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Workgroup Messaging?
Displaying my ignorance asks: "We have a small workgroup running on Windows XP Professional; we do not have a domain server. We use Peachtree accounting software which is supposedly multi-user. Unfortunately, multi-user
does not translate into allowing two people to be
in the same module (i.e., accounts receivable) at
the same time. Because the users are in different
buildings they often crash Peachtree because
they don't know that someone else is already in
that module. These crashes result in the loss of
data since the last backup. I am therefore trying to locate software, compatible with Windows XP, which would allow a user to create pop-up messages for display on the
remote screens. It needs to be a pop-up, not just
a flag in the system tray; ideally it would be a
flashing neon sign which fills most of the screen
[grin]. Because we do not have SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) Messenger appears not to be a solution. Any suggestions?"
You could use cvs to check the file in and out.
This isn't the sig you are looking for... Carry on...
You could easily run a jabber client, there are free (as in beer) versions and the main server is running inside your network, so no unfortunate export of precious information.
Create a virtual machine for each module, e.g.
(1) AR.mygroup.mydomain.com
(2) AP.mygroup.mydomain.com
(3) GL.mygroup.mydomain.com
Install the appropriate modules and instruct users to click on the icon that will launch to that virtual machine. Watch for a few seconds, and if somebody's entering a transaction, try back later.
This should work, but it is relatively speaking a cheapskate solution.
You probably could do something with Windows Terminal Services and license management that would work more slickly, but I haven't worked much with it so I can't tell you how well they'd work. Probably better than the above solution.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Q: What's going to happen if the other guy isn't logged on when the "net send" message is sent?
A: He'll never see the message and not know the database is in use.
-- Don't Tase me, bro!
messenger service/net send?
This may leave you open to spammage on this service (but chances are this is already enabled on all of your win2k/xp workstations anyway).
It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
I mean it. It's free, it's interoperable and it even allows you to access your buddies on different IM networks (like aim, msn, icq etc).
Go to Jabber Software Foundation and look for server that will work on your system. There are free servers for POSIX systems and I'm sure that there are at least several servers for Windows. As for clients, there are dozens clients for every major OS, and most of them have the feature to automatically popup messages on the screen. I'd suggest Psi and Miranda.
Robert
Bastard Operator From 193.219.28.162
You're treating the symptom not the disease. What you need is to replace your accounting software (and maybe even your OS) with something that meets your business's requirements.
Worried about the cost of new software are you? How much money is your company hemorraging because your using a single-user accounting program that deletes all of your data? How much more will it lose when you try to patch it up with an IM program?
Michael.
Linux : Mac
We use Peachtree accounting software which is supposedly multi-user. Unfortunately, multi-user does not translate into allowing two people to be in the same module (i.e., accounts receivable) at the same time. Because the users are in different buildings they often crash Peachtree because they don't know that someone else is already in that module. These crashes result in the loss of data since the last backup.
It seems that you are trying an ad-hoc solution instead of looking at the root cause of problem which seems to be the buggy Peachtree accounting software (or maybe their sales folk claimed it to be multi-user while developers didn't get to finish multi-user module properly). When you get your messaging thing working, you might want to call the Peachtree accounting software and bug them until they take care of your problem or if your organization can afford it, get a better package that meets the needs of your organization.
You can either hire a tow truck to pull your car with broken engine (you still sit in the car) for your commute or you can get a car that works !!
OMG!
I just have to comment that if two people are using a single module the whole system will crash, are you crazy for using this software?!?!?!
Seriously, not wanting to sound too crazy, this software is very crazy! It would be easy to build in some kind of user-check module into the software (if there is now no present method, building in a lookup log is no effort at all), to check what users are using what module and deny access if it is in use, or to just allow the software multi-access (this may require some more hard work given the software sounds so flawed). Using some kind of lookup-user module would take a progammer less than a day to create, it is seriously easy business.
I suggest you draft a sternly worded letter to your software providers asking for this.
This however is merely a workaround. I have never heard of such amateur accounting software on public market.
Truely astounded.
--
FreeNET user? Comfortable with the adverse selection?
If it can't even do multiuser correctly.. get rid of it. Quickbooks Pro does multiuser perfectly without a central server.
-- Home on the strange
savethedollhouse.com
I agree, you should look into better accounting software. Having said that, my office also uses peachtree, but the problem has been resolved with USB flash drives. If you don't have the flash drive, you can't get into the module you need, and you can't crash Peachtree. Granted, the people in my workplace who would need a common module often have offices next to each other, so passing the drive around isn't a problem, but if they are far apart, you may need another solution.
Another solution to your problem would be to separate the modules to different shared volumes, and only allow one user to access each share at a time. Simple and effective, but you have to disconnect them if they leave with the share open.
--That's the point of being root, you can do anything you want, even if it's stupid.
Your problem is that Peachtree does not work with multiple users using a module at the same time. As many of us know here, it doesnt matter what you ask / tell / demand users to do, they will screw things up.
Can you not host the module(s) in question on different network shares and set the shares to only permit one concurrent user? Coupled with an auto-disconnection timeout that would ensure that only one user could use the module at the same time.
Alternatively perhaps use the Terminal Services functions of one of the XP machines for that module and make people use the terminal server - as XP only supports one TS user, it would ensure that only one user was in the module at any one time.
Extension of your point: all instant messaging systems I can think of will have the same limitation. AIM, Jabber, iChat (not that that's relevant here), MSN, etc. will not queue up messages for users when they aren't logged in. I seem to remember that ICQ would store up messages, but how many people use ICQ anymore? In any case, the only IM server that can reasonably be run by yourself is Jabber, and as far as I know (I welcome corrections) it won't queue up messages.
As some in this thread have said, Jabber is probably the best band-aid over this particular problem, but fixing the multiuser aspects of the database software is the true cure. If Quickbooks Pro can do the job, it should be considered. Alternatively -- and this may be a stretch, depending on your needs & your trust in free software -- GnuCash can be configured to run PostgreSQL as the back-end data storage. This should address all the concurrency & stability issues beautifully; the only issue is that, as near as I can tell, this is still a beta quality feature, and the database schema seems to be evolving.
That and GnuCash might run more happily on Linux, which could scotch the idea if you're really an all XP shop... :-(
If that's the case, the QBpro is probably the safest option -- it should be examined.
DO NOT LEAVE IT IS NOT REAL
I did this once for a company. It's funny that the manual at the time didn't mention data loss. It was fun finding that out the hard way :) If I remember right I setup Realpopup on their machines for this very purpose. Cheap and it worked.