Multiuser environment

[Guest]

lHello everyone,

I'm developing a database that is currently 3500kb in size. This will be a
shared database in a LAN/WAN environment with approximately 100 users using
it. Some users like to keep the database open througout the day while others
open it on an as needed basis and then closes it when they're done. So, I
would say about 50% of the users will most likely have the database open at
all times and entering data simultaneously.

My worst fear of rolling this out to the organization is how Access gets
locked and preventing other users from access. I have the database splitted
between the front-end and back-end. I've also read from this focus group
that the front-end file needs to reside on the end-users PC? Do you mean
that the front-end database need to be stored in their local drive or can it
be as a shortcut from the network?

Can anyone give me advise on how I can prevent potential lock-up? Any
advise or suggestion will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Nyla

 

[Joseph Meehan]

lHello everyone,

I'm developing a database that is currently 3500kb in size. This
will be a shared database in a LAN/WAN environment with approximately
100 users using it. Some users like to keep the database open
througout the day while others open it on an as needed basis and then
closes it when they're done. So, I would say about 50% of the users
will most likely have the database open at all times and entering
data simultaneously.

My worst fear of rolling this out to the organization is how Access
gets locked and preventing other users from access. I have the
database splitted between the front-end and back-end. I've also read
from this focus group that the front-end file needs to reside on the
end-users PC? Do you mean that the front-end database need to be
stored in their local drive or can it be as a shortcut from the
network?

No you definitely want a separate copy of it on each user's machine.

Can anyone give me advise on how I can prevent potential lock-up? Any
advise or suggestion will be greatly appreciated.

Maybe someone else has an idea, I don't as I did not have the problem. I
could control all my users and the max was about 30.

You can get a utility to figure out who is on the database at any one
time. I believe you can also have it arranged so you can kick them off.
You may want those as well. Even with only 30 I found it helpful to know who
was on so I could call them or go to their desk and long them off when
needed.

 

[Allen Browne]

Think of the front end as the application, and the back end as the data.
Just as you install Word on each computer, you install your front end on
each computer. If you just use a shortcut so that all users actually open
the same physical mdb front end, you lose the benefits of splitting, i.e.
that each workstation is running its own copy of the software.

It is possible to put the application (front end) onto the user's local
space on the server rather than on the C: drive. This still gives you
complete independence of each front end, but naturally it increases the
network traffic also as each form has to be loaded across the network as it
is opened.

If you are planning to use Access over a WAN, see Albert Kallal's article:
MS Access and WANs
at:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Wan/Wans.html
He explains the limitations of Access, and how to work around them.

 

[Guest]

Thank you, Joseph and Allen, for your reply. These are very helpful. If I
install the front-end on individual pcs in their local drive, how do you
maintain it if you make changes? (i.e.: adding or modifying a form) Does
this mean that I would need to go to every PC and load the "new version" of
the front-end database? Also, would this still allow you to force users out
of a database when necessary as well as tracking who is logged in?

thanks,
Nyla

 

[Tony Toews]

Thank you, Joseph and Allen, for your reply. These are very helpful. If I
install the front-end on individual pcs in their local drive, how do you
maintain it if you make changes? (i.e.: adding or modifying a form) Does
this mean that I would need to go to every PC and load the "new version" of
the front-end database? Also, would this still allow you to force users out
of a database when necessary as well as tracking who is logged in?

Excellent question. And here's an answer. <smile>

I specifically created the Auto FE Updater utility so that I could
make changes to the FE MDE as often as I wanted and be quite confident
that the next time someone went to run the app that it would pull in
the latest version. For more info on the errors or the Auto FE
Updater utility see the free Auto FE Updater utility at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm at my website to keep the
FE on each PC up to date.

In a Terminal Server or Citrix environment the Auto FE Updater now
supports creating a directory named after the user on a server. Given
a choice put the FE on the Citrix server to reduce network traffic and
to avoid having to load objects over the network which can be somewhat
sluggish.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

 

[Guest]

Thank you so much, Tony! I'll check out this site.

-Maria