Verifying the Version of Big Business You Are Running
This Solutions describes various methods for determining the exact version of Big Business you are currently using and methods for updating.
There are several iterations of Big Business 2.0. As of this writing the current version is 2.0.7, essentially the seventh minor update of 2.0. Each minor update contains fixes to problems and performance enhancements.
Along the way there are substantial changes to system requirements and networking requirements. Please verify that you meet the current System Requirements before proceeding. (3183)
You can find the exact version number on versions 2.0.6 and later from within the application:
• On the Mac, go to the Apple Menu, select About Big Business, click on the (white) logo to bring up a second About Box; read the version (and build) number in the lower left corner.
• On the PC, go to the Help Menu, select About Big Business, click on the (white) logo to bring up a second About Box; read the version (and build) number in the lower left corner.
NOTE: Properties > Version on 2.0.7 for Windows indicates it is version 2.0.6. check within the application to verify the correct version number.
Big Business provides extensive cross-platform support.
• With the exception of the command keys used, Big Business features, interface and functionality are virtually identical on all platforms.
• Documentation and Training materials are being consolidated.
• Big Business data files can readily be moved from one platform to another.
• Big Business Server for Windows NT4.0 supports simultaneous connections from Macintosh, Win95/98, and Windows NT4.0 Clients.
Setting History Views
Using the options found in Big Business Prefs (preference) windows, you can dramatically reduce load time for Histories by limiting them. (3400)
Q&A: Can I Run a Client on My Big Business Server?
The impetus for this question is clear. It takes four computers to run a three user version of Big Business, because a "dedicated" server is required. The impression is that your best, fastest computer is "not being used" because it is dedicated to the task of serving. Wouldn't it be nice if this machine could function as a workstation and perform as a server in the background?
This Solution provides general information about running a Client on your Big Business Server, and further explanation for the "dedicated server" requirement. (3489)
Technically, a machine running Big Business Server can run a variety of other applications and services, including Big Business Client. As a practical matter, however, you will not want to run other applications, especially Big Business Client, on your Server.
• Prioritization: Big Business Server is an application and should be running in the foreground (with options such as NT's Performance Boost maximized for the foreground application). Another foreground application (and BB Server running in the background) may pre-empt the use of important system resources causing delays or possibly errors.
• System Resources (in both the Microsoft, and generic sense): You might guess that BB Server and Client are similar in many respects. Running on the same machine, they compete for the same system resources. Even using an optimal setup (bypassing normal network protocol usage, using oodles of memory, mitigating CPU usage to promote better sharing of resources, and so on) overall Client performance is 20 to 25% of normal. BB Server suffers long delays when the local Client is operating. By the same token, running other networked applications should be carefully considered and tested.
• Performance and Reliability: For argument's sake, assume running an additional application on the server provides you 99.9% of the performance and reliability of not running the additional application. Also suppose three users entering one transaction an hour, each, for 2000 business hours in a year. A 0.1% performance hit to 6,000 user-hours might cost you six user hours. If reliability is compromised 0.1%, though, keep in mind that one transaction is at least four records (the transaction, a line item, and minimum two postings). Now we are talking about 24 potential errors, which is 24 too many, and may set you back far more.
We have had no user experience (since Apple's System 7 File Sharing, c.1996) to substantiate a possibility of error and would prefer to keep it that way. "Dedicated" means dedicated.
Q&A: How Does My Internet Connection Affect Big Business?
We receive a good number of inquiries from Big Business users who are upgrading their Internet connections to offerings such as ISDN and DSL. The most common questions relate to a server's function in the connection, remote-access for Big Business, and any problems to watch out for.
This Solution provides some basic information to illustrate the impact that adding or changing your Internet connectivity may have on your Big Business Multi-User setup. Big Business Single-User should not be affected by any connection change.
More detailed answers to some of the issues here (like remote connectivity for a BB Client) can be found in other Solutions, linked below. (3491)
Multi-User versions of Big Business are capable of using the same protocol (TCP/IP) used by your Internet connection. The following information may be of interest if you are planning to alter your current Internet connectivity.
• The recommended protocol for use with Big Business Multi-User is TCP/IP.
• Dial-up services (modem, ISDN) require a "host" computer or "gateway" to control the dialing device. Your Big Business Server machine should not be the "host."
• Always-on services, like DSL, use a router which can usually be connected directly your network (hub or switch) without a "host."
• Devices or software (such as connection-sharing solutions, e.g. www.rampnet.com; proxies, e.g. MS Proxy; and firewall or Virtual Private Network solutions) can be used to maintain "internal" IP addressing and control access to and from "external" (Internet) addresses.
• If your Big Business Server is accessible from the Internet, a Big Business Client can connect using any Internet connection. As a practical matter, "remote-control" of a local Client (e.g. Timbuktu Pro or PC Anywhere) is preferable for lower bandwidth (less than 384Kbps) connections.
• If you connection change requires switching addressing (e.g. from "internal" class C addressing: 192.168.0.2 to 192.168.0.255 recommended in other Solutions), you will need to rebuild resource files (trash the System Folder/Preferences/ACI folder on every Mac; Delete the contents of C:\Windows(Winnt)\ACI except the contents of the Network folder on PCs) to connect. The Server will need an accessible IP address (e.g. in the same subnet).
• Dynamic addressing (e.g. DHCP) should not be used (unless it is assigning the same addresses each time--not very dynamic).
Slower Performance After Running Tools
Running Big Business Tools (4D Tools) to Compact and/or Recover your Company File is critical to proper performance and may provide dramatic speed increases:
• Compact removes unused space (deleted records) and reindexes the file
• Recover rebuilds the file (in essence defragmenting it) and reindexes
These procedures are covered in detail in other Solutions.
A Recovered data file may be dramatically faster (a data intensive process like a financial report may be several times faster) as a result of reorganizing the data (from the disorganized sequence of entry). It should never be slower, but this is a fairly common support issue. (3525)
The answer is (almost always) fragmentation on the hard drive. You should always have 10% free space (preferably more) on a hard drive. As the free space dwindles, fragmentation goes up dramatically. Fragmentation can also develop over the extended periods of use.
Both Compact and Recover By Tags create a new data file. If the hard drive is fragmented, the resulting file may be badly fragmented compared with the original, and may be much slower.
SIMPLY RUNNING A DISK DEFRAGMENTATION UTILITY, MAY NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
There are a number of good defragmentation utilities available (Diskeeper from www.execsoft.com--including the free Diskeeper Lite, Norton from www.symantec.com, etc.). Most will give you good analysis of the fragmentation, and identify those files with the most fragments. Most recommend "handling" (read on) files for best results.
TO RESCUE A BADLY FRAGMENTED BIG BUSINESS DATA FILE, THE BEST SOLUTION IS TO COPY IT (BACK) ONTO A DEFRAGMENTED DISK WHICH HAS PLENTY OF FREE SPACE, USING ONE OF THE FOLLOWING METHODS:
• Defragment the disk, then duplicate the file. Rename or delete the original.
• Copy the file onto another disk, delete the original, defragment the drive, then restore the file (copy it back).
• Defragment the disk before running Tools.
1. Create a full backup at least once per week. Big Business saves ALL data in one file (YourCompany.4DD), usually kept in the Server folder, in the Data folder, or in a Shared folder. Quit out of Big Business Server to flush all unsaved changes. Then, copy your Company file to removable media (Zip, Jaz), backup media (DAT, CDR) or a laptop, which can be taken off-site.
2. Keep server hard drive(s) defragmented. To prevent fragmentation, maintain at least 25% free space at all times. For Windows NT, add a disk utility like (www.execsoft.com) Diskeeper Server($399)/ Workstation ($75)/ Lite ($0) to defragment the disk(s) on a regular basis. Windows 2000 includes a Disk Defragmenter. Check free space and fragmentation at least once per month.
3. Compact or Rebuild your Company file periodically. Big Business includes Big Business Tools for repairing and optimizing Company files. See the Tools Help file for instructions and details. Compacting removes deleted records and reindexes the file. Recovering repairs and optimizes data. Both operations create a new data file and can be run unattended (overnight). Run Tools once per quarter (every 3 months) or more often for fast-growing files.
4. Check memory usage and allocations. As your data file grows, increase the Cache Memory setting on BB Server. Cache Memory is set from the File menu > Database Properties > fifth tab (do not make other changes, especially to Platform settings) by entering a number of KB (the default 32,768 is 32MB or 32 x 1024KB) in the range of one-half to double the size of the data file. Access the Task Manager by right clicking on the task bar to monitor memory usage. Add RAM and update the Cache Memory setting as necessary, as your data file grows.
Q&A: What Do I Do If I'm SAD?
Q: I was recently recognized in my office as Most Computer Savvy. Now I'm SAD (System Administrator by Default). What should I do now that I'm SAD?
This Solution provides tips for the Big Business Server network administrator. (3497)
A: Buck up! The following tips will help you keep Big Business (Server) running smoothly.
• Call Technical Support at (925) 274-9568. Introduce yourself and your company. We're dying to know someone read this Solution and are interested in your setup, experiences, and recommendations. We're here to help you succeed with Big Business.
• Backup your Company data file; a copy of your file is all you need to restore Big Business. Mishaps are rare, but don't be lulled by reliability. Now that you're SAD, let's not go for unhappy. Have you heard about the time a Florida company, expecting a hurricane, sent us a backup of their data file? (true).
• Work to advance your budget. New systems (G3,P3), printers (HP4050), and network hardware (switches!), will pay for themselves in no time in speed and reliability.
• Learn how to perform a Recover By Tags on your data file. The fanatics use it weekly. We recommend every 10MB. Either way, it defrags and reindexes your data for better performance and much faster reporting.
• Now that you're SAD, you'll find misery loves company. Challenge those users who report problems to report errors verbatim. Ask for meaningful analysis. Keep notes. Four out of five problems occur when printing is involved (wild guess). Is your printing setup up to date?
• Scour this Solutions Database. Email the unanswered questions to support@bigbusiness.com. Email your feature requests to features@bigbusiness.com. Order the latest CD or download the latest version.
Don't worry. Be SAD.
Split Postings Problems
Big Business will generate an error when trying to save a transaction if the necessary Accounts are not specified. For example, an invoice including an Inventoried Item that does not have a Cost of Goods category specified will not save because the postings do not balance. BB displays an error message indicating there is a problem with Categories and requesting that you check the Split Postings. Big Business does a good amount of error checking to prevent these situations and allows the setting of Default categories in the various Prefs cards (e.g. set a Default Cost of Goods category in the Item Prefs Card on the Item toolbar) to prevent problems where no category is specified. (3015)
If you encounter Split Posting error messages:
Review the Postings for the transaction to find out why it does not balance. In the example of an Invoice including an Inventoried Item that does not specify a Cost of Goods category, you would go to the Category tab of the Invoice, click the Postings button, and find that Postings do not balance because the Posting for COGS does not take into account that Item.
Opening the Item card to the History tab, you would find that no Cost of Goods category was specified, which you could fix by selecting one using the Pop-Up. You would then save the Item card and returning to the Invoice you would reenter that Item so that its COGS category would load. It would be a good idea, in this situation, to review the Item Prefs Card to make certain that a Default COGS category is specified.
Most split postings problems are similar in nature and can usually be figured out by comparing the problem transaction with a known-good transaction to see what category information might be missing. Careful review of all involved Cards is in order Are there any blank fields on the Customer, Vendor, Item, etc. Cards?
If you make any changes to involved Cards be sure to re-select that information on the transaction. If you change the Customer Card, for example, save changes and then re-select that Customer on the Invoice to load the newly saved information.
NOTE: Most QuickSeaches allow searching for blanks such as "Cost of Goods Category is (blank)"
Add PDF
Add PDF is a customization to automatically includes a PDF containing Terms and Conditions or other needed information when printing or emailing a Sales Order or Purchase Order. (6331)
Add PDF automatically includes a PDF containing Terms and Conditions or other needed information when printing or emailing a Sales Order, Purchase Order, or Statement.
Add PDF requires the PDF Tools Add-On.
The PDF is installed with Big Business Server--in the Extras folder in the Server Database folder--which automatically distributes it to Clients.
When Printing, Saving As PDF, or Emailing, your PDF is automatically included in the print job, so a 1-page Sales Order becomes a 2-page PDF attachment when Emailing.
Improving Performance for Large Data Files
Improving Big Business Performance for Large Data Files (3166)
When you consider that a single transaction creates numerous entries, and that Big Business keeps an ongoing history with each transaction intact--even across multiple years--you begin to realize how much data your company actually generates. For a more objective view, examine the size of your data file. Big Business data files generally start in the tens of megabytes, but can grow over time to several hundred.
Sifting through this data to find the specific information you are looking for in a timely fashion, requires quick access to the bulk of your data that contains the information being searched. If you have an adequate amount of Random Access Memory, your search will be fast. Without enough RAM, Big Business will turn to the hard drive to find your information. RAM is approximately three orders of magnitude faster than your hard drive!
The most effective options for improving performance are:
• Making more RAM available to Big Business.
• Keeping your Company file's indexes clean by Compacting your file with Tools on a periodic basis.
• Rebuilding your Company file using Tools to Recover By Tags on a less frequent basis.
• Keeping your setup current.
Advanced procedures, beyond the scope of the document, accommodate files sizes into the hundreds of megabytes. Contact Technical Support for details.