Right - it's remote desktop technology. This works fine for small installations or if you have a lot of dollars. It takes a lot of hardware to make this work even at small scale and most services that offer this type of stuff don't make it cheap. Not sure what exactly tsPlus does, but they're doing the same thing and have to deal with the same issues that other providers have to deal with which is hardware and bandwidth.

IAC, this really has nothing to do or in common with Docker.

+++ Rick ---

>>>Anyone here familiar with Docker?
>>>
>>>Would this tool be the best thing since sliced bread? Woult it be the tool to let us move our VFP apps in a relatively easy way to the cloud without having to change a lot of code?
>>
>>Nope at least not for a while. Right now Docker doesn't work on Windows, although Microsoft is working on getting some container technology into the next version of its server OS (and has been testing it on Azure).
>>
>>For VFP applications this is really not an option at the moment.
>>
>>Docker also does nothing for 'moving' an application to the cloud. Docker is if anything similar to Virtual Machine technology, except that it's more lightweight - it allows you to create portable containers/applications/machines that can be moved to other machines. It doesn't do anything for applications themselves. It's a distribution technology.
>>
>>Moving apps to the 'cloud' means re-thinking applications and not just 'moving' them to run in the cloud. As Jos pointed out if you have small applications that need to be accessed remotely, Remote Desktop technology is a good (but expensive) option.
>>
>>There's also FoxInCould which lets you re-use a lot of your desktop form based environment code/layout and knowledge be used for Web based applications.
>>
>>
>>But ultimately if you want to build an effective "Web" application, that behaves like you would expect a Web application to behave, I think the best path is to build a real Web application and disconnect your self from the desktop heritage. Ultimately desktop and Web UIs are very different in behavior and expectation and it's a terrible idea IMHO to try and try to shoehorn a desktop app into a browser especially when it comes to building modern and responsive device friendly applications.
>>
>>+++ Rick ---
>
>Rick,
>
>I agree with most of what you say except this; the suggestion for TSPlus (or similar) is not to try and somehow convert a desktop app to a cloud or browser-based app but rather to allow an existing desktop app to be delivered to the user via the internet/cloud but continue to appear and work as if it was a locally running desktop app.
>
>Running an app via TSPlus allows a user to login (via a browser or small front-end) and then automatically (if desired) it can load an app which appears exactly the same as if it was running locally on the users computer including a task-bar tile. In all respects it looks like a local desktop app but without the need to install anything locally. Immediately your desktop app is available in Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Java, tablets, and even smartphones. It can run like a desktop app or inside a browser tab. With good bandwidth and good server(s) this solution is simple and cost effective. And requires no coding changes at all. TSPlus is particularly cost effective at the moment.
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>The downside I would say is how many users does one expect to handle. If it is many (i.e. say 50 to 100) then, depending on the nature of the app of course, one might need multiple servers in a farm config. But TSPlus and 2X and similar options all handle load balancing across multiple servers anyway so its all built in. Of course, the number of users and the nature of the service is also a consideration for "pure" website type solutions as well. At the end of the day you need server resources to handle the workload required.
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>These options allow moving existing desktop apps to the internet / cloud delivery unchanged. Then you get the convertors that try to turn VFP apps into website type solutions. And then finally, as you conclude, you can move to build real web applications, re-write and re-design for true website style solutions.
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>We have had great success with both 2X and TSPlus. The cost of rented servers and licensing is far less than the support costs we incurred with onsite installations and we can still provide the full power and look-and-feel of a desktop app that our customers ares used to.
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>.