The "All Projects" permission would be assigned to users who have access to all projects. In your situation, I'm guessing this would be to users who work at the main branch and either oversee, report on or provide some kind of support to any branch that needs it. In my case, it is assigned to a few corporate level consultants that have access to all projects and can provide support to consultant that needs it.

Yes it does, thanks.  One more question if I may....

You have a permissions "All Project", but you don't know how many project they have, so how do you actually use/set this "All Project" permission?

My application is a Call Accounting System that handle all calls dialed from different booths and calculate the price and identify the dialed number and some reports.  The VFP version has been working pretty good for a couple of years, but now I need to provide the multi-branch option, and was initially thinking on hosting the data in my ISP.  Based on the license acquired by the end user, it could be a single one or multi-branch.

For now I would have to focus on finishing it in a way that every database will be at the customer site, even if it is a single user (like I do with VFP), but for the multi-branch, then the database will be at the Main Office, and the security will be shared by all branches, this way the manager in the main office can create en users for any branch, and sometimes the branches employees may work shift in 2 branches, so the security would be the same.  I may need to have a link table to link users/branches to enforce some possible security breach like you do with your projects, and provide a way for each branch to only use the data for that branch, except for the main office.

Edhy Rijo

No changes to the RBS tables. I added tables, using the references to the SFS tables. I.e. I have a project assignment table that tracks the ID of the project and the ID of the user. Then I have a user assigned roles table that tracks the user, project and role (multiple). I chose to just use a default project, so I have a default project table (user and project). When they login I automatically set them to use the default project.



However, I could (and might eventually) provide some way to do this during login. The only problem is that I don't know what the valid project list is until AFTER they have logged in, so it would have to be a two step process or I'd have to cache something locally.



Finally, I also have a permission that indicates all project access (all branch access in your case). When in my case, these folks also have a current project, but they can simply choose any project to view. In your case, you might consider a separate little app that is just for the branch folks to use for reporting, viewing. Sometimes that's easier than making the app too flexible.



Finally, you need your app data to be branch specific. I.e. all tables with branch related data would need to be able to query on branch.



Hope that makes sense and helps.

Greg, thanks for this info.

So did you have to modify the RBS tables in order to add a field that will allow you to filter the users's for a particular project? or you just have a combobox filled will all users so they can be assigned to projects?

Also in my case, a main office should be able to modify and report on all data for its branches.  Imagine if I would host a single database that would host customers and their branches, I would have need a way to separate the security data at least per Customers and I though of using a Customer Schema, but unfortunately the RBS relies on the "dbo" schema and there is no easy way for me to change that and keep the source files in synch with SF updates without loosing my changes.

Edhy Rijo

A couple of thoughts:



- I'm currently using RBS and I'm using SQL Server 2000. It's not officially supported, but it works. Now, I don't think it will work with all the features, not entirely sure which ones it won't work with, but I've got an app in production using it.



- While it wouldn't necessarily be easy, I think you could use RBS with your branch scenario Edhy. My app is based on "projects". I.e. it is used by consultants who work on projects for clients. My app allows a consultant to be assigned to any number of projects, with different permissions by project. They always work within the context of a project and can't ever see any data outside of that project (actually, there are situations were they can view data from other projects they are assigned to). This required a custom login form to not only login to the system but also determine what project they are login into. Also, the app has to be project centric, tracking the current project. This of course meant a few tables that go with the SF RBS tables to track user-project assignment, default project, etc. When I started, the BrowseDialog didn't support a "static" filter, or a filter that could be setup and the user couldn't ever change it, which means I had to build my own. The SF BrowseDialog does support this now, so that is good. Seems like this is very similar to your branches. Were you might have more challenges is if each branch is managing just its own users. In that case, you'd likely have to build your own security dialog (or a subset of it, to allow users to be setup and assigned roles/permissions).



- It would be great if the RBS were either db neutral or like the data layer, used a provider model, so even if SF doesn't want to deal with providing support for, say, Firebird, it would be possible to create the appropriate providers for it.

Hey, not problem with changes sometimes

I agree with you 100% on the freedom to use any of the major database, including MySQL which is pretty easy to use and install, and does not have the limitations of SQL-Express.

I am working on a project which is an after market application, customers buy licenses and use it.  It is done in VFP and now I am redoing it in SF, and I am pretty happy with the outcome, but I have a few lock out with the database and the RBS for this application, for example:

• A customer can buy a license for a main office and several branches, this mean they will host the database in the main office, but the security does not support multi office/branch, so it is either all users or one RBS database per office.
• I could host the database for all customers for a nominal fee, but then again, I would need a separate RBS database per customers, unless I have my own server with redundance ($$$$), the cost per MS-SQL database and size limitations from ISP is also high.

MySQL hosting is very cheap and reliable, and until some enhancements are made to the RBS to at least allow using different Schema I really don't know how I would complete this project without investing a lot of money on hosting the database.

Edhy Rijo

heh heh . . . not planning to switch, I am just intrigued.    It just seems like the RBS shouldn't be limited to SQL Server 2005.  So, that was the prompting for my question.  If everything can be handled by one DB (Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Firebird, or others), then the sky's the limit for the use of the DB.  Freedom to choose is quite invigorating...and, the more options open to a developer, the better.

My desire to create a DAL for this is simply a way for me to become more acquainted with the source code.  The more I learn, the better I will be with the framework.

Thanks!
Bill

Hi Bill,

What have you seen in Firebird so far that would make you switch from MS SQL?

I got an email for a free webcast on Advantage Database Server tomorrow here the info in case anybody is interested:

Edhy Rijo

Hi Ivan,

I am quite intrigued by Firebird...been playing with it for several days, now.  I am just about to pull the trigger and implement my own DAL by inheriting from DbDataSourceItem.  What are the features of SQL Server 2005 that are required by the RBS?

Thanks,
Bill

Ivan, thanks again for your reply. Well it seems that I will have to go for the penguin + Virtualize Windows or Penguin + Windows (I'd prefer the first one).

Regarding your last question, I live nearby Buenos Aires city (just 10 blocks in the province !!!). The place is called Florida.

If you think I could be useful in something related to Argentina, just let me know (a PM will do).

Abraços.