This isn't really an issue, as much as it is a question.



I work remotely from the StrataFrame database. I have to open an VPN in order to have access to StrataFrame server. Most of the time, this works fine. However, there are just too many points of failure. I currently working on a piddly little test project to try something out. I don't even need any SF features, but because the server that hosts the SF database is currently wacked (some hardware issue), every single time I show the designer of a form, I have a 30sec to 1 min wait because the SF database can't be contacted. Because this database has to be contacted, there are about a million points of failure:



1. I have to have a network connection...lighting strikes have toasted this before (causing my ISP to go down)

2. VPN has to be up and running....I forget to start it all the time. Or its down.

3. Db server has to be up (and it isn't right now).



I could really do without all this excitement.



I seem to recall there were plans to move the meta data currently stored in the SF database to some other mechanism that could travel with the project. So, the questions are:



a) how would this work? XML file or something?

b) when? Now would be a great time for at least one of us!



Thanks for putting up with this rant and answering the questions...