If you work at different locations and need to access different printers, the Workstation Profiles function will allow you to create and re-use pre-defined printer selections (workstation profile).

The SPM/PHM application will attempt to determine the location or the method that you are connecting from and choose the correct workstation profile to use.

The primary scenario that the Workstation Profiles mechanism is designed to address is for large practices spread across multiple physical sites, where operators move between those sites and connect through to a terminal server, but the actual computers don't move around. This is a very common situation that requires operators to frequently reselect their printers, and where the operators can easily select the wrong "location" when logging in.

Edit an Operator's Profiles in Setup > Workstation > Profiles
Edit multiple Operator's Profiles in Utilities > Advanced > Workstation Profiles

Scenarios

Scenario 1

The Operator uses different workstations within the practice and SPM/PHM is installed on each computer.

If the Operator uses their SPM login at a different workstation, which has different printers connected to it, SPM will look at the name of the workstation and will re-use the previous printers selected from that workstation, even if it was for a different Operator.  

No Operator interaction is required to select the correct profile.  The Profile selection option at login will be inactive because only one Profile is ever used.

Scenario 2

The Operator works at both the main rooms and also at a remote clinic and uses SPM via Remote Desktop (or inCLOUD.clinic)

If the Operator is connecting to the SPM/PHM server using Remote Desktop (or inCLOUD.clinic), SPM will use the 'virtual workstation' name (the RemoteDesktop account login e.g. inCLOUD\demo) AND the 'actual' workstation name (from the physical workstation) and will re-use the previous 'virtual' or 'local' printers selected from that workstation.

No Operator interaction is required to select the correct profile because SPM/PHM will select the correct one.  

A Workstation Profile is created for each Actual workstation name + RemoteDesktop or inCLOUD.clinic login (virtual workstation name).

Examples

ReceptionWS1      + incloud\demo = WorkstationProfile1 (using the printers at reception)
ReceptionWS2      + incloud\demo = WorkstationProfile2 (using the printers at reception)
OfficeWS2             + incloud\demo = WorkstationProfile3 (using the printers in their office)
RemoteClinicWS1 + incloud\demo = WorkstationProfile4 (using the printers at the remote clinic)
HomeComputer   + incloud\demo  = WorkstationProfile5 (using the printers at home)

If the printer selection is changed in Setup > Workstation > Configuration it will automatically update the relevant Workstation Profile.

Scenario 3

The Operator takes a laptop to two (or more) different physical locations and uses SPM via Remote Desktop (or inCLOUD.clinic)

If the Operator has taken a laptop to a new location and is connecting to the SPM/PHM server using Remote Desktop (or inCLOUD.clinic), SPM will use the 'actual' workstation name of the laptop.  SPM does not automatically know that it is at a different location because the name of the laptop is the same each time.    The Operator will need to choose the appropriate Workstation Profile on the login screen, and (optionally) the 'Location', though this will usually be linked to the profile. 

The 'Is Mobile' option does need to be checked ON in Setup > Workstation > Configuration for this option to be available.

A common scenario for this is when a specialist takes their laptop to different clinics, hospitals or home.

The Workstation Profiles need to be manually created in Setup > Workstation > Profiles for each physical location.

Mechanism

The key mechanism used by Workstation Profiles is to identify the actual "physical" computer that the operator is sitting at. In a terminal server session, this machine is known at the "RDP Client".

In the common scenario above, this physical machine doesn't move so the appropriate printers can be automatically selected, and the location specified, at login time. The operator is assumed to be logging in with the same network login at different sites. Through the use of the "Citrix=True" flag, this network login is mapped to a virtual "Workstation" record.

Profiles

Each Workstation Profile holds a set of printer choices, a default location, and an 'Is Mobile' flag to control whether the login makes available a dropdown choice of location.  In almost all cases there will be only one Workstation Profile for a given Workstation + RDP Client Name. The workstation is known from machine or network login (terminal server), and the RDP Client can be obtained automatically. Therefore, in the majority of cases, there is no need for the operator to select a profile as it can be done automatically at login.

Multiple Profiles

The only time when multiple profiles need to be set up for a given Workstation + RDP Client Name is when the physical computer is moved from site to site (e.g. a laptop) and the operator needs to select the set of printer choices and/or the location.

Multiple profiles can also be used to reduce the chance of selecting the wrong location when there are many locations in the system, as the operator will then be choosing between 2 or 3 profiles, rather than up to 10 locations.   Creating a second profile is done via the setup area.

Locations for banking, invoicing etc.

If the 'Is Mobile' option is checked ON in Setup > Workstation > Configuration, the option to choose the Location from the selection list at the login screen is still available, however the Location is included in the Workstation Profile so it is expected to be automatically selected along with the Workstation Profile.  For more information see Setup > Locations

You can over-ride the auto selection using the Location drop-down list.