Subject: Re: [KLUG Members] Redhat 8.0

[Bob Kanaley]

Adam and Dirk,

Thanks for all the feedback concerning files systems, database selection,
servers, etc. That helps a lot.

I had never thought about using separate file systems for separate
partitions, etc. (Hey, I'm a biochemist by training. The computer stuff is
all self-taught, and now I have to support a 50+ host network. Sometimes I
feel like a fireman on the fourth of July, I don't know which fire to put
out first.)

As for the size of the database, I don't know how big it will grow as the
application is ported from an ancient Lotus 123 giant macro accessing a
couple hundred WK4 files to a real database application. As WK4 files the
application and all of the associated files take up about 200 MB.

The current Lotus 123 custom application manages production inventory and
order fulfillment for the production department only. Eventually we want to
integrate into our financials, but we are a small company and close to a
crisis with this application.

The original purpose of the custom program was to automate the paper based
management of the production department highest priced inventory items used
to produce our shipping products. The programmer (another chemist) was most
comfortable doing this in Lotus. It started out eight years ago as a stand
alone DOS application and has grown into a fast but hard to modify
application that has to share data via samba services on my RedHat 5.2
central file server.

The chemist who wrote the macro and still maintains it, has retired. A
programmer has been hired to re-write the app using an open source database
backend and php for the front end to get us off the MS upgrade
merry-go-round.

Once that is done, I am hoping I can talk the boss into putting him on the
GNUe manufacturing software project. That would get us an integrated
manufacturing and financials solution that would interface with the
production department app.

Once again, thanks for the feedback, and I am sure I will be asking some
more specific questions as we move forward on this.

Bob

Robert V. Kanaley
Manager Information Systems
Agdia, Inc.
rvk@agdia.com
http://www.agdia.com