Access and RAID5 reliability

[Guest]

I was wondering if anyone has any real world experience using Access in a
RAID5 environment and could provide some comment. Looking around has not
found much info of value. I have a small customer who wants to increase
reliability (decrease down time). The server is 2003 standard w/ mirroring.
As I understand it Access does not support realtime failover. I was thinking
of adding a second server and putting the actual database on a RAID5 array
box. If the primary server dies I would just have to switch servers. This
is a very simple setup, just workgroup, less than 10 users, some local and
some using RD. The number of transactions on a daily basis is maybe in the
200-300 tops.

TIA

Mark

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

I have a small customer who wants to increase

reliability (decrease down time).

The above is a big word. Are you telling me now that you had hard disk
crashes, or the server is now going down? A hard disk faure, or a server
crash is a very rare thing indeed.

are you trying to fix a poorly setup ms-access database, or trying to fix a
server that is not reiabliry. This two issues are GRAND CANYOUNS aport here.

If you dleete, or damange the mdb file, then the mierro system will simply
hae a mirror of that damanged file. Remember, you can damage a ms-acces
file, but it still can be backed up, or copied to antoher system. So, if you
got a un-reialbire msaccess apctaoino, and your server never goes down, then
jmuping to RAID will do nohtign here for you.

On ther other hand, if your sever is crasing, and you are losoing your files
due to them not having been backed up, then that raid system will cetanly
help you.

You REALLY need to distingus the two issues above here....

If you data file get drupprts due to auser damainging that file, then the
radi ssytem can only have a copy of that damanged file, and you accompolish
noighitng. On the other hand, if the server hard drive crahees, then you
got hte tohe rsystem, and you are ok. So, keep much in mind here that a RADI
system will NOT make ms-access, or a JET file share based system any more
reialiby, but will give you a more reialbiry backup. (two differnt issues).

If you are experiencing un-realbiry in ms-access now, a RAID system will not
help one bit. The raid system will MOST certainly mean that you have no down
time if your server craps out, or the hard drive on the server dies.

However, if ms-access craps out, and the file is damaged, then the RAID
system will simply mirror that damaged file....

If you are deploying ms-access in a multi-user mode, for reliability, you
need to split the database, and I explain not only how, but WHY you need to
do this here:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Articles/split/index.htm

 

[Guest]

You can cluster servers for automatic fall-over: I don't think that
works with Access.

Access doesn't do automatic replication: you would have to make
up something yourself.

MSDE/sql server might be a better bet (unless you are using beginTrans
EndTrans).

(david)

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

gee, on a my laptop...and missed the speed check....

here it is again....

I have a small customer who wants to increase
reliability (decrease down time).

The above is a big word. Are you telling me now that you had hard disk
crashes, or the server is now going down? A hard disk failure, or a server
crash is a very rare thing indeed.

are you trying to fix a poorly setup ms-access database, or trying to fix a
server that is not reliable. This two issues are GRAND CANYONS apart here.

If you delete, or damage the mdb file, then the mirror system will simply
have a mirror of that damaged file. Remember, you can damage a ms-access
file, but it still can be backed up, or copied to another system. So, if you
got a un-unreliable access application, and your server never goes down,
then
jumping to RAID will do nothing here for you.

On the other hand, if your sever is crashing, and you are loosing your files
due to them not having been backed up, then that raid system will certainly
help you.

You REALLY need to distinguish the two issues above here....

If you data file get corrupted due to users damaging that file, then the
raid system can only have a copy of that damaged file, and you accomplish
nothing. On the other hand, if the server hard drive crashes, then you
got the other system, and you are ok. So, keep much in mind here that a RADI
system will NOT make ms-access, or a JET file share based system any more
reliable, but will give you a more reliable backup. (two different issues).

If you are experiencing un-realbiry in ms-access now, a RAID system will not
help one bit. The raid system will MOST certainly mean that you have no down
time if your server craps out, or the hard drive on the server dies.

However, if ms-access craps out, and the file is damaged, then the RAID
system will simply mirror that damaged file....

If you are deploying ms-access in a multi-user mode, for reliability, you
need to split the database, and I explain not only how, but WHY you need to
do this here:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Articles/split/index.htm