MS Briefcase error message

[J.J.]

Hi,
I am trying to make a database available remotely for one or two users using
MS Briefcase permitting synchronization when back on-line. I am using Vista
and Access 2007 but have chosen Briefcase and saving to a Access 2000 format
as it is the least dependent on which platform is used by the end user. My
database consists of the secured ".mdw" file, the main ".mbd" file as well as
the back end "-be.mbd" file.
The ".mdw"file copies over to Briefcase without problem but when copying the
".mdb" and "-be.mbd" file, to MS Briefcase the following error message
appears: "Briefcase can't start Microsoft Office Access Database session."
I tried resetting the file properties from shared to Exclusive etc without
luck. The only reference I can find to this problem is another site with the
same question but remains unanswered.
Your help would be much appreciated. J.J.

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

As far as I'm aware, the briefcase isn't appropriate for use with Access.

 

[J.J.]

Doug, while I do defer to your expertise, I have come accross at least one
application where Access is used in a briefcase and linked to a oracle
database. Also, there are several references in the literature and on the
net to MS Briefcase replication please see
(http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/access/HP052167661033.aspx?pid=CH063664271033)
Your further comments are appreciated

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Well, I did say "As far as I'm aware"... <g>

I was going by memory, and I thought I'd heard of issues. Of course, that
was several versions of Access ago.

http://dfenton.com/DFA/Replication/index.php?title=Things_not_to_believe_in_the_MS_documentation
and http://dfenton.com/DFA/Replication/index.php?title=Briefcase_Replication
at David Fenton's Jet Replication Wiki seem to support me though.

I suspect David will see this thread and comment as well, or you could try
asking in the Replication group (microsoft.public.access.replication), where
David's the major contributor . I'm not sure whether Microsoft's web
interface (which you're obviously using) includes that group. If it doesn't,
you may have to use a proper newsgroup reader, or go through Google Groups.

 

[David W. Fenton]

As far as I'm aware, the briefcase isn't appropriate for use with
Access.

Indeed, it's not. See the second topic in this article:

http://dfenton.com/DFA/Replication/index.php?title=Replication_Myths

But MS thought it was a valid scenario. The issue is not so much
that it didn't work, so much as that it was very easy to go wrong
with it. the other issue is that support for it has basically just
been dropped -- there is virtually no documentation for it on MS's
website that does not date from the days of Win9x.

So, it's one of those things that MS would like you to think works
that in the end, really doesn't work at all.

 

[David W. Fenton]

Doug, while I do defer to your expertise, I have come accross at
least one application where Access is used in a briefcase and
linked to a oracle database. Also, there are several references
in the literature and on the net to MS Briefcase replication
please see
(http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/access/HP052167661033.aspx?pid=C
H063664271033)

That article is basically an updating of the old boilerplate about
Jet replication. You should not trust that article as it leaves out
all sorts of important details. I recommend comparing that article
to the Jet 4 Replication White Paper, accesible from this page on
the Jet Replication Wiki here:

http://dfenton.com/DFA/Replication/index.php?title=Resources

You've been led down the garden path by MS's irresponsibility in
failing to delineate the difficulties and risks of Briefcase
Replication in its documentation.

 

[J.J.]

Thank you both, Douglas and David. Now that we have officially given
Briefcase the old heave ho what do you suggest I do to address my remote-user
problem?
A sincere, thank you, once again!

 

[David W. Fenton]

Now that we have officially given
Briefcase the old heave ho what do you suggest I do to address my
remote-user problem?

Do they need to edit during times when they are not connected to the
Internet? If not, then host the app on Windows Terminal Server in
one of your offices and have them access it across a VPN with Remote
Desktop.

If they need disconnected access, then Jet replication is a viable
solution. However, how easy that is to implement depends on exactly
where they are working -- if they all come into the same office on a
regular basis, then direct replication is very easy to implement. If
not, then it quickly gets substantially more complicated. But it
does work, as long as you care for the whole setup well.

 

[J.J.]

Thank you David,

I am not at all familiar with Jet Replication but can look into it. As for
your question: do they come into the office regularly? The answer is yes,
they would be hooking up to the office server regularly so that
synchronization is ongoing.

Any further comments and advise are more than welcome. Again, thank you
for setting me on the right path.

 

[David W. Fenton]

As for
your question: do they come into the office regularly? The answer
is yes, they would be hooking up to the office server regularly
so that synchronization is ongoing.

That's the ideal scenario for the simplest form of Jet replication,
direct replication, and is quite easily programmed.

 

[Howard Burgman]

Hi,
I am trying to make a database available remotely for one or two users
using
MS Briefcase permitting synchronization when back on-line. I am using
Vista
and Access 2007 but have chosen Briefcase and saving to a Access 2000
format
as it is the least dependent on which platform is used by the end user. My
database consists of the secured ".mdw" file, the main ".mbd" file as well
as
the back end "-be.mbd" file.
The ".mdw"file copies over to Briefcase without problem but when copying
the
".mdb" and "-be.mbd" file, to MS Briefcase the following error message
appears: "Briefcase can't start Microsoft Office Access Database session."
I tried resetting the file properties from shared to Exclusive etc without
luck. The only reference I can find to this problem is another site with
the
same question but remains unanswered.
Your help would be much appreciated. J.J.