My VFP 6.0 app is running at about 30 sites on a server over a Novell network. Each site has its own copy of the application and its own copy of application data. The data is stored on the same server as the application in FoxPro free tables.

We want to allow end customers to view some of their financial data and to send requests for actions over the Internet. The actions could be for a house to be inspected, some money to be deposited in their account, etc.

I need some general ideas about how this could be accomplished. I have no experience in this area.

These are some of my thoughts about how it could be accomplished

1) Copy all the relevant FoxPro table data from each of the servers to some
SQLServer tables that can be access from from an Internet application. (Must be SQLServer I am told by the Internet development group.) The copy would happen once a day at some predetermined time in the afternoon.
++ We currently have a Novell network. The FoxPro files are not huge, but some are several mg. The various sites are scattered across the east coast over about 5 states.

2) Of course develop some screens that display the data, record the request to the SQLServer table, and give the customer a confirmation that his request was accepted.

3) Want each site to be able to view their customer's requests. When the site works the request I want it to directly update their server VFP data along with updating the SQLServer table. When the SQLServer table is updated the customer will know that the request for fulfilled, rejected, etc.

So I do not want the customer's request to just send an email message. If it does that then the site has to key in all the data. I want the site to have a FoxPro screen as part of their application that shows all the requests submitted by their customers. Then they work the screen to update their local data and to update the SQLServer.

I do not understand if the client's request should send a record or some electronic format to the site, or if the site can directly use the SQLServer data in a FoxPro screen.

I am not overly worried about he Internet screens. But what would be a good tool? It is the copying the data up to the SQLServer and if the sites can directly access the SQLServer in a FoxPro application 3 states away that are my worries.

Any ideas or thoughts would be appreicated.

Brenda