Fund Manager, Google Drive and Version 12.0.

[aviator]

Hi Mark,

Just wondering what your thoughts are on moving FM data to the cloud vis-a-vis Google Drive (or even Dropbox), vs. keeping it local. Seems that cloud storage would allow FM to be accessible anywhere and make backups less of an issue.

Also, I'm presuming that the release of version 12 is just around the corner. Any hints as to what we should be looking forward to?

Thanks,

[Mark]

Hi aviator,

Using Google Drive or Dropbox to store your files seems fine, as long as they are able to be mapped to a drive that FM can access like any other drive. I believe others have already been using Dropbox to store their FM data files. I don't have any experience with Google Drive here, but I would guess it works in a similar manner, where you can write to the drive with any regular windows program. The one thing that wouldn't be available are some of your preferences that get stored in the registry of your local computer. Maybe an option to choose whether to store your options in the registry or a .ini file would be helpful here.

We are working on version 12. There is no scheduled release date though. I would guess at this point it will be another 5-6 months away. Sorry, there is no published list of new features. We usually hold off on that until the release is very close.

[aviator]

I've just started using Google Drive, and you're right it's very similar to DropBox. I might give it a try and see if I can make it work.

Regarding v 12.0, maybe it's a good thing that it's release is a few months away. Gives me a chance to politic for my most wanted improvements which can be found here (in no particular order):
http://www.fundmanagersoftware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2013

and here:
http://www.fundmanagersoftware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2183

and here:
http://www.fundmanagersoftware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2189

As usual, thanks for listening and I hope my requests get incorporated into 12.0.

[Mark]

Hi aviator,

I'm sure at least some of those will be incorporated into v12... Thanks for the feedback.

[CeSinge]

For Mark and others,
If considering Cloud storage, consider the security aspect as well. Cloud enabling features would be particularly interesting for the Advisor version, allowing the adviser to show, or let access, the portfolio to customers without bringing everything on a notebook. But as the customer of such an adviser or as a user of a cloud-enabled version, I am trusting all my financial data to the cloud - including, potentially, credentials. Indeed, FM allows for automatic updates of transactions, hence, account credentials.

The only good approach is one where you trust no one (TNO) else but yourself, whereby the owners of the cloud in no way and by no means - ever - can decrypt your data. Practically it means your security model must be such that you encrypt (and decrypt) all data locally, before it even leaves your system. Encryption must be done with a password that only you know. As soon as the data sent to and stored in the cloud is not encrypted (most Dropboxes, Googles,...), or reencrypted (iCloud), or if they somehow own your encryption password or private key, the model, and your trust level, is worthless.

So, Skydrive does not fall in that category. Dropbox, however convenient, is worse: they are no TNO either, and they have a poor security track record on top of that. For FM, it would mean that something encrypts the data before it goes off to the cloud.

Am I advocating overkill? Maybe not (yet) for cloud services based in Europe. For those in the US, the new requirements for wiretap-ready websites that the FBI wants Congress to pass should make you think twice (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57428067-83/fbi-we-need-wiretap-ready-web-sites-now/).

CeSinge (security professional, when not investing

[Tintin]

Use Jetico's product BestCrypt to encrypt?
SuperSpeed RAMdisk (now also sold by Raxco) or Cenatek/DataRAM's RAMdisk for local data manipulation?

Chose a RAM disk for the FM data, [FM-Backup] to BestCrypt, then store container in Cloud.

[FM-Restore] from BestCrypt container in Cloud to Local RAM disk and add/review/change data with local FM , then [FM-BackUp] to BestCrypt and store BestCrypt container back to Cloud?

Use a long "Passphrase" as the Bestcrypt key.

How does that sound???

[Djobydjoba]

Hello,

The one thing that wouldn't be available are some of your preferences that get stored in the registry of your local computer. Maybe an option to choose whether to store your options in the registry or a .ini file would be helpful here.

Here's the key point for a cloud or portable FM. And the path to the investment files should be relative in the .ini, not absolute.

I support the request, as i did it in this post : viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1980

Regards.