softline/sage pastel accounting over a VPN

JaimeLopes777

JaimeLopes777

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Hey,

Our accounts department would like to be able to work from home on pastel. I have them setup in the office with 3 machines, a desktop which is the 'server' and 2 laptops that are 'workstations' I'm not hugely familiar with how Pastel works but I assume the 'companies' are stored on the server, as well as a database service (pervasive).

When the 2 laptops are in the office, connected to the LAN they work fine, but when they are out the office and try to run pastel while connected to the office LAN via a PPTP VPN, pastel takes 20-30mins to open up a company and is basically un-usable.

I've read elsewhere that the only way to do remote pastel is via remote desktop which is not feasible as the 'server' runs windows xp (no concurrent TS sessions)
I can only assume that this is because large amounts of data needs to be transferred?

Can anyone shed some light on why Pastel is so slow over a VPN?
Would it perform better using a different type of VPN, OpenVPN or an SSL tunnel?

If running pastel on the remote machine is impossible, then what is the cheapest way to have 3 RDP sessions running on the server? I'm guessing that we would need a windows server machine with client CALS for RDP..?

The only other solution apart from a windows server i can think of is to run a linux distro on the server and run pastel using wine, but i'm not sure if that will work?

Is anyone successfully doing remote access to pastel?
 
The reason it is so slow is due to the architecture of Pastel Partner whereby the entire accounting database has to be loaded into the local application's crappy SQL engine before data can be accessed. Basically each client runs the database engine and the database is loaded into it at run time. You would think the logical architecture would be that the database engine runs centrally and the clients connect to it, but no, this is Pastel after all.

RDP is the only feasible way to use Pastel Partner remotely and if you need more than one remote desktop either run multiple physical/virtual PCs with their own installations of Pastel or try using terminal server on a Windows server.

Alternatively, Pastel Evolution (as opposed to Partner) works on standard MS SQL server (I *think*??) - never tried it but in theory this should mean that remote VPN clients would probably run better. The only problem is, Evolution is an order of magnitude more $$$.
 
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Thanks

Yeah, that was my thought, of running 3 virtual machines on an ubuntu machine each with their own licensed copy of windows and pastel...
 
While technically you would be in breach of the Windows Licensing agreement if you are not licensed for software assurance for the Windows Copies you plan on loading on the Hypervisor,technically it is doable
 
PsyWulf said:
While technically you would be in breach of the Windows Licensing agreement if you are not licensed for software assurance for the Windows Copies you plan on loading on the Hypervisor,technically it is doable
Click to expand...

So are you saying if I buy 3 retail copies of windows 7 and install them on 3 virtual machines (vmware/virtualbox) ontop of a linux distro that violates the t's&c's??
 
Yes,virtualizing windows requires Software Assurance licensing for the accessing machine over and above the windows license you'll be virtualizing

There are a few other methods of licensing to consider too though like VDA http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtar...ft-virtual-desktop-licensing-SA-vs-VDA-vs-CDL

Simplified:

3xWindows 7 Pro laptops without SA + 3x VDA Licenses + 3x Windows 7 Pro licenses for the virtuals
or
3xWindows 7 Pro laptops with SA + 3x Windows 7 Pro licenses for the virtuals

Other option is Windows Server license + RDS Cals
 
There is/was a Windows XP hack that allows multiple RDP sessions. If I remember it does involve replacing a few DLL's with DLL's from Server 2003. Not sure if MS has "fixed" this "exploit" recently. A quick google will solve that problem.

At a previous client we tried Evolution over VPN.... You will need a proper(no 3G/ slow adsl) connection to make it remotely workable.(client had 2Mb diginet with users connecting with adsl and 3G) The people moaned so much that they just moved to an RDP solution.

So the correct way to go is Server with RDP licenses.
 
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So it looks like, despite the cost, the best thing would be to get windows server 2012 + 3 RDP Licenses... any idea how much that costs??
 
JaimeLopes777 said:
So it looks like, despite the cost, the best thing would be to get windows server 2012 + 3 RDP Licenses... any idea how much that costs??
Click to expand...

Hi JaimesLopes777, try Rapid Accounting, no RDP licenses required, Server can be normal Windows 7 pc. Connnect from anywhere over internet or lan. pull 50 page report in 6 seconds. www.rapidaccess.co.za or pm me for more details.
 
JaimeLopes777 said:
So it looks like, despite the cost, the best thing would be to get windows server 2012 + 3 RDP Licenses... any idea how much that costs??
Click to expand...

You're probably looking at about R8k for the server license, not sure what RDP CALs cost these days but you buy them in 5 packs
 
The fundamental problem here is that Pastel Partner's architecture hasn't really moved with the times for going on 20 years. The UI has changed, but not much else. Running individual client side sql engines with windows sharing is inherently bad, and it is therefore the bane of the IT support department. The end result is you end up implementing all sorts of ugly kludges to allow people to work on Pastel remotely, which seems really backwards for a 2013 release version.

I guess this is why they offer a (less capable) online version and Evolution (pricey), but I still fail to understand why seemingly the entire SA financial industry is hell-bent on using Pastel Partner only for SME's. And this is a company that refuses to even provide assistance in registering the software unless you pay for the support package, nor will they assist with problems caused by bugs in their own product without a support contract.
 
garp said:
The fundamental problem here is that Pastel Partner's architecture hasn't really moved with the times for going on 20 years. The UI has changed, but not much else. Running individual client side sql engines with windows sharing is inherently bad, and it is therefore the bane of the IT support department. The end result is you end up implementing all sorts of ugly kludges to allow people to work on Pastel remotely, which seems really backwards for a 2013 release version.

I guess this is why they offer a (less capable) online version and Evolution (pricey), but I still fail to understand why seemingly the entire SA financial industry is hell-bent on using Pastel Partner only for SME's. And this is a company that refuses to even provide assistance in registering the software unless you pay for the support package, nor will they assist with problems caused by bugs in their own product without a support contract.
Click to expand...

And when you phone for support they tend to always make if the issue is on your side and not their product, hate dealing with their call center.
 
Default

Quote Originally Posted by garp View Post
The fundamental problem here is that Pastel Partner's architecture hasn't really moved with the times for going on 20 years. The UI has changed, but not much else. Running individual client side sql engines with windows sharing is inherently bad, and it is therefore the bane of the IT support department. The end result is you end up implementing all sorts of ugly kludges to allow people to work on Pastel remotely, which seems really backwards for a 2013 release version.

I guess this is why they offer a (less capable) online version and Evolution (pricey), but I still fail to understand why seemingly the entire SA financial industry is hell-bent on using Pastel Partner only for SME's. And this is a company that refuses to even provide assistance in registering the software unless you pay for the support package, nor will they assist with problems caused by bugs in their own product without a support contract.
And when you phone for support they tend to always make if the issue is on your side and not their product, hate dealing with their call center.
Click to expand...
Exactly, the more crappy their software the more they can make from charging you for support, where it seems their main income is coming from

Another thing that bothers me is that Pastel can only work with Pastel (which coincidentally their agents also sell). I could not get it to run Open Office. I have not used MS Office for about 6 years now and was forced to buy it only because Pastel can only work if you have it. I wonder if anybody tried this before the competition commission before?

Anyway, I am also struggling to connect remotely to Pastel so that different shops can connect directly to the main installation.

What other (more modern) accounting software are available in SA?
 
I have another question ( I am not very clued up with servers and hosting) but;
Can't one install your main pastel on a microsoft server (hosted by a hosting company) and just let all your remote computers link to the main server? Or will you have the same speed problem as with hamachi? I think the route will be shorter especially if one can host it locally?
 
pietpetoors said:
I have another question ( I am not very clued up with servers and hosting) but;
Can't one install your main pastel on a microsoft server (hosted by a hosting company) and just let all your remote computers link to the main server? Or will you have the same speed problem as with hamachi? I think the route will be shorter especially if one can host it locally?
Click to expand...

AFAIK, if you're running Pastel Partner, the only way to do this is if each client connects via RDP and you run terminal services, so each client connects to a remote desktop and runs Pastel on that desktop. You will need a license for each remote desktop user, though. You will not feasibly be able to install Pastel Partner on the remote users and then open the remote server database on the hosted server.
 
Pastel really sucks
You have to implement all these work around tactics just because their software for which you have to pay do not work properly.

At the moment the pastel guys best advice was that I buy an express and install in shop 2, then we export the data there and import to main one, but if the data sets are not exactly identical it will not import. Another work around idea to cover their lack in development.

With what I know now, when I started the business Pastel would most definitely not be on my list of accounting software to consider.
 
One laptop can use the server as a host for the 1st RDP session, and the other laptop can use one of the existing desktops for a 2nd RDP session. If you are not able to use one of the existing desktops for the 2nd session install a cheap PC dedicated for the purpose as it would cost about R2k.

Firewall:
Incoming port 3389 to server IP:3389
2nd rule port 3391 to desktop IP:3389

RDP client looks like mydyndns.name.com:3391

It works fine even when two people are logged on at the same time on a standard 512k upload ADSL
 
Apologies as I read the OP again and see the 2 laptops are the only other workstations so you would need a small PC. Perhaps justify it by using it for other purposes like a file or print server..
 
Thanx guys will investigate that. Is amazing what clients must do just to get Pastel to work, client must buy double the amount of computers just because software cannot cope with modern ways of doing business.

May it is then better to just go for other software like IQ or Quickbooks, as I understand both of those can do the remote thing very easily without their clients having to use "a boer maak 'n plan" kind of plans just to make it work.

With what I know now I would advice any new business who have to buy accounting software for the first time to stay far away from Pastel, it is crap. You will spend lots of money buying this module, then that module, then another user, then more computers just to find in the end that the software is sub-standard and you have to buy the more expensive professional software, like IQ, in the end.
 
It's often not up to the business. Most auditors/accountants seem to insist on it and if you don't use it they charge extra to recapture all your data back in to Pastel.
 
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