Running POS over an internet connection

[Adam]

Hi, I have a question...

I want to be able to run the POS software from several different locations from a web browser. Basically, I have an office in one city and I live in a neighboring city. How can I access from my house the POS files that are on my office computer via the internet? Would it be the same as networking? Would I still have to install the software on both computers and use the one at my office as the main software that holds all of the files?

Thanks,
Adam

[Muskrat]

try using some type of Remote desktop app.
PCanywhere
vnc

I am sure there other ways of doing it. That is the only simple solution that I can think of.

-Justin

[Alan]

You could create a Virtual Private Network, but it all depends on what version of Windows you are running.

Jonathon Simpson is the expert to ask!

Alan

[Jonathan]

I'm exploring the possibility of running POS via a windows ssh session... more later

[cmputerman]

I have an idea...
How about we give DHPOS a port first off, like 5523. then we have to get a free program called PuTTY, and a server SSH program for windows/DOS.

Now, what you have to do is forward 5523 from the client to the server, and that might work...

I have done it before with a Linux computer and my desktop (tunneling to my computer, just to try it out)

EDIT:

I think that this SSH Server might work... SSHWindows

Here is an idea... Couldn't DHPOS work through FTP? If you set the server addresss, port, username, and password? Then you wouldn't have to run a SSH client or SSH Server...

[bdude @ a public computer]

I guess if u had a fast enough connection you could just ftp files regularly e.g half hour all changes.
I don't know the logistics of that though

[cmputerman]

I guess if u had a fast enough connection you could just ftp files regularly e.g half hour all changes.
I don't know the logistics of that though

Not even 1/2 hour...

If the files were like only 10 K, then you could send out just the inventory and such every minute... It would take just about 3-4 seconds to carry it out (hypotheticly if the upload of 56K is 3KBps) but here is an idea, if we do do the FTP, i think we may need to set an interval for when to send the information. Like if you have a 300baud connection, you might want to do it every 10 minutes, 28K like every 3 minutes, and 56K every minute, 128Kevery 30 seconds, and faster, like every 20 seconds...

[cmputerman]

idea: why not we got a progrma that will mount a FTP server as a drive letter, such as a letter like P:

[Dylan]

I guess if u had a fast enough connection you could just ftp files regularly e.g half hour all changes.
I don't know the logistics of that though

Not even 1/2 hour...

If the files were like only 10 K, then you could send out just the inventory and such every minute... It would take just about 3-4 seconds to carry it out (hypotheticly if the upload of 56K is 3KBps) but here is an idea, if we do do the FTP, i think we may need to set an interval for when to send the information. Like if you have a 300baud connection, you might want to do it every 10 minutes, 28K like every 3 minutes, and 56K every minute, 128Kevery 30 seconds, and faster, like every 20 seconds...

wouln't work, as you were accessing the file, it would update with new info, then POS would say "WTF" then it crashes and your screwed.

So... Idea for the maybe pile:
a program, that as files are updated shows that almot-real-time info. would be a seperate exe and work much like that of stock brokers.
It could ude the 'Port' idea suggested earlier and the password suggestion thereafter to login, then it could ftp the files to the independant exe to show on-screen, whjich a good config pgrm could find out, and display, what you want 2 see.

BTW, my new email is techrobinson@gmail.com

[cmputerman2000_not logged]

Here is an idea:

Since it is not hard to set up a MySQL Server, why not get DHPOS to open databaase, and upload all current stuff there, such as inverntory, stock, etc. Anyways, both cash registers would be using the databse (2 or more) and it wouldnt be slow, because really all it is doing is just sending off text, in a way...

[Andrew]

No, it's not hard to setup a MySQL database - the flaw in that plan, is that DHPOS doesn't use any SQL based databases for storage, it has it's own random access file formats.

I shudder to think about the amount of work Dale would have to put in to convert his file formats and code to interface with SQL.

[Jonathan Simpson]

Well, POS does not function in a (windows based) ssh session... that is, with an ssh server running on a windows machine.
It does work within ssh, via DOSEMU, on linux, but this is complicated and error prone, to setup.

I might point out that technically the file-share based structure the POS uses is compatible with a dial in connection... from one machine to another, or with most VPNs. It works ok, under pptp, but this is a complicated setup as well.

PPTP is a form of VPN available to windows. If you have a windows 2000 server you can set it up as a VPN server. Once you do this, you can connect from remote sites and you could, in theory, read from a POS directory on the VPN server. This protocol is also supported under linux, although it is again quite complicated to setup.

Now, onto other options... my personal opinion on this is that a "realtime" solution, while the easiest (for Dale) to implement has it's own set of complications. I propose a hybrid solution partially based on a few of the others mentioned here. My intentions are two-fold... one, to come up with something that is inexpensive to implement for the user and fairly simple to use, and two, to make it as uncomplicated as possible from the programming perspective.

I'll discuss it with Dale and post details here at a later date, but the basic idea is this...

Each register downloads a copy of the critical files at startup, makes a copy of each (now we have 2 copies of each of the information files, such as stock table, customer info). The 2nd copy is the one that is changes take place in.

Either at closing or perhaps periodically throughout the day, the difference between the 2 copies is calculated (IE, the start of day stock table says we have 104 tuna fish cans, but we have sold 8, so the "active" stock table says 96.) and a upload snapshot is prepared based on this. This snapshot contains not the current value but only the CHANGES (in this case, -8 for tuna fish cans). In all likelyhood the standard stock table format and other formats could be used. On the server side, a new snapshot is calculated, prepared, and sent back to the register doing the update. It is important to note that for this to work, only one register must be allowed to update at a time.

There are a number of upsides to this method... most important is that if the connection fails, the registers will still have valid data to work with, will continue working, AND when the connection comes back up, the system will update properly again. For the most part it could probably be done with only very slight changes to the actual POS program, which would probably only have to shell out and run the update program. Finally, since modems can be dialed and data sent directly from DOS, it is possible that such a system could run regular DOS on a low end or older machine, as long as it has a compatible (probably external, as they are dos compliant) modems. On a windows machine, the communication could take place over a local network link, via modem, or over broadband. Theres alot of flexability here. The only requirement would probably be an FTP server (and there are many available freely that you can setup yourself.)

I'll talk to dale about it and look into it more soon.

It sounds complex, it's actually alot simpler then it looks and is handily used in many existing applications

[lsunw]

I found this VPN like program on the internet...

http://hamachi.cc/

Just to share with you all, and see anyone can make the POS run better over the internet...I also very interested if it can make POS work over the internet.

the progam still in beta stage

[grahamw not logged]

for this task might i reccomend citrix metaframe system, it alawos you to connect to a remmote server and run programs in a web window just like they were on your computer, But citrix is verry pricy and requires a dedicated server and a allways on web connection, might not be as easy but takes a lot less work setup in 1 ;hour or less visit http://www.citrix.com for details

Graham
2.8GHZ athalon red hat fedora and windows 2000 professional

[ZeeMan_not_logged_in]

Sorry if this has been posted or you have found a better system, I just skimmed through the topic.
What if you setup an apache web server and then put your files in a protected directory.
For example, you could put a special setting in the main conf file that said only you at your IP address can get to the file and also that a password is required.
Again, if this has already been posted or a better idea given, forgive my need for speed.