Hi

Hi,

I've worked as a developer IT for nearly 30 years, with all sorts of technologies, including Paradox (dos and windows), Access, Perl, Java and Javascript.

Paradox for Dos (4.5) is still alive and well in a few places. 

I recently ran into problems with our infrastructure being migrated to vm-ware.  The old "insufficient space" error seems to have re-appeared - and lesspace doesn't seem to work with virtual drives.

Has anyone else struck problems with virtual drives?

Cheers,

Ric

Hi Ric,

Welcome!

I don't know much about VMWare, but my understanding is it is a virtualization software. I imagine once you setup VMWare correctly it should work fine. I do have lots of experience with virtualization in Terminal Server and Vista so I might be able to help. What specific issues are you running into?

Steve Greene who stops by frequently might have some input too. Most of my experience with virtualization is with Paradox for Windows.

Hi Richard,

Just curious, why did you use VM instead of just real Windows computers?

By the way, it's good to see you out here again.

Oh, okay. Got it. We use VirtualPC for that here. We have stable XP computers with VirtulPC and a bunch of VirtualPC environments setup.

As for hanging out, yes, please do. Over the last few years we've expanded into a "computer community" so we're not just a programmer community anymore.

I did use VM regularly for a while running XP on Linux and it worked very well despite my best efforts to crash it  so well, In fact I bought the book on it!

I can't pretend to be an expert on this, but what operating system are you running on it, I am assuming Paradox is running through Windows.

Thats enough of that. Ed.

Mike

Basically, I got fed up with Windows as an operating system either hanging or falling over. I can't recall exactly what I was  doing to cause it. I think it was something to do with a video editing prog which would produce the blue screen of death and we all know what that generally means! By running XP through Linux (Mint) if (when) it died I could just call up an XP clone complete with all progs and be up and running in a couple of minutes.

Thanks for the welcome back I have to admit I have been doing little in the DB world hence my lack of input, but if you're happy for me to pop up now and again then I'm very happy to stay.

r

Thats enough of that. Ed.

I used the fixed size method which was effective for the small sized disks I wanted and also to easily reproduce as clones. I also thought  rightly or wrongly that if I decreed the disk size to start with then at a later date I would not be told by the sytem that for whatever reason my disk size would not work.

AI, that can and only be you from way back when you helped me out with some Paradox chart problems I was having! Now how's this, my memory tells me you have some connection with landscape gardening

Thats enough of that. Ed.

VM allows you to create fixed-size virtual hard disks and variable-size virtual hard disks.

A variable-size disk starts small and expands as you add data.  The upper size limit is determined by the VM host system's file allocation limit.  (I assume that when one VM runs out of disk, all other VMs on that host are also out.)

A fixed-size disk is pre-allocated to its full size when you create it.  Lessspace will probably work on a fixed-size disk.  Of course, if you create the virtual disk small enough, you won't even need lessspace.

Anyway, look into creating additional virtual hard disks for a VM, and particularly creating fixed-size virtual disks.  Put that together with what you already know about the out-of-space problem and you can compose a solution.

-Al.

Welcome. I don't do much with Paradox but there are some good Paradox guys here. I try to stop by every few weeks and particpate.

--

Andy

Thx all,

To answer the first question - our org has decided it's cost effective to use VM for some of our servers - not my decision (or preference!).

I have little detailed understanding of VM - but I did find a bug that apparently exists in vFiler.  Using DOS "MOVE" frequently results in scrambled timestamps - files are created in the new location with a "CreatedTime" = the time of the "move" - but the LastModified time was being left set to original file's creation date.  We wound up with files "Modifed"  before they were "Created".  MQ's Fscan isn't at all happy with this.  A workaound is to use to use copy then delete - copy doesn't have the same bug.

The "Insuffucient disk space" error in Paradox has only surfaced since the switch to VM.  We run XP on our workstations - and this may also be a factor, but previously launching "lesspace" always fixed the issue.  It no longer seems to work.  I checked the TSR load process - and it seemed to load OK (although it failed when trying to use the /R switch for network drives).  Launching it with /D displayed all the network drives (including the target unc), so it appears to be loaded OK.  In any event, it's 6 months until the next archive will be required - may have to consider rewriting the data loads using flimport.  The app is due for replacement in the next 12 months - but like a lot of old apps it's been scheduled for replacement at least 4 times before now - funding the change is always an issue for an app that requires virtually no support (exccept for bi-annual archiving).

Cheers,

Ric

Thx for your input all,

Unfortunately this is a corporate environment where I have no control over the VM setup.  I'm stuck with trying to tweak client settings -  at least for time being.  If this app gets to live on for more than the next 6 months I guess I'll have to switch to a generic routine to unload/reload the data. 

Richard - you're not one of these ppl with a photographic memory- r u?  The only gardening I'll admit to was way back in the 1980's - when I did study Australian natives and landscaping!  Paradox charting from that era is long forgotten  - though if I did help I'll happily take the kudos!

Cheers,

Ric