Frequently Asked Questions

The SysManSMS Server is capable of receive and handle SMS’s in many different ways. The most powerful technique is to start a program by default, or based on a keyword in the SMS. You may also store the SMS direct into SQL databases, or to a CSV, HTML or XML formatted file. In addition you may forward the SMS text to any e-mail address.

The SysManSMS architecture allows remote client programs to send messages over the LAN to one or multiple SysManSMS Servers on the same network. The most common interface is to execute command lines with the SysManSMS Integration client (Iclient).

Below you will find some rules you have to follow in a remote client/server environment setup

We assume your SysManSMS Server is up and running, and are able to send/receive messages.

• SysManSMS architecture uses port 139/445 (NetBios/Named Pipes)
  Make sure your security settings on PC’s or Firewalls does not stop the above ports
• Use the SysManSMS SETUP (from CD or network) to install the client components
  Make sure you select “Client Installation”, and also enter the SysManSMS server’s IP address or name
• Open a command line Window, got to …\SysManSMS\Iclient
  Execute the following command to test sending from a client:
  SysManSMS_Iclient.exe “::” “This is my first test from a remote client”
  This line will send the above text to all members of your default Number File on the server
• If this works fine, then setup your application to execute the same line automatically from application

Please Note:
The client must execute from a domain user account, alternatively you must use same username/password on both the SysManSMS Server and the client executing process. Default user account for SysManSMS Server is Local System Account.

If problems executing from your application, check the following:

• View the …\SysManSMS\Iclient\SysManSMS_Iclient.log file
• If you have a entry in this log for the same time as your application executed the command line, the settings in your application is OK, and a problem is on the SysManSMS side. If the manually execution from a command line window worked fine, your problem is most likely connected with account privileges and access rights.
• If you do not have any entries in the log at the time of execution, you have a setup problem in your application. Carefully follow the applications documentation on how to execute a command line program.

SysMan makes available information and hints on how to setup the most common application. Please visit the SOLUTIONS web page.

To save SMS Message Files after processing from the INPUT Server, you must go to SysManSMS Desktop Meny, enter "Server Settings" and then "Configure Server Settings". This will open the Server's Properties Window, and in the field ”File Selection for Server INPUT Files”, you add ",.BAK" behind the text file selection. Example: ".txt,.bak" will rename the .txt file to .bak after processing it.

Mogens

Lets assume you are located in Norway, where the country code is "+47". By default you can skip the country code and send like this:

 yourserver/sms.aspx?message=Hello&recipients=97408361 (will send to 97408361 inside Norway)

If you include the "+47" (Norway) in front of the number, the plus will not work as expected.

 yourserver/sms.aspx?message=Hello&recipients=+4797408361 (will send to 4797408361)

In URL strings a "+" indicate a space, and not a plus sign. Some operators will accept "47", and automatically add a plus in front of the number, so you may see the above string will work inside your country.

SOLUTION-1: The SysManSMS HTTP Module supports a leading "00" to replace a plus sign.

 yourserver/sms.aspx?message=Hello&recipients=004797408361 (will send to +4797408361)

SOLUTION-2: It exists a filter function in SysManSMS HTTP Module which can automatically add, remove or replace leading characters in a number specification. This is activated in web.config file. The following two lines will make sure you add the "+" if your number starts with just "47". (For other countries, add new "NumberFilter" lines for each country code)

 <add key="NumberFilter" value="47,+"/>
 <add key="NumberFilterMinimumLength" value="8"/>

This will result in the following handling of a line with the "+" specified:

 yourserver/sms.aspx?message=Hello&recipients=+4797408361 (will send to +4797408361)

SOLUTION-3: If you still like to be able to specify the "+", you will have to code the plus sign in country code as "%2B"

 yourserver/sms.aspx?message=Hello&recipients=%2b4797408361 (will send to +4797408361)

The secure SysManSMS Server is a perfect fit to safely forward SMS messages from RSA Authentication Manager, without sending secret information out to the Internet. RSA sends url's which can be directed to your local SysManHTTP client module, which again uses the SysManSMS Server (SMS Gateway) for a direct GSM Network delivery. 

Another solution would be to create your own PHP script to do the same. Below you will find a sample code to setup your IIs Server to receive RSA url's and write message files into SysManSMS Server's INPUT Folder.

<?php

$TEMPPATH   = 'c:\\temp';

$INPUTPATH  = 'c:\\program files\\SysManSMS\\GSMserver\\INPUT\\';

$RANDOM           = rand(5, 15).".txt";

$DIMS       = chr(161);

$FILETMP    = $TEMPPATH.$RANDOM;

$FILEINPUT  = $INPUTPATH.$RANDOM;

$MSGTYPE    = ""; // * makes it a flash message

$MESSAGE    = strtr($_REQUEST["message"],chr(10),chr(13));

$fcontent = $DIMS."SMS".$DIMS."+".$_REQUEST["to"].$MSGTYPE.$DIMS.$MESSAGE.$DIMS."HTTPclient".$DIMS."Fclient".$DIMS."\n";

$fp = fopen($FILETMP,'w+b');

fwrite($fp,$fcontent);

fclose($fp);

rename($FILETMP,$FILEINPUT);

echo "success";

?>

SysManSMS Server has an administrative notification service where you can have a small status message sent to you, either as sms, e-mail or both. This happens at midnight while the cleaning process runs. To enable this notification, use the Configure Server menu found inside the SysMan Desktop Menu icon.
In addition to this, you may setup as many repeating messages you like, sent either to one number or to a specified Number File (User group). You may repeat hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, every week, 2. week, 3rd  week or 4th week.
Setting up such repeating messages is easily done from the Desktop WINclient, found in SysManSMS Desktop Menu icon.

In SysManSMS Server you got several techniques to limit sending out SMS’s. First of all you got a SMS Storm control which limits the maximum number of SMS’s one mobile can receive per day. You may also set up different filters to search your texts and then either STOP, SEND, CONVERT or APPEND texts, if match found.

The SysManSMS Server is capable of forwarding texts to mobiles from almost any different source. Files can be dropped as free text, SysMan records, or xml formats, to an INPUT folder. Mails can be sent to a list of mobile numbers, or to individual numbers, either as part of address or taken from subject field. HTTP can by used for single url’s or from a web based form. SNMP traps can be forwarded to mobiles. You may send from Command Line by use of small send programs, or you can implement SMS support in your own programs using the SysManSMS standard and .net API’s.

In the Number File Editor (user group handling) you can select messages to any specific number to be HOLD (queued) for some hours. This is very useful, for example during nights. But this function does not work across dates.

To hold messages during night, you may specify HOLD 00-07, which will queue any message request from midnight until 07 in the morning. At 07 all queued messages will be sent.

HOLD 19-07 is not supported in current versions.

The SysManSMS Server works very well with Virtual Windows products like Hyper-V, VMWare and other. To connect the GSM Modem in a safe way, you should use a Serial-over-IP solution. With this you place a box with LAN and Serial connections where you like, and then you just install a driver on the Virtual PC to get a COM port for the GSM Modem. The most critical fail situation, where the LAN breaks, is taken care of with the SysManSMS Modem Watchdog. The Watchdog will let you know by sending out SMS alerts on its own.

If you have configured the SysManSMS Server to use a GSM Modem on a specific COM port and need to change the port, you will have to un-install and then re-install the software. A quick workaround will be to edit the servers init file \SysManSMS\GSMserver\SysManSMS.ini With a Notepad carefully change the COM port number and then re-start SysManSMS Server.

For the SysManSMS Server to run stable you will need a good GSM signal. You may check the signal either in the SysManSMS HTML Status page, the Quick status, or in the SysManSMS.log. It should in average read between 15 and 31. Normally the GSM Modem will use different GSM Base stations, and automatically switch between them dependent on the traffic. For this reason the signal can vary, and you can even loose the signal for a period. If this happens, the SysManSMS Server will wait for the GSM Modem to become ready, and then reconnect. To help a pure signal situation, you can either install an external antenna (maximum 10-12m away) or you can install a serial over IP solution. This can be placed anywhere on your LAN, and gives you more flexibility. If the LAN fails, the SysManSMS Modem Watchdog will send you alerts. The serial over IP is also the best solution where SysManSMS Server is installed on a Virtual PC. If the SysManSMS Server disconnect from the GSM Network, you may set it up to notify you via e-mails.

SysManSMS Server has been tested and supports around 40 different GSM Modems. Some modems has limitations on GSM protocol support, and some are missing full character set support. The populare SysManSMS Watchdog function is supported on a few selected devices sold by SysMan.  For latest updates, see Device Support List

GSM Modem support are closely connected to the GSM Operator capabilities. Please check known GSM Operator issues, if you have problems sending/receiving SMS messages with SysManSMS Server Software.

If Moxa Nport are connected to a network behind a firewall, the following ports must be opened in the firewall:

FOR DATA:

Port 950 (~965) tcp data tcp, Port 966 (~981) tcp data flow control

All ports used:

Normally the SysManSMS Server will activate the license automatically over the GSM Network, within 1-2 Minutes. If this for some reason does not happen, you will have to activate the license over the Internet. Please read about how to manually activate your license. If you still have problems activating the license, please contact SysMan.

GSM Modems are industry type devices, and may not fully support some of the new SIM cards created for modern mobile phones. If you during installation of the SysManSMS Server see such problems, the Server will stop, and a typical error code in the SysManSMS.log file will be:

  ERR-120-1 Can't get number of SIM locations in unit

You should first of all try to upgrade your SysManSMS Server to the latest release. If this does not help, you may have a unsupported SIM card.

Please see SIM Card Test Document for layout pictures of some tested  SIM cards for the Sierra Wireless FXT series.

If new installation, or if the SIM card has been replaced when using GSM Modems from Wavecom or Sierra Wireless, you may see that the SysManSMS Server stops after running just for a few seconds. (The green desktop menu arrow blinks a few time, then turn into solid red circle) The servers log file (SysManSMS.log) will have the following entry:

ERR-100-9 Error contacting or init the GSM device
ERROR - PIN code or PUK code failure - Check SIM card

Most likely this is caused by the SIM card locker slide not properly in place. Please see this TechNote for GMS Modem installation instructions.

If this is checked to be OK, you may have a PIN or PUK code problem. With power off, remove the SIM card and install it in a standard mobile. Check the PIN code, and we also recomend to disable the PIN checking.

You got 3 sources for statistical information:

First of all the, on the Right-Click Desktop Status Menu, you got access to Quick Status that shows you how many SMS’s sent and received since last midnight. From same menu you can access the full SysManSMS HTML Status page which shows you the same, but also includes a total count since last restart of the server.

You also got a file in …\SysManSMS\GSMserver\OUTPUT called computername_SysManSMS.csv that contains some statistical counters to be used from other applications.

The last possibility you got, is to turn on the Accounting file. This is written to same local OUTPUT folder, and is called Accounting.csv. You turn it on and select accounting options, in the Accounting.ini file found in the GSMserver folder. You may read more about accounting in the User and Developers Guide.

Mogens

To setup TELLme to use a MsSQL server for storage can be done in two steps. 

1) First edit the access line in “Adm.ini” file

! Adm.ini
! Database Connection String / MsAccess if TELLme.mdb:
!MsAccess
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=SPITFIRE;Database=TELLme;Uid=TELLme;Pwd=secret;

This connects to MsSQL on server “SPITFIRE”, database “TELLme”, Username “TELLme” and Password “secret”.

2) Then create a MsSQL TELLme database with user and rights

Create a "db_owner" user, with a username/password to match your connection string.

Now use the script below to create your TELLme database and all it's records:

CREATE DATABASE [TELLme]

GO

USE [TELLme]

GO

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Customers](

       [DestinationNo] [varchar](50) NOT NULL,

       [MainKey] [varchar](50) NOT NULL,

       [Name] [varchar](50) NULL,

       [Info] [varchar](50) NULL,

       [Registered] [smalldatetime] NULL,

       [Expires] [int] NULL,

       [SubKeys] [nvarchar](250) NULL,

       [History] [text] NULL,

 CONSTRAINT [PK_Customers] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED (

       [DestinationNo] ASC,

       [MainKey] ASC ))

GO

CREATE NONCLUSTERED INDEX [Idx_Customers_MainKey] ON [dbo].[Customers] (

       [MainKey] ASC )

GO

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[MainKeys](

       [MainKey] [varchar](50) NOT NULL,

       [AdminPin] [varchar](10) NULL,

       [DefaultDuration] [int] NULL,

       [SendBackMessage] [varchar](250) NULL,

CONSTRAINT [PK_MainKeys] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED (

       [MainKey] ASC ))

GO

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Messages](

       [ID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,

       [MainKey] [varchar](50) NULL,

       [Administrator] [varchar](25) NULL,

       [Sent] [smalldatetime] NULL,

       [SubKeys] [varchar](250) NULL,

       [Message] [varchar](250) NULL,

       [MessageCount] [int] NULL,

       [Customers] [text] NULL,

 CONSTRAINT [PK_Messages] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED (

       [ID] ASC ))

GO

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Settings](

       [ID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,

       [AdminPin] [varchar](10) NULL,

       [DB_Version] [int] NULL,

       [License] [varchar](50) NULL,

       [Computers] [text] NULL,

       [EnableAnswers] [bit] NULL,

 CONSTRAINT [PK_Settings] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED (

       [ID] ASC ))

GO

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[SubKeys](

       [ID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,

       [MainKey] [varchar](50) NULL,

       [SubKey] [varchar](50) NULL,

       [SendBackMessage] [varchar](250) NULL,

       [Alias] [varchar](250) NULL,

       [Protected] [bit] NULL,

CONSTRAINT [PK_SubKeys] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED (

       [ID] ASC ))

GO

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Answers](

       [ID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,

       [Received] [datetime] NULL,

       [MobileNumber] [varchar](25) NULL,

       [Message] [varchar](250) NULL,

       [MainKey] [varchar](50) NULL,

       [SubKey] [varchar](50) NULL,

       [Seen] [bit] NULL,

       [Hidden] [bit] NULL,

 CONSTRAINT [PK_Answers] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED (

       [ID] ASC ))

GO

INSERT INTO [Settings] ([AdminPin], [DB_Version]) VALUES ('0000', 1)

GO

Now start your TELLme from the SysManSMS desktop menu.

Note: TELLme support other SQL databases, but connection string and script may be different. Contact your local database manager.

A Subscriber to a TELLme service is normally not deleted, even if he does not have any Topic/Subtopic active.

The subscriber is kept for later use, or if you like to look at history data. If you need to delete all your TELLme subscribers from the database, please see this TechNote

NOTE: This will empty your complete TELLme database.