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Need help with basic networking

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    Need help with basic networking

    I'm running Apha Five Ver. 8 Pro Edition and I'm setting up a database to manage our customers' orders, inventory, etc. Note sure it's a good idea but I'm thinking about taking what is, for me, the next step. Instead of just having everything happen on a single computer I'm hoping to have all the data accessible on our home network: two laptops and a desktop PC all running either Win XP or Vista.

    After years of "sneaker net" synching I'm wondering what my options are. I have both a Windows Home Server and a network hard drive on the network, either of which could hold the data files if necessary.

    Jim
    -- i wish i knew then what i know now --

    #2
    Re: Need help with basic networking

    Jim,

    I have the same question with one desktop and 2 laptops. Hopefully someone will see our questions and instruct us on how to set up the network. I just bought Version 9 Platinum.

    Bill Sockwell

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Need help with basic networking

      Design your database to be self-contained in a single directory.

      Put a copy of the database in its own folder on the machine you designate as server. Make sure the folder can be "shared" over the network. i.e. workstatioins need read/write privileges to the shared database folder on the network.

      Alpha Five does not need to be running on the server.

      Start Alpha Five on a workstation and then "open" the database across the network.

      When you succeed, pat yourself on the back, and know that you've finished step one.

      -- tom

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Need help with basic networking

        So, Tom, if I'm reading you correctly, if I already have a database installed on my wife's laptop, from my laptop I can go into the shared file and double-click on the dbaseName.adb file and access the data ....even while she is also using the same files?

        You mention:

        Originally posted by Tom Cone Jr View Post
        ...<snip>...Design your database to be self-contained in a single directory. ...<snip>...
        I'm about 95% sure I already know the answer to this, but I'm betting that Alpha Five has to be installed on each machine accessing the database files.

        Originally posted by Tom Cone Jr View Post
        ...<snip>...When you succeed, pat yourself on the back, and know that you've finished step one.
        Your specific mention of "step one" has me wondering about "two"?

        Thanks for your response! I think Bill S. is like me and is thinking it JUST cannot be THAT EASY. :D :o

        ...and then what abilities does the Alpha Five Application Server version provide. What are the limitations of the program I already have?

        Jim
        -- i wish i knew then what i know now --

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Need help with basic networking

          Code:
          So, Tom, if I'm reading you correctly, if I already have a database installed on my wife's laptop, from my laptop I can go into the shared file and double-click on the dbaseName.adb file and access the data ....even while she is also using the same files?
          No. Double clicking the ADB file name is no longer the way to open a database. Instead, you start Alpha Five on your laptop and then from the A5 control panel use the File menu to Open the database on your wife's laptop. Alternatively, you can use the Shortcut creation tool to create a shortcut that can be double clicked to open the database.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Need help with basic networking

            Originally posted by Tom Cone Jr View Post
            No. Double clicking the ADB file name is no longer the way to open a database. Instead, you start Alpha Five on your laptop and then from the A5 control panel use the File menu to Open the database on your wife's laptop. Alternatively, you can use the Shortcut creation tool to create a shortcut that can be double clicked to open the database.
            But, if the "Shortcut creation tool" you're reffing is the standard Windows one and the file being "shortcutted" is the database's ADB file, isn't double-clicking on that the same as double-clicking on the file itself?

            Jim
            -- i wish i knew then what i know now --

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Need help with basic networking

              No. Alpha provides a special shortcut creation tool. Open help, choose Index tab, select entry for "Shortcut", then "Creating", then read up on using the shortcut genie.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Need help with basic networking

                I think you'll find Tom is referring to the 'Create Shortcut Genie.'

                Open your application and go to the Control Panel.

                From the top menu choose 'Tools' -> 'Create Shortcut.'

                Oops... Tom just beat me to it!!
                Kind Regards
                Alan

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Need help with basic networking

                  Originally posted by Citadel View Post
                  Oops... Tom just beat me to it!!
                  Hey Tom & Citadel! Thank you for ALL the help.

                  I'm proud to wallow in my ignorance and totally admit that I require TWICE (at least!) as much assistance as anyone else! ;) :)

                  Jim
                  -- i wish i knew then what i know now --

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Need help with basic networking

                    >>I require TWICE (at least!) as much assistance as anyone else!

                    That's because some of us just sit and read while you get us answers. :-)

                    Two more questsions. Must the whole application actually be in a single folder? We have C:\A5V8\app and C:\A5V8\app\bmps. There is quite a bit of pname = a5.get_path() + chr(92) + "BMPS" + chr(92) + trim(pname). Will that still work?

                    And what about two people adding a record to the same table at the same time? The records in that table are self-numbering, as tablemax + 1.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Need help with basic networking

                      Sandy,

                      1) First question. Depends on how you set up the workstation. If they open the database directly on the server should be no problem. But this means the slowest performance. If you network optimize the workstation to improve performance then you will have to re-code the calls that retrieve the bmp images, or copy the entire BMP subfolder to the shadow's folder on each workstation so that they'll be local to the shadow. In the helps compare a5_get_path() with a5.get_master_path().

                      2) Second question. Assuming native A5 tables throughout, this is always a consideration. And so is the related issue... two people saving different edits to the same record at the same time. The data entry sequences in your app should be designed with these possibilities in mind. A quick search of the message board, the helpls, and Dr. Wayne's book, "Xbasic for Everyone" will give you some solid suggestions.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Need help with basic networking

                        I was going to use the existing working laptop as a server and attach one more laptop. The whole system has never had a day with more than 50 records changed, and the laptops are at the same table, so requirements are minimal. Performance is not an issue when your average operator is 80 <g>.

                        Agnes already knows she will lose a finger if she touches her screen. I can get her to do a "hands up" when I push <Enter>.

                        So basically my system gets a new shortcut pointing at the other system's database, and everything will be normal. Cool! Thanks.

                        Comment

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