Wouldn't it be great if you could have access to your Genie data on your laptop every time you need to go offsite? With Genie Database Replication you can take your data with you to other locations to see patients, or simply to catch up on work at home.
Database replication is the process of synchronising the data from the Genie Server machine onto another computer, e.g. a laptop, for use without an active internet connection.
Before you begin
There are a number of factors to consider before utilising database replication.
- Genie v8.5.9 is the minimum Genie version required to use database replication, but you should ensure you're on the most recent version of Genie to ensure maximum stability when replicating the data.
- The person using database replication requires a password on their user account
- The computer to be used should have an Ethernet port for a wired internet connection (see the page on WiFi vs Ethernet for info on why).
- The first database replication can take some time to complete, so you should ensure you have time to configure and run the replication process. This generally depends on the size of your data file, your internet/network connection, and the hardware in use.
- Reasonable space on the machine to be used; if you require the images to be copied, this can take a large amount of space on your computer and can drastically increase the time for the first replication to complete.
- Ensure the SQL Server has been set to launch on startup. This will ensure in the event of a Server restart/update, the SQL Server is launched automatically. This can be found in the Genie Server application under Edit > Database Settings > Structure Settings/User Settings > SQL Server tab, and will also need to be ticked under the User Settings for the Data File option in Database Settings.
To begin, you will need to ensure both Genie Client and Genie Solo have been installed on the laptop. To obtain an installer for your current version you may need to contact Genie Support.
Once you have obtained an installer, please run this and proceed through the prompts. When asked to ‘Select Destination Location’ it should default to C:\Genie\ on Windows or Macintosh HD: Applications: Genie on Mac. You may change the destination if required.
In the select components window, install Genie Client, then run the installer a second time, and from Full Installation install Single User Application and Data File. You may then select the ‘Next’ button, review the install details, and select ‘Install’ to proceed with installing the relevant items.
Once Genie Client, Genie Solo and the blank data file have been installed, launch Genie Client and log in as your Administrator.
Once logged in, please navigate to File > Maintenance & Reports > Administrator. While holding the Alt/ Option key, click on Create Data Copy Script. In the window that appears select Enable Replication and allow the replication to be enabled and the SQL Server to be turned on. Once complete, Replication Enabled and SQL Server Enabled should be green.
If either of the green lights display as red, this indicates an issue with the replication settings. Please see the Troubleshooting section below for tips on resolving this.
If both options are green, you may select the ‘Export the Server Configuration’ button and will be prompted that the replication settings have been saved. You can select OK on this alert, then close the Replication Settings window, as well as the Maintenance & Reports window. Navigate to File > Quit to exit Genie Client.
Now that you have completed the initial configuration for Database Replication, you can launch Genie Solo. Because a blank data file was installed, you will initially be prompted to choose your practice type; your selection at this stage is not important, as it will shortly be overwritten. Choose a practice type, then select OK.
You will then be prompted “Would you like to synchronise your Solo database with the Server database?”. To proceed with replicating, select Yes, otherwise, select No.
Once you select Yes you will receive a Genie Database Replication window similar to below. Since you selected the option to Export the Server Configuration earlier, the Genie Server IP Address and SQL Port will be pre-populated, as well the Genie Username. As such, you will only need to enter the password for the specified user. To ensure these settings are correct, select the Test Server and Test Login options.
As this is the first replication, you will need to ensure that Full Replication is selected. If you require a copy of your images while offsite, set this to All. As mentioned earlier, this can add time to the initial replication.
After reviewing all settings, you can select the Start Replication button, and will receive the below alert. This alert means that the data file created earlier will be overwritten. As the original data file was a placeholder and not your live database, select Yes and the replication process will begin.
While the replication is running, you will see a window as below to reflect the progress of the process. This may take some time to complete as it is the initial replication.
Once the database replication is complete, you will receive the below alert. It is recommended that you select Restart to launch Genie Solo again and ensure that the database was successfully replicated.
After completing the Full Replication, future replications will only require your data to be updated to retrieve anything that has changed since the initial replication was completed. This time when presented with the Genie Database Replication window, select Synchronise the Local Database. As this only transfers changes to the data since the last replication was taken, the process will be quicker to run since there should not be as much data to transfer. You can additionally select the option for only copying New images. In short, synchronising the database fills in the gaps in your copy of the data.
Using Genie While Offsite
Please follow the below steps each time you wish to use offsite logging:
1. When you are ready to begin Offsite Logging, launch Genie Solo on your laptop and log in.
2. Depending on your user preferences, Genie may prompt you to begin Offsite Logging. This can be enabled by ticking the Remind me to start Offsite Logging option within File > User Preferences >General tab.
3. Select Yes to begin Offsite Logging.
4. Alternatively, you can enable Offsite Logging by browsing to File > Start Offsite Logging.
5. Genie will alert you that Offsite Logging has begun successfully. You may now start using Genie.
6. When you have finished Offsite Logging, simply close Genie Solo.
Important Note: If logging has not been started successfully, then Genie will be unable to track the changes you are making and you will then be unable to import them into your live database. Genie will tell you if it is logging using the following windows:
| Logging |  |
| No Logging for X Time |  |
| Not Logging |  |
Note: Certain features of Genie are unavailable or limited while using Genie in Offsite Logging mode. For a list of Offsite Logging’s features and limitations, please see the Genie online manual.
Importing Offsite Logs
1. Upon returning to your usual consulting rooms, reconnect your laptop to the network.
2. Launch Genie Client on your laptop and log in as normal.
3. Genie should prompt you to import your outstanding Offsite Logs. Click Yes.
4. Alternatively, you can manually import Offsite Logs by browsing to File > Import Offsite Log.
5. Allow Genie to synchronise the changes.
Offsite logging only deals with patient's clinical data. It does not log an billing entries. This doesn't mean you can't generate invoices and receipts while offsite. You can still do this, however it will not be captured in the logging process so these will need to be re-entered in your live database manually.
Not all clinical data can be logged. The table below shows which records can be added, deleted or modified.
Please note: as a general rule, offsite logging should not be used to create templates, menus and checklists. It is primarily designed for reviewing and modifying existing patient information, and should not be used to set up your practice workflows and procedures while away from the practice.
| Table | Add | Delete | Modify |
| Any Billing or Account Holders | No | No | No |
| Address Book | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Address Book Letters | No | No | No |
| Admissions | No | No | No |
| Allergies | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Allergy Choice List | No | No | No |
| Antenatal Visits | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Appointment Schedules | No | No | No |
| Appointments | Yes | No | Yes |
| Care Plans | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Checklists | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Checklist Templates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Consultations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Correspondence (outgoing) | Yes* | No | Yes |
| Correspondence (incoming) | No | No | Yes |
| Current Problems | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Documents (not letters) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Drawings | No | No | No |
| No | No | No | |
| Email Addresses | No | No | No |
| Employers | No | No | No |
| Eye Examinations | No | No | No |
| Flagging Patients | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Health Assessments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Healthshare | Yes** | Yes** | Yes** |
| Images & Attachments | No | No | No |
| INR Control | No | No | No |
| Interested Parties | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IVF | No | No | No |
| Journals | No | No | No |
| Laboratory Doctor Codes | No | No | No |
| Labels | No | No | No |
| Laboratories | No | No | No |
| LASIK Post-op | No | No | No |
| Lesions | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Letterheads | No | No | No |
| Letter Templates | No | No | No |
| Library Pictures | No | No | No |
| Life Events | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Look Lists e.g. Dosage | No | No | No |
| Macros | No | No | No |
| Measurements | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Medication Reviews | No | No | No |
| My Health Record Information | No | No | No |
| Obstetric History | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Orthopaedic Scores | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Past History | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pathology/Radiology Requests | No | Yes | No |
| Pathology Results | No | Yes | Yes (i.e. link) |
| Pathology Tests List | No | No | No |
| Patient Demographics | Yes | No | No |
| Postcode Lookups | No | No | No |
| Practice Preferences | No | No | No |
| Pregnancies | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prescriptions | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Printing Preferences | No | No | No |
| Procedures | Yes*** | Yes | Yes |
| Procedure Complications | No | No | No |
| Procedure Items | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Procedure Templates | No | No | No |
| QuickReports | No | No | No |
| QuickScript List | No | No | No |
| Radiologists | No | No | No |
| Recalls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Referrals | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rooms | No | No | No |
| Social & Family History | Yes | No | No |
| Sites of Service | No | No | No |
| Tasks | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Thyroid Control | No | No | No |
| User Preferences | No | No | No |
| Vaccinations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vaccinations List | No | No | No |
| Workcover Claims | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Workcover Certificates | No | No | No |
*CCs on letters are not logged and will need to be reinserted in the main database. They will be noted at the bottom of the letter but will not be recognised by Genie as a CC until reselected.
**To use Healthshare while offsite, the offsite computer must be connected to the internet
***Pending Procedures linked to appointments made during offsite logging will need to be re-linked to appointments once the logs are imported into the live database. Procedures created directly from appointments will be imported, however.
Notes:
1. New patient records can only be added from Open > Patients. New patients cannot be added from the Appointment Book. Existing demographics information cannot be changed - only new information added to an empty field in the demographics window will be logged.
2. Changes made to appointments will only be logged if 'Import changes to appts modified offsite' is ticked in File > Practice Preferences > Miscellaneous. Please note: this will still not affect any appointment schedules that have been created or modified while offsite; these will not be logged.
3. If Appointment Types are created while Offsite Logging, it is important to re-create the the Appointment Type when connected back to the live database. The previously selected Appointment Type colour will be automatically assigned to this Type when re-created.
4. Any Merged Letter Templates (golden pages) or Referral Reply Letters (red quill) templates that are created offsite should be saved to the computer using the File > Save As option on the template. When connected to the live database using Genie Client, these can be imported using File > Open when creating a new template.
Common issues and troubleshooting
The prompt to synchronise the Solo database does not appear
If you are not receiving the prompt to synchronise the Solo database with the Server database, this often indicates one of two things:
1. Genie Solo cannot connect to the Genie Server
If you know that it has been some time since your last replication, you can confirm a connection to the Genie Server by launching Genie Client. If this is unsuccessful, you should ensure that you are in the practice, are not experiencing network issues and that the Genie Server application is running. More information on troubleshooting this can be found in the Network Troubleshooting or What to do if Genie won’t start articles.
If Genie Client connects successfully and you can log in, you should next confirm that the SQL Server has been turned on and replication is enabled, as you would have done in the Initial Setup above. Please navigate to File > Maintenance & Reports > Administrator and select the Create Data Copy Script button while holding Alt/Option. If either of the lights in this window are red, you will need to enable replication and/or turn on the SQL Server accordingly. If the Genie Server has recently been restarted or updated, it is not unusual for the SQL Server to not be running.
After reviewing these settings and making any necessary changes, you can close Genie Client and launch Genie Solo. If you still do not receive the option to synchronise the database, you may wish to contact Genie Support for further troubleshooting assistance.
2. You have not waited thirty minutes between replications
If you are required to perform two replications back to back, you may note that you will not receive a prompt to perform the second replication. This is designed to prevent users from unnecessarily continuing to replicate their database. To trick Genie into allowing you to replicate a second time in a thirty minute period, you should launch Genie Solo and then immediately hold the Ctrl/Cmd key on your keyboard. This will cause the synchronisation prompt to appear.
Unable to connect to the Genie SQL Server alert
On occasion, you may receive an alert such as the one below when attempting to start a replication, or when testing the configuration. As you were able to open the Replication Wizard at all, this indicates that the SQL Server is in fact running. This alert may be resolved in several ways.
1. Export the Server Configuration
To ensure that the IP address and port number in use for replication are correct, it is recommended that you export the server configuration much like you would have done in the Initial Setup. As such, please navigate to File > Maintenance & Reports > Administrator and select the Create Data Copy Script button while holding Alt/Option. In this window, select the ‘Export the Server Configuration’ button and will be prompted that the replication settings have been saved. You can select OK on this alert, then close the Replication Settings window, as well as the Maintenance & Reports window. Navigate to File > Quit to exit Genie Client. Once complete, you may try to perform the replication again.
2. Restart the SQL Server
Although the SQL Server is running, it may need a restart in order to perform database replication. The SQL Server can be restarted through Genie Client while users are accessing Genie Client. This should not be performed if any other users are actively performing database replication during this time. Follow the steps below to restart the SQL Server.
- Launch and log in to Genie Client as normal.
- Navigate to File > Maintenance & Reports > Server Admin Window.
- Select the SQL Server tab at the top of the screen and the State should be Started, as in the example below.
- Select the Stop SQL Server button. You will note that the State will change to Stopped.
- Wait 10 seconds, then select the Start SQL Server button. The Uptime counter should begin.
- Close the Server Admin Window and attempt to perform the replication again.
Number of Records Alert
On occasion, you may receive an alert that reads "The number of records in the local database is lower than the number of records in the Server database". This alert generally indicates that items may have been deleted within Genie Solo prior to performing this database synchronisation, resulting in the local database containing fewer records than the Genie Server. When you try to perform a synchronisation, Genie is unable to locate these records because they have likely been deleted. These are items that are not tracked in the offsite logging process; please see the Features & Limitations for more information. As the alert suggests, this is generally resolved by performing a Full Replication, images optional.
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