CRM Software questions

[Guest]

Just for the record, I would like to add that my copy of YIO has not been "unstable" as another has intimated of YIO.

I'm the "another" that you mention.

I'm glad that you have had no problems with the Microsoft Access database. But just in case, the following might be good web sites to bookmark:

Corrupt Microsoft Access MDBs FAQ

and more specifically:

Some Microsoft Access MDB Corruption Symptoms

The Microsoft Access Jet database engine was designed to keep small phone lists and recipes on. It has few if any fault-tolerant features and has a long history of being prone to key-chain and index corruption.

I wouldn't put mission-critical data on it... but if you are only going to have a few hundred up to a couple of thousand records on it and if you have good power protection... a loss of power can really mess up Access... I'm think you will be OK. One suggestion... you might consider rebuilding the .mde every once in a while. Your best protection is to keep a week or two of backups... making one each day. (And test them every once in a while.)

Remember, I'm just one person and while I have many years of experience with Access and many other databases, my advice and opinion is worth what it cost you.

And note... before you hit the "flame" button... this has nothing to do with YIO. I'm sure after all this time YIO is bug-free and stable (i.e. it does not crash or freeze due to a programming problem.) I'm talking about the Access database... which lots and lots of applications use. It is fine for simple home or small office non-essential record keeping. However you would NOT see any knowledgeable (small or large) business or corporation use Microsoft Access for its mission critical data... they use SQLServer or Oracle or MySQL or Postgres or Sybase or any one of a hundred others.

Al

 

[djs]

Al -

I actually agree with you, somewhat, about the issues with Access. Granted, they are no where near as bad as they used to be.

Keep in mind, Access is designed to be a desktop database (what you refer to as recipes). YIO is designed to be a desktop application. It is reasonable to use these together.

The big problems with Access come from multi-user, something it doesn't handle as well as it should, but also, something that isn't a big issue with the transaction volume of most individual user programs. There are now even several e-commerce sites that use an access db to run on, and work reasonably well.

MySQL is probably a bit more stable than Access, but it also is not rated as a mission critical database. It has it's little notorious 'oopses' in life, but if you are not pounding on it very hard, you'll probably never run into them. If you back up frequently, you'll almost never have a problem.

My point is simple. The sky isn't going to fall because someone uses Access as their database. Is it prudent to back up? Sure. This is true with every database application.

Dan

P.S. I love mysql, it is truly what data enables the web world. This site runs on a mysql database, my site runs on a mysql database. When I had an ecommerce store, it ran on a mysql database (though it transacted with an access database locally). If I had to run a large ecommerce store, it would run on something more robust than mysql though.

 

[Guest]

Al -


Keep in mind, Access is designed to be a desktop database (what you refer to as recipes). YIO is designed to be a desktop application. It is reasonable to use these together.

Well, that's the same as saying: A soft-boiled egg is a breakfast food. Maple syrup is a breakfast food. So it is reasonable to mix syrup with your soft-boiled egg. I'll agree... but it depends on how sick you want to get!!

Leaving out YIO and Access for the moment, it is not "reasonable" to put ANY mission-critical data on any platform that you know to have a history of instability AND which has nothing in the way of features and facilities to prevent and recover from corruption.

Yes, you can... but why would you want to? Why take a risk you don't have to take?

If I were the developer of an application and wanted to use Access as a FRONT END (for screens and data entry and reporting) I would link tables to MySQL via ODBC.

An Access Front-End to MySQL


Now I DO understand that making customers have an installed MySQL database adds to the complexity of the application at install time because setting up the ODBC interface can be confusing (perhaps there is a way to automate it these days?) But if you want to sell a product that is going to be almost bullet-proof, you have to bite the bullet and do that. It would mean more customer hand-holding and perhaps a higher price for that needed support.

Maybe the answer is to sell two systems. One that says "It's pretty stable but you take your chance" ... and it uses Access... meaning a relatively simple install process... and a higher-end, a more secure version using MySQL. (By the way installing MySQL is not all that difficult... and MySQL is free MySQL :: MySQL 5.0 Reference Manual :: 2.4.8 Installing MySQL on Windows)

Getting back to YIO... if I were the developer I'd convert the whole mess to PHP and put it on the web and make a service out of it like we do with our Jaya123 system. Here is a conversion system... which I've not used but it looks pretty good.

Convert your Microsoft Access forms to WEB-page with DBForms from MS Access to PHP + MySQL converter.

As I say, it all comes down to how valuable the data is. For me, I have a two copies of SugarCRM on my server... a production one and a back-up. I have a copy of the system on my local Mac. I reload the test system every few hours. I reload the Mac once a night. I dump the database to a "SQL dump" format and FTP it to a totally different data center (which charges me $100 a year) every 30 minutes. It is all automated... works fine.

Could YOU do this? The vast majority of you couldn't... any more than I could repair brakes on my car. But you could hire a consultant for a couple of hundred bucks (if that) to do it for you... just as I would take the car in to a brake shop.

Or you can just use a desktop system with Access. There is no wrong answer... just degrees of risk... and everyone has different tolerances. YMMV.

Al

 

[GreenSky]

While I have never had any kind of problem with YIO, I do backup my data daily from drive C to drive D. In addition, I use carbonite to backup all my data files almost continuously.

I never have to worry about losing anything of value on my computer.

Rick

 

[theinuranceguy]

I never have to worry about losing anything of value on my computer.

Rick

Thats because there is nothing valuable on it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I would like to add that I have used YIO for the past couple months or so, and it is a GOD SEND.

I know nothing about computers, but Franks software is easy, and there is really no learning curve.

Frank is great and easy to work with. It doesnt even have to be about YIO, if he thinks he can help with anything, he will.

Great guy, and it costs you nothing, since it will increase your sales.

 

[retread]

I'm the "another" that you mention.

I'm glad that you have had no problems with the Microsoft Access database. But just in case, the following might be good web sites to bookmark:

Corrupt Microsoft Access MDBs FAQ

and more specifically:

Some Microsoft Access MDB Corruption Symptoms

The Microsoft Access Jet database engine was designed to keep small phone lists and recipes on. It has few if any fault-tolerant features and has a long history of being prone to key-chain and index corruption.

I wouldn't put mission-critical data on it... but if you are only going to have a few hundred up to a couple of thousand records on it and if you have good power protection... a loss of power can really mess up Access... I'm think you will be OK. One suggestion... you might consider rebuilding the .mde every once in a while. Your best protection is to keep a week or two of backups... making one each day. (And test them every once in a while.)

Remember, I'm just one person and while I have many years of experience with Access and many other databases, my advice and opinion is worth what it cost you.

And note... before you hit the "flame" button... this has nothing to do with YIO. I'm sure after all this time YIO is bug-free and stable (i.e. it does not crash or freeze due to a programming problem.) I'm talking about the Access database... which lots and lots of applications use. It is fine for simple home or small office non-essential record keeping. However you would NOT see any knowledgeable (small or large) business or corporation use Microsoft Access for its mission critical data... they use SQLServer or Oracle or MySQL or Postgres or Sybase or any one of a hundred others.

Al

Don't get paranoid on me, Al!.... Actually, I appreciate your input. I will save your provided links in case something does happen.

In the meantime, I run Memeo Autobackup for real-time backup continually, have Acronis Backup do a backup on schedule, as well as Microsoft XP Backup (scheduled). My backup plans incorporate a NAS device and an additional large HDD, such that each backup is to its own folder, all linked to my Home LAN. -{ I think triple redundancy is sufficient, similar to the triple redundant hydraulic systems on most commercial jets. }- In addition, I run all my computers and my NAS with their own individual UPS, so a power surge, brown-out, or power loss will not hurt them.

I did all this after my major catastrophy last year. (Better late than never!)

 

[Guest]

I did all this after my major catastrophy last year. (Better late than never!)

Yeah... we've all had those! And we never learn until we do!

Al

 

[Guest]

UPDATE: I'm done with computers. Besides, I'm over 50 now.

Having experienced what appears to be hardware issues and underlying software crashes with the loss of "some" data, I have gone "back to the future" and am utilizing a modified version of OCS - One Card System (cards and calendar). It's pencil and paper, simple, portable (accessible from anywhere), "always on", doesn't crash; cheap (almost free in my case, I pay for the pencils); tailored to insurance; proven system over hundreds of years (writing); etc., and it's comfortable since it's basically what I used in another business in the early '80's, so I've come home!

Also, isn't it "cool" to be "retro"?!

 

[retread]

UPDATE: I'm done with computers. Besides, I'm over 50 now.

Having experienced what appears to be hardware issues and underlying software crashes with the loss of "some" data, I have gone "back to the future" and am utilizing a modified version of OCS - One Card System (cards and calendar). It's pencil and paper, simple, portable (accessible from anywhere), "always on", doesn't crash; cheap (almost free in my case, I pay for the pencils); tailored to insurance; proven system over hundreds of years (writing); etc., and it's comfortable since it's basically what I used in another business in the early '80's, so I've come home!

Also, isn't it "cool" to be "retro"?!

It's amazing what technology can do these days... did you just write www.insurance-forums.net on a notepad in pencil, or did you use a ball-point?

 

[Guest]

Oops, I had meant to say I would still use the computer to access the insurance forums, my bad...thanks for the heads-up! Technology IS quite amazing!