Security-Open Exclusive

[BillD]

Firstly, I do not use a password for my access database. I have an Access
database with about 10,000 records. It is split with a _fe linked to _be with
Tables. In the _fe and _be Database I go to Tools>Security>User and Group
Permissions. Under Permissions Tab in User/Group Name: is "Admin". Object
Name: "<Current Database>" List: is checked "Users" Object Type: "Database"
Permissions are checked "Open/Run" "Open Exclusive" and "Administer"
Should I have "Open Exclusive"' checked since there are 2 people using the
database that have separate _fe's. If the back end is "Open Evclusive" and
the default login is admin, will this prevent one user from accessing the
database until the other user is finished?

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

If a database is opened exclusively, only one user will be able to use it at
a time. This has nothing to do with whether or not you've got security
applied.

That being said, since your application is split into a front-end, your
users are opening the front-end exclusively, not the back-end. Since the two
users have their own copies of the front-end, being opened exclusively is
reallly irrelevant.

 

[BillD]

Thanks Doug,
That answers the question for the 3 front ends that are accessing the
database _be. Now for the backend, should the Open exclusive be unchecked
under permissions for List: Users (One User listed) "Admin". Under
List:Groups (2 Groups listed) "Admins" and "Users". Under permissions should
"open Exclusive " be unchecked or checked or does it matter. These are the
default settings when opening a database. If "Open Exclusive" is checked,
will it prevent a second _fe from accessing the database until the first _fe
is finished and closed his front end.
I hope I have explained this properly. This is the reason I have stayed away
from Security in Access Databases- I don't totally understand it yet.

Thanks Again
Bill D.

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

It's irrelvant: no one's opening the back-end.

In the event that you need to make design changes to the back-end, whoever's
making the changes will require that the back-end be opened exclusively, so
you may as well leave it set.

At the risk of sounding condescending, nothing you've asked has anything to
do with security in Access.

 

[BillD]

Douglas:
Thanks for the reply. I think I now understand.
So, with a split database, the _fe is just accessing the tables and not
opening the database.

Bill D

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Correct. You could be accessing the data by other means too (from Excel,
from a VB application, using ODBC or JDCB), and you wouldn't actually be
opening the back-end database either.

 

[BillD]

Doug:
I need some clarification on your last statement.

I stated

So, with a split database, the _fe is just accessing the tables and not

opening the database.
I meant to say "so, with a split database, the _fe is just accessing the
tables in the backend and not opening the _be database."
The _fe access database is opened to access the tables in the _be. Are you
saying that the _be database is not opened when the _fe is accessing the _be
tables. I would think that the _be would have to be opened to be able to
access the _be tables.

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Accessing data isn't the same thing as opening the database.

You'll find a locking file (.ldb) will be creating for the back-end whenever
someone's accessing it, but that's not the same as opening it.

The Open Exclusive setting only applies if you're using Access to open the
database so that you're actually seeing the list of tables inside of Access.

 

[BillD]

Thanks so much for this info. It helps clarify my understanding of Access
Databases and Security.

Bill D.