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Re: Conversion plans?
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RBailey
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May 04, 2008 10:09 PDT
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Hi Malcome
I agree that my system is overkill but I really wanted one system that I won't have to upgrade before I retire...this system is 'it' for me.
My IT friend handles PHI security and HIPAA issues and one of the big reasons I went with this is because one really needs to know who accesses what and when, which the server does keep a record of. Security is also outstanding. Plus the Combination of RAID and Time Machine (plus my 3rd party backup) makes more certain u won't have catastrophic data loss. The only thing I'm working on now is figuring out an offsite backup arrangement.
The FM 9 server keeps backups too (hourly and daily) and it allows all users to go directly to the server as opposed to having to open my FMPro on the host for anyone to access the database.
So, yes, agree that its overkill...bigtime. But I'm paranoid and it is essentially 5k I invested in insurance. I've had harddrives and backups fail before and your heart just sinks (and blood pressure goes up)...and over the long haul this is cheaper than Toprol.
Take care
Roger
Sent from my iPhone
On May 3, 2008, at 8:12 PM, Malcolm Sickels <mjsi-@umich.edu> wrote:
I agree that OsiriX works fine to read those CDs of studies that patients bring in.
A Xserve at all is way overkill, as is 16GB of RAM and OS X Server. As Theo and Stefan have said, the system requirements are fairly low. No need for new equipment nor high-end stuff.
Note that I don't have experience with this (I'm still on FMP6 and CM 1.9.1), but unless you have a big hospital, I doubt the processing requirements would be very high.
Dr. Malcolm Sickels, MD
210 Little Lake Drive, Suite 10
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
http://drsickels.com
734-332-9936
On May 3, 2008, at 12:50 PM, d c wrote:
Ok, i AM jealous! I have been debating a refurb Xserve vs. using my tower. . . So is 16GB RAM the recommended amount?!?!? phew!
Do you like VM Ware Fusion (vs. Parallels)?
FYI - you may view your MRI/Xrays with this great Opensource program called OsiriX. This will read the files and allow you to view them as well on the Mac. The site is avail here: http://www.osirix-viewer.com/
Hope it helps.
dave
On May 2, 2008, at 7:07 PM, roger bailey wrote:
Thought I would comment here as I just upgraded to a MacPro with Mac OS X Server (Leopard) and FM 9 Server.
The system is magnificent...I know it is overkill but I bought mine with 16 GB of RAM - 2.8 dual 8 core - RAID 5 - 1.25 TB, with two external HD (one for manual backup, the other for Time Machine). Very very smooth.
One other side benefit is that I also installed VM Ware Fusion and then Windows XP...this allows me to see MRI/Xrays that patients are increasingly bringing in on CDs, but they can't be read on a MAC.
And this is no joke...Windows XP (and all the applications) run faster on my MacPro than any PC I have ever owned (or seen).
R Bailey
--- On Fri, 5/2/08, d c <hhchun-@hawaiiantel.net> wrote:
From: d c <hhchun-@hawaiiantel.net>
Subject: Re: Conversion plans?
To: Cotta-@topica.com
Date: Friday, May 2, 2008, 7:45 PM
Hello Theo Gantos,
Sorry a bit late in this reply - ok, ok - a LOT late.
However, I was
looking to upgrade to Filemaker Pro Server. Regarding your
recommendations below, what would you recommend as
"sufficient RAM"
for a Mac OS X based system running OS X? How about OS X
Server?
As an aside, I was wondering if perhaps the Cottagemed.org
FAQ site
could be updated to save you time answering common
questions such as
mine above, comments such as below, latest version, planned
features,
etc. Just my two cents.
Thanks for "listening" and thank you in advance
for your reply.
dave
On Dec 10, 2007, at 4:51 AM, Theo Gantos wrote:
Dr. Sickels-
Based on the information you provided, I would suggest
that you plan
to migrate to the scenario outlined below. Note that
this will be
the main path for current CottageMed users to migrate
to the re-
written version 3 once it becomes available. [Stefan-
Did you have
any additional thoughts or comments on this?]
1. Plan to migrate to using FileMaker Server if at all
possible for
installations with greater than 2 users. This greatly
improves
performance and reliability, allowing backups to be
made while the
system is running on an automated schedule. FileMaker
Server can be
run on an older machine that is dedicated just for
that purpose, as
long as it has sufficient RAM, disk speed/capacity,
and network
speed, and might otherwise be considered too slow for
a user
workstation. For 10 users or less, this can be normal
Mac OS X or
Windows 2000 or XP Pro. You do not need to purchase
Mac OS X server
or Windows server for 10 users or less. I have seen
1ghz Pentium III
systems running Windows 2000 or PowerMac G4 500mhz
systems work fine
in this setting with sufficient RAM, disk, and
networking resources.
2. Plan to migrate to the 2.6.x consolidated upgrade
version. You
may need assistance to migrate data from your old
files to the
intermediate format in 2.6. Once you are in 2.6, our
aim is to make
upgrades possible by replacing only the interface
file, and gives us
the flexibility of "locking-down" parts of
the system by using a
special tailored interface file to disable access
completely to
certain classes of users. Version 2.6 will require
FileMaker 9 or
later, except for single-user runtime-only
installations.
3. For those installations using v2.6 or later we plan
to have an
automated process available to move the data to the
new version 3
once that becomes available. The data structures are
going to be
completely different.
FileMaker Licensing Issues:
Packaged bundles with FileMaker Server (not Server
Advanced, which
has web built-in) and 5, 10 or more client licenses
and 1 year of
maintenance (free updates) are available through
FileMaker directly.
Mention you are a CottageMed user for special discount
pricing, non-
profits also get special additional pricing, but may
need to supply
qualifying documentation. This is not completely in
place yet, as we
are still working to get the word through the FMI
sales group, but
should be in place before Jan 2008. We will post a
list of FMI
direct sales contacts by your Region with phone
numbers once they
become available. FMI direct pricing is usually going
to be more
affordable than retail, especially when packages of 5
licenses or
more are involved. A rough guide is that 10 client
licenses will pay
for a copy of FM Server. Make sure to budget for and
ask the sales
rep about annual maintenance, so you get free
upgrades, otherwise
you risk deferring your upgrade expense until the next
version
purchase. Only FMI direct sales or dealers can sell
FileMaker with
maintenance, retail does not. We may end up being able
to resell
FileMaker licenses to CottageMed users at this special
price.
Regards,
Theo Gantos
On Dec 9, 2007, at 7:51 PM, Malcolm Sickels wrote:
All I use CM for is notes and billing (we print
out superbills that
go to the billing company): I'm the only doc
(and do all the IT
myself), but the staff put in notes (3 other
computers), too, and
there's only one office. My computer runs the
database and
everyone else connects to it (so no FM Server).
All supplement
sales are handled with MYOB. Filing (labs etc) is
done outside of
FMP into regular folders on a shared drive.
If I upgraded, I'd get FMP9, but would it be
better to wait, and
how long will it be before CM 3.0 is ready (and
might FMP 9.5 or 10
be out by then) and what will change with it?
Malcolm
On Dec 9, 2007, at 6:58 PM, Theo Gantos wrote:
Dr. Sickels-
It would be hard to say. Can you tell us a bit
more about your
environment please?
Number of computers, number of users, number
of office locations,
number of practitioners with NPI #'s, who
manages the system, do
you run FM server, what type of practice, how
do you integrate
with billing or any other applications. Do
you sell anything like
vitamins, etc?
Please be a specific as possible.
My gut reaction is to say that in general one
conversion project
is easier than two but it depends.
Theo
On Dec 9, 2007, at 5:16 PM, Malcolm Sickels
wrote:
Now that most of my Macs are Intels,
I'm considering moving up to
a native FMP. Is it worth waiting for CM
3.0 or should I go with
the current CM 2.5.something? I'm
still on 1.9.1 with FMP 6.
It's always a pain to upgrade CM as I
forget all the tweaks I
made to it (like not having it clear the
billing note field when
clicking Superbill from the notes page)
and have to go redo them
as I notice them. I'd rather not do
it any more then I have to.
Dr. Malcolm Sickels MD
210 Little Lake Drive, Suite 10
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
http://drsickels.com
734-332-9936
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