As I understand, a server can serve only one application. How does that affect keeping the applications separate instead of merging while working within server-client network? I really would appreciate feedback from anyone and everyone on the subject of cofiguring the system. I believe, this will have to be addressed by everyone sooner or later and being clear about the subject will lessen the growing pains. Thanks.

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This is correct. A server can serve multiple applications and you can run multiple servers. But no two servers can serve the same single application simultaneously.

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Could you possibly share with us a little more about your server setup that you are using with sesame, Such as  OS memory etc. Also possibly a little about the application you have with 11 users and any other data you have learned about multi user and Sesame. Many of us are about to deal with getting our Sesame applications up and running with large multi user installations and can use any info we can get. The amount of discussion on this subject is a little limited on this board at the moment and we are desperate for info.

Thanks

First, just know that I know just enough to be dangerous  - so my terminology may be off.  A quick background of our program might help.  I started working with Q&A about a year before the whole Year 2000 scare.  I was hired to convert their system from Q&A to Access.  Of course I fell in love with Q&A and the ease/speed right away.  I am not a programmer so the conversion was very slow and difficult - lots of scouring forums to learn how to do things.  Anyway, we were able to stay with Q&A and it is a good thing because the Access application crawled along. 

We are a private money lender (yes, loan shark) and we generate loans and then sell the notes to private parties.  If the loan is large, we sell the note to multiple investors and if it is small, one investor will buy the note.  We track some 600 fields of data on each loan and then in a separate system we track the larger investments, the investors, capital added, interest due. etc.  Each entity has multiple investors who each can have one or more capital contributions and then monthly interest paid out. The Q&A Database was 23MB and has 12 years of history.

Now to the specifics.  We have a simple network set up using all dell computers.  Our server has a Pentium 4 1.2GHz with 768 MB Ram running Windows 2000 Small Business Server Service Pack 4.  We have 13 (only 11 use Q&A and now Sesame) people connected to the server with a switch.  Most of the workstations are Windows 98 SE and three of them run Windows XP Pro. 

I have been working with Sesame since the middle of the beta tests and have really just done what is in the User Guide and the Multi-User Installation Guide that came with our license disk.  It has been a piece of cake to set up and run.  We have never experienced any locking or crashing with our system like some of the posts.  I followed the guides and set up shortcuts on the server to start serving each program and then put the shorcuts into the startup folder so they would start automatically in case of a reboot(which never happens.)  I also created a shortcut for designer and sesame client for each application on the server.  I also set up shortcuts on each workstation for sesame client to each application.  Everyone here has access to all functions of each application.  We don't have a need to use security at this point but may add it later.  I did increase the RAM on each workstation to at least 512MB before sesame was released - based on suggestions in the forum and the QuickAnswer newsletter. 

I even set up a temporary server over the internet and that worked great - even though we currently have no need of that. 

I am still making changes/improvements to our programs.  I like(not quite love) Designer - especially where I can make changes while others are still working in the application.  I can test and test and test before I reconcile.  For a first generation program, Sesame is head and shoulders above the pack - with room to continue to improve until they will tower over the competition.  The long wait was worth it for our company. 

Sorry for the long windedness.

I mention the Sesame Multi-User Installation guide above and have not seen it available on the website.  There is really not any new information in it that is not in the user guide and on the forum, but it is all in one place.  Maybe it could be made available for download (or if it is available, maybe I could open my eyes.)

CapitalG,

Thank you so much for your open and insightful response. 

I am quickly approaching the point were I will need to make some tough decisions on how to progress. I am glad to hear that Sesame works well in the multi-user environment.

Was there a specific reason that you went with Windows 2000 Small Business Server Service Pack 4.?

Do you maintain your network and servers in house or contract out?