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Remote Desktop Application

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    #1

    Remote Desktop Application

    This may not be a subject for this part of the forum, please redirect me if I should post somewhere else.

    When I first introduced the Alpha concept to this company, I told them about WEB vs Desktop. They insisted on desktop for various reasons.

    So now that the database is implemented and users are starting to populate, requests are coming in to grow the functionalities but.....they want remote access.

    Is there anyone on the board that is experienced in operating their desktop database remotely through the public network.

    We have a computer at work that retains the database and about 9 users accessing and updating with Runtime versions each having a mapped drive to the PC.
    There are about 5 more that want to access and update from remote locations, but can you map a virtual drive through the net ?

    I don't know anything about public networks and can't offer support.
    All I could suggest as an interim solution is remote desktop until we find a solution.

    When I ran Alpha 4 applicaiton back in the day (mid 90's) we used PC Anywhere with 25 access computers which all updated 1 database what a site that was. It worked great !!

    P.S.
    Is there an option for Alpha 5 v10 to import data. If user updates their data in some type of a spreadsheet, could a batch be written to update the database with new or modified data at the push of a button.
    Last edited by Chuck Bytes; 01-20-2010, 06:29 PM. Reason: addition to question
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Remote Desktop Application

    Use remote dekstop (ie terminal services) and have the remote users connect and login in directly to the server.

    You'll need a server class machine and the server os with licensing.

    works great. - easy fast solution to your situation.
    Al Buchholz
    Bookwood Systems, LTD
    Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

    Occam's Razor - KISS
    Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
    Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
    When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
    "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
    Albert Einstein

    http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Remote Desktop Application

      note that when using T/S, the remote users are NOT shadowed.

      It is recommended to never put 2 questions in the same thread - but the answer, in general, is yes.
      Cole Custom Programming - Terrell, Texas
      972 524 8714
      [email protected]

      ____________________
      "A young man who is not liberal has no heart, but an old man who is not conservative has no mind." GB Shaw

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Remote Desktop Application

        TS is the way to go. Once you set the system up you will want to change over all of your local users to use TS. When using TS the speed of A5 increases with a lot less network traffic. If you have a good internet connection the remote users will feel like they are at the office. I have been doing this for the last 3 years and it has Remade my life a lot easier.

        If you search this board on TS you will find a lot of information getting your system up and going.

        You will have the runtimes, & the database on the same server. You can even have your development version on the server also.

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Remote Desktop Application

          Originally posted by turbojack View Post
          TS is the way to go. Once you set the system up you will want to change over all of your local users to use TS. When using TS the speed of A5 increases with a lot less network traffic. If you have a good internet connection the remote users will feel like they are at the office. I have been doing this for the last 3 years and it has Remade my life a lot easier.

          If you search this board on TS you will find a lot of information getting your system up and going.

          You will have the runtimes, & the database on the same server. You can even have your development version on the server also.

          That sounds like the answer I'm looking for. I'll research TS on the forum

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Remote Desktop Application

            One caution: The one thing I found that did not work when using TS is Letter.Send() or Report.Send() when using the Windows default email client (e.g., Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.). Using the A5 email client does work with those functions, but many users do not like using anything other than what they are used to.

            The above was true with V9. Probably also true for V10--I do not know. All I know is I could never get any progress on this issue, probably because it is a desktop issue and in case you haven't noticed, Alpha isn't exactly paying rapt attention to there desktop product.

            Yes, there may be alternatives to Report.Send() for emailing a report using a default email client under TS. But I for one am sick of having to spend time searching for work arounds for things that should just work as specified.

            Raymond Lyons

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Remote Desktop Application

              Originally posted by Raymond Lyons View Post
              One caution: The one thing I found that did not work when using TS is Letter.Send() or Report.Send() when using the Windows default email client (e.g., Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.). Using the A5 email client does work with those functions, but many users do not like using anything other than what they are used to.

              Yes, there may be alternatives to Report.Send() for emailing a report using a default email client under TS. But I for one am sick of having to spend time searching for work arounds for things that should just work as specified.

              Raymond Lyons
              I am using V8 & it works. I have not tried with V9 I use Novell Groupwise for email. That may make the difference.

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Remote Desktop Application

                Originally posted by turbojack View Post
                I am using V8 & it works. I have not tried with V9 I use Novell Groupwise for email. That may make the difference.

                Good to know, but my users won't be apply those functions remotely. What about printing reports from a remote location, will they print at the local computer printer (hard copy and preview)

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Remote Desktop Application

                  Most of our users work remotely as well as at the office. We are using SBS2008 and they connect to their desktops through either RWW or RDP over TS Gateway. Provided you have good bandwidth Up and Down works like a charm. We have very few issues. About 30% of work is remotely.
                  _______________________________
                  Steven McLean
                  i3 Home Inspections
                  [email protected]

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Remote Desktop Application

                    For experienced users.

                    Is there information about TS for beginners?

                    with the advantages and the disadvantages
                    about what does it take to buy
                    number of optimal users

                    Information with warnings and recommendations (or links to it) are very welcome.

                    Ton
                    Most things are simple but unfortunately only after the first time

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: Remote Desktop Application

                      You can try XPUNLIMITED. Turns Windows XP workstation into a terminal server, can also be used on a server. I have it working at a customers site on SBS2008 and haven't had any problems.

                      Beau

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Re: Remote Desktop Application

                        http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925876

                        It is simple to configure, and is very flexible.
                        _______________________________
                        Steven McLean
                        i3 Home Inspections
                        [email protected]

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Re: Remote Desktop Application

                          Just my 2 cents.....

                          While the theory of running something like Microsoft Terminal Server seems great...and I can see how it might be in the right situation...beware that if you have any peripherals that work with your program you will be out of luck using it. By that I mean, scanners, local printers, Dymo label printers, etc. That'll put a big screeching halt to your app in the TS world. I should mention you can set up printers to work...but it is not as easy as you might expect. But, other USB peripherals are a show stopper.

                          I have a client who was sold a new TS network in advance of an app I wrote....seemed like a good idea. It has now been completely removed because of the peripheral issue. Lots-O-Money wasted....vendor of the network forgot to mention the whole USB limitation.

                          Ton - btw from my research you get limited at about 10-12 users per MS Terminal Server...after that performance takes a big hit from what I have read.

                          Regards,

                          Jeff

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Re: Remote Desktop Application

                            Jeff, we do not use a "Terminal Server" We use Terminal Services and TS Gateway to access physical desktops. This eliminates Terminal Server restrictions and is limited by bandwidth only.
                            _______________________________
                            Steven McLean
                            i3 Home Inspections
                            [email protected]

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Re: Remote Desktop Application

                              Originally posted by jkletrovets View Post
                              Just my 2 cents.....

                              While the theory of running something like Microsoft Terminal Server seems great...and I can see how it might be in the right situation...beware that if you have any peripherals that work with your program you will be out of luck using it. By that I mean, scanners, local printers, Dymo label printers, etc. That'll put a big screeching halt to your app in the TS world. I should mention you can set up printers to work...but it is not as easy as you might expect. But, other USB peripherals are a show stopper.

                              I have a client who was sold a new TS network in advance of an app I wrote....seemed like a good idea. It has now been completely removed because of the peripheral issue. Lots-O-Money wasted....vendor of the network forgot to mention the whole USB limitation.

                              Ton - btw from my research you get limited at about 10-12 users per MS Terminal Server...after that performance takes a big hit from what I have read.

                              Regards,

                              Jeff
                              I can access my USB items pluged into my computer to get information into the TS session. I have not tried a scanner yet but I have used local printer, USB drives, cameras, & other items like that. We are using Terminal services with a Dell server, Windows 2003 64x server OS, 4g ram, 4 core processor. I check time to time and I have not seen a reason to add more ram. We have had 10 users with no problem at all. Maybe after that it takes a hit but we have not seen any problems. We have set up A5 where it will use a different processors for the different users since by default it will only use one. We also have Quickbooks on this server with no problems. Quickbooks uses the processor with the least demand when accessing the program.

                              Comment

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