Options

The following settings can be configured in menu Extras|Options

Caching Strategies

In traditional database applications, a request is sent to the database and then you wait until all data is transmitted. For larger databases, the selection must be limited so that not too many records are returned and thus the response time would be too long. Such programs are typically limited to either an average 5-digit number of records, or the program must be designed to ensure that not more than some few rows are returned.

KS.CRM takes a very different apporoach by using asynchronous queries and intelligent caching of the data. This leads to lightning-fast responses even with millions of records, without limiting the result set.

Under Extras|Options you can adjust different settings for these strategies.

Right below you can find three settings: Small DB, Medium and Large DB. Small DB still means databases with a few hundred thousand rows.

This also depends on the number of concurrent users, the performance of the database server and the speed of the network connection.

Medium and Large (Enterprise) optimizes the number of returned rows. So these settings also affect the performance for other users of the database, because the server is less stressed.

Start with the defaults for Small Databases and adjust these settings when needed.

Loading Details

Especially with CRM and ERP applications there is a typical problem, that each query of a master record invokes the load of many related details records. Often about 30 to 50 details records needs to be queried and processed for each master record. This could take many seconds when the complexity of the application grows.

KS.CRM solves this by making use of the Multiple Active Result Sets (MARS) technology. Multithreading uses the power of all available processor cores on the client and the server. Answers are shown lightning-fast and the user interface stays always fluid, even with pending requests.

Under Extras|Options|Details Load Options you can decide, whether you'd like to load all details when a dialog is opened, or just the currently visible details tab on demand. With very large databases and many users it is recommended to use load on demand.

The development of such an application with multi-threaded async data access is quite difficult and not widely seen today. The latest data access technologies like MARS make this first possible. Things happen simultaneously and in an undefined order. Results must be synchronized with big effort and unexpeced side effects have to be handled.

KS.CRM defines a new standard when it comes to performance and efficiency. The caching algorithms and the entire program architecture are an innovative development by Kroll-Software.

Other Options

Some plug-ins provide their own tab-page for the options dialog. More infos about these settings can be found on the help page of the according plug-in.