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From: shevett@mccc.uucp (dave shevett)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Foxbase and above - where to?
Message-ID: <1990Aug1.183716.5859@mccc.uucp>
Date: 1 Aug 90 18:37:16 GMT
Organization: The College On The Other Side Of Route One
Lines: 44

A modest but important question to the world in general:

My company has written several *LARGE* (50k+ lines each) applications in
FoxBase for PC's.  We're currently working on converting them (what little
has to be done) to run under FoxPro v1.02.  We're very happy with the
system, and FoxPro is a wonder, BUT...  we need...  more.

We'd like to start looking at a client-server type of setup where our
customers (about 150 onsite installations) link to our
mini/micro/thingamajig here in the office, and we do the grunt database
work here, and they get the happy reports/pretty screens, etc.

What we need:
  1 - Fairly easy conversion of our FoxBase code over to the new app.
  Re-writing all the code is impossible (there's only 3 programmers, and
  we're up to our ears as it is).

  2 - Full-time access to the system from the remote terminals.  This is
  where I'm stumped.  Sure, we could use FORCE or whatever to run on system
  X in the office, but how the hell am I going to get the 150-200 terminals
  in the field linked to the thing cost effectively?  200 T1 lines?

  3 - Performance.  We're spoiled by FoxBase and FoxPro.  It's a VERY fast
  and forgiving system.  If we have 200 some-odd connections into the
  office, the system still has to snap to attention when you hit ENTER.

  4 - Pricing - We're not scared about costs, and the customers aren't
  either.  We currently charge a couple grand a year maintenance costs to
  maintain their software from the office (we use Carbon Copy - great
  tool).

Ok?  So what do I do?  Should I install a Xenix system, load up FoxBase
2.1.1, get a couple DigiBoards, and start installing Telebits?  This seems
like kind of a clunky way to do it.  We'd like to be able to go somewhere
with our user interface (I know using a mouse starts bringing up that word
'Workstation').

I leave it in the capable hands of the net.  Any pointers?

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