Re: [gentoo-user] SQL Server Advice for Small Business

[Andrew Lowe <agl@wht.com.au>]

> On Mon, July 29, 2013 22:22, Randy Westlund wrote:
> Hey guys,
>
> I'm planning to set up an SQL server for my dad's small canvas awning
> business, and I've never done this before.  Most of my sysadmin-type
> skills are self-taught.  I could use some advice.
[snip]

Randy,
	I've read your original post and subsequently the answers. One question 
that nobody raised about your original post was why are you writing 
something for your fathers company in the first place? Why aren't you 
looking at ERP packages such as Compiere, Adempiere, Tryton, OpenERP etc 
etc? In other words, why are you reinventing the wheel? With these 
systems, you will get all of the data entry stuff already set up and you 
can then do your data analysis stuff, although these systems also do 
heaps of this stuff already. You don't mention what you do for a crust, 
but if you do a good implementation of one at your Dad's place, you 
could sell your services to other companies.

	Someone mentioned PostGIS - forget it. You want to generate heat maps 
based upon where business is going. This does not need a GIS. If you are 
generating "real", accurate maps, then a GIS would be what you want, but 
in this case, you just need a rough "mudmap" of the areas in question. 
This would just show that City A is north west, ie the top left side of 
the page, from you, which is in the centre, company B is east, the right 
hand side of the page etc and based upon this, generate your heat map. 
Scale, true orientation and position are not important. Even just grab a 
Google Earth screen grab of your area and then write something what will 
add heat, colours, to it in the appropriate places.

	You mentioned a "small database". Don't underestimate how big things 
can get quickly. If, at the moment when someone is spec'ing a job, and 
they take photo's, but subsequently those photo's are hard to access, 
they won't take the photo's in the first place. If you set up an easy to 
access repository for the photo's, people will start taking more 
photo's. If there are CAD drawings, what are they? 2D/3D, 
AutoCAD/MicroStation or full on Solidworks solid models? These get big 
very quickly. Scanned notes etc just add more and more. I have a feeling 
that your small db could get big quickly. Just plan for that.

	In closing, these are just my five cents worth, we no longer have two 
cent pieces in Australia, regarding the software. I have no idea on the 
hardware except as someone mentioned back up, back up and back up. Oh, 
also, the more RAM the merrier.

	Good luck,
		Andrew