Version 4 Memory Problems?

[John Pintado]

I use the A5V4 Runtime on a small law office 5 station Windows 98 network. The network has had problems, at times, with crashes. The office computer geek has solved most of these problems by getting rid of bad screen savers, backgrounds etc. and fixing conflicting interrupts. However, the network still occasionally crashes and the geek is blaming it on Alpha 5. He says A5V4 is causing memory problems which may be the cause of network crashes. He says A5 does not have the Window's logo indicating they are compliant with Microsoft Windows software. He wants Alpha Five off the network and he wants me to use Paradox for our database. (He is a big Corel fan.)

I told the geek that I have only experienced memory problems with A5 while in the design mode and I understand these bugs will be fixed in V5.

So my questions are: Is there any basis to the charge that A5 causes memory problems when not in the design mode?

Does A5V4 have the Windows logo indicating compliance with MS Windows? Will version 5 have this logo?

Will A5V4 run under Windows 2000 with any significant problems?

Please help. I have tried Paradox and, while not a terrible program, it is certainly not in a class with Alpha Five for ease of use and rapid application development.

[whanigsberg]

RE: Version 4 Memory Problems?

We at the college use the A4v4.03 runtime on several Novell networks without issue. I really don't think there are problems. Others will tell you the same thing. (I assume you have patched the runtime up to Build 230.)

Tell the geek to look elsewhere. If he won't then get a new geek.

Bill

[Dan Blank]

RE: Version 4 Memory Problems?

We use A5v4.5, have 62 users in four different states. We have no memory problems. Eight work stations are Pentiums 133mhz. They are slow but they work.

If the geek is fixing problems by removing screen savers, it sounds like machines (or the server) on the network need more memory.

Also check how the computers are networked together, cableing (4wire plug-8wire plug - Cat 5 or Cat 3), distances from the server, 10MPS or 100MPS. These all come into play.

I'd also make sure you are network optimized. Then the server useage is decreased dramatically.

In short A5 is not the problem.

Good Luck
Dan

[martinwcole]

RE: Version 4 Memory Problems?

The "screen savers" word - I had problems on two of ten computers that was causing them to crash sometimes. I finally fixed by removing screen savers, and any other garbage I could find, and then reinstalling some of the dlls from alpha and/or windows.

[AaronBBrown]

RE: Version 4 Memory Problems?

It is possible for an application to crash a single machine, but it is next to impossible for an application to crash a network (unless that application is actually an operating system). It is the operating system that handles transmission of data to and from the network. Your computer guy may want to pick up a CompTIA Network+ certification book, as they have a lot of good base information to know.

-- Aaron

[JohnZaleski]

RE: Version 4 Memory Problems?

The biggest difference between using Alpha and using some of your basic productivity software is that the data is constantly moving back and forth across the network. So if you're not using any other multi-user database type software it is easy to blame a network problem on Alpha. It's tough to prove a negative (Alpha is not causing problems). Everything Dan said should be checked out, and if it were me, I would keep a log of who was doing what when the network crashes. Look for patterns. Let's say machineA is where the app is stored. Does that machine have more RAM than the others? Does it ever crash when just machineA is using Alpha or is it always when one or more other machines are using Alpha? Has he tried replacing the network card on machineA?? Like I say, see if there are any patterns. Good luck.

[John Walsh]

RE: Version 4 Memory Problems?

Dear John,

A5 just uses the "server" as a file server. I'm assuming that you are running it on a peer to peer network. If so, you may want to set-up a seperate computer as a dedicated file server. This can be an old 486 machine. Most corruption events are a result of programs running. If the user that has the A5 files "creates" an error, it will bring down the network (as far as A5 is concerned). If instead you have a seperate computer used only for file access, the liklehood of intermittent crashes is reduced.
BTY, we've have been using A5 4.03 (and V 3.0 before that)runtime on our NT network without any problems for the last four years.

We also have a proprietary program that is a Paradox application. I find it painfully slow and it generates errors often. While it could be in the app design, I wouldn't trade A5 for it in a minute.

[Raymond Lyons]

RE: Version 4 Memory Problems?

Your geek is barking up the wrong tree, but it also sounds what he or she wants he or she will probably get, irrational as it may be. I have had several clients in the past that used win 95 and win 98 peer-to-peer setups. The only time there has ever been a problem is when the server was also being used as a workstation (wasn't dedicated to just being a file server) and when it had less than 128MB of RAM. I don't think the RAM issue was at all related to A5 either, since a5 was never run on the server itself. On workstations, video cards can sometimes be a problem, but that does not cause the network to crash just the one machine.

It also pays to standardize on a high quality network card and hub. I have had trouble on client systems that insisted on using cheap stuff, but again that had nothing to do with Alpha Five.

Biggest problem? Pseudo-geeks who think they know a lot more than they'll ever dream of knowing (at least I know how little I know and know it is much more than they know!).

Ray

[Ohlen Cartmell]

RE: Version 4 Memory Problems?

>>He says A5 does not have the Window's logo indicating they are compliant with Microsoft Windows software.)

[ROBERT SULLIVAN]

RE: Version 4 Memory Problems?

A big part of this issue is the lack of publicity for ALPHA Software. It is almost impossible to weather an all out attack on your application (even if it is not at fault and is the best software on the system) when most clients have never heard of the software. They will tend to listen to your computer geek.

Richard's efforts for more publicity for ALPHA will pay off for developers, but how to weather the storm is the issue between now and then.

You didn't explain how your system crashed or even defined your system. Can you give a little more explaination.

Is this a peer to peer or NT network. What other types of programs are running on the system. Does the system lock up or crash just when your system is running. What are the size of temporary files in RAM on the system if it is NT. Does your program work OK after the system is turned off and reset. If it does how long before the next crash. HAve programs been removed from computers without removing the programs from the registry.

My NT terminal server system builds temporary files at a phenominal rate an micro soft recommends to reset the system periodically to remove the buildup of temporary files in RAM. I can get by no more than 8 days before serious problems occur so I resett twice a week and have no problems as a result.

A net work system starts to get amazingly complex very quickly. The rule that I use is to make every terminal on the system the same. I try not to mix computer types, operating systems, network cards. I remove all screen savers and I also disconnect most of the floppy drives and cd drives to prevent people adding unwanted software. Only a few computers are able to be used to add software. All the other computers have netork drives mapped to those computers and thus you are able to control what goes on the system. I am lucky to have been able to do this but system operators can then have a much easier time keeping the system up and running. They will also be able to locate problems quicker.


Bob SUllivan

[sparkey]

RE: Version 4 Memory Problems?

So to be windoze compatible, do you need to place a little bitty BSOD on your startup page? Lol

[John Pintado]

RE: Version 4 Memory Problems?

I want to thank everyone who replied to my questions. I was looking for amunition to fight to keep Alpha Software on the system and you provided it. The good news is that the geek has decided to move on and we are now in the process of engaging someone else. I had long thought that our old cheap hub was a big part of the problem. Before he left, the geek purchased a switching hub but did not install it because he was convinced that the problems on the network were caused by software. After he left, I installed the hub and most of our network problems have disappeared. So the verdict on Alpha Software is NOT GUILTY. We will continue to use it on our system and I will upgrade when Version 5 comes out.

I do agree with the observation that part of the problem here is that so few person in the computer field have heard of Alpha Software. People fear the unknown so it's easy to blame problems on the software no one has heard of. I know that advertising is expensive and, ultimately, we the users will pay for it in the cost of the product, but Alpha need to raise it's profile. Seems to me that Alpha used to advertise more because that is how I first learned about the DOS based version many years ago.

One suggestion to Alpha Software: We are thinking of upgrading to Windows 2000. I went on the Microsoft web site to see if Alpha Five was on the list of tested software and found that it was not. Getting on these types of lists would give the software credibility with computer professionals.

Again, let me thank everyone who took the time to respond. Office hassles and illness prevented me from responding earlier. There is no way to get this kind of support with other software.