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<div>I just didn't get Nevins approach. On the one hand he
has everything in his image on the other hand he can
"pull back in data" after experiencing a crash. That
doesn't fit in my head. Nothing more I wanted to know.</div>
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<div>I don't know how Nevin does the "pull back in data" but
if you wan't an idea to start visualizing that happening
think a SIXX dump being read in a fresh image. There is even
a guy that worked on a way to do that streaming the XML to
dump big data.</div>
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<div>Another idea is ReferenceStream.</div>
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<br>
Remember, the primary data I "pull back" is inventory control data.
In other words, if the image crashes, the inventory needs to be
adjusted for the orders that were placed since the last image save.
So, the question is: how is this done?<br>
<br>
To answer that, please remember that the website sends emails for
every order placed. For each order, it sends a total of six
different email accounts the order details-- one is an email to the
customer with their order confirmation, and five of them are
internal Bountiful Baby email accounts used for various control
purposes (incidentally, we also run our own email server, so any
emails sent to any internal email account never leave our internal
network-- not that it would matter, though). <br>
<br>
For those "control" emails, it is trivial to have the website
include a simple URL in the email sent to one of the control
accounts that, when clicked, replays the order.<br>
<br>
So, if the image crashes, I go grab the last backup image (which is
usually just a few hours old). I note the timestamp on the backup,
and then I look at the orders that were generated since that time.
And then a few clicks later-- it's all re-entered.<br>
<br>
Folks, remember, if your Seaside application is sending emails every
time it does something that effects the data in the image, those
emails *become* your log history record. And, it is trivial to
include whatever URL you want in one or more of those emails to
accomplish any kind of data replay you need. So, just grab the last
backup, click on some emails, and you are back in the game.<br>
<br>
It is so darn simple, it's crazy. :-)<br>
<br>
And it works. Just fine. Plus, I rarely need it, because it is so
darn stable anyway.<br>
<br>
We actually also have a similar interface for our Endicia program
for generating shipping labels, customs forms, and package postage.
The website includes a different (but simple) URL in the email it
sends to the email control account going to the label/postage
computer. While sitting at the label/postage computer, folks click
that link in the email, and the label (with postage) is
automatically generated for that order. All via a URL in the
email. And, (almost) nothing is ever hand-entered.<br>
<br>
Nevin<br>
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