Getting started · 2 of 4 · 2 min read
Main register or extra till?
Which computer holds the database, and why the choice matters.
Every install asks one question first: is this the main register or an extra till? It is worth thirty seconds of thought, because it decides which computer holds your business.
The main register
One computer holds the database. Every sale, product, and ledger entry lives there. It is also the machine that:
- applies updates to the database when a new version arrives
- runs your backups
- talks to us to confirm the subscription
- keeps the shared record straight when several tills are selling at once
Choose the machine that is switched on whenever the shop is open. The back-office PC is usually a better choice than a lane that gets unplugged at closing.
An extra till
Every other computer connects to the main register over your shop's own network. Extra tills:
- need no internet connection of their own
- hold no data — they read and write the main register's database
- do not need to be signed in to your account
You give a till two things during setup: the main register's address, and its database password. Both were shown on the main register's setup screen.
Each computer updates itself, so a lane closed at 6pm may install a new version before the back office does. A till running ahead of the main register would be using new code against an old database, so it refuses to start and tells you to update the main register first. Update that machine and the till comes back on its own.
Changing your mind
If you picked wrong, reinstall on the machine you actually wanted as the main register and choose Main register there. Your existing data can be restored from a backup — see Backups.
How many can I have?
That depends on your plan. Each computer running the software is one till, main register included. If you run out, you can release a machine you no longer use or add tills to your subscription — see Adding a second till.
Something here wrong or missing? Tell us — we would rather fix it than have you work around it.