shared mdb 3

[JasonPurdueEE]

Good morning everybody, I have a quick question. I have a secured mdb file on a shared network drive. right now it runs fine over the network speed wise. I dont particularily want to seperate this this into a FE and BE because I dont want the hassle of making sure everybody gets the current copy of the FE on their hard drive and so on. will it be possible for multiple users to access the db as I have it set up now? how about multiple users entering data at the same time?

JASON

 

[JeremyNYC]

Jason,

Did you ever hear the one about the guy cutting a huge pile of wood with a dull saw? His foreman walked by and asked him why he hadn't sharpened his blade all day. The guy replied, "I can't stop, I've got all this wood to cut."

Yes, you can have several people access one database from your server. But the phenomenal headaches you'll deal with in the form of corruption, having more trouble getting out new versions to users (_definitely_ not less), and dealing with other hassles will, in _very_ short order show you why every professional access developer insists on splitting databases into front ends and back ends, using a custom process to roll new versions out to users as needed, and taking proper care with their databases.

One of the things you'll get used to as you develop more and more access databases, or do any other sort of programming, is that a large part of your job is making decisions about when it is better to put more time into automating a process and when it is best to leave things as they are. In this case, thousands of developers have faced the same issues you are, and every one of them eventually realizes that it is best to put a good bit of energy into creating safe environments for their users, and that a big part of this is, and one that is not even up for discussion, is splitting their databases into front end and back end.

The Deploying Databases section of my website lays out the way I go about rolling out new versions to users. There are plenty of other rock solid ways to do this out there. Find one, learn it, use it. You users and your supervisors will all thank you.

Jeremy

==
Jeremy Wallace
AlphaBet City Dataworks

http://www.ABCDataworks.com

Affordable Development, Professionally Done

Please post in the appropriate forum with a descriptive subject; code and SQL, if referenced; and expected results. See thread181-473997 for more pointers.

 

[JasonPurdueEE]

Hey JeremyNYC,
thanks for your reply. so splitting the FE and BE should allow for multiple users viewing and multiple users inputting at the same time with increased stability? I hadnt considered a batch file to roll out new versions of the FE to users. how about backing up the db? I suspose I could create a batch file to copy the tables db nightly once I split it. I appreciate your reply and am going to check out your website. Thanks.

JASON

 

[JasonPurdueEE]

ok, so I just made a backup copy and slit my db with the Database Splitter. it was very painless and I didnt even need to manually link my tables or anything. is that all there is to the split?

 

[JasonPurdueEE]

I decided to use a batch file similar to the one on your site to roll out the FE to the users. very nice example and description on your site. but I have a couple aditional questions if you dont mind.

how do I make access start maximized? I tried adding /max to the end of the line but it said it wasnt a valid command line option. I tried using the START method to open MSACCESS.EXE with the /max and that worked in making it start maximized, but the START method didnt support the /WRKGRP part I need to specify in opening the secured db.

also, the cmd window stays open after the db is open and only closes when you close the db. can I get it to terminate and go away once the db is open, or can I make the cmd window invisible? Thanks in advance.

JASON

 

[JasonPurdueEE]

bump ttt

 

[JasonPurdueEE]

I really need some help with this batch file. I'll post what I have so far, any batch file gurus please advise on my last questions (starting Access maximized and getting rid of the cmd window). Thank you.

JASON

rem WRENCHTIME DATABASE BATCH FILE
rem create the directories on users' hard drive
C:
cdmkdir WTI_db
cd WTI_db

rem Checks users' computer for latest copy of the FE and copies it if need be
if not exist "WTI_FE_v1.1.txt" copy "S:\Public\Shared\WTI_folder\WrenchtimeDatabase_FE.mde"

if not exist "WTI_FE_v1.1.txt" copy "S:\Public\Shared\WTI_folder\Data\WTI_FE_v1.1.txt"

rem Copy the shortcut to users' desktop
copy "S:\Public\Shared\WTI_folder\Data\Wrenchtime Database.LNK" "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop\Wrenchtime Database.LNK"

rem Open WTI_FE
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE" "C:\WTI_db\WrenchtimeDatabase_FE.mde" /WRKGRP "S:\Public\Shared\WTI_folder\Secured.mdw"

______________________________________
Sleep is a poor substitute for coffee.

 

[JasonPurdueEE]

thanks to jrbarnett I got this figured out. I used a series of shortcuts, one to the batch file and another to the database. the batch file calls the shortcut to the db instead of the path in the last line. thats all there is to it.

______________________________
Sleep is a poor substitute for coffee.

 

[fatz09]

JeremyNYC,

JasonPurdueEE sent me a thread about puting my database on a shared drive. I had some questions about the batch file. Is a batch file manually created and if so is it very difficult to do. I preparing my database to put on a shared drive and I want to make sure everything is done right. Can you help me with the batch file or send me to some references that will help me out.

Thanks

Fatz09

 

[JeremyNYC]

Jason,

Did you copy the line from your shortcut to your batch file? If it works in one place it will work in the other. There's certainly nothing wrong with doing it your way--I can't imagine a performance hit noticable by a human--but I wonder what was different between the two.

Jeremy

==
Jeremy Wallace
AlphaBet City Dataworks

http://www.ABCDataworks.com

Affordable Development, Professionally Done

Please post in the appropriate forum with a descriptive subject; code and SQL, if referenced; and expected results. See thread181-473997 for more pointers.

 

[JeremyNYC]

Fatz,

You have to write it yourself. Did you check out the pages on my website? In the Deploying Databases bit I outline my process. I don't have any good batch references handy, but there are some on the web.

Jeremy

==
Jeremy Wallace
AlphaBet City Dataworks

http://www.ABCDataworks.com

Affordable Development, Professionally Done

Please post in the appropriate forum with a descriptive subject; code and SQL, if referenced; and expected results. See thread181-473997 for more pointers.

 

[JasonPurdueEE]

Jeremy,
yeah the line from my shortcut worked fine in the batch file, but it didnt close the cmd window until after I closed the database. I wanted the cmd window to disappear as soon as the database was opened. I cant tell a difference speed wise with using the series of shortcuts and it does exactly what I want, so I'm happy.

as far as backing up my db, I'm going to write a simple batch file to backup my BE. and I have a copy of the latest FE already backed up (I make a backup everytime I roll out a new version). I'm going to check for the existance of *.ldb in the directory that the BE is in (to make sure nobodys in it) and then simply copy the BE.mdb into a backups folder. is that all I need to do? anything else to backup, or should that work? thanks again for your help.

______________________________
Sleep is a poor substitute for coffee.

 

[JeremyNYC]

Jason,

Wow! Thanks! I've been completely baffled at how to get the stinkin' dos window to close. I never even thought about using a batch file. I'll test it out, but I've already given you a star.

Thanks again.

Jeremy

==
Jeremy Wallace
AlphaBet City Dataworks

http://www.ABCDataworks.com

Affordable Development, Professionally Done

Please post in the appropriate forum with a descriptive subject; code and SQL, if referenced; and expected results. See thread181-473997 for more pointers.

 

[JasonPurdueEE]

Jeremy,
just for clarification: I have 2 shortcuts. the one on the desktop points to the batch file I use to roll out the new FE. in that batch file, to open Access and start the db, I call the second shortcut. so its not a second batch file.

************************************
rem Copy the shortcuts to users' desktop

rem This shortcut points to the batch file on the server
copy "S:\Public\Shared\WTI_folder\Data\Wrenchtime Database.LNK" "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop\Wrenchtime Database.LNK"

rem this shortcut actually opens the database
copy "S:\Public\Shared\WTI_folder\Data\Wrenchtime Database2.LNK" "C:\WTI_db\Wrenchtime Database2.LNK"

rem Open WTI_FE
"C:\WTI_db\Wrenchtime Database2.LNK"
*************************************
lol, thanks for the star (my first star!), but I cant really take credit for it. jrbarnett actually gave me the idea to do it this way in another thread.

JASON

______________________________
Sleep is a poor substitute for coffee.