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4 users - sharing single data store or synchronising ?

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    4 users - sharing single data store or synchronising ?

    OK, this is the situation.

    I've developed a 4 user system (there will never be more than 4 users) and delivered it to one of the uses running on a full license of Alpha Five V7.

    I understand the many issues with potential problems in data sync and would like to know what your thoughts are on the most appropriate way of sharing the system between the four users.

    They are running a simple peer to peer network through a router and one switch with no server in sight and no intention for the forseeable future of investing in one.

    I have NO experience with the Alpha Runtime and, unless necessary, see no real reason to rework the system into a web interface to run it off the Alpha Web Server.

    Even if I did do that, you need to keep in mind here that this is a simple network (three systems cable connected and one wirelessly) so one machine, which does other work besides, would have to also serve the web data to the other three and the best system onsite is currently a P4 2.5 GHz with 512mb of memory.

    I'd briefly entertained wild thoughts of establishing a shared Access database which would be read to and from on record insertion/edits but discarded it for the obvious reasons.

    I'd even considered a 'web query' type solution where information written to the database would be updated in real time to an online MySQL store and, well, then I woke up...

    :o)

    Thoughts would be appreciated here, but please keep in mind that I know absolutely nothing of the Runtime/network solutions offered by Alpha.

    FYI the system is used to generate quotes and track mortgage enquiries for property sale, purchase and remortgage, so we will never be talking vast amounts of data to throw around.

    #2
    Hello "That would be me".

    My first thought is that it will be rather expensive deploying copies of your application using full licenses of A5, that's what the Runtime is for. And besides, I don't want my users having a full copy of A5 and the ability to change anything they might like. It makes support rather more difficult.

    A5 handles with aplomb networking for multiple users of the same database application. You need to read up on the subject of "Network Optimization" in the A5 help documentation. It's not terribly difficult. I developed a major 4-user application and left all the networking bits to last. But for a few glitches that have now been fixed it worked really well. The performance even over a modest 100 Mbps peer-to-peer network is amazingly good, and certainly a lot better than I expected.

    So, go for it. If you don't mind a challenge and learning something new you won't be disappointed.

    Comment


      #3
      That was fast !

      Thanks for the reply.

      From the help file, (which I had read prior to posting here):

      Configuring Network Optimization

      1. Install the Alpha Five application on your server.

      That's where I stopped and asked in this forum - step one indicates that a server environment is required.

      Are you suggesting that you can emulate this by using a simple network share on one 'master' machine which the other computers access over the network through the router ?

      The client has no intention of investing in a server anytime soon, but if the Runtime solution could work where one computer shares to the other 'slave' machines then I'll give it some serious thought.

      Comment


        #4
        Xunil, (what is your real name?)

        last year we were running a very similar network to what you describe.

        Pauls machine was the 'main machine' which connected to the internet via braodband.

        Mine, Dave's and Helen's all were either wired or wirelessly connected to Pauls.

        My machine had the full version of Alpha 5 on it for development, all the others had the runtime version.

        The data was on Pauls machine which was for all intents and purposes a server. All worked fine.

        We now have a dedicated server with 4 machines off of it. All is exactly the same, the only difference is-I don't have to turn Pauls machine on to work on the data as the server is always on.

        Regards

        Lance

        Comment


          #5
          Thanks Lance

          My real name ?

          Jed

          Glad to know you.

          Your situation seems almost identical to the current issue I'm faced with.

          Would I be right in assuming that leaving a full version of Alpha Five V7 on the master PC would require that the three slave computers have a 3-user Runtime license ?

          Sorry if this seems like basics - everything is easy, but only when you know how it's done...

          I'm just thinking that I could leave the current full version where it is and use a 3-user Runtime on the other machines.

          Comment


            #6
            Hi Jed,

            If this is for clients of yours, I wouldn't put the full version of alpha on any machine, just buy a 5 user version of runtime for yourself, then create an install package for your client using the full version, then give this to your client. Then all 4 will be able to use the application but not play around with designing anything (which is always dangerous)

            Comment


              #7
              Thanks again !

              Thanks Lance

              I'll put some careful thought into what you've suggested.

              Another Alpha developer sometimes does work for them on a second (completely unrelated) system they have, and having one machine with a full version for onsite work could be useful, depsite the potential pitfalls of the client molesting the product.

              Watch this space...

              Comment


                #8
                That would be me

                When the help file says "Install the Alpha Five application on the server" it means, install your database there. It does NOT mean install the Alpha Five program files there. Your database needs to be in a shared folder on the server. Alpha Five does not.

                In the typical setup your database is stored in a single folder on the server, and shared with each workstation. Each workstation runs its own copy of Alpha Five, either the full version or the runtime, against the shared data on the server.

                -- tom

                ps. please change your forum preferences so that we can know your actual name. Thanks.

                Comment

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