All versions of Legalmaster released since 1995 employ file management software which once was called Btrieve but has been renamed Pervasive.SQL. There are dozens of versions of this product. We shall try in a few paragraphs to provide you with sufficient information to assist you in selecting the one most appropriate to your needs. Bear in mind that we provide you with a copy of Btrieve with every version of Legalmaster. Nevertheless, you may wish to license a different version. To find out why, read on.

1. Vintage

   The simplest way to date Btrieve is by its version number. The oldest Btrieve with which DOS Legalmaster can run is version 5.1. This is the version that we shipped with DOS Legalmaster from 1995 through 2000. We ship Btrieve version 6.15 with Windows Legalmaster.

   The Windows version of Legalmaster's Remote Transaction Data Entry Module demands at least Btrieve 6.15, so even if your Legalmaster host is still DOS based, we upgraded you (at no additional charge, of course) to 6.15 when you installed Windows Remote.

   Shortly after Btrieve's manufacturer changed its name from Btrieve Technologies to Pervasive Software, they renamed their product Pervasive. So, version 7 was titled Pervasive.SQL 7 rather than Btrieve 7.

   Btrieve Version	Legalmaster Version
   Btrieve 5.1	Supports all DOS versions of Legalmaster, but no Windows versions
   Btrieve 6.15	Supports both DOS and Windows versions of Legalmaster and is the minimum requirement for all Windows Legalmaster versions including Remote Transaction Data Entry
   Pervasive.SQL 7	Supports all versions of Legalmaster, Windows or DOS
   Pervasive.SQL 2000	Supports all versions of Legalmaster, Windows or DOS
   Pervasive.SQL 2000i	Supports all versions of Legalmaster, Windows or DOS
   Pervasive.SQL 8	Supports all versions of Legalmaster, Windows or DOS

2. Number of Concurrent Users

   Let's first draw a distinction between a stand-alone computer and a network. Although this distinction may be self evident, it calls for explicit delineation. A stand-alone computer is just that; it is not in any way connected to another computer, even for the purpose of sharing a printer. A network system, on the other hand, allows multiple people potential simultaneous access to the same data.

   Now let's describe the two basic types of networks, server networks and peer-to-peer networks. A server network has its data stored on a computer that is not used as a work-station, but which is accessable by all other computers in the network. A peer-to-peer network, on the other hand, has its data distributed among all of the computers in the network and anyone connected may access data from any of the computers.

   Now, where does Btrieve/Pervassive fit into this scheme?

   Pervasive offers three basic setups.

   1. Their work-station engine is designed to run on a stand-alone computer. The work-station versions of Btrieve 5.1 and 6.15 can read data stored on a network. The work-station versions of Pervasive.SQL 7, 2000, 2000i, 8 and, presumably, all subsequent versions will not support a network. So, if you want to run one of these newer versions of Pervasive and your data are stored on a network, you must get one of the two versions described below.

   2. Their client/server version is designed to run only on server networks. It's priced based upon the number if simultaneous users that you require and is sold in units of 10. It's also sold specific to the brand of network on which it is to run; that is, there's one version for Novell's Netware and another version for Microsoft's NT, 2000 and 2003 server software. If you upgrade from a Microsoft network to Novell, and you had the client/server version of Btrieve or Pervasive, you'll have to license a new copy of the Pervasive software.

   3. They offer a third setup in between the above two. They call it a work-group. Designed for peer-to-peer or small server networks, it supports up to five concurrent users. It runs on all network types and, consequently, does not have to be replaced should you change network brands.

   While some work-station versions can run on networks, the versions designed for networks have a number of advantages - they're faster, use fewer network resources and expose your data to less traffic, thereby reducing the likelihood of data corruption.

3. Windows or DOS

   The work-station versions are sold either for Windows or for DOS. We provide you with the work-station version that is appropriate for the version of Legalmaster that you choose to license.

   The work-group and client/server versions support both Windows and DOS applications. That is to say, they come with requesters for both environments.