A Tip For Would-Be Software Sellers
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Make sure your extremely time-limited installer installs something. I just downloaded a limited trial version of the software we use at work to control 69kV circuit breakers, with the intent of reading the help files. The copy we have at work is on a production machine that I don't want to mess with, lest it suddenly become very dark and cold in the city of Needles, CA. Besides, reading at work isn't a possibility - I barely have time to read critical emails and meeting notices. On starting the installation from the download I immediately received the very helpful and informative message, "Error in initializing installation." How useful... I shouldn't be surprised, as while exploring the partial documentation we have for the product I came across examples using keywords like DIM, etc. An the architecture - my god! Why not throw in some gargoyles just to make it complete? On a single laptop there is a OPC Server, CV Server, CV client, Access database, and a .csv file full of real-time readings from the instruments in the remote substation that actually control the breakers. CV is just a brand name, and OPC is not defined anywhere. Apparently the OPC Server continuously monitors the instrumentation and maintains its text-based database with current data. The CV Server then keeps in touch with the OPC Server, and maintains the Access database using values served from the text file. The client hosts the GUI (consisting entirely of VB ActiveX controls) which requests data from the CV Server, whose job it is to fetch data from the Access database. No wonder the little laptop chokes regularly; it kinda makes me want to gag just thinking about it. Yet this is considered state-of-the-art SCADA software in the power industry. Any intern here could do better, including the denizens of the VB Forum, if enough of you pitched in to provide codez. Obviously the correct solution would be to buy a second copy of the software for my use in maintaining and developing our system, but the client alone costs $1700 per license; I have no idea how much the rest would cost us. The boss won't even spring for another copy of the client. I could give myself a crash course with a 14-day trial, and that might well lead to further purchases, but even this is impossible as the installer won't run on a brand X WinXP desktop. What a great way to drive business to your competitors... :doh:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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Make sure your extremely time-limited installer installs something. I just downloaded a limited trial version of the software we use at work to control 69kV circuit breakers, with the intent of reading the help files. The copy we have at work is on a production machine that I don't want to mess with, lest it suddenly become very dark and cold in the city of Needles, CA. Besides, reading at work isn't a possibility - I barely have time to read critical emails and meeting notices. On starting the installation from the download I immediately received the very helpful and informative message, "Error in initializing installation." How useful... I shouldn't be surprised, as while exploring the partial documentation we have for the product I came across examples using keywords like DIM, etc. An the architecture - my god! Why not throw in some gargoyles just to make it complete? On a single laptop there is a OPC Server, CV Server, CV client, Access database, and a .csv file full of real-time readings from the instruments in the remote substation that actually control the breakers. CV is just a brand name, and OPC is not defined anywhere. Apparently the OPC Server continuously monitors the instrumentation and maintains its text-based database with current data. The CV Server then keeps in touch with the OPC Server, and maintains the Access database using values served from the text file. The client hosts the GUI (consisting entirely of VB ActiveX controls) which requests data from the CV Server, whose job it is to fetch data from the Access database. No wonder the little laptop chokes regularly; it kinda makes me want to gag just thinking about it. Yet this is considered state-of-the-art SCADA software in the power industry. Any intern here could do better, including the denizens of the VB Forum, if enough of you pitched in to provide codez. Obviously the correct solution would be to buy a second copy of the software for my use in maintaining and developing our system, but the client alone costs $1700 per license; I have no idea how much the rest would cost us. The boss won't even spring for another copy of the client. I could give myself a crash course with a 14-day trial, and that might well lead to further purchases, but even this is impossible as the installer won't run on a brand X WinXP desktop. What a great way to drive business to your competitors... :doh:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
Ah the delights of dealing with vertical market software Surely as an existing and potential customer you can get the doco. The few I have dealt with have always been helpful in this arena, extra copies supplied for training and stuff like that. One of the most amazing pieces of software I have ever seen was from CI Technologies in Oz (I think they have changed their name since) for process controllers the graphics were amazing.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
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Ah the delights of dealing with vertical market software Surely as an existing and potential customer you can get the doco. The few I have dealt with have always been helpful in this arena, extra copies supplied for training and stuff like that. One of the most amazing pieces of software I have ever seen was from CI Technologies in Oz (I think they have changed their name since) for process controllers the graphics were amazing.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
Mycroft Holmes wrote:
as an existing and potential customer you can get the doco
I'm sure I can, but I'm commissioning a new substation and expanding the software system to control more than one location, and the fellow they sent out to do the job isn't the sharpest tool in the drawer. He knows a bit about the software for making pretty GUIs, but nothing about the instrumentation it's controlling, nor anything about electricity. I'm scared, as I only have him for three days, and have to be online with this station in two weeks. :~
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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Make sure your extremely time-limited installer installs something. I just downloaded a limited trial version of the software we use at work to control 69kV circuit breakers, with the intent of reading the help files. The copy we have at work is on a production machine that I don't want to mess with, lest it suddenly become very dark and cold in the city of Needles, CA. Besides, reading at work isn't a possibility - I barely have time to read critical emails and meeting notices. On starting the installation from the download I immediately received the very helpful and informative message, "Error in initializing installation." How useful... I shouldn't be surprised, as while exploring the partial documentation we have for the product I came across examples using keywords like DIM, etc. An the architecture - my god! Why not throw in some gargoyles just to make it complete? On a single laptop there is a OPC Server, CV Server, CV client, Access database, and a .csv file full of real-time readings from the instruments in the remote substation that actually control the breakers. CV is just a brand name, and OPC is not defined anywhere. Apparently the OPC Server continuously monitors the instrumentation and maintains its text-based database with current data. The CV Server then keeps in touch with the OPC Server, and maintains the Access database using values served from the text file. The client hosts the GUI (consisting entirely of VB ActiveX controls) which requests data from the CV Server, whose job it is to fetch data from the Access database. No wonder the little laptop chokes regularly; it kinda makes me want to gag just thinking about it. Yet this is considered state-of-the-art SCADA software in the power industry. Any intern here could do better, including the denizens of the VB Forum, if enough of you pitched in to provide codez. Obviously the correct solution would be to buy a second copy of the software for my use in maintaining and developing our system, but the client alone costs $1700 per license; I have no idea how much the rest would cost us. The boss won't even spring for another copy of the client. I could give myself a crash course with a 14-day trial, and that might well lead to further purchases, but even this is impossible as the installer won't run on a brand X WinXP desktop. What a great way to drive business to your competitors... :doh:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
Roger Wright wrote:
On a single laptop there is a OPC Server
Roger Wright wrote:
and OPC is not defined anywhere.
OPC here is almost certainly OLE for Process Control[^]. I wrote one of these buggers back in the late 1990's as a co-op/intern for a company that did process control software. Not the best system in the world (even at the time), but it sure beat the hell out of DDE, which I had seen used for similar things previously.
-- Russell Morris Morbo: "WINDMILLS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY!"
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Make sure your extremely time-limited installer installs something. I just downloaded a limited trial version of the software we use at work to control 69kV circuit breakers, with the intent of reading the help files. The copy we have at work is on a production machine that I don't want to mess with, lest it suddenly become very dark and cold in the city of Needles, CA. Besides, reading at work isn't a possibility - I barely have time to read critical emails and meeting notices. On starting the installation from the download I immediately received the very helpful and informative message, "Error in initializing installation." How useful... I shouldn't be surprised, as while exploring the partial documentation we have for the product I came across examples using keywords like DIM, etc. An the architecture - my god! Why not throw in some gargoyles just to make it complete? On a single laptop there is a OPC Server, CV Server, CV client, Access database, and a .csv file full of real-time readings from the instruments in the remote substation that actually control the breakers. CV is just a brand name, and OPC is not defined anywhere. Apparently the OPC Server continuously monitors the instrumentation and maintains its text-based database with current data. The CV Server then keeps in touch with the OPC Server, and maintains the Access database using values served from the text file. The client hosts the GUI (consisting entirely of VB ActiveX controls) which requests data from the CV Server, whose job it is to fetch data from the Access database. No wonder the little laptop chokes regularly; it kinda makes me want to gag just thinking about it. Yet this is considered state-of-the-art SCADA software in the power industry. Any intern here could do better, including the denizens of the VB Forum, if enough of you pitched in to provide codez. Obviously the correct solution would be to buy a second copy of the software for my use in maintaining and developing our system, but the client alone costs $1700 per license; I have no idea how much the rest would cost us. The boss won't even spring for another copy of the client. I could give myself a crash course with a 14-day trial, and that might well lead to further purchases, but even this is impossible as the installer won't run on a brand X WinXP desktop. What a great way to drive business to your competitors... :doh:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
on March 3 I installed some demo software that told me instantly the licence had expired on March 1. fabulous. Here's the magic part: I sent them an e-mail, and received a new eval key within a working day! No shit, Sherlock! It like, went to America and back, but it worked!
Agh! Reality! My Archnemesis![^]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | µLaunch - program launcher for server core and hyper-v server. -
Make sure your extremely time-limited installer installs something. I just downloaded a limited trial version of the software we use at work to control 69kV circuit breakers, with the intent of reading the help files. The copy we have at work is on a production machine that I don't want to mess with, lest it suddenly become very dark and cold in the city of Needles, CA. Besides, reading at work isn't a possibility - I barely have time to read critical emails and meeting notices. On starting the installation from the download I immediately received the very helpful and informative message, "Error in initializing installation." How useful... I shouldn't be surprised, as while exploring the partial documentation we have for the product I came across examples using keywords like DIM, etc. An the architecture - my god! Why not throw in some gargoyles just to make it complete? On a single laptop there is a OPC Server, CV Server, CV client, Access database, and a .csv file full of real-time readings from the instruments in the remote substation that actually control the breakers. CV is just a brand name, and OPC is not defined anywhere. Apparently the OPC Server continuously monitors the instrumentation and maintains its text-based database with current data. The CV Server then keeps in touch with the OPC Server, and maintains the Access database using values served from the text file. The client hosts the GUI (consisting entirely of VB ActiveX controls) which requests data from the CV Server, whose job it is to fetch data from the Access database. No wonder the little laptop chokes regularly; it kinda makes me want to gag just thinking about it. Yet this is considered state-of-the-art SCADA software in the power industry. Any intern here could do better, including the denizens of the VB Forum, if enough of you pitched in to provide codez. Obviously the correct solution would be to buy a second copy of the software for my use in maintaining and developing our system, but the client alone costs $1700 per license; I have no idea how much the rest would cost us. The boss won't even spring for another copy of the client. I could give myself a crash course with a 14-day trial, and that might well lead to further purchases, but even this is impossible as the installer won't run on a brand X WinXP desktop. What a great way to drive business to your competitors... :doh:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
I avoid demo software like the plague. Too often it's crammed full of "last-minute" code, to enable/disable features, etc, that hasn't had the requisite care and attention given to it.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!