Integrating computers

[elidajacobs]

How do you integrate 2 computers to work together with PC?? One is a PC and one is a laptop that will not always be at the site location of the PC. Is this possible?? Elida Jacobs

[NeilZ]

How do you integrate 2 computers to work together with PC?? One is a PC and one is a laptop that will not always be at the site location of the PC. Is this possible?? Elida Jacobs

Possible .. yes ...
Easy ... no

There are a number of issues that can happen when you don't maintain a single database. A database restore could overwrite data that was entered on the laptop or vice versa.

What is the laptop going to be used for?

[Eden Whitehead]

How do you integrate 2 computers to work together with PC?? One is a PC and one is a laptop that will not always be at the site location of the PC. Is this possible?? Elida Jacobs

Possible .. yes ...
Easy ... no

There are a number of issues that can happen when you don't maintain a single database. A database restore could overwrite data that was entered on the laptop or vice versa.

What is the laptop going to be used for?

Another question: How many people involved in the PC work?

I move quite easily between the desktop at church and my laptop at home. But, I'm the only one working in PC! I use a thumb drive to store all the backups (with external backups in both locations, as well) and maintain copies of reports, etc.

As Neil implies, if others besides yourself are involved, it will take a great deal of very careful coordination to avoid some unpleasant consequences!

Eden

[elidajacobs]

The PC would be at the church used by one person and the laptop would be mobil used by me. How much coordinaton would that take? Is it a matter of backing up from laptop into PC??? Thanks

[NeilZ]

The PC would be at the church used by one person and the laptop would be mobil used by me. How much coordinaton would that take? Is it a matter of backing up from laptop into PC??? Thanks

Again, it depends on what you're going to be doing with the Laptop. If you're updating things, you could overwrite them with a restore from the desktop PC, and vice versa.

Again, what are you planning to do in Powerchurch with the laptop? That answer will definitely help in giving you a firm answer.

[elidajacobs]

I am planning on using it at home for working on membership stuff and accounting stuff.

[NeilZ]

I am planning on using it at home for working on membership stuff and accounting stuff.

Will there be someone working at the PC at the church, if so, on what areas of the program?? And by accounting are you including Contributions, or only Funds Accounting/Accounts Payable/Payroll, etc.

[elidajacobs]

Yes, someone will be using the church at the church along with myself at times. I mean Fund Accounting module - not contributions.

[NeilZ]

Yes, someone will be using the church at the church along with myself at times. I mean Fund Accounting module - not contributions.

If you're the only one doing Funds Accounting work, then that area will not have a problem, IF you only backup Funds Accounting to restore to your laptop.

However .. I see the following complications if you're actually doing changes and updates in Membership, and the person at church is also doing updates. Someone's work WILL BE (notice I'm not saying might) overwritten.

There is no way around that, if you restore to the church database, anything that was on that database prior to your restoration will be gone. If you changed info on the Smith Family, and the church admin changed info on the Brown family, then you restore Membership from your laptop ... the Brown information is gone because you didn't have it, and thus it gets overwritten with the old info.

If you're only using the Membership for access to member info, and won't be doing any updates, then there's no problem, you can take a backup from the Membership area at church for your use on the laptop .. However, and note the emphasis, for the same reason that restoring Membership FROM your laptop as shown above, you must not restore Membership from a backup taken on the laptop.

In other words, the Membership data should flow only one way .. backup from PC TO your laptop. However, doing a Funds Accounting backup from the PC at church to your laptop, and then restoring a backup from your laptop TO the PC at church is OK, since you're the only one doing anything in Funds Accounting which covers Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Payroll.

To do this you must use the individual module backups for Membership Files and Accounting Files.

I just realized, you DO understand that you will have to load PCPLUS on your laptop as a separate program, and not use it as a networked computer using the church PC as the server?

[tborgal]

Who is doing Contributions? If the person at the church is doing the contributions, loading an accounting backup from the laptop would overwrite any contributions posted to Accounting during the time that the laptop work was done.

[NeilZ]

Who is doing Contributions? If the person at the church is doing the contributions, loading an accounting backup from the laptop would overwrite any contributions posted to Accounting during the time that the laptop work was done.

Good point, forgot about that one !! However, easily fixed to only update contributions to file instead of FA.

[elidajacobs]

Thank you for all the input - think we will not integrate!! Elida

[NeilZ]

Thank you for all the input - think we will not integrate!! Elida

As you can see, while it does sound easy, in practice it isn't. What may be an option is using one of the remote access types of programs so you can work on the desktop PC on off hours.

[elidajacobs]

Please explain to me what that means What is a remote access?? Thanks - Elida

[NeilZ]

Please explain to me what that means What is a remote access?? Thanks - Elida

Programs like GoToMyPC which give you a secure access to the remote computer, or VNC, which is another type but more complicated.


Then you have the built-in Windows Remote Desktop, which is not so secure. I would suggest you talk to someone who's tech savvy in your congregation, they can probably help you out.