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Optimized Network

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    #16
    RE: Optimized Network

    Peter, in my experience it's not necessary to update the entire application when you change a form or report. You just have to update the data dictioniary fiels for the affected table or set.

    Changes to index definitions, and new or changed 'global' scripts or functions are a different case, and would require updating other files, but even then it's not necessary to refresh or 'copy' unaffected files.

    -- tom

    Comment


      #17
      RE: Optimized Network

      Peter,
      I have attached a picture of our main folder served from an NT4.x server along with a copy of our ver 1.02 Aplication. This applcation calls numerous other applications that are task-specific. Workers can switch between tasks ataany time during the day. If they were to havve shadow databases and local copies of dictionaries, it would become a maintenance nightmare. We are constantly making changes in response to user requests. The beauty of Alpha Software is that changes can be made on-the-fly, and put right into production. If we had to regresh upwards of 250 workstations each time we changed anything, we would never get anything done.

      Comment


        #18
        RE: Optimized Network

        Thomas,

        One idea you may want to investigate is automatic refreshing of workstations. Using xbasic scripts the workstation looks for a time and date stamp on the server when it logs on... if the time and date stamp in the file on the server is different than the one stored locally, the local application refreshes itself, and then updates its local time and date stamp file, so that the refresh will not occur the next time the user logs on.

        The next time you make a change to a form or report on the server, you manually update the time and date stamp file there... so workstations throughout your office will update themselves when they next log on...

        -- tom

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          #19
          RE: Optimized Network

          Tom,

          Thanks. Once I actually get this monster converted nad into test, I will check this out. We already use a product called ground contreol to update certain files on the PC's when they boot. Maintaining a network this size with 4 programmers/techs requires many automated procedures.

          Tom

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            #20
            RE: Optimized Network

            by the way,

            what on earth are you doing scanning the forum at 5am??

            Comment


              #21
              RE: Optimized Network

              That is true, Tom. But it becomes a pain to manually copy dictionary files to 10 different stations, so I rely on a variation of Peter Wayne's shadow update script to do the job.

              Peter
              Peter
              AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

              [email protected]
              https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


              Comment


                #22
                RE: Optimized Network

                This string brings up a question...

                If the data dictionary files are simply copied to the local drive when optimizing, why couldn't we just create an "update definition" file that indicates which dictionary files need to be updated and set up a routine at the local drive that would check the date and file name then copy them to the local drive as req'd? This would not handle addition of new/restructured tables which would still require a full optimization but it could handle copying set files and data dictionary files when forms, reports, other layouts, or field rules are changed. It could also handle the .al* files which hold the global scripts.

                A routine like this would allow the updating of 1 data dictionary file in those cases where many tables/set are used. (Although I can't imagine why anyone needs 'hundreds' of tables although I've seen that kind of thing mentioned here numerous times.)

                When I get time - in about 6-8 months!! - I'll take a look at it. In the meanwhile, maybe somebody else has the time??

                Comment


                  #23
                  RE: Optimized Network

                  Cal,
                  I may be mistaken, but I don't believe ver. 4.5 has a file date/time stamp command, although I do believe ver. 5 does.
                  Peter
                  Peter
                  AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

                  [email protected]
                  https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


                  Comment


                    #24
                    RE: Optimized Network

                    Hi Cal,

                    The Time and Date stamps of files are not available through Alpha 5 V4.x and Win API calls for these do not work either in V4.x. Calls to DOS to extract the information have some other issues associated with running DOS Boxes (particularlly in Win 2k and beyond-e.g. Win 2k does not close the DOS box in some systems that work fine in Win 9x/ME and vice versa) Version 5 does add this Time/Date features.

                    Updating the files can work to a degree, but if you add a table (via XBasic) to a database (for the purposes of running a report) and then drop it, the time and date stamp are changed on the Adb file. This creates some issues trying to use the adb file as a reference.

                    Nevertheless, it can be done.

                    Your comment about 100's of tables I tend to agree with. I often create 20 odd tables that are lookups for fields (as opposed to embedding in the field rules), but I never seem to have that many that are more than a token size, and certainly not that many.

                    Regards,

                    Ira J. Perlow
                    Computer Systems Design & Associates
                    [email protected]
                    Regards,

                    Ira J. Perlow
                    Computer Systems Design


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