Starting Switch

Prerequisites: You must have administrator rights on your computer to run Switch.

When starting Switch, you are actually starting the Switch Designer. With Switch Designer you can then connect to a local Switch Server, or to a Switch Server installed (and already running) on another computer.

Note: Switch Server allows only one connection at a time, from either a local or a remote Designer. The same holds for Switch Designer: Switch Designer can only be connected to one single (local or remote) Switch server at a time.

To start Switch

Do one of the following:
- Select Switch in the Start menu (Windows)
- Locate the application (Switch.exe or Switch.app) and double-click to start Switch.
Switch is installed by default in the following directory:
- Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\Enfocus\Enfocus Switch <version number>
- Mac OS: /Applications/Enfocus/Enfocus Switch <version number>
In the Connect to Switch Server dialog, do one of the following:
- To connect to the Switch Server installed on your local computer, select the Connect to local Switch Server checkbox.
- To connect remotely, i.e. to connect to a Switch Server installed on another computer, enter the required details:
  - IP address or host name of the computer on which you have installed Switch Server.
    Note: The previously used IP address (if any) is stored.
  - Port number
    
    Note: You can set a default value for the port number. See Switch preferences: Internal communication.
  - User name and password as required.
    Note: This depends on the setup in the Users pane.
Note: To be able to connect remotely, the Switch Server must be running on the remote computer. For more information, refer to Starting/restarting Switch Server.

Tip: You can automatically start the Switch Server every time you log in to the operating system, by enabling the corresponding user preference (Start Switch Server automatically at login). See Switch preferences: User interface. Note that when this preference is enabled, Switch Server will remain running even if you exit Switch Designer.

If you connect to a local Switch Server, the Switch Server is started automatically when starting Switch.
To hide this dialog next time when you start Switch, clear the Show dialog at startup checkbox.
Note: If you hide this dialog, the selected connection (local or remote connection to a particular computer) is considered the default connection. You can afterwards still change the connection from within Switch, by selecting File > Connect to Switch Server .
Click OK. If you're signed in with your Enfocus ID already, Switch Designer is opened. You can ignore the remaining steps of this procedure. If you're not signed in yet, the About Switch dialog appears and you should continue with the next step of this procedure.
On the Sign In tab, enter your Enfocus ID and password. You should have created an Enfocus ID when activating the Switch Core Engine. If you don't remember your password, click the Forgot Password? link.
Note:
- This step is not obligatory (but highly recommended), unless you want to activate licenses or buy apps in the Enfocus Appstore. See Working with apps in Switch.
- You remain signed in (until you sign out explicitly), so next time you start Switch, you won't see this dialog anymore.
Click Close. Switch Designer is opened. In the title bar of the Switch Designer, you can see:
- If you're connected with Remote Designer: Your user name followed by "@" and the IP address or host name (as entered in step 2) of the computer you are connected to, for example: "user@Switch Server MAC (10.33.133.213)"
- If you're connected with a local Designer: The name of the Switch Server followed by "(localhost)".
Note: Remember that your access rights depend on the settings in the Users pane. Users having read-only access (this is indicated in the title bar), will not be able to edit flows or to change settings.
If you're launching Switch for the first time, the Enfocus customer experience program dialog pops up. Read the text carefully and click Yes to participate or No if you don't want to participate. You can change your mind any time. Refer to Enabling or disabling the Enfocus customer experience program.