Merging data from individual tables/forms to a master table

G

Guest

We have a master database of information about publications set up in Access.

Over the next few months four people are going to be adding further
publications to this database. Three people are located on a network in the
same building, and the forth person is actually in a different city, not
connected by network.

The idea we had was that each person could work on their copy of the
database and then once a week we coudl 'merge' the four into the master.
Possibly individuals' database records could be copied and pasted into the
master if it is possible to email a database which I have always had problems
with so far! Although there must be a way that Access could do this
automatically.

I have tried the help menus but I am now going around in circles. I
understand that the three people on the network could actually all work on
the master access database at the same time (???), however, our problem still
lies within our team member in the different city.

As we are just setting up our system, I would like to do this in the best
possible way. (All of the databases would have identical fields etc; it's
just new records being added and others edited.)

Thanks in advance for those of you taking the time to answer my (long!)
question.
 
G

Gijs Beukenoot

From Kylie :
We have a master database of information about publications set up in Access.

Over the next few months four people are going to be adding further
publications to this database. Three people are located on a network in the
same building, and the forth person is actually in a different city, not
connected by network.

The idea we had was that each person could work on their copy of the
database and then once a week we coudl 'merge' the four into the master.
Possibly individuals' database records could be copied and pasted into the
master if it is possible to email a database which I have always had problems
with so far! Although there must be a way that Access could do this
automatically.

I have tried the help menus but I am now going around in circles. I
understand that the three people on the network could actually all work on
the master access database at the same time (???), however, our problem still
lies within our team member in the different city.

As we are just setting up our system, I would like to do this in the best
possible way. (All of the databases would have identical fields etc; it's
just new records being added and others edited.)

Thanks in advance for those of you taking the time to answer my (long!)
question.

Have you considered using Access' replication function?
 
G

Guest

Hi Kylie,

This is the scenerio that replication was designed to handle. You should
only try implementing replication on a *copy* of your database, not on the
original. I am not a replication expert, but I do advise you to download a
copy of the replication white paper from Microsoft:

ACC2000: Jet 4.0 Replication White Papers Available in MSDN Online Library
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=190766

Here is a KB article that may also be helpful:

ACC2000: How to Make a Database Replicable
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=208774

Although both titles include "ACC2000", the information should be equally
valid for Access 2002 and 2003. I would also head on over to Michael Kaplan's
web site and read everything you can find on replication:

http://www.trigeminal.com/usenet/usenet.asp?1033

Your database should be split into a front-end (FE) and backend (BE)
databases. Each user should have their own copy of the FE installed on their
local hard drive. The FE contains all queries, forms, reports, macros,
modules and any local (unshared) data tables. The BE, which is copied to the
file server, contains tables only with the shared data. This will allow the
three people in the same building to use a common backend (BE) database.
There are several things that you need to do right, in order to have a
successful shared database application. If you send me a private e-mail
message, with a valid reply address, I will send you a list that I have
compiled. This list includes some attached Word documents.

The part that I'm not real sure about, but I think you can do it, is to
implement replication on the BE database. The remote user would take a
replica of the BE, along with a normal copy of the FE. Every week or so, the
remote user could compact his/her copy of the BE replica, add it to a .zip
archive file, and then e-mail it to you. You would then use synchronization
to merge the data to the master. I believe you can also update the replica BE
with records from the master BE added by the other three users, and then send
this file back to your remote user, if this person has a need to see the
changes made by the other three people.

If my answer has helped you, please answer yes to the question that reads
"Did this post answer the question?" at the bottom of the message thread.


Tom

http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________

:

We have a master database of information about publications set up in Access.

Over the next few months four people are going to be adding further
publications to this database. Three people are located on a network in the
same building, and the forth person is actually in a different city, not
connected by network.

The idea we had was that each person could work on their copy of the
database and then once a week we coudl 'merge' the four into the master.
Possibly individuals' database records could be copied and pasted into the
master if it is possible to email a database which I have always had problems
with so far! Although there must be a way that Access could do this
automatically.

I have tried the help menus but I am now going around in circles. I
understand that the three people on the network could actually all work on
the master access database at the same time (???), however, our problem still
lies within our team member in the different city.

As we are just setting up our system, I would like to do this in the best
possible way. (All of the databases would have identical fields etc; it's
just new records being added and others edited.)

Thanks in advance for those of you taking the time to answer my (long!)
question.
 
G

Guest

Hi Tom

Thank you so much for your help and pointing me in the right direction. I
was a little 'scared' of using replications as I didn't want to lose any
data! But have a test in progress as we speak.

My one question - I have made a replica to send to the member of our team
who is based in a different city. I have zipped the file and tried to email
this. The only problem is that when I send it, it goes through as a read
only file! Therefore, my colleague is unable to work with the form or table.
Is there any way I can send a non read-only file??

Thanks in advance for your help again!
Kylie
 
G

Guest

Hi Kylie,

Are you saying that the read only attribute is being set for the .mdb file?
If so, I'm not sure why this would be, unless you used a CD disk to transfer
the database from one PC to another, before e-mailing it to the person in the
other city. In that case, the read only attribute is set. You can reset it
using Windows Explorer, by right-clicking on the file and selecting
Properties from the dropdown menu.
I was a little 'scared' of using replications as I didn't want to lose any
data!
As you should be. I have heard horror stories about replication problems
from other people in the past. This is why I advised to read everything that
you could find on this subject at Michael Kaplan's web site. Michael is a
former member of the Access Development team at Microsoft, and a former
Access MVP as well. His interests include replication and
internationalization (he currently works for Microsoft in a Windows
Internationalization group of some kind). I suspect that most of the horror
stories that other people have shared at our group meetings are related to
not following all of the instructions carefully.

I just received your request sent by person e-mail, so you should be
receiving a reply from me very soon.

Tom

http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________

:

Hi Tom

Thank you so much for your help and pointing me in the right direction. I
was a little 'scared' of using replications as I didn't want to lose any
data! But have a test in progress as we speak.

My one question - I have made a replica to send to the member of our team
who is based in a different city. I have zipped the file and tried to email
this. The only problem is that when I send it, it goes through as a read
only file! Therefore, my colleague is unable to work with the form or table.
Is there any way I can send a non read-only file??

Thanks in advance for your help again!
Kylie
__________________________________________

:

Hi Kylie,

This is the scenerio that replication was designed to handle. You should
only try implementing replication on a *copy* of your database, not on the
original. I am not a replication expert, but I do advise you to download a
copy of the replication white paper from Microsoft:

ACC2000: Jet 4.0 Replication White Papers Available in MSDN Online Library
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=190766

Here is a KB article that may also be helpful:

ACC2000: How to Make a Database Replicable
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=208774

Although both titles include "ACC2000", the information should be equally
valid for Access 2002 and 2003. I would also head on over to Michael Kaplan's
web site and read everything you can find on replication:

http://www.trigeminal.com/usenet/usenet.asp?1033

Your database should be split into a front-end (FE) and backend (BE)
databases. Each user should have their own copy of the FE installed on their
local hard drive. The FE contains all queries, forms, reports, macros,
modules and any local (unshared) data tables. The BE, which is copied to the
file server, contains tables only with the shared data. This will allow the
three people in the same building to use a common backend (BE) database.
There are several things that you need to do right, in order to have a
successful shared database application. If you send me a private e-mail
message, with a valid reply address, I will send you a list that I have
compiled. This list includes some attached Word documents.

The part that I'm not real sure about, but I think you can do it, is to
implement replication on the BE database. The remote user would take a
replica of the BE, along with a normal copy of the FE. Every week or so, the
remote user could compact his/her copy of the BE replica, add it to a .zip
archive file, and then e-mail it to you. You would then use synchronization
to merge the data to the master. I believe you can also update the replica BE
with records from the master BE added by the other three users, and then send
this file back to your remote user, if this person has a need to see the
changes made by the other three people.

If my answer has helped you, please answer yes to the question that reads
"Did this post answer the question?" at the bottom of the message thread.


Tom

http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________

:

We have a master database of information about publications set up in Access.

Over the next few months four people are going to be adding further
publications to this database. Three people are located on a network in the
same building, and the forth person is actually in a different city, not
connected by network.

The idea we had was that each person could work on their copy of the
database and then once a week we coudl 'merge' the four into the master.
Possibly individuals' database records could be copied and pasted into the
master if it is possible to email a database which I have always had problems
with so far! Although there must be a way that Access could do this
automatically.

I have tried the help menus but I am now going around in circles. I
understand that the three people on the network could actually all work on
the master access database at the same time (???), however, our problem still
lies within our team member in the different city.

As we are just setting up our system, I would like to do this in the best
possible way. (All of the databases would have identical fields etc; it's
just new records being added and others edited.)

Thanks in advance for those of you taking the time to answer my (long!)
question.
 

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