Wayne was reporting on the paring down of the two big tables. One is mostly done and the other will be starting here soon. That is awesome and part of three known big projects that are preventing us from being able to cluster servers together. More changes should be coming in the next week or two. We will also be removing the extra database columns once everything settles down.

Once the database tables (the two big ones - corporations and afb_corp_settings) have been pared down, we will be flipping the main database engine over to MySQL InnoDB tables. Most of them are MySQL MyISAM tables right now. Our users won't be able to tell, but it will open up other options such as transactions, clustering, and line level locking. That is exciting, to see some of those things on the horizon.

We also spent some good time talking about the size of the adilas content server. Eventually, we would like to move all of the images, scans, photos, logos, and custom files over to that server. Right now, each data server holds its own photos and images. That will need to change as we dig in deeper on options for clustering the data servers and putting more than one Adobe ColdFusion servers together in a cluster configuration (multiple servers working as one bigger server).

Some time was spent discussing server level configuration and options for both clustering and configuring main primary datasources (access to specific databases). Wayne suggested that he, Alan, and I get together and do some brainstorming and planning to fully flush things out. Sounds like a great idea.

Next, we flowed into a discussion about naming conventions, standards, using session values, unintentional overwriting of variables, and data entry errors. All parts of the bigger puzzle and keeping data going, flowing, and being consistent. We talked about using dynamics and allowing our users to define those names. Some of the places in the code, we use a simple name as a singular value and other places it is used as a plural (adding an "s" to the end of it). That lead to some conversations about data input, validation, and micromanagement. Validation, maintenance, and training are big parts of the process. Our goal is to keep refining the pages and the processes. Keep making it better and better.

Wayne had some questions about custom shopping carts and how to turn certain settings on/off. Other topics covered in our meeting were things like - memory management, changing the environment (intentional and unintentionally), user settings, mixing variables one thing at a time (what we are changing and releasing), and being able to push up code for testing to multiple servers to get more client participation before going live on all servers with new (bigger) updates.