NYCPHP Meetup

[anoland at indigente.net]

-----Original Message-----
From: Allen Shaw <ashaw at polymerdb.org>
Date: Monday, Jun 30, 2008 9:32 am
Subject: [nycphp-talk] mysql slow Internet connection trickery
To: NYPHP Talk <talk at lists.nyphp.org>Reply-To: NYPHP Talk <talk at lists.nyphp.org>

Hi Gang,
>
>Banging my head against this wall, wondered if you all might know 
>something I don't.  (It does happen often, I find.)
>
>I need to provide several users with access to an online php/mysq 
>database app, where the user's Internet connection is intermittently 
>slow or down.  We've used this (custom-written) database app quite well 
>for a long time, but this Internet connection, combined with these 
>users' need for real-time data to make moment-to-moment decisions -- it 
>makes for a tricky challenge:  either they suffer with using the system 
>over this slow connection, or I find a way to bridge the gap for them.
>
>FYI, this is a hotel rooms management system being used to check guests 
>in as they arrive.  The Internet connection we've been given here in 
>Paraguay is pretty spotty.  We're in several hotels in town and need the 
>data shared in real time across all locations, so something like just 
>running a local copy seems like its not an option.
>
>Still, I'm trying to make a way for the user to have "mostly current" 
>data from the central system, and also enter data without waiting for 
>each request to be approved.  I have been thinking you could run a local 
>copy of the system on the user's laptop, then have some helper program 
>in the back that communicates with the central server to send and 
>receive data asynchronously, pushing user changes and polling for new 
>data from the central server as fast as the Internet connection allows.  
>The idea is that, except for a few minutes of latency, the user would 
>never know the difference.
>
>
>You all have any thoughts?
>
>- Allen
>
I would research Google Gears and/or Firefox's Prism (or whatever is finally got named). It would close the gap for the most part by making syncronization easier.