Company Profile

ATM Network is one of the largest ATM companies in the United States, providing customers with a variety of leasing and buying options designed to increase customer sales and reduce bad checks and credit card fees.

Business Challenge

ATM Network’s aging Microsoft Access database system was unreliable and beginning to go through the initial stages of database corruption and failure.  The system also lacked scalability, users found themselves being booted out of the system without warning during peak usage periods.  Further, the original database design lacked adequate data integrity and validation mechanisms, making it difficult to create reliable reports.  Data processing was being done in the user interface (a Microsoft Access front end).  Users frequently complained of slow performance and deadlock issues when using the application.

Alto’s Solution

Alto Consulting performed an emergency database conversion to SQL Server 2000.  The original database design was then modified to include better data integrity, including the implementation of primary and foreign keys, check constraints, and defaults.  All data processing was offloaded to the database server in the form of stored procedures, views, and user-defined functions.

Resulting Benefits

• Users can now enjoy a reliable database system.

• The system is now scalable, making it possible to expand the system by adding more users and features.

• Data integrity is now being enforced at the database level. 

• After a period of stabilization, users are beginning to have more confidence in the system overall.

• Users are now getting used to how fast common tasks are being performed.  Sometimes processes run so quickly that support personnel are asked to make sure that they actually occurred.

Technologies Used

• SQL Server 2000  

• Windows Server 2003

• Microsoft Access 2003