Home Forums Discussions Feedback and Recommendations Better synchronization between two offices

We run three offices -- two very small satellites and one main big office. We are using AC in one satellite office and love it and would like to be using it in all three offices without having to use a VPN (Virtual network structure) due to inconsisitent and slow internet speeds. If there were a better way to synch all databases at the end of each day (remotely) that would be the fastest and easiest way for us to deal with multiple offices.

If there are any other suggestions PLEASE let me know.

Best regards,

James P. Clayton, M.D.
US Virgin Islands

Here's what we use in our office:

We have two OLD laptops, which sit closed, running, on top of the file cabinet. They're running VNC server, so they can be remote controlled. When we want to access AC remotely, we use VNC viewer to remote control them. If the connection goes down, we don't loose anything. Our internet speed isn't that fast, and even with a slow connection, this works very well, with no risk of lost data.

VPN is SLOW.. and the data access scheme used in AC is slow, so BOTH combined would make VPN a difficult solution to use. The laptops are cheap compute servers - you can get a used machine on e-bay for well under $200. It also has the advantage of being able to see what the remote user is doing if you want/need to (ie, just open the laptop and look at the screen!) and of being backup to the office computers if worst-case a machine goes down.

V.

Each clinic could send their databases to the main office at the end of the day.

The data from the offsite databases would be added to the main database using Amazing Synch, or a free Microsoft application called Sync Toy.

The new, synchronized database would then be sent back to the branch clinics, and cut and pasted into their Amazing Charts file. In this manner, all clinics have the same data in their database, every 24 hours.

This solution is not without its potential pitfalls, however.

The problems with Synchronization have been discussed here in detail.

A variation on this method has worked well for me, as a solo doc, but if there were a lot of folks modifying a particular data file at each different office, it could create artifacts.

I don't know that I would trust Mission Critical data to this kind of "quick and dirty" plan, without careful consideration by someone who understands database management very well.

Vinny,
Tell me more about that other service you are using please. Thanks. Also, see my post in the Tips section on this Sync and merge of two databases. Your solution is the same as mine for allowing two distinct offices with two separated databases to still be in touch with each others databases and systems....

Great minds think alike... That or we both share the same illness.

PS, we use the free version of Logmein and it is just fine for our purposes. I just mentioned the paid version because it allows you to copy and paste across the connection from one machine to the other one as well as you can print at your location what is being done at the remote location so these extra features may be useful to folks in such a situation. Now we have been controlling and printing to the printers at the remote location just fine so Nancy comes in the next morning and has Rx's done and invoices based on her charting all printed out and ready for my side of the business.

Mr Scott, Logmein....

I have to agree with hockeyref. Logmein is workable. Take a look at our thread on syncronization of databases. It can be free and speed is adequate. I have used a P3 400 machine as a receiver with acceptable results, currently I use a P3 1000 machine. Just need DSL or better connection.

Exactly! We use ONE database, and all the computers that talk to it are HARD WIRED to the server through a high-speed switch. (even though their laptops, and could use wireless, we don't want to clog our wireless bandwidth with traffic we don't need to). We then remote control them.

LogMeIn, VNC, PC Anywhere, GoToMyPC.com - any of these will give you excellent performance. To be able to PRINT, we add internet printing to our remote printers to the laptops, which is built into windows and most network-ready printers, so no additional cost there. PC Anywhere and GoToMyPC.com I believe have printing services built in, as do commercial VNC versions. I can't say for LogMeIn as I don't use it.

We have a second office where we go 1/2 day per week, as well as work from home a lot. On the days we're at our remote office, we set the default printer to the printer at that office, and all AC functions work as if we had a remote database - except they're running at the main office on the one common database. It means that everything is realtime - no syncing required.

It has another advantage - when the office staff cuts orders for patient when I'm not there, (for example, PT or screening mammogram, or some such that I allow them to issue at the patient's request when I'm not there) I immediately know, as it shows up in my messages queue on main AC screen!

I prefer used laptops at the main-office end of things, as AC doesn't need a lot of horsepower to run, I don't need a great keyboard or screen, they're SMALL so I can stack multiple remote-access servers on a single shelf, they contain a BUILT IN THREE HOUR U.P.S. - called the laptop battery! so if the power goes out they're still up! and they're cheap cheap cheap! (did I mention they're inexpensive??)

We have our servers on one UPS, and our router, cable modem, network switching gear, and front desk computer on another one, as they're not in the same room anymore. (we moved the servers as the fans were way too loud and nobody could hear in the office). The main UPS is a ferro-resonant job that weighs a lot, but cranks out computer-grade sine-wave power.

So far this has been solid as a rock for close to 2 years. We've upgraded the firewall and the high speed switch we use without it affecting anything.

V.

OK, let me get this straight. How many posts did I expend time and energy on begging you to use LogMeIn? LOL

Ya but now I'm spending money on an extra hardwired machine so more than one person can be logged in at a time... And as a rookie to all this CCHIT, everyone who "knew" networks and security told me I had to have a VPN. What the heck did this greasy knuckled Jeep guy know about all this. Yeah, I should have trusted my good buddy Bert from the beautiful state of Maine who only has my best interests at heart. Live and learn.

And sort of on the same idea or one track next to it, one also needs to trust their own gut and sometimes take a leap of faith and trust themselves. This Kaspersky Internet Security program has been wonderful, simply wonderful. It seems to know exactly what it needs to do, whose naughty and nice. And I'm lovin' it. An agressive protection program that has a fairly good idea of what to do, who to trust and who not to trust....

Buddy thanks for your patients, I guess that is why you are a primary care doc.... You are a sucker for a hard luck story. You're the Best!
Paul

"Mr. Scott", "Aye Captian", "Logmein Mr. Scott", "Aye, aye Captain log ya in it is....", "Energize", "Energize".