This page contains the complete bxSQL Manual that is integrated into the system. Most screens of the User Interface
for both Administrators and Members have links to the specific section covering that screen.
Enter the email address you want to appear as the sender in all bxSQL
system generated emails. This address will also receive copies of emails
when Members perform certain functions, such as changing a password or when new
Member accounts are requested.
Admin Password
This is the encrypted password for administration access. To continue to
use the current password, leave this field blank. Any characters entered
will be encrypted and inserted as the new Administration Password.
Exchange Name
Enter the name for the banner exchange that will appear on system generated HTML
pages and email messages. The maximum number of characters is 100.
Home Directory Path
Enter the complete path for the banner exchange home directory. Do NOT include the
trailing "/".
Home Directory URL
Enter the complete URL for the banner exchange home page. Do NOT include the
trailing "/".
Template Directory Path
Enter the complete path for the templates used by the bxSQL system.
Do NOT include the trailing "/".
Data Directory Path
Enter the complete path for the data directory used by the bxSQL system. Because this
directory contains sensitive information please take the necessary precautions to
completely secure access from unwanted users. Do NOT include the trailing "/".
Data Directory URL
Enter the complete URL for the data directory used by the bxSQL system.
Do NOT include the trailing "/".
URLs must start with "http://".
Images Directory Path
Enter the complete path for the images used by the bxSQL system.
Do NOT include the trailing "/".
Images Directory URL
Enter the complete URL for the images used by the bxSQL system.
Do NOT include the trailing "/".
URLs must start with "http://".
Banner Directory Path
Enter the complete path for the directory were you will place the banner exchange
Member banners. Your system may require that the permissions for this
directory be set to world writable. Do NOT include the trailing "/".
Banner Directory URL
Enter the complete URL for the Member banners used by the bxSQL system.
Do NOT include the trailing "/".
URLs must start with "http://".
Queue Directory Path
Enter the complete path for the directory were Member uploaded banners will
be temporarily placed. Your system may require that the permissions for this
directory be set to world writable. Do NOT include the trailing "/".
Queue Directory URL
Enter the complete URL for the temporary directory where Member banners used by the
bxSQL system will be uploaded. Do NOT include the trailing "/".
URL's must start with "http://".
System Parameters
IP Check
Enabling IP Check will force the system to check IP Addresses and last access time
before issuing credits. If set to Yes the system will use the number of seconds
set in the IP Seconds Delay as the time required before allowing the same IP address
to accumlate credits. This can help keep cheaters to a minimum but will slow down your banner
exchange with additional database queries.
IP Seconds Delay
Value to be used in conjuction with IP Check. This setting is ignored if IP Check is disabled.
Free Credits
Enter the number of free credits (if any) given to those requesting a membership.
This can be set from 0 up to seven digit number. These Free Credits are
given to all new Member requests, but the account still needs to be activated
by the Administrator. A new Member request will not have their banner shown until
activation, but they can accumulate credits.
Refer Rate
If using referral URL's, this amount will be added to a Members account once the
Administrator has approved the referral. This can be changed before approving
new referrals to increase or decrease the amount of credits given for a referral.
Default Ad Rate
The Default Ad can be set to appear regularly during the rotation. Setting
this number at "4" will mean the default ad will appear every 5th
impression. To attempt to disable this feature set the number at a high value.
The Default should always be active as it will appear if a banner cannot be
found or if a Members banner is scheduled to appear on their own site.
Setting the value to "0" will make the system only display the Default Ad.
Paid Ad Rate
The Paid Ad can be set to regularly show Paid Advertisers during the rotation. Setting
this number at "5" will mean that a random banner from all the Paid Advertiser
group will appear every 6th impression. To attempt to disable this feature set the number
at a high value or do not set any accounts as Paid.
Setting the value to "0" will make the system only display Paid Ads and Default Ad.
Topsites Maximum
Set for the maximum number of Members to show in the bxSQL TopSites listing.
New Member Maximum
Set for the maximum number of New Members to show in the bxSQL New Member listing.
Category Columns
Set for the maximum number of columns to show in the bxSQL Category listing.
Banner List Maximum
Set for the maximum number of Member banners to show per page in the bxSQL Banners listing (MySQL Only).
How Heard List
List of options for new members when joining. Seperate options with a "|". Maximum of
255 characters.
Membership Open
Setting this value to "NO" will not allow new members to join
the banner exchange. A message will be displayed to the visitor in their
browser when trying to register.
Enter the font name (or names) to be used in bxSQL system generated HTML pages.
If you want to specify multiple fonts, separate each name with a ",". Do
NOT include quotes with your font names.
Examples:
Arial
Arial, Geneva, Verdana
Font Size
Enter the font size to be used in bxSQL system generated HTML pages.
Table header fonts are automatically increased one font size from this amount.
Examples:
2
-1
Member Menu Style
The Member Menu is generated on Member pages only. The Menu includes all of
the functions Members can perform on their account. Choices are either
a drop down select list or a list of radio buttons.
Select List
Radio List
One
Two
Three
Use Log
If enabled a text file is created that will log all Administrator and Member activity on the
system. This log can be reset from the Administration Menu. Because of size issues
this file is is automatically reset when it reaches 250,000KB. Heavily used exchanges may find
use of the log very server intensive. If that is the case Use Log should be disabled.
The system log does not track any banner display or click through activity through this log.
Each Log Entry will contain the date, time, and IP address of the user along with messages
regarding their usage of system functions.
Language File
Set the language file to be used for Member displayed output. The Language File MUST in the defined
System Home directory. Language files can be modified but must fit the format of the default English
version for proper functionality.
Remote Banners
Enabling Remote Banners will allow Administrators and Members to specify URL's for
banner images rather than uploading to the server. While this is not recommended it
can slightly reduce server bandwidth issues but will not make it possible for Administrators
to accurately verify all banners in the exchange. If this option is chosen the Banner Upload
functionality is disabled.
HTML Table Settings
Table Border
Enter the size of the border (if any) to be placed around bxSQL system generated
HTML tables.
The default is 0.
Table Padding
Enter the size of the padding (if any) to be placed in bxSQL system generated
HTML tables.
The default is 0.
Table Spacing
Enter the size of the spacing (if any) to be placed in bxSQL system generated
HTML tables.
The default is 0.
Table Width
Enter the size of the HTML tables generated by the bxSQL system. You may enter
exact pixel amounts or percentages.
The default will make the table large enough to fit all visible fields.
Table Color
Enter the color (if any) to be placed in bxSQL system generated HTML tables.
You may enter color names or hexadecimal numbers. If using hexadecimal numbers,
include the "#" sign before the number.
Examples:
white
#FFFFFF
Table Header Color
Enter the color (if any) to be placed in bxSQL system generated HTML tables header
rows. You may enter color names or hexadecimal numbers. If using hexadecimal numbers,
include the "#" sign before the number.
Examples:
black
#000000
Table Header Font Color
Enter the color (if any) to be used by bxSQL system generated HTML tables header
row fonts. You may enter color names or hexadecimal numbers. If using hexadecimal numbers,
include the "#" sign before the number.
Examples:
white
#FFFFFF
Table Sub Row Color
Enter the color (if any) to be placed in bxSQL system generated HTML tables sub
rows. You may enter color names or hexadecimal numbers. If using hexadecimal numbers,
include the "#" sign before the number.
Examples:
black
#000000
Table Sub Font Row Color
Enter the color (if any) to be used by bxSQL system generated HTML tables sub
row fonts. You may enter color names or hexadecimal numbers. If using hexadecimal numbers,
include the "#" sign before the number.
Examples:
black
#000000
System Images
System Images
Enter the name of the image file (GIF or JPG) that you want to use. Place all
images in the Images directory first.
The bxSQL system does not use the standard HTML buttons created with the <FORM>
tag. All buttons are viewed using images placed in the Images directory and
configured by the Administrator. Image previews are next to each file name.
There are 11 defined System Images:
Delete Image
Edit Image
Email Image
Go Image
Log In Image
Menu Image
Process Image
Reset Image
Submit Image
Utilities Image
View Image
Incorrect or missing images will not keep the system from functioning, but broken
images will appear on system generated HTML pages.
For best results make all system images are the same size.
Database Parameters
Database User Name
This is the User Name of your SQL Database for the bxSQL system. This is usually
assigned by a web hosting company or IT department. Database User Names are case-sensitive
and should not be modified once the system is running.
Database User Password
This is the User Password of your SQL Database for the bxSQL system. This is usually
assigned by a web hosting company or IT department. Database User Passwords are case-sensitive
and should not be modified once the system is running.
Database Name
This is the name of your SQL Database for the bxSQL system. This is usually
created by a web hosting company or IT department. Database names are case-sensitive
and should not be modified once the system is running.
Database Type
This is dependent on the type of database you connect to with the bxSQL
system. The system uses a unique non-specific interface and should work with tested database options.
Database Drivers should not be modified once the system is running.
Database Host
This is the name of your SQL Database host server for the bxSQL system. This is usually
set to localhost if the database is on the same machine as the web server. Check with
your web host or system administrator if unsure of this setting.
Banner Table
This is the name of your Banner table in the database set in Database Name for
the bxSQL system. This is generated by the setup program and does not need to be
modified. Changes made to this field will require a modification to your SQL database.
This may be case-sensitive on some systems.
Category Table
This is the name of your Category table in the database set in Database Name for
the bxSQL system. This is generated by the setup program and does not need to be
modified. Changes made to this field will require a modification to your SQL database.
This may be case-sensitive on some systems.
Click Table
This is the name of your Click table in the database set in Database Name for
the bxSQL system. This is generated by the setup program and does not need to be
modified. Changes made to this field will require a modification to your SQL database.
This may be case-sensitive on some systems.
Group Table
This is the name of your Group table in the database set in Database Name for
the bxSQL system. This is generated by the setup program and does not need to be
modified. Changes made to this field will require a modification to your SQL database.
This may be case-sensitive on some systems.
IP Table
This is the name of your IP table in the database set in Database Name for
the bxSQL system. This is generated by the setup program and does not need to be
modified. Changes made to this field will require a modification to your SQL database.
This may be case-sensitive on some systems.
Member Table
This is the name of your Members table in the database set in Database Name for
the bxSQL system. This is generated by the setup program and does not need to be
modified. Changes made to this field will require a modification to your SQL database.
This may be case-sensitive on some systems.
Referral Table
This is the name of your Referral table in the database set in Database Name for
the bxSQL system. This is generated by the setup program and does not need to be
modified. Changes made to this field will require a modification to your SQL database.
This may be case-sensitive on some systems.
Session Table
This is the name of your Session table in the database set in Database Name for
the bxSQL system. This is generated by the setup program and does not need to be
modified. Changes made to this field will require a modification to your SQL database.
This may be case-sensitive on some systems.
Stats Table
This is the name of your Stats table in the database set in Database Name for
the bxSQL system. This is generated by the setup program and does not need to be
modified. Changes made to this field will require a modification to your SQL database.
This may be case-sensitive on some systems.
View Table
This is the name of your View table in the database set in Database Name for
the bxSQL system. This is generated by the setup program and does not need to be
modified. Changes made to this field will require a modification to your SQL database.
This may be case-sensitive on some systems.
Hide Database Settings
Selecting Yes will protect your bxSQL database settings by hiding them
from view and accidental editing. You can unhide them at any time, however this is
a safe way to protect your settings once the system is up and running.
System Group
Group Settings
The bxSQL System can be configured to have multiple groups, each with its own parameters
for banner settings. The default Group cannot be deleted although it can be disabled. Groups
cannot be deleted as long as there are associated Categories and Member Accounts.
Group Name
This is the name of the Group. 100 characters maximum.
Group Description
This is the description of the Group. 255 characters maximum.
Banner Height/Width
Enter the pixel amount for the height and width of banners shown on the bxSQL system for this
Group. These numbers will force ALL Member banners in this Group to appear the same size.
Banner Size
Enter in KB's the maximum allowed file size for banners uploaded by Members. Banners
over this size will not be saved to the Banner Queue.
As an example, to limit Member Banner uploads to 8KB enter 8000.
This is not used for Rich Media Banners.
Maximum Banners Per Member
Enter the maximum number of banners a Member can have for their account at a time. After
reaching this number Members or Administrators will not be able to upload new banners for the
account until at least one existing one is deleted.
Ratio
This is the ratio for incrementing credits for banners shown on Member sites.
Ratio's must have the first number either greater or equal to the second number.
A Ratio of 1:3 is invalid for example.
Examples:
1:1
A ratio of 1:1 will increase a Members credits by 1 for every banner shown on their site.
3:1
A ratio of 3:1 will increase a Members credits by 1 for every 3 banners shown on their site.
5:2
A ratio of 5:2 will increase a Members credits by 2 for every 5 banners shown on their site.
Valid ratios amounts are between 1 and 9.
Logo Style
Selecting a value other than None will insert the appropriate additional HTML code
given to Members to place on their sites. The chosen logo image will appear either to the
left or below all bxSQL system banners using the Logo Style setting.
If Text Only is selected the name of the Banner Exchange will appear below banners in
the format "Member Of ExchangeName".
Logo Image
If Logo Style is set to use an image, you must enter a logo image (GIF or JPG) to
use. The logo must be placed in the bxSQL system IMAGES directory. Be
sure and properly size your logo to fit your selected banner size and logo position.
The system logo can be changed at any time without effecting banners in rotation.
Group Status
Changing a Group Status to "Off" will mean that new accounts cannot be added to the Group
and Administrators cannot change an existing Member to the Group.
System Categories
Category List
System Categories can be added or edited with this form. Certain characters
and punctuation are not allowed and will be removed. Plan carefully as adding
additional categories is fine, but deleting existing ones that have been selected
by Members is not allowed. Each Group can have a maximum of 125 Categories.
Using the bxSQL System Reports can help you identify which Members are using
specific Categories.
You can enter the categories in any order. They will be sorted alphabetically
on all forms.
Paid Accounts may also use the categories to target their ad displays.
Category Name
Enter a unique name for the Category. Maximum of 100 characters.
Category Description
Enter a description for the Category. Maximum of 255 characters.
Category Delete
Selecting the checkbox to the right of an existing Category will set it for deletion
on form submission. If there are existing Members in that Category it cannot be deleted.
System HTML Header & Footer
Exchange Header
This is the HTML that is inserted at the beginning of the page before any bxSQL
system generated HTML code. All bxSQL code is enclosed in self contained
tables and should work with almost any page design.
The settings in the HTML Header for the <BODY> and other tags
may effect the font and color settings made for the bxSQL system.
The HTML Header can include JavaScript and other advanced HTML code.
Exchange Footer
This is the HTML that is inserted at the end of the page after any bxSQL
system generated HTML code. All bxSQL code is enclosed in self contained
tables and should work with almost any page design.
The HTML Header can include JavaScript and other advanced HTML code.
The bxSQL Copyright code will appear after the footer HTML code.
NOTE: The system will not function if the header and footer
files are not placed in the designated directory in the system configuration.
System Email Messages
The bxSQL System sends many confirming emails to both Administrators and Members. Most
of these messages contain basic information that does not require editing. However there
are several Member messages that can be customized. Do not add HTML, Javascript or other
types of code to the templates since these are sent by email. The messages are:
Join Request Message
This email message is sent to Members after requesting membership. New
accounts are placed in a New Requests mode until approved by the Administrator.
Pending accounts can still receive credits for placing the exchange's HTML code
on their site, but their banners will not be shown in the rotation.
Confirmation Message
This is an email message that can be sent to Members to indicate their site has been approved
by the Administrator.
Delete Message
This is an email message that can be sent to Members to inform them that their membership
has been deleted.
Banner Change Message
This is an email message that can be sent to Members to indicate their banner has been changed or
added.
Password Change Message
This is an email message that is sent to Members to indicate their password has been changed. This
template uses and additional parameter $mempassword that should not be deleted. Doing so
will mean that members will not get their new passwords sent to them.
Statistics Message
This is an email message that is sent to Members to provide details on the accounts statistics. This
template uses several additional parameters $credits, $banshown, $totalImps,
$totalClks, $perc that should not be deleted. Doing so will mean that members will not
get their statistics properly sent to them.
Email Message Personalization
Email messages automatically include the Member account number. In addition can include some
other details by adding the following codes to the email message template:
Code
Value
$ExchangeName
Exchange Name
$AdminEmail
Admin Email
$bxSQLHomeURL
Exchange URL
$member
Member ID
$name
Member Name
$email
Members Email Address
$sitename
Members Site Name
$siteurl
Members Site's URL
As an example, you can customize a message like this:
Congratulations $name,
Your site $sitename located at $siteurl has been reviewed and your banner has been
placed in the $ExchangeName rotation.
You have received 5000 FREE credits.
If you need to make any changes to your account, use your Member Number $member and
Password at this URL anytime:
$bxSQLHomeURL
Once again thanks for joining. If you have any questions please contact us at $AdminEmail.
$ExchangeName Team
System Security
System Security
The bxSQL System is extremely secure. Since all Membership data is kept in a relational
database, there are few files for others to try and download or open. By placing all the
System "cgi" files in your CGI-BIN, you will help ensure that others cannot
view your variables files or settings.
All system passwords are encrypted for extra security and cannot be un-deciphered. Because
others may use or be familiar with the bxSQL system, it is advised that any Member Reports,
Database Dumps, or Email Lists not be kept on the server. After creating these types of
files you should download them and then use the available Delete function.
Email Functions
Email Members
Members can be emailed individually or as a complete group. The Email Members function enables
Administrators to send important announcements or updates to all email addresses in the database
or email a single Member.
If sending a group mailing the To: field will read "ALL". If sending to an
individual Member the To: field will show that Members email address.
Large mailings can take several minutes and will process in the background after the confirmation
screen is displayed.
Email Functions
Email Stats
The bxSQL System does not automatically send Members Stats by email. The Administrator can
use this function to send each Member detailed statistics about their account.
Large mailings can take several minutes and will process in batches of the number chosen by
the Administrator.
Email Functions
Email List
The list generated contains all of the email addresses in the bxSQL system separated
by commas. This list van be imported into other mail programs or databases. Any Member
that has an incorrect email address syntax will be skipped. The Administrator Email is
automatically added as the last address.
For Security reasons you should not leave reports on the server. Once created
and verified they should be deleted immediately. Creating a new report of the
same type will overwrite any existing one.
Member Profile
Name
Enter the name for the banner exchange Member. The maximum number of characters
is 100. Certain special characters are not allowed.
Email
Enter the email for the banner exchange Member.
Administrator's will be able to contact the Member using this address. Administrator's can also search
for Members by email addresses. Incorrect syntax is not allowed. Addresses must be formatted as:
user@domain.tld
Site Name
Enter the site name for the banner exchange Member. Administrator's, Members, and
users will be able to search for Members using sitenames. The maximum number of characters
is 100. Certain special characters are not allowed.
Site URL
This is the URL that will be displayed in Member searches. This URL does
not have to match the URL's used for individual banners.
Site Description
Enter a description for the banner exchange Member's site. Administrator's, Members, and
users will be able to search for Members using site descriptions. This description will
appear in the search results along with the Members Site Name. The maximum number of characters
is 100. Certain special characters are not allowed.
Password (Admin Only)
Enter a password between 3 and 10 characters. Passwords are encrypted and
cannot be un-encrypted by the Administrator. Leaving this field blank will
keep the current password for the Members account.
Changing a Member Password will generate an email message to the Members
current address on file with the new password.
Manual additions by the Administrator do NOT send an email confirmation.
Current Status
To put a Members account on hold, change the Current Status to OFF.
The Member will still receive credits for banners shown on their site, but
their banner will not be used in the rotation. Once set to OFF the account
can only be reactivated by the Administrator.
There can be one Default account that will appear when banners can't be found
by the bxSQL system or when a Members banner is scheduled to appear on their
own site. Make sure to always enable the Default account for the system.
The Member account set as the Default or Paid accounts can only have their
status changed by the Administrator.
Member Group
Each member must belong to an Active Group. After joining only Administrators can change
a Members Group.
Member Category
Each member must select one category to represent their site. Based upon
the selection, other members may block their banners being shown on that
site and others in the same category.
Member Ban Categories (Members Only)
Each member may select as many categories as they wish to assist in targeting
their banner impressions. Selecting NONE will make their banner
available to any site in the exchange. If a member selects all of the categories
their banner will not be shown at all. Members cannot select NONE and
additional categories at the same time.
Hold down the Control button to make multiple selections.
Member Last Access (Admin Only)
This date will indicate the last time the Member account had activity
of any kind. Banner impressions, account updates, and other bxSQL functions
stamp the current time on Member accounts. This date is searched when checking
for inactive Member accounts. Administrators can be sure that Members appearing
on the Inactive list have not participated in the banner exchange in any way
for the time period specified.
Member Credits (Admin Only)
This is the current number of credits available to the Members account. Administrators
can add or delete to this number. To give a Member 0 credits, enter 0,
do not leave the field blank.
Member Confirmation Messages (Admin Only)
Checking any of these boxes will send a confirming email message to the Members current
address on file. These confirmation messages are optional.
All email messages can be edited by the Administrator using the System Email Messages
function.
Mail Stats (Members Only)
Selecting this checkbox will put the Members email address on the list
to have statistics mailed at the Administrators request. Member statistics are
not sent automatically.
Member Functions
Change Password
Your Membership password can be changed at anytime. All modifications take place immediately
and you will have to log in again to continue to use Member Functions. Your new password must
be verified in the additional entry. A confirmation screen showing your password will appear
along with a confirming email.
All bxSQL passwords are encrypted and Administrators are only able to assign new passwords,
they cannot retrieve old ones. Passwords must be between 3 and 10 characters.
Member Functions
Statistics
Each Member has access to complete statistics about their banner exchange account. Their are
two categories, Statistics Since Joining and Banner Statistics. The
first cannot be altered, but Members can reset the statistics on any of their individual banners
at anytime. Individual banners also have a running grand total that cannot be altered.
Also provided are graphical statistics that give a quick synopsis of how the Members banners
are doing for impressions, click throughs, and percentage rate. There are detailed numbers per day
and also per hour of each individual day.
NOTE: Rich Media Ads will count Impressions but not Click-Throughs.
Member Functions
HTML Code
Each Member has a unique HTML Code that is placed on their site. This code will generate the
proper HTML needed to properly show banners at the right size and also ensure that Members
accounts are correctly credited for all banners shown.
The HTML Code is a self contained <TABLE> and will not effect the layout of Member website pages.
For best results center and add <P> tags before and after the code.
The HTML Code relies on <IFRAME> and <SCRIPT> tags supported by most newer browsers. in
the event a browser does not conform the HTML Code will attempt to use standard HTML for displaying
a banner.
Referral Code (optional)
If enabled a referral code will be provided that you can give to prospective members. Those who
sign up using your code can help you accumulate free credits based on the amount set by the
Administrators.
Contact support for more details about the Referral Program and if it is available.
Member Functions
Email Support
To contact the banner exchanges Administrator quickly, each Member can send an Email message
directly to them using the Email Support function. This message will include important information
about the Members account to help the Administrator quickly respond to the Members request.
A copy of the email will be sent to the Members email address on file. Members can also request
that the response be sent to an additional email address. All fields are required.
Delete Member
Delete Member
Deleting a Member is permanent and cannot be undone. You will be prompted once
for verification before the action is completed. Deleting a Member will remove their
information from the database and also delete any banners they may have in the bxSQL
System. You may optionally send an email confirmation by checking the Delete
confirmation box.
Manual Add
Add Member
Members may be manually added by the Administrator. All fields are required and you
may optionally send an email confirmation to the Member.
bxSQL System account numbers may not be reused once they have been deleted. This feature
is best used to create a Default Account or Paid Account that will not
need to place the exchange HTML code on their sites.
When new Members are added, the last added number is incremented by one and assigned to the
next Member.
Manually added Accounts are edited the same as regular Member Accounts. See the
Edit Member function
for details.
Paid Account
Paid Account
Paid Accounts can be added to the exchange at any time. They function similar to
regular member accounts but are only showed at the Paid Account interval set by
the Administrator. A Paid Account will not appear in the normal rotation, but will
take full advantage of category targeting if this is used.
If you have multiple Paid Accounts, they will be randomly shown at the defined rate.
You can switch a Paid Account to a regular account at any time, however unless the
exchanges HTML code is placed on a website a regular account will eventually run out
of credits.
Default Accounts
Default Accounts
The Default Account for a Group is designed to be used when a banner cannot be found for
a members account or when a members banner is scheduled to appear on their own site.
You can also set the Default Ad Rate to force the Default Account to show at a defined
interval during the rotation.
The account defined as the Default cannot change its status through the Members Area. Only
the Administrator may set the Default Account. This Account should always be active to
ensure that broken links do not appear in the exchange.
Default Accounts are edited the same as regular Member Accounts. See the
Edit Member function
for details.
Banner Functions
Banner Info
All banners used by the bxSQL system are located on the server that the software runs on.
This ensures that broken images are virtually non-existent and enables Administrators to
verify the size and content before placing in the rotation. There are settings that allow
validating image size and dimensions. For best results set a reasonable limit on banner
file sizes and frequently check the Banner Queue to approve or delete banners.
Banner Functions
Banner Upload
Banner images can be uploaded by using newer browsers with file upload capability. The image will
be saved as the Members Account number. The Banners redirect URL is required. The
Banners Status will be set to OFF initially and must be approved by the Administrator.
The maximum number of banners a Member may have active in their account is determined by the
Administrator. Trying to submit a new banner after this limit has been reached will result in
an error. An existing banner will need to be deleted first.
To find the image on your local computer use the Browse button to search your drives.
Each Member can only have one banner in the Banner Queue at a time. To upload a new banner
requires approval of the existing one or deleting it from the queue. Members can delete
their banners from the Banner Queue at anytime.
Remote Banners (optional)
Remote Banner allows Administrators and Members to enter the URL location of the banner
to be added for the Member Account. URL's must contain the beginning "http://" and
should point to valid images. After submitting the URL, the banner image can be activated
by using the Edit Banner
function and a URL for the banner click throughs can be entered.
Banner Functions
Banner Queue
This is the list of banner images in the temporary upload directory. Administrators
can view submitted banners for size and content before adding to the exchange rotation.
Selecting "Add" will replace the Members current banner on file with the
new one. The old Member banner will be deleted.
Multiple banners can be added and/or deleted at the same time.
Broken images usually indicate files that were too large or bad GIF or JPG images. These
should be deleted and not added to the rotation.
Banner Functions
Edit Banner
Member Banners can be individually edited to select a target URL and the banners Status.
Setting a banner to OFF will not delete it, but move it out of the live rotation. Once
a banner has been approved by the Administrator a Member can turn its Status On or OFF
without assistance from the Administrator. Deleted banners must go through the Submit Banner
Function to be available in the system again.
If a Members account Status is set to OFF, no banners will be shown regardless of their
individual Status.
The statistics for each banner can be reset individually. Site URL's must start with "http://"
for proper URL redirecting.
NOTE: Rich Media Ads do not have a target URL.
Banner Functions
Delete Banner
Banners can be deleted from the Banner Queue or the actual rotation by either
Administrators or the valid Member Account. Deleted banners are permanently removed
from the system and must be uploaded again to the Queue and approved before becoming
active in the system.
There is no Confirm prompt for this function. Check your selections carefully
before proceeding.
System Reports
ReportFormats
bxSQL provides several reports that Administrators can use to maintain and control their
exchange. These reports are created in a delimited format and can be imported into other
databases such as Microsoft® Access or Microsoft® Excel.
The Reports available are:
Member List - List all current Members
Paid Account - List only Paid Accounts
Hold List - List all accounts on Hold
Active List - List all active accounts
Credit List - List all accounts showing statistics
Group List - List all accounts by Group
Category List - List all accounts by Category
These reports can be sorted by Member Number, Member Name or Member Credits. The default
sort order is Ascending except for the Credit List. If you select that report and sort by
Member Credits the order will be Descending.
In addition to the above reports the Member Reports area may also contain the Mail List
Report and the Database Dump files for certain tables.
For security reasons you should delete all reports once the file has successfully download
to your local computer.
To create a report select the type from the drop down list and select a sort type
if desired. All reports are sorted by Member Number by default. After the report
is generated a confirmation screen will display along with a link to download the
report. There will also be an option to delete the file once the download is
successful. Creating a new report of the same type will overwrite any existing one.
For security reasons you should delete all reports once the file has
successfully download to your local computer.
System Reports
Delete Reports
To Delete a report click on the delete button to the right of its name.
There is no Confirm prompt for this function. Check your selections
carefully before proceeding.
For Security reasons you should not leave reports on the server. Once created
and verified they should be deleted immediately.
System Security
System Security
The bxSQL System is extremely secure. Since all Membership data is kept in a relational
database, there are few files for others to try and download or open. By placing the proper
permission on all the System files, you will help ensure that others cannot view your variables
files or settings.
bxSQL uses its own "session" tracking to ensure that Member ID's and Passwords are
used only to log into the system. After that a unique 32 character Session ID is used to verify
the identity. All Sessions are automatically removed once a day regardless of whether the user
logs out or not.
All system passwords are encrypted for extra security and cannot be un-deciphered. Because
others may use or be familiar with the bxSQL system, it is advised that any Member Reports,
Database Dumps, Email Lists, or Logs not be kept on the server. After creating these types of
files you should download them and then use the available Delete function.
The Data Directory that hold system generated Reports and Database Dumps should be properly secured.
Database Functions
Database Administration
The bxSQL System allows Administrators to back up and/or restore the
main system database tables. The back up file must be created before
any restore functions can be used. After a successful back up, the
system will show the date and time of the file and the Restore functionality
will be available.
Due to size and performance constraints the backup does not include non essential tables: Click Table,
IP Table, Session Table or View Table. To backup the entire database you must use tools
specific to your chosen database server.
Caution: The Restore Function will first
delete ALL data from the system tables. Use caution when restoring data as any Members
added since the back up was created will be lost.
The back up files are not useful as data as they contain SQL statements used to
repopulate the database. For a back up file to import into other programs use the
Database Dump
function.
Database Functions
Database Dump
The Database Dump functionality allows Administrators the ability to export
the entire Members and Stats tables to "txt" files. These files can then be
imported into other databases such as Microsoft® Access or Microsoft® Excel.
The exported file can have one of these field delimiters:
Semi-Colon ";"
Comma ","
TAB
The exported file cannot be used to recreate the database tables for the bxSQL
system. To accomplish that see the Database Administration
Database Restore Function.
Due to size and performance constraints the backup does not include non essential tables: Click Table,
IP Table, Session Table or View Table. To backup the entire database you must use tools
specific to your chosen database server.
Misc Functions
Search Membership
Administrators can search the database for Member Accounts by either their
Email address, Site URL, Keywords associated with their Account or by Group.
Partial matches are OK. The search results will have an option to select a particular
Member Account to edit.
Misc Functions
New Member Requests
New Membership requests are automatically placed in the New Requests Queue and
require Administrative action before being activated. Each new request will be
listed along with an option to select a particular one for editing. Clicking on
a Site Name will open that URL for reviewing in a new browser window.
Manual additions are also placed here first. To move a new request out of the queue
without activating them, place their account Status to OFF.
Multiple accounts cannot be activated.
Misc Functions
Hold Accounts
This is a listing of all Member accounts on Hold. These accounts may have been placed on
Hold by the Member. Accounts on Hold are still able to accumulate credits, though no account
banners, whether set to active or not will be shown. To verify if an account is not participating
check the Last Access time for the Member in the profile area or use the
Inactive Account
function to find Members inactive for a certain time period.
The results will have an option to select a particular Member Account to edit. Clicking on
a Site Name will open that URL in a new browser window.
Misc Functions
Inactive Accounts
This is a listing of all Member accounts with no activity for the selected
number of days. Multiple accounts can be deleted at one time. All Member information
will be removed permanently from the database, and any banners in the system will be deleted.
There is no Confirm prompt for this function. Check your selections
carefully before proceeding.
Misc Functions
System Errors
bxSQL has extensive error checking and input validation. To help troubleshoot the
system in the unlikely event of failure, there are Error Screens that should be displayed
to your browser. These screens will contain detailed information on what error occurred
or what input was invalid. Database queries and file accesses are also checked and
proper messages returned in the event of failure. If a problem cannot be resolved please
forward your Error Message to bxSQL support at bxsql@hhbe.com along with a description
of the problem.
Severe errors will log either the Administrator or a Member out of the system to ensure
that access is not accidentally granted to the wrong user.
