split back/front ends 2

[uscitizen]

When I told the director of my dept about using the back/front end approach w/ A2K (back on server, front on desktop) he asked if that would work with both ends on a server. Technically, I don't think there's anything to stop it from working but I figured I would try to sound this forum out. I know that the splitting part's supposed to make things go a little faster, but he thinks putting the front end on individual desktops might cause problems when modifications are necessitated and that it'd be generally easier to make changes to one f/e than to multiple f/es. Perhaps so, perhaps not, but would having both on the same server be the same or worse than not splitting it at all. Any experiences to share.

Also, I would be inclined to turn the 'mdb' into a 'mde' file before splitting it.

 

[CajunCenturion]

By placing the front-end on the server, you would lose the performance benefits of splitting FE/BE, since all of the front end forms and such will still be transported across the network. However, you still have the benefit of being able to update the Front End without having to worry about keeping the Back End data up to date.

There are other approaches to having individual desktop front ends automatically update themselves by detecting by having a Master Front End on the server. You introduce an intermediary program which checks to see if the front end on the desktop is the same version as the Master Front End on the server. If not, it automatically updates the desktop front end, then proceeds into its execution.

Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[uscitizen]

Hi Cajun Centurion.

I'm not entirely clear on the point you're making wrt having some sort of intermediate prgm update the desktop f/es. Perhaps you mistyped what you were thinking, or perhaps it's just me, but the wording sounds a little difficult to follow. Could you give an example?

Thanks in either event.

 

[CajunCenturion]

You have the user's front end on the desktop, and you have the master front end on the server. You make your program changes, and you update the master front end on the server.

On the user's machine, you another program, which executes when they want to fire up the application. This other program is not the front end, but a different program. This other program checks the version of the front end on the user's machine against the version of the front end on the server. If the versions match, then this program fires up the user's front end application and goes away. If the versions do not match, then this programs copies the front end from the server to the user's machine, thus updating it, and then fires the front end and goes away.

The key is that the users do not execute the front end directly, they always execute this ApplicationStartUp program, whose sole purpose is the keep their front end up to date, and then fires off the local front end.



Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[uscitizen]

Can you particularize which program you would use when you say:

"The key is that the users do not execute the front end directly, they always execute this ApplicationStartUp program, whose sole purpose is the keep their front end up to date, and then fires off the local front end."

 

[CajunCenturion]

That's a program that you would write to perform that task.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[uscitizen]

Let me guess, in VBA?

 

[CajunCenturion]

It would be a separate stand alone application. You can write it in Access/VBA, or straight VB, Foxpro, C, or whatever language you choose.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[psemianonymous]

There are a bunch of different ways to do this. Here are two:

Tony Toews (Access MVP) "Auto FE Updater":

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm

Jeremy Wallace's batch-file versioning system:

http://www.abcdataworks.com/Developers/Index.html

, click on "Deploying Databases" link in the left frame

I think some other members used an "update.MDB" and posted a sample, but you'd have to search tek-tips for that.

 

[uscitizen]

i like foolio's 'selectively industrious' approach over cajun centurion's, however, if it hadn't a been for cc's f would never a told me about his, so i figured each deserved a red one

 

[JeremyNYC]

Just so you know, I recently redid my web page, so links further in than the root will no longer work. But you can get there by clicking on the Developers' Section link at the bottom of the page.

Jeremy

==
Jeremy Wallace
AlphaBet City Dataworks

http://www.ABCDataworks.com

Access Databases for Non-Profit Organizations

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

 

[hockeylvr]

I just downloaded Tony Toews Auto FE Updater and was hoping someone could clarify how I distribute this to my users. The instructions state I could send a shortcut to them in lieu of having them go to the server but what exactly do I send to them? If I send just the shortcut to the db, it is looking for the .ini file. I'm sure it's simple, I just couldn't wrap my brain around it.

Thanks for the help.

Toni