Take2 SQL Edition

The SQL Server edition of Take2 has been available since 2002. The current SQL Server edition of Take2 includes the same functionality of the Access edition but with an increasing number of additional features.

The SQL Server edition has been developed for the reason that, although Microsoft Access is an excellent development tool for creating the front-end (user interface) to databases because of its efficient integration with Microsoft Office and because it provides a straightforward development environment, Access tends to become inefficient when used as a back-end.

This is particularly true when there are more than five or six concurrent users, when being used across a wide area network, or when very large numbers of records are stored in the back-end database.

SQL Server, also a Microsoft product, is a relational database management system that is capable of handling large amounts of data and many concurrent users while preserving data integrity and providing many advanced administration and data distribution capabilities. An optimal solution is to use Access for the front-end and SQL server for the back-end and it this scenario that Meta Office has implemented with the SQL Server edition of Take2.

The Benefits of the SQL Server Edition

There are a number of benefits that result from using the SQL Server edition:

• Speed Across A Network – This is an advantage which applies to Take2 users who have a network, especially if that network is a wide area network distributed across several geographical locations. When Access is used as a back-end it is inefficient because it tends to drag large volumes of data backwards and forwards from the server to the client. SQL Server, on the other hand, does a lot of work on the server itself so that the volume of data that is moved across the network is very much reduced. Ideally the SQL Server edition of Take2 should be run in a Windows Terminal Server/Citrix environment to optimise performance.
• Multi-User – Depending on the size of the data file and the volume of records in the file, an Access back-end can be difficult to manage once more than five or six users concurrently read and write data. SQL Server is an industrial strength product which will scale upwards reliably as more users are added. Indeed SQL Server is used by many large organisations including the Ministry of Education.
• Large Data Volumes – As time goes by some Take2 users may build up quite large back-end files, especially if they opt not to archive students. The volume of records can grow quite dramatically, particularly in some curriculum areas where students enrol in Units Standards. For example, a hairdressing qualification may consist of 40 or more Units, so once you have enrolled 500 students you will have created 20,000 course enrolment records. SQL Server can provide much faster access when data volumes grow, especially in a multi-user environment. One existing Take2 SQL Server user has over 60,000 students and 1.2 million course enrolment records.
• Branch Access – In the situation that a provider has multiple branches all accessing Take2 it can be become a problem if one branch can view (and edit) records which belong to another branch. The SQL Server edition of Take2 provides the ability to limit branch access, whilst preserving full access to all records for head office.
• User Access – The SQL Server edition allows a system manager to set up users as individuals and limit the access rights of those individuals to particular forms. This
  means, for example, you could prevent one or more users even opening the Curriculum form.

• Web Interface – Here at Meta Office we are working to provide further enhancements to Take2, basing these around a Web interface. The use of a SQL Server back-end makes this goal achievable in a way that an Access back-end cannot.
• Multi-Provider – the SQL Server edition allows students, curriculum, and enrolments to be assigned to different providers, thus allowing SDR and NZQA returns to be made for multiple providers. This is useful for an increasing number of organisations as the tertiary sector consolidates. Additionally, if two quite separate organisations are using Take2 they can exchange data, thus facilitating the practice of one provider contracting a second provider to deliver tuition and assessment.
• Additional Functionality – the SQL Server edition has a lot of extra functionality and, over time, will continue to be developed at a faster pace than the Access edition of Take2. Some of the currently available extra functions are:
  • Fee protection insurance management.
  • Enrolment tracking to ensure compliance with statutory requirements and to streamline the enrolment process.
  • Complex class attributes such as location, day, time, etc. that allow for very sophisticated management of student cohorts.
  • Full audit logging at a basic or detailed level to record what records have been added, edited, or deleted, by whom and when.
  • Database management utilities.
  • Additional EFTS and income reports.
  • Additional student schedules.
  • The ability to “retire” users.
  • An enrolment change log to record a narrative description for the reason for changes to enrolment records.
  • The ability for the use to designate local “mandatory” fields in addition to the system mandatory fields.
  • Pre-requisite checking.
  • A “contact counter” screen that shows a running total of prospect contacts by marketer.
  • Batch processing for the National Student Index.

It will be necessary for users to have a licence to be able to support a SQL Server back-end. Normally you would purchase a SQL Server licence directly, although many tertiary providers may already have a licence because they have a copy of Microsoft Small Business Server 2000/2003/2008 (Premium Edition) - note depending on the number of users that you have you may need to purchase additional Client Access Licenses (CALs).

A Meta Office staff member will visit your site to install the SQL Server edition of Take2, to convert your existing data if you already use the Access edition of Take2 , and to work with your staff in ensuring the appropriate configuration in your network environment. We wish to promote the SQL Server edition of Take2 to users who are confident with databases and who appreciate the role of database administration.

The licence arrangement for the SQL Server edition of Take2 is similar in structure to the arrangement for the Access edition. Users are able to purchase a licence either through an upfront payment or on an instalment basis over a number of years. For existing Take2 users the SQL Server licence fee will be reduced by the licence fee already paid for the Access edition. Pricing details are available in the Meta Office price list.

There are two levels of support for the SQL Server edition of Take2. The standard support level is similar to that provided for the Access edition. An extended support agreement is available whereby Meta Office will assume database administration responsibilities (via a Virtual Private Network connection) and complete tasks such as the Single Data Return, electronic returns to NZQA, etc. The pricing for the extended support agreement is differs from client to client depending on their precise requirements.

You can use the More Information form to place an order and to find out about pricing. Or you can contact Meta Office directly.

Take2 was the first software certified by the Ministry of Education for Single Data Returns
Certified by NZQA for FDC Returns