Flash, PHP, XML & mySQL Question

[AJB]

hey folks, I'm not new to flash but I'm new to the idea of remoting, and I'm not exactly a guru when it comes to XML & Flash either.

But, I've got a bit of a problem right now and I'm not sure how to go about solving it so I though the good folks in these forums would have an idea.

Basically I need to pass a lot of data from a .swf to a mysql database and I'm trying to figure out the best possible way.

The amont of data isn't a lot because of it's volume, it's a lot because of it's frequency. Here's what I would be passing:

IssueNum=001
PageNum=01
Title=Example
Type=RichMedia
AdvertiserNumber=12345

So, it's not much data at all, but it would happen about 70 times per second so rather than open up 1000's of connections to the database at once and then cram that many UPDATE commands into it I'm trying to find a way to "lob" the data to the sever where PHP can pick it up and then insert it into the database using a persistant connection or timed intervals.

Here's a list of possible solutions that I've come up with:

• use an XML socket (PHP server) to send the data to the server where PHP
  where PHP maintains a persistant connection to the database and shovels the
  data in.

• utilize Flash remoting with PHP and a mysql server to do much the same thing
  only I'm not sure if that's what remoting is really for.

• use Flash to write cookies on the local machine which are sent to the dBase
  using PHP once the session has ended (popup blocker issues with this one)

Now, the problem I'm having is that I'd like to avoid using HTTP because that would allow me to free that up for serving out the actual content. So, the XML socket sounds like a great idea. But, then I've been reading about remoting and I've read that it can be faster, but I'm not sure if it uses HTTP or not? What protocol does remoting use for transfer?

Also, would using remoting be like hitting an ant with a sledgehammer on this one? Would I be better off using an XML socket to do this since it really is a light-weight job if I can get the transfer away from HTTP?

Any answers, opinions or advice are appreciated.

Thanks in adavance.

AJB

[mcrbids]

This is an area for PHP code. You are asking for a design question.

To answer your question and come up with a right answer would take some time by a qualified professional. One of three things will happen:

1) You'll pay a seasoned programmer who will spend the time necessary to understand the needs and write an appropriate solution...

2) You'll do it it yourself, and pay the significant amount of pain to get it all working, or

3) It'll bomb.

I wish I could say more than this, but tis is a comprehensive list of your options. Are you sure aout the numbers you give?

[adavis]

I just bought a copy of O'Reilly's "Flash Remoting: The Definitive Guide" by Tom Muck to work through a similar PHP/mySQL/Flash MX 2004/ActionScript 2.0 issue. I am new to Flash and ActionScript so am trying to do learn this by the seat of my pants as it were. Hope you've had some luck getting your issue worked out since you first posted in February.

Alisa