Newbie: Vine/VNC instead of Windows Terminalserver?

Hi!
We have a peer to peer network with both macs and pcs and are planning to switch to a client/server solution (4 - 10 users local / online).

We have speed problems with some filemaker apps hosted at a filemaker server via internet. So somebody told us having FileMaker server and clients on the same machine and working online via Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server would solve this problem.

So it would be necessary to use a windows server instead of a mac osx server. For operating a windows server we would need external (expensive) assistance - not for mac osx server (maybe ;-)).

Is there a solution for our problem? Any suggestions?
Thanx in advance!

Hans from the south of Germany

nothing much simpler then VNC, specially if you don’t have a windows guru on staff, equip your VNC server with a RSP ( real strong password) and give it a go, not going to cost all that much few hours at most. Don’t expect it to resolve your FM speed issues, especially if you are using FM web publishing, that’s a pretty slow setup, even on a pretty fast machine.

Hi!

If I install both FM server and FM clients on the same machine, I don?t need to use FM web publishing, isn?t it? The guy said, that via terminalserver all processes are running on the same machine and only “screen and mouse clicks” are transferred from server to client computer and back. So this should be a pretty fast setup :wink:

The question is: Can I Do this with vine/VNC for multiple users, too or have I to install a windows server :frowning: ?

Hans

for the purpose of testing a filemaker app, you don’t need to really use web publish, unless that is actually the working enviornment you have to test. I’m not very clear on what you are trying to accomplish here, so it’s generalization of fucntionality.

If I was testing a filemaker app(database) running under fmserver using vnc would be a decent way having remote control via eggplant, but for multiple users it can present a problm as only one user can have control at a time, this is where remote desktop with multiple accounts would be superior, given you have some fast hardware.

With FM server and client running on the same machine, you lose most of the netowork overhead, but without a better description of what you are trying to accomplish, we’re just wasting bandwidth here.

In the short:
vnc beats the pants off other remote control solutions if you have eggplant, I often use my eggplant host machine for mundane tasks on my headless pc’s and macs stationed in other areas of our labs, so I don’t have to get out of my chair ( that’s another story)

remote desktop and windows server requires $$$ and $taff, so give vnc a try, you can certainly pay for an eggplant license in short order givent he cost of hiring a windows admin, even at recent graduate salaries, and as I’m fond of saying, eggplant doesn’t take vacations, call in sick or needs benefits.

Sorry, I have to get back to work now…eggplant is calling for some keystrokes

Hi Peter, thanks for your reply!

I?ll try to explain our situation, but first of all: please apologize my bad english :wink:

We are a very small company for sales training and coaching. The main problem is running a self developed filemaker app that has to be accessed online too (so our trainers can access it from hotels etc. - at the moment I?m sitting in my hotel room at Berlin).

At the present we?ve hosted this app at a provider in Salzburg / Austria (do you know Mozart? ;-). The problem is the speed - search operations and other processes are lasting far to long. The reason is because FM produces much traffic between the local client and FM Server.

So a professional told me that he has solved the problem this way: He is running a Windows Small Business Server 2003 with Terminal Server, FM Server and on the same machine several FM clients. He and his collegues are working online via windows terminal server. So all operations between FM Server and FM clients are working on the same machine -> very fast!!!

I?m not a friend of Bill, so I try to find a solution preventing me from having to install a WINDOWS server.

The question is: Is the a possibility for 3 - 6 Users (sequentually or simultanuosly(?) to access local or online the FM Server / Client machine? Stable?

If you have to have more detailed information, please ask for.

Thanx in advance!

Hans from the south of Germany

Hans:

Your English is exceptional, you would shudder at my German :wink:

The question is: Is the a possibility for 3 - 6 Users (sequentually or simultanuosly(?) to access local or online the FM Server / Client machine? Stable?

This is absolutely viable and stable, there are a couple of important notes.

First, as far as I know you can only access the “console/main” display using VNC on Windows, so although you can have simultaneous access they would all be viewing the same screen (not individual user sessions). For simultaneous access to different window sessions you do need TerminalServer, Citrix or something like that.

Second, the performance will be greatly improved by doing 256 colors and setting the screen to a small size. (if that doesn’t impact what you are working with).

Hi! We do need different windows sessions :-(( So it seems to be necessary tu run windows terminalserver.

Thanx anyway - and I will try to reduce color ans screen resolution.

Hans