Mary,
We are running NV2 on Pentium 4 computers that run at 2.80GHz with 1 GB of RAM which is a contemporary system for today. The AMD system you are thinking of purchasing should be comparable but I would ask your computer supplier if the system is comparable. We do not have any AMD systems here. Yes, computer speed/memory is required to run NV2.
Each workstation and server must be a Pentium 4 (or comparable/faster) with the specs. above and have hard disks of their own. Each workstation will have NV2 installed and must be able to connect to the server offering the NV2 books through TCP/IP (which is common on all systems today). A hard disk is required on each workstation to maintain a workstation database and run Excel for printing.
NV1 was not multiuser and the approach in your third question does work. You are either copying the NV1 books from each machine to your server (through windows explorer) or have a batch program written for you that does the copying of the NV1 books to the server for you. You need to verify this on your end.
In NV2, the NV2 server listens to requests made of it by each workstation connected to it via TCP/IP and updates the application databases (NV2 books). Each NV2 workstation has its own workstation database which is located in C:/NV2/WORKSTATION (if you had installed NV2 in C:/NV2) which maintains that workstations NV2 windowing system and workstation logon tables.
Each workstation can work in single user or multiuser or both at the same time. NV1 was single user only. Like NV1, which required that you point nv.exe to a network drive where the books existed, NV2 also requires that you type the server IP or computer name offering the application databases (NV2 books). In NV1, the books database (DATAD.NV) stored all the information pertaining to that database. In NV2, the same is true but in single user, there are two databases that must be backed up (workstation database, and application database). In multiuser, there are three (workstation database, application database, server database).
Productivity in NV2 is similar ro NV1. Take into account that “Default Values” and BLKCOPY/BLKPASTE buffers will need to be set. Some actions may take a few seconds longer in NV2 but others have been found to be faster. The ability to see transactions in total accounts makes NV2 more productive.
Setting up user windows and the length of time running your workstations with several sets of books will push past 512 MB. Also the number of processes running on your windows system before NV2 starts.
You can backup your NV2 databases using whatever method you trust.
I suggest that you read the NewViews 2.0 manual (DO NOT PRINT IT. It’s about 600+ pages) for further information about running a server. a workstation and Appendix B – NV1 users.
Regards,
Martin
