A data source provider is the database engine EDGEBIC stores its data through, determining where your products, routings, schedules, and history physically live. The two providers you run on today are SQLite, a self-contained single-file database for one workstation, and SQL Server, a shared server database for a team at one site. You choose the provider in the Data Source area of Settings, and it can be changed as your operation grows.
EDGEBIC by User Solutions reads and writes everything through the provider you select. This article defines the term and how to choose. For the step-by-step, read how to change the database connection.
How It Works
When EDGEBIC starts, it reads its saved data source configuration to learn which provider to use and how to reach it, then connects. All of your working data flows through that provider for the life of the session.
The two supported providers suit different situations:
- SQLite keeps the entire database in a single file on the local machine. There is no server to install, no network, and no administration; it just works. It is the right default when one person runs EDGEBIC on one computer.
- SQL Server is a full database server that many machines connect to over the network. It is the right choice when several people must share the same live data at one site, or when IT wants central backups, security, and management.
Two more providers, PostgreSQL and MySQL, appear in the list as future options but are not available to run on yet, so a real deployment today is either SQLite or SQL Server.
Switching providers is a supported operation done in Settings, but it does not copy your data across on its own. Moving from a single SQLite file to a shared SQL Server database is a deliberate transfer you plan, usually exporting from the old and loading into the new.
A Concrete Example
Think of the provider as choosing where a workshop keeps its master logbook. SQLite is a sturdy binder on one workbench: the one person who works there has everything at hand, no setup required. SQL Server is a shared filing room the whole shop can reach: everyone works from the same records, and the office manages access and backups.
A small shop starts with the binder. As it grows to a full crew who all need the same live information, it moves the records into the shared filing room. The information is the same; where it lives, and who can reach it, changes.
| Provider | Best for | Setup |
|---|---|---|
| SQLite | One workstation, one planner | None: a single local file |
| SQL Server | A team sharing live data at one site | A database server your IT manages |
| PostgreSQL / MySQL | Listed as future options | Not available to run on today |
How EDGEBIC Uses It
The provider is chosen in the Data Source area of Settings, where you also enter the connection details, test the connection before committing, and apply the change. On the very first launch of a fresh installation, EDGEBIC defaults to SQLite so a new user is scheduling in minutes with no database setup at all.
When you outgrow a single workstation, moving to SQL Server gives your team one shared source of truth and hands backups to IT. Plan the data transfer as part of the switch, since it is not automatic. For the mechanics of connecting, see the sibling term connection string, and for the guided onboarding flow see what is the first-time setup wizard. Browse more definitions in the manufacturing glossary.
Expert Q&A: Deep Dive
Q: We started with one planner on a laptop and now have a team of twelve who all need the same schedule. What changes?
A: You move from SQLite to SQL Server. On the laptop, EDGEBIC has been keeping everything in a single local database file, which is perfect for one person but cannot be shared live by twelve. SQL Server puts the data on a central server your whole team connects to, so everyone sees the same live schedule and your IT team owns the backups. In the Data Source area of Settings you select SQL Server, enter the server and database name, test the connection, and apply. The one thing to plan is the data transfer: the switch does not carry your existing records over automatically, so you export from the laptop database and load into the new server database as part of the cutover.
Q: Our IT team asked whether EDGEBIC runs on PostgreSQL or MySQL. What do we tell them?
A: Today the two fully supported providers are SQLite for single-workstation use and SQL Server for shared, multi-user sites, and those are the two to plan a deployment around. PostgreSQL and MySQL appear as future options in the provider list but are not available to run on yet, so do not build a deployment plan that depends on them. If your IT team standardizes on one of those engines, the practical path right now is SQL Server for a shared server, or SQLite if a single workstation is enough. Talk to User Solutions about roadmap timing if a specific engine is a hard requirement for you.
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