What is Terminal Offline and should I use it?

Terminal Offline Mode

In addition to specifying the primary database that will be used for normal operations, you can also define the terminal offline database that will enable your store to keep running even if your file server is temporarily down or offline.

Use the Database Creation Wizard (in Administrator) to create this offline database and then use this tab to configure the database. Note that the server defined for the terminal offline database must be different from the server specified for the primary database. We recommend that in the Server name field for terminal offline, you enter the name of your local machine.

After you define the offline database, you need to synchronize your offline database with the primary database. To do this, generate one of the following in the POS program: Blind Closeout, Z Report, or ZZ Report (one of which should be run daily as standard operating procedure).

When you synchronize the data, Store Operations copies only the non-transaction data, such as items and customers, to the offline database. After you define and synchronize the terminal offline database, you can then process standard sales transactions while the file server is down.

For example, if the file server crashes during the business day and the cashier needs to continue with sales transactions, he or she can simply restart the POS program. If the terminal offline database is properly defined, Store Operations will switch to terminal offline mode and store standard sales transactions in a backup database. Once the file server has been restored, the cashier can restart the POS program, return to online mode and automatically update the primary database with the backup data.

There are limitations when your store is working offline. You cannot add NEW items or customers or make other database changes that affect the setup configuration tables. You can, however, continue to ring in sales to existing customers on file until the server is back online.
Integrated card processing is also supported in offline terminal mode as long as the PC has an Internet connection.

Contact DRS Support if you need help setting this up. We suggest doing this on your main register, as well as a secondary register that may be used off-site in the future.

Installation instructions are provided elsewhere on our knowledgebase (KB).

You can also use this method for off-site tent sales, event sales, etc. In that case you probably want to set up Terminal Offline on your least used POS station and move that PC to your off-site location for the duration of the event.