The hardware and software required to support a database depends on the scope of the project. A small database used on a single computer to manage 50 megabytes of information has different requirements than a database that has a several gigabytes of information used concurrently by a hundred users accessing the data locally (via ethernet) and from out of town via the internet.
Fortnight Software uses 4th Dimension (4D) database engines sold by ACI. Their product have some basic requirements. Our experience has led us to suggest some additional requirements.
Macintosh users will need a G3 processor or faster. The operating system should be 10.2.8 or later, and it should have a minimum of 256 Mbytes memory.
Windows users will need a Pentium II processor or faster. The operating system should be Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Minimum suggested memory is 256 MBytes.
One of the best ways to increase system performance is to add memory. A gigabyte on the server allows 4D to store a lot of the information in memory rather than on disk. If users are going to access the data via an Ethernet network we suggest a minimum speed of T100. If there are more than about 15 concurrent users it would be nice if the server (at least) could communicate at T1000. (See: What is a Network.)
It has been our experience that a quality 50 Gigabyte drive (or larger) is worth the investment. Few databases require this much space. Such a drive allows backups to be done quickly to the same device, and then downloaded it at your convenience to a second device.
As with all products, your actual requirements will depend on usage. Please contact Fortnight Software for a free evaluation of your data management needs.
Phone: (818) 773-4640 |
Last Updated: July 6, 2005