, resources, item templates, and estimates.

B2WSample. This database contains a complete set of sample users,
resources, item templates, and estimates. The B2W Estimate Getting
Started Guide uses this sample data as a basis for walking estimators
through the system. It provides a good reference as your estimators get
up to speed with the “real” company-specific database.
Companies who purchase B2W Estimate Enterprise Edition have the option of
creating additional B2W Estimate databases at any time. This is typically useful for
larger companies with several divisions that share a dedicated server but bid very
specific types of work. The process of creating and administering multiple B2W
Estimate databases is discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases.
Client Software
The B2W Estimate client software allows the creation and editing of resources, item
templates, and estimates. In a traditional client/server environment, the client
software is installed on your estimator workstations. The client computer runs the
B2W Estimate client software, but saves and retrieves data to and from the B2W
Estimate database on the database server.
Administration Software
The B2W Estimate Administration software allows a system administrator to manage
the B2W Estimate installation, including the configuration of B2W Estimate users and
groups, as well as system extensions called “add-ins.”
The administration software is installed with every installation type, allowing the
administration of the system from any server or workstation, as long as the
administrator password is known.
Page 5 of 32
Configuration Options
There are three different ways B2W Estimate can be configured.
Stand-Alone
In a stand-alone configuration, all five system components (database server, license
pool, B2W Estimate databases, client software, and administration software) reside
on a single computer. No information is shared, and no networking capabilities are
required.
This type of installation is typically only recommended for very small companies with
only one estimator.
The single-user workstation:
Client/Server
A client/server environment, as the name implies, consists of a dedicated network
server and one or more client workstations. In this environment the database server,
the license pool, and the B2W Estimate database all reside on the dedicated network
server. (For convenience, instances of the B2W Estimate Administration tool and the
client software also reside on the server.) The client software is installed on each
estimator workstation, which can then connect to the dedicated server for the other
components.
The advantage of the client/server environment is that all estimators share a central
B2W Estimate database. From an administrator’s standpoint, a central database is
easy to maintain and back-up. From a manager’s standpoint, a central database
leads to great consistency from one estimator to another, and in the long run, a vast
array of cross-estimate reporting capabilities.
For these reasons, the client/server environment is the recommended installation
environment for the vast majority of B2W Estimate users.
Page 6 of 32
The client/server environment:
Windows Terminal Services / Citrix
Having Windows Terminal Services or Citrix installed on your dedicated B2W
Estimate database server often provides a very efficient way for estimators to
remotely connect to their database server via WAN or dial up connection.
The terminal services option gives estimators the ability to connect remotely to the
database server, even when away from the office. As long as an estimator has
Internet connectivity and a minimum connection speed of 56kbps, they can use B2W
Estimate as though they were at their own desks. They can access B2W Estimate
using the Remote Desktop Connection software, which is somewhat analogous to the
idea of turning on a new monitor that just shows “what’s happening” on the terminal
server.
Note that a terminal server is not a requirement and is typically best utilized in
conjunction with a traditional client/server installation. In other words, when an
estimator uses B2W Estimate at the office, he would do so within a traditional
client/server environment. If the estimator needs to connect to the B2W Estimate
server from a remote location, via WAN or modem, he would utilize the Remote
Desktop Connection software to access the system.
Page 7 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment:
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with
him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W
Estimate server. When he returns, he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified
estimates back to the B2W Estimate server.
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to
the B2W Estimate server is not reliable, for example in a job trailer or remote office
with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity. A temporary connection can be
established to the B2W Estimate server, estimates can be transferred to the remote
computer, and work can proceed while disconnected. Changes to the estimate can
Page 8 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing
the temporary connection.
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W
Estimate. If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of
Mobile Estimating, please contact B2W Estimate sales at [email protected] or
(800) 336-3808.
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating, here are a few technical requirements:

Client/server installation. To use Mobile Estimating, B2W Estimate must be
configured in a client/server environment, as described earlier in this chapter.
It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for
non-mobile users and a client/server environment configured for mobile
users. For more information about this option, consult your B2W
Implementation Services specialist.

Local database on mobile client workstation. Each mobile notebook
workstation must have a local database to hold resources, item database,
and estimate information for use when disconnected. The B2W Estimate
client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 08/12 instance
be present before the install will succeed. If no instance of SQL Server exists,
the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express
2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet.
Note: In order to use Mobile Estimating, a mobile user must be a member of the local
Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation. If the user
is a member of the local Power Users group, the database service on the mobile
workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of “Automatic”. Otherwise,
the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server.
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3
describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation.
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimator’s
perspective, see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper, available on the B2W
Estimate support Web site at http://support.b2wsoftware.com (login required)
Page 9 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which
help you put the finishing touches on your installation.
In this section, you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate
licenses, set your administrator password, install add-ins, and configure group and
user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate.
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate, please verify that your server and workstations have
the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system.
Refer to the B2W Software: Hardware and Software Requirements Guide, available
on the B2W Support Website.
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of
B2W Software Support Website. Download and run the software to install B2W
Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has
already been installed.
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to
guide you through the installation process.
If you have questions about installing the software, contact B2W Software Technical
Support at 888-390-8822 or [email protected].
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which
the B2W Estimate client software is installed, including the dedicated network server.
Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software.
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to B2W Software, then point to
Estimate.
2. In the Estimate program group, click Estimate Administration.
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool, you will be prompted
for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses. This code is obtained by calling
Page 10 of 32
B2W Technical Support. The activation code you are given will activate your license
pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased.
The Activation dialog:
Remember, B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme. This means that the
client software can be installed on any number of workstations, but only the number
of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time.
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed, the administrator password is blank, allowing
any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool.
For security, it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately
and that you change the password regularly.
Note: If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases, each database
needs to be configured with an administrator password.
To set an administrator password, or change the existing one, follow these
steps:
1. In the B2W Estimate Administration tool, click the Tools menu, point to
Security, and then click Change Administrator Password.
2. The Change Password dialog appears. Enter the old administrator password.
Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first
time.
3. Enter the new administrator password. Write this password down and keep it
somewhere safe. B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your
administrator password if you forget it.
4. Enter the new password again for confirmation.
5. Click OK.
Once you have set an administrator password, the Logon dialog will appear any time
a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool. The user must enter the
correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool.
Page 11 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog:
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager. This allows you
to install, update, and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality
for your estimators.
There are four types of add-ins:

B2W-Supplied Item Databases – You can install any number of state item
databases at no additional charge. Each of these add-ins gives your
estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority. A
unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W
Estimate.

Estimate Detail Exports – These optional add-ins provide your estimator the
ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be
imported by your accounting or project management software.

Pay Item Import/Exports – This type of add-in allows your estimators the
option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats, such
as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS.

Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimate's Authority Bid Forms allow you to
print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities.

Reports – There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are
automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation.
Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost. In
addition, new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website.
The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the
system.
To access the Add-Ins Manager, click Manage Add-Ins
in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool, or click the Tools menu, then select AddIns…
Page 12 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager:
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins. The version
number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the
description, which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by
comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website.
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Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1. In the Add-Ins Manager, click Add/Update...
2. Browse to and double click the add-in file. Locations for each type of add-in
are described in the table below:
Add-In
Icon
File
Extension
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases
.bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports
.bde
Pay Item
Import/Exports
.bpi
Authority Bid
Forms
.bbf
Standard
Reports
Where to find the add-in

support.b2wsoftware.com

Standard B2W Estimate
reports are automatically
added during the client
software installation.
Updated standard reports
are available on the B2W
Support site.

Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail.
.brd
Custom
Reports
.brd
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1. In the Add-Ins Manager, click the name of the add-in you want to remove.
2. Click Remove.
3. Click OK to verify the removal.
Note: Some add-ins, such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel
import/export, can not be removed. Please use caution when removing other add-ins,
as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed.
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Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User & Group Manager which helps
you create new B2W Estimate users and groups, and manage the information
associated with each. You can also configure each group with a unique set of
permissions, allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create,
modify, and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate.
Key points to remember:

You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups.

A user can exist in one and only one group.
Note: If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases, each has its own
unique set of users and groups. If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W
Estimate databases, you must create a user account for that estimator inside each
B2W Estimate database. Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases.
To access the User & Group Manager, click Manage Users & Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool, or click the Tools menu, then point to Security, then
select Users & Groups.
The User & Group Manager:
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups. Inside each
group, you can create a virtually unlimited number of users.
Create a new group
1. In the User & Group Manager dialog, click New Group.
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2. Enter a name for your group, and then click OK.
3. The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed.
Delete an existing group
1. In the User & Group Manager dialog, select the group you want to delete.
When you delete a group, all users within that group are also deleted.
2. Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard.
3. Click OK to verify the deletion.
Note: The "Estimators" group is a system group and may not be deleted.
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate. Using individual user
accounts, as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to
the program, has several advantages in B2W Estimate:

If an estimator leaves the company, their user account can be deleted without
affecting other users.

A user account can easily be moved from one group to another.

Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator
created or last modified each resource or item template.
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager,
information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right.
Create a new user
1. In the User & Group Manager dialog, click the group where the new user will
be a member.
2. Click New User.
3. Enter a User name. This name is used when the user logs on to B2W
Estimate.
4. Enter the user’s Initials. Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be
used to tag resource records and comments. B2W Estimate forces your entry
to uppercase as you type.
5. Click OK.
6. The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed. You
can now enter additional user information, as described in the next section.
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users & Groups Manager, the
User Information page is displayed. You can now enter additional user information, as
described below:
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Field
Description
User name
A read only field which displays the user name of the selected
user.
Initials
Initials of the selected user. B2W Estimate uses these initials to
track which user created each resource or item template record,
and also which user was the last to modify each record.
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user.
By entering a Windows domain account, the user will be
authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the
specified account, even if this user account has a password.
Enter the Windows account in the format <domain name>\<user
name>. For example: ESTIMATING_DOMAIN\MWILLIAMS
For security purposes, it is strongly recommended to assign a
non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to
a Windows account. (The B2W Estimate password does NOT
need to be the same as the Windows password.)
Password
The password assigned to the selected user. For security
purposes, the system will always display dots in this field when
you view user information, even if the user’s password is blank.
You can reset a user's password by entering a new value here,
without knowing the user's current password.
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start
the estimating client software. B2W Estimate stores the lastentered user name on each computer. If the last-entered user
name does not have a password assigned, or if the system can
authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain
account, the user will be logged in without the display of the
logon dialog.
Confirm
Password
To set a new password, re-enter the password in this field.
Full name
The user's full name. If a name is entered in this field, it is
displayed on the user’s home page instead of the user name.
Title
The user's title.
Company name
The user's company name.
Phone
The user's phone number.
E-mail address
The user's e-mail address.
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Move a user from one group to another
1. If necessary, double click the group name to expand the group where the
user is currently a member.
2. Drag the user from the present group to another, releasing your mouse
button when the target group name is highlighted.
Delete a user
1. Select the user you want to delete.
2. Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard.
3. Click OK to verify the deletion.
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level, permissions specify what group members can or cannot
do within specific areas in B2W Estimate, such as Resources, Item Databases, or the
Options dialog.
For example, a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that
others have created, so they would not need full permissions to the Resource
area. Or, you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew
templates and task templates, but no permissions to create or modify labor and
equipment costs.
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights
to other groups, B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or
alteration.
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current
B2W Estimate user.
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor, equipment, materials, and other
types of cost resources that can be added to estimates. By configuring resources
security for each group, you can specify whether or not group members can create,
modify, or delete individual resources.
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis.
For example, you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors, but he or
she may not create new labor or equipment records.
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by
choosing one of the following options:

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Users have all permissions and can approve resources – This setting is
for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create,
change, and delete resources without any restrictions. In addition, members
of this group can approve resources that were created by other users. More
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of
the B2W Estimate client application.

Users have the following permissions for all resources – Choose this
setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types.

Users have the following permissions for individual resources – This
setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource.
For example, you can assign different rights for labor than you do for
equipment.
If you choose the second or third option, there are three types of operations for which
users can be given specific permissions:

Create – Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources:
o
All – There is no restriction on creating new resources.
o
Approval – A special permission that allows group members to
create new resources that only they can see or utilize. These
resources require review and approval before they become available
to other users. The resources created by members of this group will
be visible to only the individual who created it, and to any managers
who have permissions to approve the resources.
This way, managers are comfortable in knowing that they have
control over what new resources are added to the system, without
forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that
they may need for a particular estimate.
More information on the approval process can be found within the
help system of the B2W Estimate client application.
o

Modify – Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing
resources:
o
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None – Group members are not allowed to create new resources.
All – There is no restriction on modifying resources.

o
Own – Each group member can only modify resources that they
created.
o
None – Group members are not allowed to modify any resources.
Delete – Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources:
o
All – There is no restriction on deleting resources.
o
Own – Each group member can only delete resources that they
created.
o
None – Group members are not allowed to delete resources.
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be
added to estimates. By configuring item database security for each group, you can
specify whether or not group members can create, modify, or delete item databases
and the item templates contained within.
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by
choosing one of the following options:

Users have all permissions and can approve templates – This setting is
for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create,
change, and delete item templates without any restrictions. In addition,
members of this group can approve item templates that were created by
other users. More information on the approval process can be found within
the help system of the B2W Estimate client application.

Users have the following item permissions – Choose this setting if you
want to assign one set of permissions for item databases, and another for the
item templates contained within those databases.
If you choose the second option, you can assign unique permissions for item
databases and item templates:
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Permissions for item databases – Choose from the following permission settings:

Create – If you place a checkmark here, group members can create new
item databases.

Rename – If you place a checkmark here, group members can rename
existing item databases.

Delete – If you place a checkmark here, group members can delete existing
item databases.
Permissions for item templates – The following permission settings apply to the
item templates that are stored within item databases:

Create – Select one of three permission levels for creating new item
templates:
o
All – There is no restriction on creating new item templates.
o
Approval – A special permission that allows group members to create
new item templates that only they can see or utilize. These item
templates require review and approval before they become available to
other users. The item templates that these group members create will be
visible to only the individual who created it, and to any managers who
have permissions to approve item templates.
This way, managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control
over what new item templates are added to the system, without forcing
the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may
need for a particular estimate.
More information on the approval process can be found within the help
system of the B2W Estimate client application.
o


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None – Group members are not allowed to create new item templates.
Modify – Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item
templates:
o
All – There is no restriction on modifying item templates.
o
Own – Each group member can only modify item templates that they
created.
o
None – Group members are not allowed to modify item templates.
Update – The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate
items or tasks as item templates. Specifically, it determines whether or not a
user is allowed to 'overwrite' existing information in the event the item or task
they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item
Databases area. Select one of the three following permission levels for
updating existing item templates:

o
All – There is no restriction on updating existing item templates.
Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate
items or tasks as item templates.
o
Own – Each group member can only update item templates that they
created.
o
None – Group members are not allowed to update existing item
templates.
Delete – Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates:
o
All – There is no restriction on deleting item templates.
o
Own – Each group member can only delete item templates that they
created.
o
None – Group members are not allowed to delete any item
templates.
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab:

Users have permissions to make changes in Options – Specify whether
or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W
Options dialog - a "behind the scenes" area which stores system-wide default
settings.

Users not restricted by estimate security – This option allows you to
remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group. This can be
helpful if you’d like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally
removed for key users.

Users have permission to use mobile estimating – Specify whether or not
the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating; the
ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your
B2W Estimate server.

Users have permission to view archived estimates – Specify whether or
not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates.
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Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies, typically those that have several divisions or regional offices, need
more than one B2W Estimate database. Each B2W Estimate database has its own
resources, item templates, estimates, and a unique set of users and groups.
When you first install B2W Estimate, the Setup program installs two unique B2W
Estimate databases on your database server:

B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users,
resources, item templates, and estimates from various construction
industries.

B2WData is a blank database, inside of which you can begin building your
own company’s resource and estimate data.
Note: The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the
Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate.
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your
database server. Licenses are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If your
license pool has been activated for 10 users, and 8 estimators are currently logged in
to one B2W Estimate database, then 2 more users can connect to other B2W
Estimate databases at that time. Later in the day, if only 6 estimators are logged in,
then 4 more users could connect, and so on.
In other words, if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server,
but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases, users from all divisions
utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate, regardless of
which B2W Estimate database they connect to.
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with
it. This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W
Estimate database, they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W
Estimate database to which they need to connect.
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Multiple B2W Estimate Databases:
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility.
To create additional B2W Estimate databases, follow these steps:
1. Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W
Estimate – typically the Administrator. (You cannot create additional B2W
Estimate databases from a client workstation.)
2. To launch the B2W Setup utility, do any one of the following:

Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the
support Web site

Run Setup.exe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD.

In your Windows Control Panel, go to Add-Remove Programs, select
B2W Estimate, and then click Change.
3. The Setup utility appears in “maintenance mode,” as shown below. Click
Install New Database.
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4. The Install Additional Databases page appears, as shown on the next page.
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created,
then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database. Click
Create.
5. If the database was created successfully, you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created. Click OK.
6. If applicable, repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases.
Once you have created all the databases you need, click Next, then click
Finish.
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Note: As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts, you will
need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database, as
described in the following sections, and then set its administrator password and
create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation.
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately. For example, if your
company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases, and
each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item Import/Export add in, you
will need to install the add-in twice – once for each B2W Estimate database.
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool, you do so for one specific
database at a time. To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool, just click the Tools menu, point to Security,
and then select Connect to a Different Database, as shown below:
The Administrative Logon dialog appears, as shown below, allowing you to specify
which B2W Estimate database to connect to:
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Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases, it is recommended that you
create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts. For each
shortcut, you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration
tool for a specific B2W Estimate database:
1. Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut.
2. Select Properties.
3. On the Shortcut tab, click into the Target field.
4. Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after
“/Admin” and enter the database switch in using the format
/Database=<database>, where <database> is the name of the database to
connect to.
Example: “C:\Program Files\B2W Software\Estimate\BID2WIN.EXE” /Admin
/Database=B2WConcrete
5. Click OK.
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Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database
In this section, you’ll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate
Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for
optimum performance.
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate, the record is just marked for deletion. The
data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database. Over time, many deleted
records will be left in the database, consuming valuable space and contributing to the
overall size of the database file.
B2W Estimate's Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove
deleted records from your B2W Estimate database.
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database, follow these steps.
1. On the B2W Estimate Administration home page, click the Tools menu, then
click Purge Deleted Data. The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears.
2. On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page, click Next.
3. On the Select Backup Location page, click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created, and then click Next.
4. On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page, select a number of days. The
value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last {X} days will not be
purged. Click Next to continue.
5. On the Summary page, review the brief summary of the impending purge
action. To begin the process, click Finish. Note that the actual run time of
this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion
in the database.
Note: All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility, as it
could place a considerable load on the server.
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your
main B2W Estimate database. Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your
database is free of unnecessary clutter.
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates, follow these steps:
1. Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative
permissions.
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2. Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool. On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page, click Archive Estimates. Alternately, you can
also click the Tools menu, then click Archive Estimates. The Archive
Estimates Wizard appears.
3. On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page, click Next.
4. On the Select Archive Database page, select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates, and then click Next. If
you've not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a
new one - follow these steps:
a. Click the Create New Archive Database button. The Create New
Archive Database dialog appears.
b. Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where
the archive database will be created.
c.
In the Database field, enter a name for your archive database.
d. You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and
Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files
that will be created.
e. Click OK to create your archive database. Once the new database
has been successfully created, click OK to return to the Archive
Estimates Wizard.
5.
On the Select Estimates Folder page, use the Browse button to select - or
create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-bearchived estimates should be stored. Alternately, to preserve the same folder
structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database, just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox. Click Next to proceed.
6. On the Select Estimates to Archive page, click the Add Estimates button.
The Add Estimates dialog appears.
7. Use the various sorting, searching, and filtering tools within the Add
Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive. You
can select individual estimates or entire folders. Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard, and then click Next to proceed.
8. On the Summary page, review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived. To begin the archive process, click Finish.
9. Once the archive process has completed, click OK to the confirmation
message that appears. The estimates you selected have been moved from
your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database.
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database, follow these
steps:
1. On the B2W Estimate Administration home page, click the Tools menu, then
click Restored Archived Estimates. The Restore Archived Estimates
Wizard appears.
2. On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page, click Next.
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3. On the Select Archive Database page, select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore, and then click Next.
4. On the Select Estimates to Restore page, click the Add Estimates button.
The Add Estimates dialog appears.
5. Use the various sorting, searching, and filtering tools within the Add
Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore. You
can select individual estimates or entire folders. Click Add to return to the
Restore Archived Estimates Wizard.
6. In the Action column, you can specify, for each estimate, one of the following
two actions:

Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main
database. The archived estimate remains in the archive database.

Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main
database and deletes the archived estimate
7. Once you have verified your actions, click Next to proceed.
8. On the Summary page, review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored. To begin the restore process, click Finish.
9. Once the restore process has completed, click OK to the confirmation
message that appears. The estimates you selected have been restored from
your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate
database
Note: Typically, when restoring an archived estimate, B2W Estimate assigns the
original estimate title to the restored estimate. Under very rare conditions, however,
B2W Estimate may add the phrase "Copy of..." when assigning a title to your restored
estimate, rather than using the original estimate title.
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer
has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time
you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it, or when a full
database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time
you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view readonly copies of the estimates that have been archived. Note that reports can be
previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database.
To access an archive database, follow these steps:
1. Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate.
2. Click the Tools menu, point to Security, then click Log On as a Different
User.
3. Your current B2W Estimate windows will close, and the Logon dialog for a
new B2W Estimate session will be displayed.
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4. Enter a valid user name and password, just as though you were logging on to
your main database, and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to, then click OK.
5. The B2W Estimate Home Page appears. Note that the name of the archive
database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner.
6. To reconnect to your main database, follow the same steps, but selecting
your main database in the Logon dialog.
Note: For easy switching between an archive database and a main database, you
can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop, with each one pointing to a specific
database. Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help
topic.
Note: You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in
order to reclaim the database space they once occupied.
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