Network Question

[Michael Humby]

I have an application that I distribute via CD using Alpha 4.5 unlimited Runtime. So far all of my users are stand alone, not networked. I am now getting requests for a network version. None of my users have access to computer technicians and they are seldom experienced computer users so I would have to telephone talk them through opening Alpha control panel to run the optimisation for each work station.

Ideally I would ideally like to avoid this process, so I propose to create the network set up and optimisation on my own computers and then create the CD based on my settings ready loaded with the shadow folder so that I do not have to talk the user through optimisation process.

If I do create the CD already optimised and loaded with the shadow folder, shortcuts and bitmaps etc based on my computer paths, when the user opens the application on the work station, how will Alpha know the path to the data on their server?

When optimisation takes place where does Alpha store the shared network data path from the work station computer to the server?

I would be appreciate any help here.

Michael

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Network Question

Michael,

An interesting topic. Your idea basically will work, but does require a little cooperation from the users. What I have done is require the user to map a drive to the folder on the server that has the database and use a specific drive letter, say M: Now on a test network I use, I also map a drive from a terminal using the same letter. On the "terminal" computer, I then network optimize the database. Now the terminal has a complete program with everything correctly mapped to the specified drive, in this example M: You could create an install program from this terminal installation and as long as the end user has their computer mapped to the server database with the same letter, all is well.

Jerry

[Michael Humby]

RE: Network Question

Jerry,

Thanks for your input.

During the optimise process, Alpha must somehow load the path to the data on the server into the Runtime engine so that the work station always knows where to look for the data.

If I knew where this path is stored, I could set up my own path before burning the CD, thus avoiding the optmisation on the the user's computer.

Any ideas where this path is stored?

Michael

Michael

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Network Question

The master path is in the database adb file. Each of the dbf files on an optimized terminal are just pointers to the actual data using the master path in the adb. If you look at the files on an optimized terminal, you will see ther are no cdx or ftp files, since the dfb just points back to the server. I don't think there is any way to set the master path, it is just created during the optimize process.

Jerry