Our order entry system stores data locally in a Clarion Topspeed database and we want to show that live data on our web site (remotely hosted) when a client logs in.
We have:
The relevant Odbc drivers to access the data independently of the OE program.
Our hosting includes an MS Sql database.
An ADSL always on connection available from the office.
So, is it possible to link directly to the Clarion data from the web site like you can with MS Sql, or if not how would I go about uploading any changed data automatically once or twice a day to MS Sql on the host.
If the database is ODBC then I see no reason why you can't access it. It all depends on what it supports.
Most databases have an export option. You could in theory set up an automated export through the Windows scheduler (Windows machines) or set up a Cron job (Unix machines). Once the data is exported you can schedule a DTS import into MS SQL Server database.
If the site is not hosted inhouse, you will probably have to give access trhough the firewall if you want to query the database directly from the Internet. Likewise for the SQL server import.
I am of the opinion that it's not a good idea to give DIRECT access to your database from the Internet for security reasons. For mission critical applications, I always prefer to export or synchronize the data with another database. This provides better security and data back up.
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