Brad Marks
BradM at blackforestltd.com
Sun Mar 30 18:54:22 CDT 2014
Doug, WOW IBM 1620 ! Did you program in IBM Autocoder? Those were the good old days! Brad PS. I still have a large deck of unused computer cards. I figure that they will be worth a lot someday :-) > On Mar 30, 2014, at 4:52 PM, "Doug Murphy" <dw-murphy at cox.net> wrote: > > It is amazing the amount of computing power you can rent for a small amount of money. > > You were a few IBM generations after the first computer I learned on, IBM 1620, at my college. It took up a whole room, and had a heard of real geeks for it's care and feeding. They got really POed whey a card deck would put it into a loop;-) Now I think you can get about the same amount of computing power in a cheap watch. > > -----Original Message----- > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Brad Marks > Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2014 12:25 PM > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving > Subject: Re: [AccessD] To the Cloud or Not to the Cloud. that is the Question > > Doug, > > Thanks for the tip on Amazon AWS. I have read a little about this offering but have not yet played with it. > > I have had quite a bit of fun with Microsoft Azure SQL. I have studied the restrictions of Azure SQL. I don't believe that these will be a problem for the little project that I am thinking about. > > Sure feels like some major IT shifts with the realm of tablets and the world of cloud options. > > We have certainly come a long way from the IBM 360 Model 40 that I cut my teeth on. > > Brad > > > >> On Mar 30, 2014, at 12:51 PM, "Doug Murphy" <dw-murphy at cox.net> wrote: >> >> Brad, >> >> If your experimenting you might be interested in Amazon AWS. You get a >> year's free trial to play, including a small, but full installation of >> SQL Server, not the crippled AZURE version as I understand. I have >> built a file storage system for customer that allows his customers to >> download documents that my customer creates for them. Built this in >> .NET. I have been experimenting with Amazon Work Spaces which is a >> streamed Windows 7 desktop hosted by Amazon. We were interested as >> folks keep asking if they can run our software, based on Access, on a >> Mac, Tablet, whatever. With this approach they can. I installed our >> runtime on the Amazon VM and we can run from anything that Amazon has >> a interface for. As of now Window, Mac, Android. I'd like to see >> something that would stream just the application as the whole desktop thing is a little expensive, $35/mo. >> >> Happy experimenting. There are lots of toys in the playground. >> >> Doug >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com >> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Brad Marks >> Sent: Friday, March 28, 2014 12:18 PM >> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving >> Subject: Re: [AccessD] To the Cloud or Not to the Cloud. that is the >> Question >> >> Bill, >> >> About half the people who know me call me Mark instead of Brad. >> Doesn't bother me a bit. >> >> Thanks for your ideas and insights. >> >> I started working with computers way back in 1975 and I am currently >> semi-retired, working only 20 hours per week. The experimenting that >> I am doing with Azure has been mostly at home, on my time and just a >> little bit on company time so far. I feel like I need to better >> understand Azure and experiment with it before making a recommendation at work. >> >> Microsoft offers a free 30 day trial, so the only investment that I >> have made so far, is a little time. >> >> I plan to post any significant findings here on AccessD, as I would >> guess that others might also be interested in the Microsoft Cloud. >> >> Brad Marks >> >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Bill Benson [mailto:bensonforums at gmail.com] >> Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2014 5:21 PM >> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving >> Subject: Re: [AccessD] To the Cloud or Not to the Cloud. that is the >> Question >> >> Errr "Brad"... sorry. >> >> Half my acquaintances call me Ben at one time or other, so I have felt >> your frustration I am sure. >>> On Mar 27, 2014 6:17 PM, "Bill Benson" <bensonforums at gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>> I have no experience with the cloud and perhaps in less open minded >>> circles this negates the value of my opinion. But never this group, >>> for which I am grateful. I would weigh the possibility of a web >>> service outage which you are unlikely to have any control over, >>> against the very much more expensive redundant hardware bases you >>> will have to cover to even touch the reliability of the web. >>> >>> The option to have the data available and accessible where and when >>> you need it seems to be a no - brainer in favor of a web platform >>> from a reliable cloud operation. And unless you are running heaps of >>> insertions with huge datasets, I have little doubt you will be that >>> unhappy with the performance. This is, if you are satisfied with MS >>> as a development platform. >>> >>> I do have to ask, have you looked into portability / migration if the >>> tool proves unsatisfactory in the long term? Can you ask MS for a >>> data pump version of your database or would you just have to turn it >>> off and walk away, subject to a few exports of tables, but leave all >>> your development behind? (Not that things would be all that different >>> necessarily with an Oracle or SQL Server application either but I do >>> think with those you can export the schema, no?) >>> >>> I am sure if you don't get your feet wet trying a web service >>> database it will be a mark against you career wise so why not use the >>> current need to be able to say been there done that on someone else's >>> dime. It comes well supported and at least fairly well recommended, >>> do you have that much to lose? >>> >>> I wish the future was nit web development because I am so uninitiated >>> in it, wish I had an employer asking me to test out the platform >>> Mark, I would say go for it. >>>> On Mar 27, 2014 5:54 PM, "Gustav Brock" <gustav at cactus.dk> wrote: >>>> >>>> Hi Brad >>>> >>>> Your observation is correct. The Azure setup and the speed at which >>>> it evolves is impressive and proves to me the old saying "don't ever >>>> underestimate Microsoft". >>>> Because Microsoft didn't invent this, the "cloud". Amazon did that. >>>> But having seen the light, there's no doubt that massive resources >>>> have been allocated this infrastructure and the support it needs >>>> beyond establishing the large and reliable data centers: Easy >>>> administration targeted admins at enterprises, scalability not >>>> possible with in-house hardware, programming interfaces, and - >>>> perhaps >> the most important part - the integration to ... >>>> well, everything you can think of. >>>> >>>> One of our clients has asked for a customized document store and >>>> flow control. Problem is that this is a TV production company were >>>> all except accounting use Macs, and the network setup is handled by >>>> various Mac "techies" (you guessed it, it's a mess) so setting up a >>>> server in this environment is perhaps not then at least the last option. >>>> >>>> So, seriously, I consider storing all data at Azure. JC is right, >>>> that internet connection reliabilty and speed is a valid concern, >>>> but clients like these have fiber connections at 100+ Mb/s. It will work. >>>> Deciding to do so will, first, take very little to create the >>>> development environment and, second, deployment will be close to >>>> just "flip a switch". Add to this the establishing cost of zero >>>> money and ongoing costs that without in-house techies are impossible to match. >>>> >>>> Still, I believe, we will arrange for an off-line backup of all data >>>> - just in case. >>>> >>>> /gustav >>>> >>>> ________________________________________ >>>> Fra: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com < >>>> accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com> på vegne af Brad Marks < >>>> BradM at blackforestltd.com> >>>> Sendt: 27. marts 2014 21:37 >>>> Til: Access Developers discussion and problem solving >>>> Emne: [AccessD] To the Cloud or Not to the Cloud. that is the >>>> Question >>>> >>>> All, >>>> >>>> A few days ago, I posted a question regarding a new database that >>>> will be needed for a new small application (perhaps using Access >>>> 2007, MySQL, or Microsoft SQL Server). I received a number of >>>> replies to my question and I appreciate the insights that were shared. >>>> >>>> In the mean time, I have also been doing some R&D work with >>>> Microsoft Azure SQL Database. >>>> So far, I have been impressed. >>>> >>>> Yesterday in less than one hour, I was able accomplish the following >>>> - Set up a new Microsoft Azure Account Set up a new SQL Database >>>> Then with a small Access 2007 application using ODBC and >>>> Pass-through Queries I was able to Add a new table to the new test >>>> database Insert rows into the new table Retrieve this data. >>>> >>>> >>>> My background is in mainframe databases (Primarily IBM's DB2 and >>>> Cincom's Supra). I can remember how much work it was to accomplish >>>> these same simple steps with these databases. Sometimes we would >>>> spend days, just wrestling with DB2's security. >>>> >>>> It is my understanding that other Access users are using Azure with >>>> some success. It also sounds like the costs for our use of Azure >>>> will be very small ($5.00 - $10.00 per month). >>>> >>>> >>>> At this point in time, it seems like this is a good option for our >>>> little project. (We don't have Microsoft SQL Server installed >>>> "in-house"). >>>> >>>> I am curious if others have looked closely at Azure and decided to >>>> not go down this path. Perhaps there are downsides that I have not >>>> yet read about. Perhaps I am missing some important considerations. >>>> >>>> Thanks, >>>> Brad >>>> >>>> -- >>>> AccessD mailing list >>>> AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >>>> http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd >>>> Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com >> -- >> AccessD mailing list >> AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >> http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd >> Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com >> >> -- >> AccessD mailing list >> AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >> http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd >> Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com >> >> >> -- >> AccessD mailing list >> AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >> http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd >> Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > -- > AccessD mailing list > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > -- > AccessD mailing list > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com