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Practice Management Software For the Life Of Your Practice

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Hardware Guidelines

AS/PC® for Windows® System Requirements

Note: AS/PC® is a database system. As such, it requires substantial resources to run properly. This is especially true of the file server. The minimums noted below are just that – minimums. They are not our recommendations, but our systems will generally run on hardware that meets these minimums. For AS/PC to perform optimally, you should install it on a computer system that meets the "recommended" requirements.
Network Recommendations: Gigabit Ethernet with 1 gigabit switches for servers and workstations.  Connecting remote workstations: Microsoft Terminal Services®. Remote Desktop® ,(RDP) or Microsoft Netmeeting®.  
 

File Server Recommendations

  • On networks, use a dedicated file server only – no one uses the dedicated server for any application software.   This means that the server is only a server and no one uses it for anything - except backup as the one possible exception.  If you do not heed this advice you risk losing data and suffering from performance issues. 
  • System: Intel Pentium 2.0 GHz or faster.
  • Hard disk:  Get the largest and fastest hard disk and fastest controller you can afford.   Today, the hard drives that are appropriate for most servers include Serial ATA drives and SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) .   SCSI drives offer the greatest performance and throughput at the greatest cost.  Serial ATA drives have better performance than a workstation drive, are less expensive and provide less performance and throughput than SCSI drives.   In a small network these drives are fine, but as the demand on the server grows, SCSI is the best choice.
  • RAM: Minimum 1GB minimum to 2 GB MB recommended.   As your network grows, it is best to add more memory.  It is not unusual to have 4GB in a 10 workstation network for example.
  • Operating System: Windows 2003 Server or later.

Hardware Configuration Guidelines for Workstations

  Existing Systems
If you already have hardware and
Simply want to know if it will work check here:
Recommended
As of 7/2/2007, the following specs are readily available and recommended.
Class of Machine Business Class preferred but a clean
consumer class computer will work.
Clean means no instant messaging,
no games etc.   In other words, don’t bring your
home machine to the office.
Business Class
Lenovo and Dell and others offer a line of business class machines and consumer models.  Pick a machine that is a business class machine.
Computer Pentium III 650 Intel Pentium D Core Duo Processor 3.4GHz
RAM Memory 1 GB RAM 2GB RAM
Hard Drive Size 50 GB 160 GB SATA Drive
Operating Systems XP Home XP Pro
Note:  Vista not yet recommended!
Network Cards Fast Ethernet (100mb) Gigabit Ethernet
Optical Drives Not required CD-RW for backup, DVD Burner optional but recommended.
     
Printers HP Laser III, 4, 5, 6, 2100, 2200, 4000 Series HP 2015, HP 4100TN, HP 4200
UPS at each computer Recommended Recommended

 

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