>****** Off-Site Data Entry *******
>
>Dear Skip,
>
>You can approach this issue in three (3) ways.
>
>Creation of custom migration routine
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>I suggest that a couple of sub-routines (scripts) be created for the
>existing eBase software that will migrate the records from the laptop
>(remote unit) to the main eBase database. You will require a programmer
>with good FileMaker Pro experience to do this.
Even with the best of intentions and most savvy FileMaker developer,
you'll have trouble with this. Imagine your remote user and a user in
the main office making changes to the same record (one changes the
address and the other adds an email list assignment, for example. I
can' imagine how this would be kept synchronized. If you can develop
a work practice by which changes happen at one place or the other but
not both, you can copy the entire file set onto a removable disk
(like a zip) and transfer it to the remote and back via sneakernet.
>Internet Browser Access
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>The second method is wait for the release of Version 2.0 which takes
>advantage of the Internet and allows for remote access to your eBase
>database over the Internet. This is not possible using the current version
>of eBase, 1.03.
It is possible to share the data over the net with version 1.0x,
using FileMaker's built-in file sharing (not a browser). I have
clients doing this right now. It's pretty slow, though, unless you
have a high-speed connection at both ends. It is also necessary for
the remote user to know the IP address of the host. Both the remote
and host machines need a full copy of FileMaker. The host machine
launches all the ebase files, and the remote user selects the host
button on the File Open dialog box to get a list of the files
currently available at the specified IP address.
>
>Virtual Private Network (VPN) Access
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>There has been alot of discussions on the support listserv about the use of
>a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection to eBase over the Internet. I
>do not believe that this method has been successful. Other users may want
>to elaborate on their experiences with VPN and eBase.
Other options for remote control include Timbuktu (commercial) and
VNC (freeware). Both of these essentially put you at the keyboard of
the host machine from a remote location, so you can't use the files
from the host and remote at the same time. I have used both of these
successfully. Either will work with both Macs and Windows.
>
>If you need further assistance, you may contact me directly.
>
>Regards,
>
>
>Michael W. Smith
>MWS Consulting
>Your IT and Internet support specialists, since 1987.
>www.mwsconsulting.com
>Vancouver, BC Canada
>
>Telephone: 1-604-929-4976
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Skip Ferry [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2001 8:31 AM
>To: TechRocks Support
>Subject: [support] Off-Site Data Entry
>
>Our organization is considering ebase. We have a group of volunteers who
>come to our soup-kitchen site (not our office) weekly to process
>donations. Is there a way for them to enter this information offline
>(e.g., on a laptop) and then merge it with the database on the office
>computer? Thanks in advance for any help!
>
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--
Dave Shaw Northwest Classics, Inc
tel: 206-954-7526 fax: 206-625-1338
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