This edition of the EMEA Revelation newsletter contains further details of the UD 4.0 and a SPECIAL OFFER that will benefit anyone running a multi-user system on a Windows server.
We also have details of new training dates, an update on the DEP issue and news about 16-bit ARev support.
I hope that you find this edition useful and I look forward to talking with you soon about one or more of the items below.
Martyn.
More Information
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The last issue of 'Focus on Revelation' announced the release of the Universal Driver (UD) version 4.0 for Windows servers. This new version includes the long anticipated user lock management console application and much needed backwards compatibility. Working with OpenInsight 8.x, it is also proving to ease the troublesome DEP issues that several users in the EMEA region have been experiencing since the release of the UD 3.0 - see below.
In this issue though, we will focus on one of the key reasons why users want to upgrade to the UD 4.0 - The user lock management console application.
On occasions users leave record locks on the system and this can often cause problems for administration routines such as out of hours backups. Until now, administrators and support staff have had to spend time getting all of the users out of the system to shut it down and re-run the Revelation system. This both takes time and considerably inconveniences users.
The UD 4.0, for Windows Servers only at the moment, now ships with a console application that addresses this problem and enables system record locks to be managed gracefully.
The console application consists on one simple OpenInsight form with two tabs.
The first of the two tabs identifies the number of current active sessions running within the application and it also details the machines running those sessions. This data can easily be refreshed from the window giving an updated view of the system.
The second of the two tabs provides more detailed information about the individual sessions providing support or the system administrator with the information required to either select a lock for release and then release it using the 'Unlock' button on the form, or to take alternative action as deemed appropriate for the specific situation.
As before, this page provides the ability to refresh the data view at any time and in doing so enables the administrator to see exactly what state the system is in before pushing the Unlock button.
From now until the 19th October Revelation UK are discounting the Universal Driver 4.0 full install AND all of the upgrades and cross-grades by 10%* and if you are a regular purchaser this will be in addition to your usual discount. Please contact Martyn for costs to upgrade your old network product to the new Universal Driver 4.0 and to check suitability for your network - Please make sure that you mention this newsletter special offer when emailing or calling!!!
* Offer only available for Revelation clients in the EMEA region. Terms and condition apply.
Work and testing at Revelation continues on the troublesome DEP issue that has plagued several Revelation VARs since the release of the Universal Driver. However, recent tests with the Universal Driver 4.0 and OpenInsight 8.x so far show that OpenInsight 8.x performs much better in DEP environments than OpenInsight version 7.x - No testing is being undertaken on older versions of OpenInsight. In all cases, when DEP returns the HEX error, OpenInsight needs to be reinstalled and the DEP setting needs to be changed before it can run again.
Tests are showing that to eliminate most known problems with DEP, clients should upgrade their OpenInsight systems to version 8.x and run with any setting except 'AlwaysOn' - please note that just about the only thing to run in 'AlwaysOn' is the operating system itself.
At some point OpenInsight will need to be added to the exception list if a system is run in Opt* mode. If OpenInsight does not run at first, a machine reboot will present the message that DEP stopped it and it will ask if you want to add it to the exception list. This will also need to be done for any executables - for example NetDrv, etc - including many non-Revelation executables.
Future issues of the newsletter will update this status as testing continues, but Revelation would be most grateful to hear of your experiences with the Universal Driver 4.0 and OpenInsight 8.0 and the DEP issue.
For over two decades Revelation Software has shown an unfaltering commitment to its global customer base by continuing to support the company's DOS based Revelation and Advanced Revelation (ARev) product lines on continually changing operating systems and networks.
However, effective 15th September 2007, Revelation Software has announced that it will no longer support any versions of Revelation or Advanced Revelation on Vista workstations, whether running in standalone mode or as part of a network.
"Based upon feedback from our clients, our in-house testing, and anecdotal reports from the field, there appear to be too many issues with Vista to allow Revelation or Advanced Revelation applications to run reliably. " says Mike Ruane, President of Revelation Software, Inc. "We are saddened by this; these products represent a majority of Revelation’s twenty-five year history, and we truly enjoy working with them."
This announcement means that Revelation will no longer support Advanced Revelation or Revelation on Vista platforms, whether standalone or on a network.
Revelation had anticipated issues with Vista based on initial beta testing and this resulted in the development of the ARev32 product and which now forms part of OpenInsight. This means that all Revelation and Advanced Revelation developers and users have a viable, affordable and supported upgrade path through ARev32.
"Never before has Revelation had such an easy migration path to OpenInsight." says Martyn Phillips, Business Development Manager for Revelation UK. "Both ARev developers and users have been contacting our office on a regular basis since the release of MS Vista with their concerns about future support for their legacy systems. It is great to show them an easy stepped migration path into the 32-bit world and forwards to a full GUI application with full Windows integration and easy integration with third party Windows products.
ARev32 will run on Windows XP, 2000 and Vista. There is no 64K limit and running as a 32-bit product it will work with all currently available hardware. Furthermore, ARev32 will remain maintained and supported for the foreseeable future.
Please contact Martyn on mp@revsoft.co.uk to see an online demo of the conversion process using ARev3.12's original SAMPLE application and then how a character (ARev) and GUI (OpenInsight) system can work seamlessly together.
Revelation Software UK is pleased to announce that earlier this year technical support engineer Bill Caisley passed the PRINCE2 Foundation Examination. This qualification is seen as one of the leading endorsements of quality Project Management and Revelation UK are proud to offer enhanced Project Management services to their clients.
Bill accumulated many years of Project Management experience whilst working in South Africa and this qualification has already been put to good use within the UK on Revelation development several projects.
New training dates for the three key OpenInsight classroom courses have now been posted to the web site. There are two dates each for both the Introduction to OpenInsight and Intermediate OpenInsight courses and one date in December for the Advanced OpenInsight course, taking us up to the end of the year.
Revelation UK are also planning an ARev porting lab workshop during which both the ARev porting lab and the ARev32 migration methods will be discussed - please contact Martyn for more details of this workshop or any of the other courses and workshops that are on offer.
Revelation Software hits YouTube this month with a short three minute video which takes a look at configuring the OI4U2 Connector. This will be a welcome and useful video for the growing number of Universe and Unidata users looking at using OpenInsight to create rich GUI front ends to their U2 databases.
Furthermore, this video and a library of others is now also available from the www.revelation.com web site. the site currently featuring videos on Drag and Drop, Context Menus, Commuter Modules and the ARev32 conversion wizard.
CPU Utilisation up, Performance down, on modern Operating Systems, like XP?
Call Martyn on +44 (0)20 8912 1003 for further details
*The Universal Driver is the new preferred driver for all ARev and OpenInsight based systems. Please check the web site at http://www.revsoft.co.uk/universal_driver.htm for more details about this product and how it can benefit your system.
The console application consists on one simple OpenInsight form with two tabs. 
Full Dev - 16-bit
