Pro vs Enterprise Versions

The primary difference between Crimestar RMS Professional Edition and Crimestar RMS Enterprise Edition is the back-end database engine.

The Professional Edition utilizes data files that can be utilized as a shared resource in a network environment. There is no “application” needed to run on a server. The files simply exist, and the application accesses those files to store and retrieve data. While this is a much less expensive option for our customers, they are not very secure and are easily accessible to any application capable of opening and viewing them, such as Microsoft Access and Excel. So, keeping data safe from prying eyes is challenging.

These data files are also easily hijacked and encrypted by bad actors and the data held for ransom. While we will continue to offer this option to our customers, I much prefer to see them switch to our Enterprise Edition. There is some encryption software such as VeraCrypt, Folder Lock and others that will encrypt data and/or lock down folders, those would require maintenance and a process to decrypt/unlock them when the software needs to access them. I suspect going forward that when CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services) ramps up its auditing program, all of our agencies using this edition will most likely fail the audit.

An additional drawback is that when the software is launched, it opens a session of the database and pulls all that data across the users’ network. The larger the database, the bigger the impact on performance. My analogy here is to imagine driving down a highway where you are but one of a dozen cars. You might have to slow down a bit to navigate traffic, but you’ll be able to move along quickly. On the other hand, you’re on a street in Boston with lots of traffic and plenty of traffic lights. You are not going to go very fast. While using these data files will work, it’s not very efficient in a network environment.

The Enterprise Edition utilizes Microsoft SQL Server as the back-end database engine. SQL Server is a query-based application that simply accepts queries, processes them and returns the results back to the application. SQL Server typically is installed on a true server which then services true clients. This is referred to as a server/client network.

SQL Server controls access to data. Any user of SQL Server must have credentials to gain access, including our software. When our software launches, it sends a query to SQL Server requesting a “handle.” SQL confirms that the user is authorized and returns a handle assignment. From that point on, the application uses that handle in queries. Because of this, there is no pushing/pulling of an entire database across a network making this process much more efficient.

Buffering is also an added plus as SQL manages query processing to keep applications flowing and not freezing. This is not available, per se, in Professional.

Encrypting data is also much simpler. Users can create an ODBC connection locally and configure it to encrypt data. This is especially useful where the connections are over the internet. If set up correctly, this process should pass a CJIS audit.

There are a couple of drawbacks to this option. One is that customers must purchase SQL Server from Microsoft. Depending upon which edition they choose, and the number of connections needed, this can run from a few hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars. SQL Server also requires someone to manage it to include authorizing users and perhaps rebooting if/when the server is rebooted.

SQL Server provides either full or sequential backups where the professional data files must be manually backed up.

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