Michael, You should look at building this on a LAMP or similar stack. This will make your system OS agnostic for both the client and server. The database can be MYSQL or POSTGRESQL the language can be PHP, Perl, Java or almost anything. If I was doing this I would look at building the requirements off the current system and then talk to your users looking for problems you can solve or extra features you can provide. Security wise I would run it on your network and not expose it to the public Internet. To accomodate multiple location access I would use a VPN either site to site or from workstation to site this way any computer on your network, including phones and tablets, can access the system. To get it done well the first time I would look at hiring someone or a company to get this done for you. As to your finicky user, you could build an interface that looked like the old one but I would not limit yourself to that. User interface functionality has come a long way and this system will probably be around a long time
Disclaimer: I do this type of work for a living. Let me know if you are interested in outsourcing a solution. That said I will be happy to continue to offer free advice. Andy Farnsworth FL 1.0 On Tue, Sep 15, 2015, 7:00 PM Michael L <[email protected]> wrote: > What app would allow us to design an arbitrary interface to look like what > we have on approach? I understand PHP to be a front end for mySQL. > "Maybe" our user would work with something more modern if we can make it > look like the old. > > I appreciate getting to ask these questions. > Michael > > > On Tue, Sep 15, 2015 at 1:13 PM, Wesley Duffee-Braun <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Hi Michael, >> >> It sounds like the database itself doesn't have to be synced anywhere, >> there is just a need for remote client access. That's going to be tough to >> do with the policy of keeping the DB physically isolated :) So yes, that >> security policy will probably have to go if the database user has the pull >> to force a remote access setup for their needs. >> >> When you say "database user who doesn't want to learn anything new" how >> do they access the db currently? Is there a UI for Approach that they use >> currently, and is that what they want to access remotely? Setting up RDP >> (the windows remote desktop protocol) over VPN is a solution if they >> must see the Windows XP desktop to use the database. Doing a Windows XP >> instance in the cloud so everyone can have easy remote access is possible >> - cheapest I could find was http://www.colossuscloud.com/pricing.phtml >> which appears to be at least $20/month. >> >> It sounds like a rock and a hard place, and unfortunately if your DB user >> is absolutely set on staying with Approach, then the option set isn't very >> wide. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Mon, Sep 14, 2015 at 7:07 PM, Michael L <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> You're not rude. I know my questions probably seem like I'm a 4 yr. old >>> who doesn't know much besides 911 (but since I designed a database 17 years >>> ago I must know everything about IT). I often thought a CRM solution would >>> be something for us. One difficulty is we have a 72 yr old (baby) database >>> user who doesn't want to learn anything new and in 14 years hasn't learned >>> to properly use what we have and now wants access at a new location. The >>> Lotus Approach app isn't updated past WinXP. >>> >>> >>> >>> On Sun, Sep 13, 2015 at 4:47 PM, Howard White <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Michael, >>>> >>>> I don't mean to be rude but I would think that the mailing label >>>> function you describe would be available as a turnkey package. That >>>> application has been solved many years and times over. Or let me spin this >>>> another way - do you need to expand functionality to use a tool like a >>>> Customer Resource Management (CRM) package? There are several open source >>>> CRM tools (SugarCRM for instance) that might do multiple jobs for your >>>> organization. >>>> >>>> At first blush, your request sounds like re-inventing the wheel. >>>> >>>> Howard >>>> >>>> >>>> On 09/13/2015 04:04 AM, Michael L wrote: >>>> >>>>> The database app runs a mailing list for DVD's. And I will say that >>>>> our >>>>> current (soon to be former?) security strategy is to leave the single >>>>> machine completely off the internet. I guess that strategy will have >>>>> to >>>>> be abandoned now to connect to a VPN? I understand the 'V' in VPN to >>>>> mean virtually private as opposed to actually private or virustually >>>>> private if you have a virus on one of the machines. Am I correct on >>>>> that? >>>>> M >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>> Groups "NLUG" group. >>>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>> [email protected] >>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/nlug-talk?hl=en >>>>> >>>>> --- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>> Groups "NLUG" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>>> an email to [email protected] >>>>> <mailto:[email protected]>. >>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "NLUG" group. >>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> [email protected] >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/nlug-talk?hl=en >>>> >>>> --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "NLUG" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "NLUG" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> [email protected] >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/nlug-talk?hl=en >>> >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "NLUG" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> http://www.wesleyduffeebraun.com >> <http://www.ashevillephotobooth.com> >> >> -- >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "NLUG" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected] >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/nlug-talk?hl=en >> >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "NLUG" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "NLUG" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/nlug-talk?hl=en > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "NLUG" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NLUG" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nlug-talk?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NLUG" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
