Alternatives to Advantage Database - Advice Needed

[rvk]

Why do you suggest against Firebird, Thaddy? It could potentially fit our specific situation nicely, so if there's a certain major reason you're advising against it I'd like to know.

Thaddy doesn't like Firebird that much 
Something about not being 'industry standard' and 'problems' when you pass on the project.

He is correct that it's not used as much as Oracle etc. (Neither is FPC/Lazarus) but for both being server and embedded without any change in code and support for it, it will do just fine. I've been using it for years and have no complaints. Especially because I can use embedded and server interchangeable.

But everyone can have his/her own opinion.

[SymbolicFrank]

For a major rewrite I would choose FPC / Lazarus over Delphi, as it is more adaptable and the people on this forum give excellent help.

As for the choice of a database: as said, you don't want to maintain a database server on-site at each location. So, do your customers have internet access? If they do, use a big one in the cloud, like PostgreSQL. Make a database for each customer and make sure the users accounts can only access that one.

If they don't, it becomes tricky. As said, file-based databases on a share are a bad idea. Multiple users on an SQLite database isn't an easy thing to do. With an Embedded Firebird, you have to delegate one app to be the server. Tricky.

For security and safety, the big cloud platforms have all the tools you need: VPN connections, automatic management and backup. You can even deploy a different database for each customer. In the long run, that is the best bet.