STR integration

This internal use article runs through the set-up and operation of the STR integration.  

The integration is only ever one way and sends reservations and revenue information to STR. 

Once STR receives the data from HART, a series of calculations are made with data compared to a competitor set average to set a benchmark performance and aggregate averages.

Overview of the installation and set up process

Once a property has confirmed the details for the interface, STR will need to provide SFTP details.  Contact should be made with str-data@str.com with the hotel contact copied in to confirm the integration is to take place.

STR will provide the following details to which need to be loaded into Configuration > Access > Interfaces

Username: always 'Hart.PMS'

Password:  to be confirmed by STR

Servername: always 'ftp.1.str.com'

Following this the STR installer should be run:

• The installer: creates the STR folder , installs the configuration.exe , manual and other associated files. A password protected ZIP file is also placed in the folder , which contains the accompanied SQL PROC. 
• Creates a folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Software Underground LTD\) with the correct permissions

In the same location a scheduled task should be created via the Windows Task Scheduler.  The task should be:

• Set to run once daily a 9am
• Run whether the user is logged in or not
• Run with the highest privileges 
• Set to start the STR.exe

Initial interface set up

The interface requires a configuration file named strinterface.config to be present in the application startup directory — the same location from which the main executable is launched.

• Purpose: This configuration file provides essential, non-sensitive parameters specific to the hotel property.
• Execution Modes: It is required regardless of whether the program is operating in: 
  • Autonomous (automated) mode, where it runs without user interaction
  • Manual mode, where user input is involved

Without a valid strinterface.config file in place, the program will not initiate or function correctly.

<destinations> locations on STR’s FTP to send the data to.

<manual> sets the Program in Manual or Autonomous mode (IE “yes” means the program will open in manual mode, ready for the user to select a date and upload the CSV).

Configuration file

At the initial launch, the application with load with a configuration screen. 

<Source>
 This specifies the address of the SQL Server you’re connecting to. It can be:

• A domain name (e.g. HartCloud.webredirect.org)
• An internal network IP (e.g. 192.168.1.50)
• A custom port (e.g. 49679) if SQL Server isn’t using the default port (1433)
   Format example: ServerAddress,Port

<Catalogue>

The exact name of the database hosted on the SQL Server (also known as the database catalogue). This determines which database you are accessing within the server.  

<Username>
The SQL Server login username. Used for authenticating the database session — it grants access rights to both the server and the specific database catalogue. Please note this must be the str user, which may require setting up on the database 

<Password>
The corresponding password for the SQL Server login above. It must match the specified <Username> and meet server security policies. Please note that this password must be unique to this property and this user. Please use the RoboForm password generator. 

<Hotel ID>
 This is the HART internal ID for the client Hotel. This can be located from cloud-reservations.net.

<Login name>
 This is the FTP or SFTP account username provided by STR(Remote Backup/Data provider). It identifies your application when connecting to their file repository. 

<Password> (under FTP/SFTP section)
 The password tied to the FTP/SFTP <Login name>. Together they establish secure access to STR’s storage endpoint.

<Ftp/Sftp>
Indicates the FTP URL (provided by STR) used to access STR’s remote file storage. Typically ftp.1.str.com

<Port>
 This dropdown selection includes FTP and SFTP as choices on how to connect to the above URL.

Manual Mode – User Interface Workflow

When the application is launched manually (e.g. via desktop shortcut or by executing the .exe file), the user is presented with an interactive interface.

Date Selection & Report Submission

• Date Picker: The user can choose any valid business date via the dropdown calendar selector. 
  • Note: Selecting a future date will result in an empty report. Nevertheless, this placeholder file will still be uploaded to STR for consistency.
• Send Report: Once the desired date is selected, clicking the “Send Report”button will: 
  • Generate a space-delimited .CSV files
  • Include the reports for the selected date in a compressed format.
  • Upload the file automatically to the secure STR server via FTP/SFTP

The report generation process can be repeated multiple times in the same session. Users may exit the application via the Help menu or by clicking the X (close) button in the window corner.

Autonomous Mode – Silent Scheduled Execution

The integration is a fully automated operation.  When the strinterface.config file has its manual mode flag explicitly set to no, the STR application operates in autonomous mode.

When executed in autonomous mode, the interface generates two space-delimited. CSV files containing the data required.

• Auto-Execution: In automated mode, the system defaults to the current date, requiring no manual input.
• Data Output: The output files adhere to a standardised, space-delimited format for ease of downstream processing.
• Secure Upload: Once generated, the file is automatically transmitted to a designated Secure SFTP server, ensuring encrypted transport and data confidentiality.

Once the installation and configuration of the interface is complete, in conjunction with the property and before the interface is set to autonomous mode a test file should be sent to STR for verification and validation.

In either manual or autonomous mode, when running, the interface will run the following procedures on the database:

• HISTORICAL Data - exec exec pr_str_historical - this report generates reservation and revenue data for the previous 7-days
• FORWARD Data - exec exec exec pr_str - this report generates revenue and rate data for the next 365 days

Application Startup Validation

Upon launch, the application performs a series of startup integrity checks to ensure all required operational files are present and valid:

Required Files at Startup

1. strinterface.config

• Contains local configuration parameters essential to the program (see rest of manual)
• If missing or malformed, the application will notify the user and terminate immediately

1. dbconfig.dat

• Stores encrypted database access credentials and connection metadata
• If the file is absent, or if it was generated on a different machine or user context, the application will detect the mismatch, inform the user, and exit

1. error.log

• Maintains runtime logs and diagnostics
• On startup, if this file exceeds 500 KB, it will be automatically archived with a timestamped (and, if necessary, incremented) filename to prevent overwriting
• A new, blank error.log file will then be created for fresh logging

Application Menu Options

• Files Menu

• Opens the error log and the local strinterface.config file for review and troubleshooting

• Display Menu

• Clears the black output window in the interface
• Useful for resetting the display when generating multiple reports in sequence

• Help Menu

• Launches this user guide/manual
• Opens the About dialog with application version and metadata
• Allows the user to quit the application gracefully