We have just rolled out RMS across 40 stores and are implementing Great Plains in a few months.
Store hardware configurations:
2 pc's (office & till) running windows xpro, 512 ram and CPU range from celeron 2.0 - celeron 3.6 with netgear DG834 ADSL routers, 384 kbps ADSL lineHO hardware configurations:
2 x HP proliant DL 360 running server 2003, Xeon 1.86 CPU, 10G Ram on the SQL box and 4G Ram on the Application Box. SQL + DHCP installed on the SQL box (sep disks for data / log files) RMS HQ Server, RMS HQ Manager, Scribe, Citrix, MS Office are installed on the Application Box. 4M down/ 384 up ADSL line on fibre with 5 fixed IP'sThere are around 20 office users that access HQ via citrix presentation server, generally not concurrently, 10 of which are in another office. Stores are scheduled to communication with HQ every 2 hours over ADSL (store comms are evenly spaced out over a 2 hour period)
We are encountering serious communications problems with worksheets taking in excess of 24 hours to process, often timing out and HO reports taking up to 5 - 10 minutes to run. The SQL server is freezing at least 3 times a week, requiring a full reboot and the IT supplier has no idea why. Our IT supplier has advised us to install another server for citrix alone which will apparently address the comms and report issue.
Questions: A) Can you please advise me what hardware has been used in similar type installations at store and HQ locations.
B) Is a separate citrix server going to solve the comms / report problem at HQ?
C) Idea's as to why the SQL server is freezing all the time?
D) I am considering hosting the server with an ISP and implementing a SSL VPN using Citrix Access Gateway. This is to implement active directory and lock down user rights at store level. Is this recommended or are there better alternatives? (MPLS networks are too expensive for us)
Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance