System Requirements
These are the minimum recommended requirements to use The Lean Machine and have a decent user experience.
Since you will likely be using The Lean Machine while other programs are open, such as MS Word and MS Outlook, we increased Microsoft's requirements for MS Access 2002 in certain areas.
NOTE: The Lean Machine does not require a licensed copy of MS Access, as the free runtime version of MS Access is included as part of the installation.
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Pentium II processor or higher (III recommended)
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400 MHZ processor or higher
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256 MB RAM
- 300 MB hard disk space
- Display: Super VGA (800 × 600) or higher-resolution monitor with 256 colors
- Windows 98 or higher (See Microsoft's requirements below)
Integration with MS Outlook requires Outlook 2000 or higher.
| Microsoft's Minimum Requirements for Access 2002 | |
| Computer/Processor | Computer with Pentium 133 megahertz (MHz) or higher processor; Pentium III recommended |
| Memory | RAM requirements for Access 2002
depend on the operating system used:
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| Hard Disk |
Hard disk space requirements will vary depending on configuration; custom installation choices may require more or less. Listed below is the minimum hard disk requirement for Access:
An additional 115 MB is required on the hard disk where the operating system is installed. Users without Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Me, or Office 2000 Service Release 1 (SR-1) require an extra 50 MB of hard disk space for System Files Update. |
| Operating System | Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me), Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6 (SP6) or later,* Windows 2000, or Windows XP or later. |
| Drive | CD-ROM drive |
| Display | Super VGA (800 × 600) or higher-resolution monitor with 256 colors |
| Peripherals | Microsoft Mouse, Microsoft IntelliMouse®, or compatible pointing device |
Network Requirements
The Lean Machine will work on a simple workgroup with one of the computers hosting an extra database that everyone else's local database will synchronize with. We call this computer the "Hub." Users need read, write, and delete permission for the folder hosting the Hub database.
The Hub can be one of your workstations, or you can use one of you network servers, or for larger installations a dedicated server might prove beneficial.
Either way, setting up multiple users is both easy and does not necessarily require extra hardware or software expenses. The Lean Machine also has built in tools to help you easily move the Hub database to another computer if needed.
This topology takes advantage of the increased processing power in today's desktop computer, and provides several benefits over a traditional server based system. These benefits include:
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Support for remote and disconnected users. You can put The Lean Machine on a laptop and work while traveling, or create a VPN connection for remote users.
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Greater troubleshooting flexibility. If a user's database file has a problem, it can simply be replace with a copy of one that does not. (A very rare occurrence, but an easy fix if needed.)
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Practically eliminates the need for data back up. Each user has a full data set, so loosing data due to hardware or other computer problems is extremely unlikely and practically impossible.
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No locked file/record problems. The users is always processing data on their local computer, so there are no multi-user record locking issues that can plague other systems, especially ones trying to use MS Access for multiple concurrent users.
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Faster Processing. Keeping the processing on the local machine allows the fastest possible processing as there are no delays from network traffic or a over burdened server.
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Very little increase in Network Traffic. Synchronizing with the hub takes about 1-3 seconds, and does not noticeably increase network traffic. This will keep your IT people happy, as your existing network will work just fine as is.
We all have to eventually spend the money to upgrade our computers, this is a given. The Lean Machine allows you to get more from that investment by putting the desktop computer to work in a way that saves you from having to buy a much more expensive server based database system.
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