[ale] advice needed.

[Robert Reese~]

> We sell test equiptment for cable networks.  We have two peices of
> software. 1. A web server app that can manage up to 1000 handheld
> devices (I called users in the original description) through
> ethernet interface. 2. We also have a windows app that can manage a
> few devices but it is through a usb/serial port interface and
> replicates a good bit of the functionality of the web server app
>
> The cost of replicating functionality on two code sets is becoming
> expensive so of course marketing would like us to focus on the web
> app and maybe move the web app to the smaller offices. I said 20
> users but Im think marketing wants to replace the windows app
> completely.
>
[snip]

> I also thought there might be a way to run a vmware image that
> would almost set up itself. Stealling a lot of the configuration
> information from its host machine.
>
> And if the image's disk is writable backups would be a snap. (Stop
> vmware. Copy file. Start vmware)
>
> Chris Fowler
> In previous emails it seems that you have solved the same problems
> I am struggling with.
> The 3 piece info approach is what we are planning to do on our
> SAAS. And we have attempted to do the web interface approach as
> well. Actually we just do it on the console of the server with a
> menu driven script.  This works well when setting up the server
> initially.  I dont have the resources to setup the full admin
> interface yet.
>
> Robert Reese
> Well there is also some C code involved. Not much but enough to
> where we cant just make a copy of the app and run on windows.  It
> needs to be recompiled.
>
> ---
> Anyway the virtual machine  seemed like it would be a great
> approach because It could just look like a service  on the
> customer's PC and the customer's exiting backup solutions may work
> already. And Id thought setup would be simplified as well.

Part of the problem here is the cost-shifting to the customer by way of the VM 
scheme.  The customer is going to pay for the choice of your company to not 
rewrite/recompile a little bit of code by way of increased hardware requirements 
or/and increased resource demand in lieu of rewriting the little amount of 
Linux-reliant C code. 

I also can't see the cost of rewriting the C code being more than the proposed 
licensing cost to VMWare.  Ironically, your company already has Windows-based 
code which may or may not have any relation to the Linux code.

That said, perhaps your company should consider rewriting the code to use it in 
another VM - the Java Virtual Machine.  Most Windows machines already have Java 
and it is easily resolved if they don't. ;c)

Cheers,
Robert~