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> On Mon, July 29, 2013 22:22, Randy Westlund wrote: |
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> Hey guys, |
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> |
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> I'm planning to set up an SQL server for my dad's small canvas awning |
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> business, and I've never done this before. Most of my sysadmin-type |
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> skills are self-taught. I could use some advice. |
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[snip] |
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|
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Randy, |
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I've read your original post and subsequently the answers. One question |
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that nobody raised about your original post was why are you writing |
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something for your fathers company in the first place? Why aren't you |
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looking at ERP packages such as Compiere, Adempiere, Tryton, OpenERP etc |
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etc? In other words, why are you reinventing the wheel? With these |
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systems, you will get all of the data entry stuff already set up and you |
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can then do your data analysis stuff, although these systems also do |
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heaps of this stuff already. You don't mention what you do for a crust, |
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but if you do a good implementation of one at your Dad's place, you |
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could sell your services to other companies. |
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|
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Someone mentioned PostGIS - forget it. You want to generate heat maps |
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based upon where business is going. This does not need a GIS. If you are |
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generating "real", accurate maps, then a GIS would be what you want, but |
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in this case, you just need a rough "mudmap" of the areas in question. |
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This would just show that City A is north west, ie the top left side of |
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the page, from you, which is in the centre, company B is east, the right |
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hand side of the page etc and based upon this, generate your heat map. |
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Scale, true orientation and position are not important. Even just grab a |
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Google Earth screen grab of your area and then write something what will |
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add heat, colours, to it in the appropriate places. |
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|
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You mentioned a "small database". Don't underestimate how big things |
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can get quickly. If, at the moment when someone is spec'ing a job, and |
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they take photo's, but subsequently those photo's are hard to access, |
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they won't take the photo's in the first place. If you set up an easy to |
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access repository for the photo's, people will start taking more |
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photo's. If there are CAD drawings, what are they? 2D/3D, |
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AutoCAD/MicroStation or full on Solidworks solid models? These get big |
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very quickly. Scanned notes etc just add more and more. I have a feeling |
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that your small db could get big quickly. Just plan for that. |
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|
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In closing, these are just my five cents worth, we no longer have two |
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cent pieces in Australia, regarding the software. I have no idea on the |
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hardware except as someone mentioned back up, back up and back up. Oh, |
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also, the more RAM the merrier. |
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|
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Good luck, |
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Andrew |