Server Newbie... questions.

[lonesomejubilee]

Hi.

I am currently looking into taking my DB App and placing it on the network for three remote sites to use simultaneously. I have never done anything like this before. I don't know anything about networking in this scale. I know that we are getting a T1 connection and that one site is about 100 miles away, the other 20 or so.

I've been reading through some of the posts about performance and some of them get me a little worried. What kind of performance can I expect? Here's a brief overview

About 100 tables

Simple data entry... mainly a chronological logging system

Simple scripts to perform finds, searches, create reports, etc.

About 15 users (and no more than 25 at once).

In our main table we log about 60,000 entries per year at each site (so 180,000 records)

I was reading the other posts where it says performance is really bogged down over a WAN (I guess that stands for Wide Area Network) which is what I'll be running. By the way, all three locations will be accessing separate tables (by order of my boss, i have to keep each location separate).

I use a Mac at work, but it will be run on a windows server.

Speaking of... the server itself will be used for more than just my application. We will be sending (not streaming) video, files, etc. across the same network.

What problems and concerns should I be worried about on the onset of the design?

(and if anyone could think of an ingenious way of keeping all the file separate, but on the same tables, I'd be very grateful... as it stands 3 locations means triplicates of all things... yuck!)

Thanks for your patients,

Like I said... this is my first dive into the network deep end!

Vandy.

[Computer Geek]

Vandy -- I am actually one of the ones that have been posting with a very good results from Server 7. I am very pleased with the speed. I have 25 users currently using the database and soon to be 45. No real problems yet.

I am curious, what do you mean by the triplicates of things? Do you have one database that you are going to share or 3 separate databases for 3 locations.

[stanley]

Vandy:

You don't say if you're working in FMP 7 or in an earlier version. This is pretty important, as earlier versions require you to not run anything else on your FM Server.

The requirement of keeping three (I assume) identical tables, each to be used by different locations, sounds like trouble in the making. However, without a bit more detail (like, if the users will be accessing the same records, or if the data being accessed is actually different for each location) it is difficult to say what your options are.

-Stanley

[lonesomejubilee]

I have talked it over with my boss, (who wanted three separate things) and have convinced him we will keep it all in one, so that's not a problem anymore. I am using FMP 7 (I use a Mac, but everyone else will have a PC... is that a problem??).

I am mainly concerned about performance and speed.

[Computer Geek]

Vandy -- I think you are making a good decision to move all the data/tables to one file. Having three seemed like a good way to have a very large headache.

WRT the mac/pc, there have been a few discussions in the FM 7 forum: details

Good luck