The setup
Allgress had a desktop application that could run without an installer, backed by a SQL database. They wanted to be able to ship the app on a CD along with a copy of the data, a self-contained, no-install package a prospect or customer could just run.
What I did
I modified the application so it could load from a read-only copy of the data pushed into a Microsoft Access database, instead of requiring the full SQL backend. That turned the product into something that ran straight off a CD with its data alongside it. Brief and focused: the contract was written for six weeks; I finished the work in about two. It worked cleanly. We left it there.
Key people
- Gordon Shevlin, Allgress founder/investor; a significant figure in the information-security world. Met here; recurs later. linkedin.com/in/gordonshevlin
Technologies used
Windows desktop application, no installer; SQL Server backend; read-only data packaging into Microsoft Access for CD distribution.