On Sharing Unsplit Databases

[David-W-Fenton]

I was called in as troubleshooter for a new client today. They'd
been getting disk/network error on an A2000 database that was being
used with A2010, A2003 and A2000 (only three users!).

They'd actually been having no trouble sharing it, though it became
pretty clear after working with them that they very seldom had more
than one user at a time.

My conclusion from looking at their database was that perhaps you
can get away with it if YOU HAVE NOT A SINGLE LINE OF CODE.

One form had a module, but not code in it.

So, my guess is that without a VBA project with anything in it
that's getting compiled and executed, it's possible to share front
end objects.

Needless to say, I split the app and gave each user a copy of the
front end. The Disk/Network error still occurred, so I moved the
back end to a different server. We will wait and see if the problem
is gone, but I thought it worth posting about the working shared
database, as I've always been puzzled about how anybody can make it
work. Without any VBA code (not even any macros!), it stands to
reason that there'd be very little to cause problems in sharing
front-end objects.

So perhaps I'll amend my usual blanket condemnation of not splitting
and/or sharing a front end to include a caveat about it possibly
working reliably if there's absolutely no VBA code in the
application.

 

[David-W-Fenton]

I think that the reason not to share front-ends is due to possible
crashing causing corruption. If any 1 user crashes while another
is editing, there is a chance of corruption. That doesn't mean it
will always happen, but the liklihood is greater.

I don't see how sharing a front end is going to corrupt the back
end. A crash is going to only ever corrupt the front end, seems to
me (with the exception, of course, of things like memo pointers in
actively-edited records, but that's an issue even with a
properly-deployed database).

Certainly I'm not suggesting that anyone do things wrong. I'm just
pointing out a possible reason why some people may be managing to
get by doing it wrong for long periods of time.

 

[Tony Toews]

My conclusion from looking at their database was that perhaps you
can get away with it if YOU HAVE NOT A SINGLE LINE OF CODE.

So perhaps I'll amend my usual blanket condemnation of not splitting
and/or sharing a front end to include a caveat about it possibly
working reliably if there's absolutely no VBA code in the
application.

I have a competent programmer/devloper friend who splits his database
but shares his FEs. And he's never had a problem. I was rather
startled.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/

 

[Tony Toews]

I have a competent programmer/devloper friend who splits his database
but shares his FEs. And he's never had a problem. I was rather
startled.

I should add that he always kicks the users out to deploy a new copy
of the FE.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/

 

[David-W-Fenton]

I should add that he always kicks the users out to deploy a new
copy of the FE.

If he didn't, he couldn't make any changes, ever!

 

[a a r o n . k e m p f]

Access/Jet-- split -or- unsplit crashes anytime I've ever had multiple
users.

So I recommend shut the **** up and move to SQL Server you ****ing
pansy

-Aaron

 

[Andrej]

Hello David-W-Fenton,

I can do it for you.
Please reply if you want it.

Regards Andrej

 

[David-W-Fenton]

I can do it for you.
Please reply if you want it.

Aside from the fact that you're breaking all the rules of Usenet by
posting employment solicitations, you also show that you don't even
read the posts you're replying to. Had you done so, you'd know
perfectly well that I don't need your assistance.

Nobody with any sense would hire somebody who can't even read the
descriptions of the problem and respond appropriately. That's
absolutely not what anybody needs in an Access developer.

 

[Access Developer]

There's damn little that I can think of that David would need the help of an
anonymous, unproven Internet user to accomplish.

Hello David-W-Fenton,

I can do it for you.
Please reply if you want it.

Regards Andrej

 

[Access Developer]

Access/Jet-- split -or- unsplit crashes
anytime I've ever had multiple users.

Then you must have discovered how to do absolutely _everything_ wrong,
because that's the only case in which what you state could be true.

So I recommend shut the **** up and . . .

I recommend you watch your language lest someone report you and you end up
back in court again.

Larry

 

[a a r o n . k e m p f]

Rules of USENET?

the rules of USENET state:

a) if your database sucks
b) move to a real database