SQL Server and MSDE

SQL Server ( That's pronounced "SEQUAL SERVER" ) is a product that is used for LARGE databases. Some galleries that have multiple locations, or thousands of records (clients, pieces of inventory, etc.) from several years worth of data, may need to use SQL to manage the data.

MSDE - or SQL Express, as it is now called - is a similar product but is optimized for 5 connections or less. Think of it as "SQL Lite". It is used in businesses that have lots of data, and several computers, but do not run multiple locations in real time.

Generally, businesses that are starting out with Masterpiece in one location do not require either of these options.

Masterpiece will run with SQL or MSDE. In fact, it's the ONLY Management Program of it's kind that can do this.

SQL Express is available as a free download from Microsoft - The full SQL package is available either through Microsoft, or your local computer software vendor. Once SQL or MSDE is running on your server, Masterpiece will be happy to help you convert your "normal" data to run with SQL. We will even attempt to assist you with the installation process - but please keep in mind that due to the many different possible operating systems and programs on your computer, we strongly recommend that you locate a network professional that can actually sit at your server to do the installation.

Why use SQL or MSDE ?

What happens on a normal (peer to peer) network:

On a "normal" network each computer is doing its own work, even if all your data is on a single computer that you call your "server".

When you're on the main computer and want to bring up one name from your mailing list, it's easy. The data is on the same hard drive and that computer reads the data and gives you the name you are looking for.

Now, on a "client" or "workstation" computer, the data isn't actually on the same hard disk. If the workstation needs to bring up one name from the mailing list, it has to get THE WHOLE MAILING LIST from the server and pick the name it wants.

This causes a lot of traffic on your network. Each time the workstation wants to pull up a name, or a piece of inventory, or anything, it has to bring all the information it needs off the server, then pull out just the piece it needs.

To make matters worse, it doesn't just bring the mailing list over one time. Each time you do anything, like click the NEXT button to go to the next record, it brings the whole list again and pulls out the next name.

If you click NEXT, NEXT, NEXT you actually get your whole mailing list three times over the network wire.

Now, the wire that connects the two computers is very slow (relatively speaking) so the more information that has to go over the wire, the slower the system.

Each workstation you add increases the traffic on the wire even more.

You will find that once you have a few thousand records (contacts, items, transactions, etc.) you will start wanting something more efficient than a peer to peer network.

What's the solution?       SQL server.

With SQL, you have a program running on your server that "listens" to all the workstations. Since this program is on the same computer as the hard disk, it doesn't have to use that slow wire to talk to the data.

Each time a workstation wants to pull up one name, it sends a request to the server. The server checks its hard disk and finds the right information and sends back just that bit of information to the workstation.

This type of system can cut the traffic on your network down dramatically. Instead of passing, say, 1000 names over your network, you just have one request and one answer. When you click NEXT, NEXT, NEXT, you simply have three requests and answers. It does NOT have to bring down the entire mailing list (or inventory, sales, etc. list) three whole times.

This option cuts the network traffic down so much that you can use it over the internet, or even phone lines, to connect multiple locations. So if you have a Gallery in Santa Fe, and a Server in Scottsdale, the Santa Fe computer sends a tiny request over the wire to Scottsdale. The computer in Scottsdale, running SQL server, hears the request, finds the answer on it's own hard disk, and sends back the answer.