MS Commerce Comparison (long)
This WebDNA talk-list message is from 1998
It keeps the original formatting.
numero = 17419
interpreted = N
texte = So a customer of mine shows up yesterday dragging two PCs into the office(which is almost against house rules) begging for help getting his new siteto work. You see, his boss bought into the can't go wrong buyingMicrosoft mentality. It was an interesting day to play with MS products tosee how they stack up. For the most part, I can assure everyone on this listthat you made the right decision when you bought WebCatalog!The Microsoft solution relies on a backend SQL database with pages and pagesof code (per web page) of ASP (Active Server Page) to know how to talk toSQL. This is at the same time a HUGE benefit, and a major hindrance versesWebCatalog. The Downside is editing the ASP. His homepage is almost 30 pages of ASPscripting. (A similar page in WebCatalog consists of 3 includes and 7 linesof html. (the includes build the side menu, the page bottom, and a specialsmenu that is configurable via a web page)The significant advantage is SQL. WebCatalog keeps all of its databases inRAM. We generally consider this one of the strongest selling features ofWebCatalog. Let's face it, this is FAST. But when WebCatalog falls flat onit's face is enterprise integration and scalability. By using SQL, you canset up a dedicated SQL server machine, then tie webservers as front ends toit. You're thinking to yourself, but I don't get that much traffic. Doesyour webserver ever fail or crash? With 2 webservers as frontends to acommon database you are going to realize significantly less costly downtime.Also, you can take one webserver offline to perform maintenance, or softwareupgrades, then reactivate it, and poof no downtime upgrades!Next on the SQL advantage list is file synchronization. I can't stress thisenough, WebCatalog is not ready for prime time when it comes to getting alarge company's databases online. (IMHO) The concept of exporting a textfile, and uploading it to a webserver on a periodic basis is a joke. Whilemy friend was here we set up two SQL servers, one for my office (he isco-locating servers here) and one for his office. His SQL server candirectly (via ODBC) talk to his accounting system. He had some accounting system data on his office SQL server already, so weset up a similar empty table (think database) on the new web SQL server,clicked transfer database, and 1 minute later had a perfect copy uploadedand online. Let me reiterate for those of you who missed it... No exportingdata, No ftp, No closedatabase command, No worries about overwriting diskdata with ram data, NO DOWNTIME. 3 minutes later, we used a wizard to havethe machine update each other every 4 hours. No human required, no scriptingrequired. (remember, this ties directly into their accounting system, so ifthey add an item, or change a price it automatically goes to their stagingserver then to our server in 4 hours. Now you are sitting there shaking your head saying just make a webfrontend, and you can change stuff on the website live and online. The daysof double entry databases is coming to a rapid close. Why should I be forcedto add an item to my accounting system and my website? Why should I changeprices in two systems? (not to mention the tools that WebCatalog comes with(i.e. DatabaseHelper) is a joke itself (side note to PCS-call me when youwanta outline of how the database helper should work, I'll gladly give you anoutline :) Also, in case you some how missed it, we need to get away fromuploading text files, and then shutting databases, then reloading. Too slow,too inefficient, sometimes too problematic. Hey, Don't think I'm here just bashing away at WebCatalog, I'm not jumpingship any time soon, I'm not learning ASP! WebCatalog's scripting is secondto none. (IMHO) But when you want my $1500 for an upgrade to WebCat 3.0,well then, make mine ODBC! Brian B. Burton BOFH - Department of Redundancy Department--------------------------------------------------------------- MMT Solutions - Specializing in Online Shopping Solutions 973-808-8644 http://www.safecommerce.comP.S. Still VERY interested in having a WebCat Get Together. Should Iorganize, or does PCS want to?
Associated Messages, from the most recent to the oldest:
So a customer of mine shows up yesterday dragging two PCs into the office(which is almost against house rules) begging for help getting his new siteto work. You see, his boss bought into the can't go wrong buyingMicrosoft mentality. It was an interesting day to play with MS products tosee how they stack up. For the most part, I can assure everyone on this listthat you made the right decision when you bought WebCatalog!The Microsoft solution relies on a backend SQL database with pages and pagesof code (per web page) of ASP (Active Server Page) to know how to talk toSQL. This is at the same time a HUGE benefit, and a major hindrance versesWebCatalog. The Downside is editing the ASP. His homepage is almost 30 pages of ASPscripting. (A similar page in WebCatalog consists of 3 includes and 7 linesof html. (the includes build the side menu, the page bottom, and a specialsmenu that is configurable via a web page)The significant advantage is SQL. WebCatalog keeps all of its databases inRAM. We generally consider this one of the strongest selling features ofWebCatalog. Let's face it, this is FAST. But when WebCatalog falls flat onit's face is enterprise integration and scalability. By using SQL, you canset up a dedicated SQL server machine, then tie webservers as front ends toit. You're thinking to yourself, but I don't get that much traffic. Doesyour webserver ever fail or crash? With 2 webservers as frontends to acommon database you are going to realize significantly less costly downtime.Also, you can take one webserver offline to perform maintenance, or softwareupgrades, then reactivate it, and poof no downtime upgrades!Next on the SQL advantage list is file synchronization. I can't stress thisenough, WebCatalog is not ready for prime time when it comes to getting alarge company's databases online. (IMHO) The concept of exporting a textfile, and uploading it to a webserver on a periodic basis is a joke. Whilemy friend was here we set up two SQL servers, one for my office (he isco-locating servers here) and one for his office. His SQL server candirectly (via
ODBC) talk to his accounting system. He had some accounting system data on his office SQL server already, so weset up a similar empty table (think database) on the new web SQL server,clicked transfer database, and 1 minute later had a perfect copy uploadedand online. Let me reiterate for those of you who missed it... No exportingdata, No ftp, No closedatabase command, No worries about overwriting diskdata with ram data, NO DOWNTIME. 3 minutes later, we used a wizard to havethe machine update each other every 4 hours. No human required, no scriptingrequired. (remember, this ties directly into their accounting system, so ifthey add an item, or change a price it automatically goes to their stagingserver then to our server in 4 hours. Now you are sitting there shaking your head saying just make a webfrontend, and you can change stuff on the website live and online. The daysof double entry databases is coming to a rapid close. Why should I be forcedto add an item to my accounting system and my website? Why should I changeprices in two systems? (not to mention the tools that WebCatalog comes with(i.e. DatabaseHelper) is a joke itself (side note to PCS-call me when youwanta outline of how the database helper should work, I'll gladly give you anoutline :) Also, in case you some how missed it, we need to get away fromuploading text files, and then shutting databases, then reloading. Too slow,too inefficient, sometimes too problematic. Hey, Don't think I'm here just bashing away at WebCatalog, I'm not jumpingship any time soon, I'm not learning ASP! WebCatalog's scripting is secondto none. (IMHO) But when you want my $1500 for an upgrade to WebCat 3.0,well then, make mine
ODBC! Brian B. Burton BOFH - Department of Redundancy Department--------------------------------------------------------------- MMT Solutions - Specializing in Online Shopping Solutions 973-808-8644 http://www.safecommerce.comP.S. Still VERY interested in having a WebCat Get Together. Should Iorganize, or does PCS want to?
Brian B. Burton
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