Server vs Notebook as Server for FW programms

[TimStone]

Otto,

My experience has always been that notebooks with decent storage had slower drives than small towers. Also, notebooks were usually requiring a long down time for repairs where tower computers could be running again in minutes.

Newer notebooks using SSD technology perform faster but are also quite expensive.

Generally, I'm not sure a computer actually needs Server software. A Win 10 Pro machine might be quite sufficient.

Of course you are using RDC and I don't. How many workstations are using these servers concurrently ? Most of my clients have 5 to 20 workstations all drawing off the same database. Wouldn't that require an equal number of client installs on the server for RDC ? I'm not sure how you have your work configured so I'm still not clear how RDC can work well.

Tim

[Baxajaun]

Dear Otto,

please, look at

https://hostadvice.com/lp/hosting-services/windows/?creative=248297355497&targetid=kwd-296625220733&matchtype=b&device=c&campaignid=912489265&adgroupid=45557885037&feeditemid=&loc_physical_ms=20271&loc_interest_ms=&network=g&devicemodel=&placement=&keyword=%2Bwindows%20%2Bhosting&target=&aceid=&adposition=1t2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9qHqn_nA2wIVTETTCh3DJQ5eEAAYAiAAEgIuk_D_BwE

Best regards,

[Otto]

Hello Felix,
thank you for the info.
It seems that to get similar power to our local standard installations we need following plan:

8 GB RAM
8 vCPU
200 GB SSD Disk Space
5 TB Bandwidth
Linux or Windows
cPanel or Plesk Onyx

Starting at $169/mo

The prices are 10 times more than Carles mentioned.

ROI of a local server notebook would be within 8 month. Lifetime saving of the notebook as server would be a compact car.

How can a hardware dealer participate on the sells. Do dealers get a discount.

Best regards,
Otto

[Baxajaun]

Dear Otto,

from the list of Sites what option have you chosen ?

Best regards

[Otto]

Hello Felix,
I forgot to post a photo to demonstrate the lifetime savings only if you sell 50 to 60 serverbooks.
These cars represent the value of the saving.
Best regards,
Otto

[Carles]

Otto,

I spoke in a different configuration to yours. I was saying, for example, a server with storage space, mysql databases, automatic backups, ... and this really is the price I mentioned above.

You surely want to virtualize or another type of system.

[Otto]

Hello Carles,
yes that is what we need. We need a system where we can operate through RDP.

You mixed my questions. The RESTFUL API I need for a completely new project. And yes this project is web based.
Here I would prefer Harbour as I only used classic ASP for web programming and do not know PHP.

Best regards,
Otto

[TimStone]

Otto,

Let me ask again.

1). You are running to a server using RDP. Do you have a separate copy of your program running on the server for each connection ?
2). How many workstations will connect to each server ?
3). Is your database on the same server ?
4). How large is the application ? Does one application "do it all", meaning scheduling, client tracking, accounting, histories, etc. ?
5). Can you mix local and RDP applications running at the same time on the workstation ?

Tim

[Otto]

Hello Tim,

thank you for asking. For a small company as ours RDP was the best decision.
We take care that all the devices ( mainly printers) are network devices. We do not support redirected printers.
This way all the setup can be made by us.


Wouldn't that require an equal number of client installs on the server for RDC
You must install licenses for each client. As we do not use “Active Directory” and no extra “license server” only the licenses per device are working for us.

1). You are running to a server using RDP. Do you have a separate copy of your program running on the server for each connection ?
Yes I have for every user one directory and one directory for data

2). How many workstations will connect to each server ?
I think more or less the same amount as you have.
For Android smartphones we use an APP which was programed for us. There the user can’t change resolution, zoom and some more things are blocked.

3). Is your database on the same server ?
Yes. I use dbf files.
As on “our” SERVER is only company data we restrict the access for “RemoteDesktopUsers” very much. No explorer, no copy & paste, …
I have Powershells to do the setup of the SERVER. We install WINDOWS and configure the server in less than 1 hour.
The powershells are called with shellexec from a Fivewin program menu driven. This way every server has the same setup.

4). How large is the application ? Does one application "do it all", meaning scheduling, client tracking, accounting, histories, etc. ?
WINHOTEL is a very large application. We have the main program which does scheduling, client tracking, accounting, histories, etc. .
And we have some exe files for special tasks.

5). Can you mix local and RDP applications running at the same time on the workstation ?
We could but we do not allow as we do not want shared drives on the server.

We backup the server with build in WINDOWS SERVER BACKUP. Up to now ransomware attaches couldn’t harm the copies. Although users should rotate the USB drives.

For security we use PANDA Adaptive Defense 360 and to administrate the servers PANDA systems management.

With PANDA system management you can execute scripts on the connected servers. We start through systems management a online backup of the essential data files including the log files of the WINDOWS BACKUP.

This BACKUP server is in our company.

With a Fivewin program we check if the daily uploads arrive and if there are no errors in the log files.

If you have more questions please feel free to ask.

Best regards,
Otto

[Otto]

Hello Tim,
here a screenshot from our FIVEWIN backup monitor.



Best regards,
Otto

[TimStone]

Otto,

Thanks for the information. I may have more questions but I think I will do some experimenting with this. Perhaps one of the main benefits you have is you provide the equipment and pretty much lock down the system. That eliminates many problems.

I need to do some more research on running via RDP. I use Remote Desktop very rarely but may find this to be a useful option.

Tim

[Otto]

Hello,

our SERBERBOOK is ready configured now.

The server is connected with SIM card with static IP to the internet.
We use Archer MR200 Routers.

We have added Virual Servers for following services:
RDP, sock, http, https and mysql.

As Internet Server we use Apache and for data MySQL.

Speed is top.
Soon we will have a public web page on this server. Then you can test yourself.

SSL certificate is working fine.

At the moment I have 5 WORDPRESS web pages and some php web pages installed.

Now we are working on connecting WINHOTEL which is a desktop program written in FIVEWIN with some php webpages and FIVEWEB.

Best regards
Otto

[Otto]

Hello,

a bit of magic is our WINHOTEL.SPACE extension on the SERVERBOOKS.
Now we have desktop programs and web programs on a single server and we can access data the way which fits best.
RDP and through browser with not much programming effort.

Here is a link to TWeb example programs.
https://mybergland.com/y/tweb.examples/beispiele.php


This takes data from WINHOTEL.
https://mybergland.com/y/tweb.examples/otto.php
A FIVEWIN desktop program on the server does the hard work.
This FW-program monitors a directory. A PHP program writes a text file to this directory.
In the text file the report request is stored.

//write Report task
$Report = fopen( $filename . "txt", "w");
if ($Report == false)
{
echo ("Error in opening new Report");
exit();
}
fwrite($Report, "Print Report: Verkauf ");
fclose($Report);



The FIVEWIN program prepares all the data for the report and stores the data in a CSV file.
PHP program is waiting:
while ($x <= 2)
{
sleep(1);

if (file_exists($filename . "csv"))
{
echo "filename:" . $filename . "csv" . "<br>";


if (file_exists( $filename . "tx" ))
{
echo "lock file exists" . "<br>";
}
else
{
echo "break:" . $filename . "<br>";
$link = true;

break;
}
}
echo "The number is: $x <br>";
$x++;
}

}


Then the PHP program shows the report.



Best regards,
Otto

[Otto]

Hello,

We also have some security tools installed.
Beside standard software we have some own tools made with FW.

-detect renaming of files in WINHOTEL data folder which
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=35900&p=213847&hilit=ransom#p213847

- Online backup to our server
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=25121&p=212801#p212801

With a Fivewin program we check if the daily uploads arrive and if there are no errors in the log files.


MariaDB is data at rest encrypted .
A FW program prepares the key file and deletes the file after MariaDB is running.

Also WORDPRESS stores the database password in clear text. Here we write the password into RAM.

Then from wp_db.php I read instead of config.php the string from memory.
Maybe it is not a good solution to change the original source code.
But for the moment it is working.

Best regards,
Otto

[Otto]

Hello,
We will now install our software on virtual WINDOWS SERVER 2019.
I've been testing all programs extensively for a few days now and it seems everything is working fine.
We use WINDOWS 10 alternatively SERVER 2019 as HOST server.
On all systems I also installed Apache with mod harbor. Everything is working well.
Best regards
Otto