Subject Re: Remote access to a dBase database living on a private server from
From Akshat Kapoor <akshat.kapoor@kapoorsons.in>
Date Tue, 8 Dec 2020 22:44:37 +0530
Newsgroups dbase.getting-started

On 08.12.2020 21:17, Franck wrote:
> Hi there,
>
> I need to work with a dBase database that lives on a private server, from the cloud (Amazone web services). I personally know nothing really about dBase, but I need to connect an app that lives on the cloud to that dBase instance.
>
>  From what I have seen, dBase as it is currently used works with a graphical interface and this is how they currently access/modify the database's data. However, my application would have to be able to query dBase without going through the UI. The ability (or not) to access that data pretty much determines if we do the project at all, or if we need to migrate everything off dBase into Postgres/MySQL or similar.
>
> At the moments, here are my thoughts as to what the options are. As I have little knowledge of dBase, if anyone has done something similar I'd like to get your thoughts:
>
> 1 - Use a connector to connect dBase to the broader SQL database the app will use. It seems that there is an ODBC driver (https://media.datadirect.com/download/docs/odbc/allodbc/help.html#page/odbc%2Fthe-dbase-driver.html%23) to do something along those lines.
>
> 2 - I've also found this (http://dbase.com/help/8_0/ADO/Setting_up_UDL_Source_dBASEPLUS8ADO_v3.htm). However this is for connection on the same host computer, not a remote connection. It's not clear to me that I could actually setup that same connection remotely.
>
> So.... anyone has some idea of whether or not I'm about to dive into an bottomless rabit hole trying to do that? Is rebuilding the dBase part into the wider application a better idea than trying to salvage it with tricky connections?
>


Good Evening Franck,
I am not very experienced in cross platform linking and hence will not
comment much.

I assume that the data transfer is not a one time job but you will be
requiring periodic transfers. One time transfers are damn easy

There are people who have used dbase to connect to data on cloud but you
want the other way round so the hurdle as I see them is.

dBase is windows based whereas cloud services are unix or similar and
there maybe issues in transferring data.

But there is silver lining. dBase gives you an option for building a web
app which acts like any other website.

Using a web app running on the private server you would be able to
retrieve data as per your requirement. The data would be returned as a
webpage which you can process.


OR

Use a timer to execute a dbase exe upload the data to your cloud
periodically. With ODBC drivers and connections strings (very similar to
those of php) the data in the dbf tables can be periodically updated to
cloud of your choice.

OR

Ask the administrator of the private server to switch to MariaDb/ MySQL
both of which would be easy to access for you.
But this switch is not easy. A lot of change in coding would be required
at his end.


OR

Export data at the private server to txt files. And then upload them to
cloud where you can process them. With few lines of coding these files
can be sent as an email attachment.




Regards
Akshat