BL Banking is usually delivered via email, which contains a license number and a link to download the installation file. Be sure to keep this email. You can use a link to the current version for later updates as well.
You will also need a connection to the EBICS server of your bank, which you must request yourself from the bank. The bank issues EBICS connection data and forwards it to you for initialization. When you start the program for the first time after installation, you must perform a so-called first initialization. An internet connection is required for this and while using the application.
To familiarize yourself with BL Banking, you can use a demo version from Business-Logics instead of a real bank connection. With a demo version, you can process orders as you would in real business, but without a real bank on the other side.
This quick guide describes a single-user installation with one user and a local H2 database for storing application data. If additional users are to work with BL Banking, a Network installation is recommended. A local installation with several users is not suitable, as only one user can log in at a time.
A wizard guides you step by step through the installation and initial initialization. Click the Next button to proceed to the next step. If you want to change something, you can return to the previous steps by clicking Back and stop the entire process by clicking Cancel. Once you have completed all the steps, exit the wizard by clicking Finish.
Start the installation program. You must confirm execution as an operating system user and, if necessary, legitimize yourself with an administrator password.
First, specify the destination directory, i.e., the directory where BL Banking is to be installed. If you select a directory to which every user has write access, e.g., C:\blbanking, the next step, Start menu, follows immediately. A workspace is automatically created as a subdirectory of the target directory. Later, sent and retrieved files are stored here in addition to the database. To install in the default program directory of your operating system, which is C:\Program Files\blbanking under Windows, you need administrator rights and you also need to specify a storage location for the workspace to which you have write access.
In this and the following step, you can optionally create shortcuts to the program file so that BL Banking can be started easily. Shortcuts can also be created and edited manually after installation.
Assign a folder name for the Start menu; the shortcut in it will automatically be named after the program. The shortcut is saved in the general Start menu so that all users of your computer can use it. If you do not want this, uncheck the box Create shortcuts for all users.
As an additional task, a shortcut can be created on the desktop. A shortcut in the quick launch toolbar is useful in older versions of Windows and has no other effect.
You can add start parameters to the properties of a shortcut later. This allows the program to be started in a specific language or with a preselected user. For more information, see the appendix Questions and Answers and then Installation.
Clicking Next will install BL Banking on your computer. Wait until the installation is complete to finish the process.
After successful installation, you can proceed with the initial initialization. To do so, leave the checkbox Start BL Banking selected. During the initial initialization, you need the access data for your bank's EBICS connection. If you do not have this information, deselect the checkbox. Click Finish to exit the setup wizard.
The initialization wizard starts automatically when you start the program for the first time after installation, as long as no first initialization has been performed. For this purpose, be prepared to enter the EBICS access data for your bank connection or the demo access data from Business-Logics.
Enter the 11-digit license number you received via email in the License number field. The license number legitimizes you as a user of BL Banking and is a prerequisite for establishing EBICS connections to a bank. You can view your personal license number later in the program by selecting About BL Banking from the Help menu. A demo version also has a license number, but it is only valid for a limited period. It is possible to convert this to a permanent license later on.
Enter the username you want to use for BL Banking and enter the same new password in the fields Password and Repeat. You have to meet the minimum requirements displayed. The password is required every time you start the program. Remember your username and password, as you will not be able to access the program without them. Keep both safe and do not share them with anyone.
Select the storage medium for the EBICS keys of your bank connection. These are usually stored as a file. To do this, select the radio button Create key file. Your password protects the key file and is required for authorization when sending and signing orders.
Enter the values you received from your bank for bank connection. By selecting a known bank, some of the values may be pre-filled. In a demo version, all fields for bank connection are already filled with demo data. The customer ID is an identifier for your organization, while the subscriber ID (also known as user ID) is for you personally.
The EBICS connection must be in the state Not yet initialized on the bank side to allow initialization. You may receive an error message when you click Next because the bank did not mind the right state. If this happens, cancel the process and contact the bank to have your EBICS connection reset.
If you previously opted for key files, you must now specify the directory in which your key files shall be stored. A directory named keys in your personal directory workspace (data directory) is suggested. For security reasons, you can store the key files separately from the program, e.g., in a directory that only you have access to, or on a USB memory stick. The key directory must be permanently available while working with the program, otherwise the bank connection is disrupted.
The initialization letter is displayed in a PDF program after finishing the wizard. You must sign and send this document to the bank so that they can activate your bank connection. Only then you can start working productively with BL Banking. For a demo version, it is not necessary to send in the signed initialization letter. Your demo connection of Business-Logics will be activated automatically, and you can start working with the program right away.
You can now send payment orders to the bank where you have initialized yourself as a subscriber. If you have EBICS access data for another bank, you can set up the bank connection and initialize your subscriber within the program.
An update is the replacement of an installation with a new version of the program. This section explains how to perform a manual update at any time. To do this, download the latest BL Banking installation file by clicking on the link to the current version, which you received in your delivery email or can obtain from the support team.
Exit the program. Create a backup of the existing installation directory and also of the workspace directory, if you have stored it separately from the program. Also back up your database. For an H2 database, this is done by copying the workspace. If you have migrated from H2 to another database as recommended, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Install the program as described above in section Run installation wizard. Since BL Banking is already installed on your computer, you will be asked whether you want to update the existing installation or reinstall the application in a different directory. The existing directory is displayed under the question mark. Even if you change the destination directory, you can then transfer data from the old installation as described below.
Shortcuts in the Start menu and on the desktop remain functional as long as the target directory remains the same. So they do not need to be recreated during the update.
After you have completed the wizard and started BL Banking, the application is ready for use as before the update. Initialization does not follow after an update of the existing installation.
After installing the program in a new directory or on a new computer, you can transfer data from an old installation directory. This also applies if an external database is connected.
To do so, finish the installation without starting BL Banking. Copy the subdirectory workspace from the old installation to the target directory of the new installation. For an installation with a separate data directory, you must indicate the path during installation and copy the data to this destination if this directory has also changed. After copying, start BL Banking. A first initialization is not necessary, your bank connections are already ready for use. If the wizard for initialization starts unintentionally, check whether you have copied the entire workspace directory to the correct destination, including any key directories that were previously stored separately. Otherwise, the path to the key files will be requested when you sign the first order in the new installation.
It is also possible to start from scratch without the data from the old installation by entering the license number and performing a first initialization. This allows you to replace a demo installation with a productive installation, for example.
General – Installation – Installation scenarios
General – Installation – Update application
General – First initialization
Aufträge – Bank connections – Set up bank connection
General – General functions – Use a smartcard
General – Preferences – Security – Two-factor authentication