Smartlaunch Web Interface

Requires Smartlaunch Internet Cafe: http://www.smartlaunch.com/

Features

The Web Interface (WIF) supports any Smartlaunch (SL) version, and can either use the SL XML API, or impersonate the SL Administration Module (SL Admin), to send commands and receive responses from the SL Server Module (SL Server). The new Smartlaunh RESTful API is fully supported, but not yet used, as it still does not offer any form of authentication or authorization - anyone can access it.

The WIF also supports both MS Access and MySQL database types (and is SQL Server ready, if SL ever adopts it) - but MySQL (the faster MyISAM, instead of the transactional InnoDB engine) is highly preferred for performance and security reasons.

The WIF can read from the SL Database (SL DB) either directly connected (the highly preferred method), or through the newer versions of SL Server via the SL Admin plugins system. The second method is a little bit easier to configure, as only the SL Server (and not the SL DB as well) needs to be reachable from the WIF - but it's also much slower: because the data needs to be first serialized and then deserialized back in both directions, and multiple reads can't be done simultaneously but only one at a time - it is strongly discouraged if you ever expect more than just 10 concurrent users. The first method scales seamlessly, utilizing multi-core parallel processing and non-blocking asynchronous multi-threading, even for thousands of concurrent users.

The WIF is currently localized in US English, Serbian Latin, and Serbian Cyrillic languages - and all the text is conveniently placed in separate XML resources (human readable Resx files), so that it can be easily translated at any time by anyone (no programming or compilation required). Rough drafts (automatic translations) are already available to help you start.

Common Features

Technical Features

Customization

All the pages follow a single master template layout, and use a global CSS file - so that any changes to either of them affect the whole website at once. Pages contain just the cleanly separated HTML markup, CSS styles, and client JavaScript code (most of it in separate JS files). Web server programming language is maintained in separate DLL files, so there is no unreadable "spaghetti" code on pages.

• Can easily be customized by any web designer, no programming knowledge required.

Hosting

The WIF fully supports any advanced web garden/farm configurations, and third-party shared caching providers.

• You can host the WIF entirely by yourselves, which is highly preferable for performance and security reasons, as your SL Server (and optionally the SL DB as well) need not be reachable from the internet at all, if it’s on the same local network as your web server.

Online Demo

The WIF online demo is themed to loosely resemble the default SL Client interface skin, and the data table layouts are just for presentation purposes - absolutely everything can be changed completely to your own liking. It uses a SL DB that is a couple of years old and heavily modified by hand, for confidentiality reasons, and as such does not represent a real life usage.

• Contact us to request a temporary administration access, and fully test the WIF online demo, without any restrictions, for a reasonably constrained time.

• You can even try out the WIF online demo with your own SL setup. First make sure your SL Server is reachable from the internet (connect to it successfully with the SL Admin from outside of your local network), and make note of its public (not local) IP address and TCP port. Then create a new Employee with the Administrator privileges (otherwise some functions may not work), and make note of its Username and Password - but do not use that login anywhere else, or it will automatically be logged-off there. Optionally do the same with your MySQL database (MS Access does not work over the internet without a third-party solution), if you want to test the much faster direct connection (the user needs just the read-only SELECT privilege - do not use the root login). Optionally create the buyer and seller test accounts for your online payment processor, if you wish to test the automated online payments as well. Contact us, and we will send you a link to the WIF control panel and a temporary login, which you can then use to configure your own settings (which will remain completely confidential, and not be kept afterwards), for a reasonably constrained time.

About Us

Admin Access

• Top users list, based on the total money spent, or the total time used, or the total number of sessions, for any given period. Includes the average time used, and the current indicator of an active session. Money can additionally include any combination of already paid time, offers, and products. Admin can click on a user's name for his details. (test: pick a start date before 2009, and click on the filter button)

Popular Applications

Admin Access

• Popular applications list, based on the total time used on them, or the total number of sessions with them, for any given period. Includes the average time used on them, and the current number of active sessions with them. Application's image is the same as in SL Client.
• Application's name can be clicked to populate its most frequent users list, based on the total time they used on it, or the total number of their sessions with it, for the same period. Includes the average time they used on it, and the current indicator of their active session with it. Admin can click on a user's name for his details. (test: pick a start date before 2009, and click on the filter button, then click on either of the first two application names)

Offers and Products

Admin Access | Offer / Product Menu

• Current offers list - users can see only the active ones. Offer's name can be clicked to view if it's disallowed for any computer group, and disallowed or custom priced for any user group, as well as its scheduled availability, usage limits, and expiration terms. (test: click on the first or last offer name)
• Available products list - users can see only the active ones. Product's name can be clicked to view if it's disallowed or custom priced for any user group.

News and Events

Admin Access | News Menu | Event Menu

• Recent news list - users can see only the articles that display at website. Admin can add, update, or remove a news article.
• Upcoming events list - users can see only the instances that display at website. Admin can add, update, or remove an event instance.
• Event's headline can be clicked to populate its participants list. Admin can click on a user's name for his details. (test: click on the first event)

Computer Overview

Admin Access

• Graphical overview of the computer layout, over a custom background, is the same as in SL Admin. It shows a visualization of the computer's console type and its current state, and a color coded representation of the remaining time when a user is logged on. Computer icon can be hovered over for its details.
• Computer status list, with the currently logged on users, their remaining times and active applications.

Reservation Bookings

Admin Access | Booking Menu

• Interactive computer scheduler showing booked reservations for any given date. Booking can be clicked for its details, and Admin can remove it. (test: pick a 2013-05-15 date, and click on the filter button)
• Can be exported to a number of image formats.
• Multiple themes supported.
• Admin can add bookings.
• Optionally (added upon request), users themselves could book computers if they have enough balance on their account to cover the reserved time, which you can then manually withdraw if they do not honor it.

Contact Us

Users Access

• E-mail contact form - anonymous users must pass a captcha check, to prevent spam messages.
• E-mail field is automatically populated for authenticated users.
• Admin can respond to anonymous users (or authenticated users without an e-mail address).
• Google ReCaptcha is fully localizable, and has a strictly valid HTML markup and CSS styles.
• Google Maps are fully interactive, with every possible option included. The user's IP address geo location is auto-detected (with a server-side fallback if the client's browser does not support HTML5). Directions to your place of business are displayed both visually and textually.

Users - Account

Users Access

• User can manually change his auto-detected regional culture (from browser language) and time zone (from IP address geo location).
• User login form uses SL accounts.
• Optionally (added upon request), new users can automatically register to SL with an account from a trusted third-party service (Google+, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, MySpace, Twitter, Gravatar).
• Forgotten password form is e-mailing to user his current password - but only if he enters the correct e-mail address (from his SL profile), to prevent spamming.
• Change password form first verifies the old password, and then checks for the length and strength restrictions (can be relaxed).

Users - Activity (web service)

• Listens for activity updates from your SL Server, and saves them to a XML file. Used as cache to avoid computer status spamming by waiting users.

Users - Profile

Admin Access | E-mail Menu

• User can access only his own profile, and change just his personal details.
• Admin can choose any given user, and additionally change his account options as well.
• Admin can send a personal e-mail to the user.
• User's image is the same as in SL Admin, and can be clicked for more details if he has an account at a trusted third-party service (Google+, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, MySpace, Twitter, Gravatar).
• Optionally (added upon request), user's missing personal details can be auto-populated if he has an account at a trusted third-party service (Google+, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, MySpace, Twitter, Gravatar).
• Current price for the user, in domestic and foreign currencies, can be calculated for any given amount of time.
• Automated online payment form currently supports any combination of PayPal (X.commerce), Payza (AlertPay), Skrill (MoneyBookers), OKPAY (Mayzus), CoinPayments (Cryptocurrencies) - and optionally (added upon request) any other online payment processors. Online payment processor's gateway page can be fully customized (logo image, item name/description, return link text, and an optional user note). User's personal details are sent to auto-populate the login or registration form, speeding up the signup process and increasing the conversion rate.

Users - History

Admin Access

• User's log history list. Admin can void any given transaction from a currently active session.
• User's most frequent applications list, based on the total time he used on them, or the total number of his sessions with them, for any given period. Includes the average time he used on them, and the current indicator of his active session with them. (test: pick a start date before 2009, and click on the filter button)

Users - Payment (web service)

• Listens for payment processor activity updates, and notifies you by an e-mail message.
• You can choose a foreign currency and its exchange rate.
• You can select between a test and the real account.
• Money is automatically added to the user's balance only when the payment processor's web service reports that the funds have cleared completely.
• If your web server is busy or down at the moment, a fail-safe mechanism verifies the transaction at a later time.
• A security measure prevents repeated confirmations (browser reload, navigation back, or potential attack).

Users - Sessions

Admin Access | Bill Menu

• User can access only his own financial sessions.
• Admin can choose any given user.
• User's balance sheet, for any given financial session, with total debt, already paid items, money deposits, taxes, and remaining balance amounts.
• User's bill items list, for any given financial session. Admin can click on an item's name for a popup menu: collect payment for an unpaid item (with any given payment method), remove an item (even if it's already paid).
• Admin can end the user's currently active financial session, collecting payment for any unpaid bill item with any given payment method, and choose to include taxes, or to save the remaining money. Admin can continue the user's last financial session.
• Admin can calculate the current price for the user, for any given amount of time.
• Admin can deposit or withdraw money to and from the user's balance.
• Admin can add time (with an optional fixed duration), or an offer (with an optional fixed start), or a product (with any given quantity and an optional note) to the user's currently active financial session, with any given payment method, and choose to include taxes. Offers and products are disallowed or custom priced per user's group. Prices are automatically calculated, but can also be custom priced as well.

Admin - Control Panel

Admin Access

• SL Server, SL Admin, and SL Client current versions.
• Cafe status, and the number of total and occupied computers.
• Current cashier employee, and the register's last opened date and time.
• Names and amounts of taxes, and whether the time is taxed as well.
• Website sitemap.xml can be downloaded, and auto-published to all major SEO web services.
• Error log gets automatically backed up on web server when downloaded, and the backups are listed, and can be purged.
• Memory cache maximum size. Cached items are listed, and can be purged.
• Application settings can be updated: SL Server regional culture and time zone, cache control for static content, website title name, public and an optional secure domain, optional public and secure CDN servers, SL DB connection (type, name, username, password, server and port), SL Server connection (Admin ID, username, password, server and port), Google ReCaptcha public and private keys, online payment processors required and optional settings, text or HTML e-mail format, Admin e-mail address, SMTP connection (server and port, optional password and implicit/explicit SSL authorization), foreign currency and its exchange rate, page size.

Admin - Computer Details

Admin Access | Computer Menu | Computer Info

• Computer details list. Computer name can be clicked for a popup menu: turn on, turn off, restart, force SL Client update, refresh optical drive, start VNC server, get WMI data, logon as Admin, logon a user, logon a guest, logon a user as a guest, logon at specific console controller, logoff user, move user to another computer, rename guest, change Client language, send console power switch command, enable or disable security, report as out-of-order.
• Computer traffic chart, for any given period, with the average (mean) graph, and the forecasting prediction for the same (future) period. Can be exported to a number of image formats. (test: pick a 2009-03-27 start date, and 2009-03-28 end date, and click on the filter button)
• Popular computers list, based on the total time used on them, or the total number of sessions on them, for any given period. Includes the average time used on them, and the current indicator of an active session on them. (test: pick a start date before 2009, and click on the filter button)

Admin - Prepaid Tickets

Admin Access | Ticket Menu

• Prepaid tickets list, with their associated users. User's name can be clicked for his details. Ticket's name can be clicked for a popup menu: sell (with any given payment method, and optionally choose to include taxes, or to associate a membership card), redeem to any given user, print, delete.
• Create a new prepaid ticket group, rename, or delete it.
• Generate new prepaid tickets, choosing a belonging prepaid ticket group, a belonging user group, quantity, price (money) or included offer (price is automatically calculated), expiration date, and print option. Offers are disallowed or custom priced per user's group.

Admin - User Accounts

Admin Access | User Menu

• Employee accounts list, with their privileges (type).
• User accounts list, with their last logged money balance and remaining time. User's name can be clicked for a popup menu: rename, change group, set group expiration date, associate a membership card, reset password, reset personal details, lock or open, ban or unban, delete.
• Create a new user, choosing a belonging group, and an optional barcode.
• Send a mass/bulk e-mail only to filtered users or employees.

Admin - Top Groups

Admin Access

• User groups list.
• Computer groups list.
• Top user groups list, based on the total money spent in them, or the total time used in them, or the total number of sessions in them, for any given period. Includes the average time used in them, and the current number of active session in them. Money can additionally include any combination of already paid time, offers, and products. (test: pick a start date before 2009, and click on the filter button)
• Top computer groups list, based on the total time used in them, or the total number of sessions in them, for any given period. Includes the average time used in them, and the current number of active session in them. (test: pick a start date before 2009, and click on the filter button)

Admin - Interim Statement

Admin Access

• Interim statement lists, for any given period. You can choose the exclude any given SL Admin or any given employee. (test: pick a start date before 2009, and click on the filter button)

Admin - Financial Transactions

Admin Access

• Financial transactions list, with associated SL Admin, employee, and user. User's name can be clicked for his details.

Admin - Log History

Admin Access

• Log history list. Admin can void any given transaction from currently active sessions.