Modes of Operation¶

DiKAS adapts to your business — from a single tablet POS at a market stall to a local server with multiple registers in a restaurant. There are three typical modes of operation. You can expand at any time: start small and grow with your business.

Mode of Operation	Ideal For	Server Required?
1 · Single Tablet (App)	Food truck, market stall, mobile single POS	No — everything on the tablet
2 · Cloud-First with App	Businesses with online ordering, QR table ordering, or reservations	No — the cloud handles it
3 · Local Server with Cloud Fallback	Restaurant/bar with multiple registers	Yes — POS PC or mini PC

1 · Single Tablet (App)¶

The DiKAS app runs standalone on an Android tablet — without a server, without a permanent internet connection. All data is stored locally on the device.

What for? Small and mobile businesses: food truck, market stall, pop-up, a single counter.
Hardware? Just the tablet. Card payment via Tap-to-Pay (NFC) directly on the device, receipt printing via a WLAN/Bluetooth printer.
Internet? Only required for card payment — cash sales work completely offline.

→ DiKAS on Android

2 · Cloud-First with App¶

A cloud instance takes care of the online functions (web shop, QR table ordering, reservations, online payments); on site, you ring up sales via the app or the browser. Hardware such as the printer, card terminal, and TSE stays at your venue.

What for? Businesses that want to be visible online — accepting orders and reservations around the clock, without your own server.
Hardware? The local devices (printer, card terminal, TSE) are addressed via the Hardware Agent, which is already built into the app and the appliance.
Internet? Required — the cloud is the central point.

→ Cloud & Local Machine · Hardware Agent & Cloud Failover

3 · Local Server with Cloud Fallback¶

A local server on site controls all registers and the hardware (receipt printer, kitchen display, card terminal, TSE). The cloud handles the online functions and serves as a failover.

What for? Larger businesses with multiple registers — restaurant, bar, beer garden. Fast, stable, even with a weak internet connection.
Who is the server? The server can be the POS PC itself. If you work only with tablets, a small mini PC takes on the server role.
TSE: The local server signs the receipts on the TSE. If the server fails, the cloud continues to accept orders and payments — the receipts generated in the meantime are signed as soon as the server is reachable again (details: Cloud & Local Machine).

How Big Does the Server Need to Be?¶

A DiKAS server is modest in its requirements:

	Value
Memory (RAM)	at least 2 GB
Storage space	at least 20 GB, 32 GB recommended
Performance	handles up to 20 simultaneously active POS terminals/clients with ease using 4 GB RAM

Configured users and workplaces do not count as a permanent load. What matters is how many clients are actually working at the same time. Many receipt images, local backups, and long retention periods require additional storage.

Saving Even More RAM: archhub Server Service

The appliance can also provide a local package/update server (archhub) for other devices in your venue. If your business doesn't need this — for example because only one device is running, or updates come from the cloud — this service can be turned off, saving additional memory.

As a Virtual Machine (VM)¶

Instead of dedicated hardware, the server can also run as a VM on an existing computer — with Hyper-V, VirtualBox, or KVM/QEMU. As a sample configuration, 4 GB RAM and a 32 GB virtual hard disk are recommended. If a hardware TSE (Swissbit) is needed in the VM, the USB stick is passed through via USB/IP.

→ Step by step (VM configuration + USB/IP TSE pass-through): Local Testing & Installation

Which One Fits Me?¶

Just one mobile register, not much technology? → Mode 1 (Single Tablet).
Online ordering or reservations important, small business? → Mode 2 (Cloud-First).
Multiple registers, high volume, failover protection? → Mode 3 (Local Server with Cloud Fallback).

Matching real-world examples are shown on the Use Cases page.