Aloha POS New Site Activation Process

Note: This Document Needs To Be Followed Step By Step In Any Of These Scenarios

1. New site or New location Installations

2. A Brand adds a new location in the Punchh Portal or changes the Location’s Punchh Store No. ID on the Punchh Portal

3. After Updating or replacing FOH or terminals unless the replacement hardware and software are identical.

4. After Updating or replacing BOH Computer/Server.

5. If the Version of Aloha at the site is updated to or changed to a different version E.g. QS 12.3, 12.7, 15.1. or TS 12.3, 12.7, 15.1.

6. If the Versions of .NET Framework running on the FOH terminals is changed or updated at any site.

Notes:

• Each version of the AlohaPunchhSetup.exe MSI is built to be brand-specific to meet the brand's needs.

• Each version of the AlohaPunchhSetup.exe MSI is built to be Aloha version Specific.

Step #1 Before You Install Punchh:

1. At least one week before the site goes live for a new Aloha POS Site.

• Your admins will need to add the new site in the Punchh Portal under Setting > Locations > New location

• Ensure that when you are creating these new locations in the Punchh Portal the "Store Number/Identifier" you choose for the new location is identical to the "Store Unit ID" set in the Aloha POS System Settings for this store.
  Please Note: if you do not put in the correct "Store Number/Identifier" the first time you are entering details for this location you will need to change the "Store Unit ID" in Aloha to match the "Store Number/Identifier"
  Please Note: If the Store is set up in the Aloha POS with a leading zero (001 vs. 1), then the unit ID in Punchh needs to ALSO include the leading zeros

 2. Provide the following information to Punchh Support Center in a new ticket created here https://support.punchh.com

1. Site Name in the Punchh Platform

2. Site / Store Number as Programmed in the Aloha POS System Settings

3. Aloha POS Type (QS/TS) and Major Version for the site (6.7x, 12.3x, 14.1x, 15.1x)

4. The site Punchh API Key ID
   

5. Versions of .net running on ALL FOH of the POS terminals:

You can obtain the .NET version currently running by following the instructions in this link below:

https://punchhcs.zendesk.com/knowledge/articles/360038850614/en-us?brand_id=2978887

• Once received, the Punchh Support team will add the new location(s) to our Punchh Configuration and Update server.

• You will be notified via the support ticket that the addition has been made to our configuration server and you can then proceed to install Punchh on the AlohaBOH PC

Please Note: We currently do not read the "Store Number/Identifier" from the Punchh Platform. Any changes to the "Store Number/Identifier" either on the Platform or POS System Settings needs to be coordinated with our support team via a support ticket opened on the Punchh Support Center at https://support.punchh.com

Process/Expectations:

Please Note: Your installer WILL NOT WORK until the new site is set up on our Punchh Configuration server.

• You must ensure that prior to installation you validate that the site's firewall will allow you to navigate to htttps://punchh.freshservers.net/punchhapi/ping on the AlohaBOH PC.

• If you are staging the POS at a site other than the final destination before go-live ensure all the firewall and POS AV rules are set up and confirmed working.  The configuration server needs to be accessible for updates to the application and changes in configuration See the Firewall Guide here:  https://support.punchh.com/hc/en-us/articles/360010556653-Aloha-Firewall-Site-Setup

 Step #2 Installation Process:

1. Once Firewall access has been confirmed, you may proceed with the Punchh Installation:

•  From Aloha, stop the POS from transactions. This will ensure that other services such as online ordering will not have files locked from being updated

• Run Installation program on Aloha Back Of House computer called AlohaPunchhSetup.exe

• PunchhConf.exe will be launched to configure the initial setting for Punchh software.

Please Note: If your installer does not launch the PunchhConf.exe either the store "Store Unit ID" in Aloha does not match the "Store Number/Identifier" in Punchh or the Firewall is blocking this service.

Please follow the steps in Aloha POS Punchh Integration (Fresh Install) for the exact installation instructions for the Aloha Configuration.

2. After the initial installation has been completed, the system will not yet be ready to test or use in a production environment.

• Upon installation, the Punchh Monitor Service will connect to the Punchh Configuration Server at punchh.freshservers.net

• Using the settings built into your Brand Specific Punchh installer. The "Store Unit ID" / "Store Number/Identifier" and "API Key" for the specific location will be read from the Aloha.ini file to identify itself to the Punchh update server.

• The Update/Install server will then match the correct Brand/Location settings and the designated Punchh Version to this site's configuration and send the correct installation data to this site.

• Once downloaded the Punchh Monitor Service will attempt to update the Punchh POS application files in the POS /BIN/ folder that were installed with the initial installation of the Brand Specific install EXE

Please Note: This process will take about 10-25 minutes to complete. Once completed, you should refresh the POS and restart the FOH. From the FOH terminal you should see the new files being added as the POS restarts from 2-3 times.

Step #3 Validation Testing:

1. Once Aloha is floating, test the POS for Punchh Functionality:

• Perform a guest lookup in the Punchh GUI

• Apply a redemption from the Punchh GUI

• Ring a check and scan the barcode with the App to earn

• (If applicable) Use the POS Scanner to perform a user check-in

• (If applicable) Use the POS Scanner to perform a user redemption

Please Note: In the event, the system doesn't work 100%, open a new POS Support ticket and Include the following log files with the ticket:

(Log files guide here https://support.punchh.com/hc/en-us/articles/360012056234-Aloha-POS-Punchh-Logging-FAQ)

• PunchhConf.exe logfile from the AlohaBOH Server.  This will be located on the AlohaBOH PC in the following folder:
  c:\Program Files (x86)\Punchh\PunchhConf.YYYYMMDD.log

• Punchh Monitor Service update logfile from the AlohaBOH server. This will be located on the AlohaBOH PC in the following folder:
  c:\Program Files (x86)\Punchh\AlohaPunchhSVC_YYYMMDD.log

• Punchh Proxy Service or (Punchh.exe) logfile from the AlohaBOH server. 
  c:\Program Files\Punchh\bin\log\YYYY-MMDD-######.log

• AlohaPunchh.log (AlohaPunchh.exe GUI) and PunchhInter.log (Punchhinter.dll & Punchhprnt.dll) from the Aloha POS Terminal Aloha\TMP Folder:
  %iberdir%\ALoha\TMP\alohapunchh_YYYYMMDD.log
  %iberdir%\ALoha\TMP\punchhinter_YYYYMMDD.log

We should be able to determine what is causing the update issue from these log files. If there are problems downloading the new AlohaPunchh.exe or PunchhMonitor.exe most of the time this is caused by LANDesk or other AV controls. Temporarily disabling them may get the POS up and running, but rules need to be added to the LANDesk configuration to enable future updates.*