Getting Started

Question

0

Getting Started

Kristyn LaBine posted 7 Years Ago

Okay, I have been reading through the requirements and what Rock has to over, but I am still unsure about some things. Firstly, hosting, we are a small church, our hosting would be done on a computer. Is that possible? When you host on a computer does that mean that only that computer can update information or can you update it from other computers sharing the same network? Do you have to do cloud based to be able to look at it on the mobile device, and see things like directory?

I love everything that Rock has to offer, I just want to make sure we are moving in the right direction, I would like to make it easier for our workers and attendees to have information right at their fingertips. If you wanted to contact "Ministry Members" you could go to the directory from your phone at home and find information to call them, is that possible with computer based hosting?

If we have small groups meet outside of the church and want to take attendance will we be able to do that on mobile?

I am sure there are more questions but these are the ones that I need to know first.

Thank You so much for you help!

2
- Daniel Hazelbaker replied 7 Years Ago
Hi Kristyn,
The short answer is "Yes". I will clarify below to make sure we are on the same page though. :)
The server (computer) that Rock is running on is just a web server so any(*) computer can be used to view and update information. But, for those other computers to be able to do so they need to be able to talk to that server. So if your server is internal to your network then only computers ON your network will be able to talk to it.
If you want to let people on the Internet (such as your church members, or even staff from home) get to Rock you will need to either host it on the Cloud somewhere with a hosting company or make your server accessible to the Internet.
There are security concerns to both, but possibly more for self hosted if you do not have a network person who is familiar with security and firewalls. If done wrong you can open up your entire network to the outside world, which is a Bad Thing. If you are not already setup for hosting your own servers (Internet connection, somebody knowledgable, static IP addresses, etc.) then you probably want to look into hosting it somewhere in the Cloud.
One thing to consider, you may want to look into Azure hosting (I think somebody is putting finishing touches on a manual for doing this). The reason I mention Azure is that Microsoft gives $5,000 credits towards Azure hosting each year to non-profits - which is plenty for Rock. That means you are managing it yourself so you may still want to go with a hosting partner so that you don't have to worry about the nitty gritty.
Hope this helps!
Edit Answer

Hi Kristyn,The short answer is "Yes". I will clarify below to make sure we are on the same page though. :)The server (computer) that Rock is running on is just a web server so any(*) computer can be used to view and update information. But, for those other computers to be able to do so they need to be able to talk to that server. So if your server is internal to your network then only computers ON your network will be able to talk to it.If you want to let people on the Internet (such as your church members, or even staff from home) get to Rock you will need to either host it on the Cloud somewhere with a hosting company or make your server accessible to the Internet.There are security concerns to both, but possibly more for self hosted if you do not have a network person who is familiar with security and firewalls. If done wrong you can open up your entire network to the outside world, which is a Bad Thing. If you are not already setup for hosting your own servers (Internet connection, somebody knowledgable, static IP addresses, etc.) then you probably want to look into hosting it somewhere in the Cloud.One thing to consider, you may want to look into Azure hosting (I think somebody is putting finishing touches on a manual for doing this). The reason I mention Azure is that Microsoft gives $5,000 credits towards Azure hosting each year to non-profits - which is plenty for Rock. That means you are managing it yourself so you may still want to go with a hosting partner so that you don't have to worry about the nitty gritty.Hope this helps!
Hi Kristyn,The short answer is "Yes". I will clarify below to make sure we are on the same page though. :)The server (computer) that Rock is running on is just a web server so any(*) computer can be used to view and update information. But, for those other computers to be able to do so they need to be able to talk to that server. So if your server is internal to your network then only computers ON your network will be able to talk to it.If you want to let people on the Internet (such as your church members, or even staff from home) get to Rock you will need to either host it on the Cloud somewhere with a hosting company or make your server accessible to the Internet.There are security concerns to both, but possibly more for self hosted if you do not have a network person who is familiar with security and firewalls. If done wrong you can open up your entire network to the outside world, which is a Bad Thing. If you are not already setup for hosting your own servers (Internet connection, somebody knowledgable, static IP addresses, etc.) then you probably want to look into hosting it somewhere in the Cloud.One thing to consider, you may want to look into Azure hosting (I think somebody is putting finishing touches on a manual for doing this). The reason I mention Azure is that Microsoft gives $5,000 credits towards Azure hosting each year to non-profits - which is plenty for Rock. That means you are managing it yourself so you may still want to go with a hosting partner so that you don't have to worry about the nitty gritty.Hope this helps!
Hi Kristyn,The short answer is "Yes". I will clarify below to make sure we are on the same page though. :)The server (computer) that Rock is running on is just a web server so any(*) computer can be used to view and update information. But, for those other computers to be able to do so they need to be able to talk to that server. So if your server is internal to your network then only computers ON your network will be able to talk to it.If you want to let people on the Internet (such as your church members, or even staff from home) get to Rock you will need to either host it on the Cloud somewhere with a hosting company or make your server accessible to the Internet.There are security concerns to both, but possibly more for self hosted if you do not have a network person who is familiar with security and firewalls. If done wrong you can open up your entire network to the outside world, which is a Bad Thing. If you are not already setup for hosting your own servers (Internet connection, somebody knowledgable, static IP addresses, etc.) then you probably want to look into hosting it somewhere in the Cloud.One thing to consider, you may want to look into Azure hosting (I think somebody is putting finishing touches on a manual for doing this). The reason I mention Azure is that Microsoft gives $5,000 credits towards Azure hosting each year to non-profits - which is plenty for Rock. That means you are managing it yourself so you may still want to go with a hosting partner so that you don't have to worry about the nitty gritty.Hope this helps!
Save Cancel
0
- Kristyn LaBine replied 7 Years Ago
Do you know how much it runs for Azure? I went to their webpage and pricing overview, but was confused.
I am not sure our budget has room to add for the Hosting cost at this point so may have to hold off. Could we still use the stuff onsite and if budget allows later move to cloud based so we can use outside the church?
Is Azure the only type of cloud based servicing company you recommend?
Edit Answer

Do you know how much it runs for Azure? I went to their webpage and pricing overview, but was confused.I am not sure our budget has room to add for the Hosting cost at this point so may have to hold off. Could we still use the stuff onsite and if budget allows later move to cloud based so we can use outside the church?Is Azure the only type of cloud based servicing company you recommend?
Do you know how much it runs for Azure? I went to their webpage and pricing overview, but was confused.I am not sure our budget has room to add for the Hosting cost at this point so may have to hold off. Could we still use the stuff onsite and if budget allows later move to cloud based so we can use outside the church?Is Azure the only type of cloud based servicing company you recommend?
Do you know how much it runs for Azure? I went to their webpage and pricing overview, but was confused.I am not sure our budget has room to add for the Hosting cost at this point so may have to hold off. Could we still use the stuff onsite and if budget allows later move to cloud based so we can use outside the church?Is Azure the only type of cloud based servicing company you recommend?
Save Cancel
Daniel Hazelbaker

7 years ago

I do not personally, but I'll see if anybody else can comment on the estimated cost. Just remember that Azure is pretty much self-hosted in the cloud, meaning you still have to setup windows, SQL, IIS etc. While Rock itself has no licensing costs, because it runs on Windows you need a copy of Windows Server and SQL Server. Both are relatively cheap (About $250 for Windows and $950 for SQL Server) but are still costs.

If you want to "try before you buy" the whole package, You can download Windows Server and SQL Server for free (i.e. 180-day trial I think) so you can sink your teeth into it. This will also give you a taste for what you are getting into without going with a vendor.

You might also check with some of the hosting vendors just to get a quick guesstimate on cost for them to host. For small(er) churches that is often the best way to go. There are a lot of small costs that add up when you are doing things yourself rather than letting somebody who has experience and knows how to get the best bang for their buck already.
0
- Jeremy Hoff replied 7 Years Ago
What Daniel said. :-)

>> Do you know how much it runs for Azure?
The basic answer is "it depends" however the $5,000.00 grant that Microsoft offers to nonprofit is renewable yearly. When I hear "small church" I think of a church that /might/ use up $50-$100 per month on Azure hosting for Rock. This isn't a precise number, but close enough to give you an idea that the grant money is plenty.
I suspect hosting on Azure will mean faster setup for you as well, since you can spend time tinkering with Rock and less time tinkering with software setup. ;-)

>> Is Azure the only type of cloud based servicing company you recommend?
Not at all - another great provider is http://www.3essentials.com/rockrms-hosting/ However, Azure might have an edge when it comes to your monthly cost.
I hope that helps!
Edit Answer

What Daniel said. :-) >> Do you know how much it runs for Azure?The basic answer is "it depends" however the $5,000.00 grant that Microsoft offers to nonprofit is renewable yearly.  When I hear "small church" I think of a church that /might/ use up $50-$100 per month on Azure hosting for Rock.  This isn't a precise number, but close enough to give you an idea that the grant money is plenty.I suspect hosting on Azure will mean faster setup for you as well, since you can spend time tinkering with Rock and less time tinkering with software setup. ;-) >> Is Azure the only type of cloud based servicing company you recommend?Not at all - another great provider is <a href="http://www.3essentials.com/rockrms-hosting/">http://www.3essentials.com/rockrms-hosting/</a><a href="http://www.3essentials.com/rockrms-hosting/"></a>  However, Azure might have an edge when it comes to your monthly cost.I hope that helps!

What Daniel said. :-) >> Do you know how much it runs for Azure?The basic answer is "it depends" however the $5,000.00 grant that Microsoft offers to nonprofit is renewable yearly.  When I hear "small church" I think of a church that /might/ use up $50-$100 per month on Azure hosting for Rock.  This isn't a precise number, but close enough to give you an idea that the grant money is plenty.I suspect hosting on Azure will mean faster setup for you as well, since you can spend time tinkering with Rock and less time tinkering with software setup. ;-) >> Is Azure the only type of cloud based servicing company you recommend?Not at all - another great provider is <a href="http://www.3essentials.com/rockrms-hosting/">http://www.3essentials.com/rockrms-hosting/</a><a href="http://www.3essentials.com/rockrms-hosting/"></a>  However, Azure might have an edge when it comes to your monthly cost.I hope that helps!
What Daniel said. :-) >> Do you know how much it runs for Azure?The basic answer is "it depends" however the $5,000.00 grant that Microsoft offers to nonprofit is renewable yearly.  When I hear "small church" I think of a church that /might/ use up $50-$100 per month on Azure hosting for Rock.  This isn't a precise number, but close enough to give you an idea that the grant money is plenty.I suspect hosting on Azure will mean faster setup for you as well, since you can spend time tinkering with Rock and less time tinkering with software setup. ;-) >> Is Azure the only type of cloud based servicing company you recommend?Not at all - another great provider is <a href="http://www.3essentials.com/rockrms-hosting/">http://www.3essentials.com/rockrms-hosting/</a><a href="http://www.3essentials.com/rockrms-hosting/"></a>  However, Azure might have an edge when it comes to your monthly cost.I hope that helps!
Save Cancel

Matt Baylor · Accepted Answer · 2017-01-10T16:29-07:00

1

Matt Baylor replied 7 Years Ago

Hi Kristyn,

We've seen great success using Tech Soup's non-profit grant to host churches of all sizes on Azure. You can read more about the program here (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/philanthropies/product-donations/apply-now). Like Daniel said, wise sage that he is, that's enough to host a mid sized mega church for the year. I'd love to answer any other questions you might have. Look forward to seeing you around!

Question

0

Getting Started

1

2

0

0