Using a split database in a Citrix Session

[CDM]

I've developed a small application and put it on the company's shared drive.
I tried splitting the database, but performance was horrible. The non-split
version runs reasonably well when opened in a Citrix session, but the problem
is maintenance and locking people out while I'm working. They call wondering
why the application won't run. Does it make sense to split the database and
leave both FE and BE in the same folder if everyone is going to open the
application through Citrix? hope this makes sense.

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

I've developed a small application and put it on the company's shared drive.
I tried splitting the database, but performance was horrible.

The three most common performance problems in Access 2000 or newer
are:
- LDB locking which a persistent recordset connection or an always
open bound form corrects (multiple users)
- sub datasheet Name property set to [Auto] should be [None]
- Track name AutoCorrect should be off

If the problem is for everyone when starting up the MDB then it likely
needs a decompile.

For more information on these, less likely causes, other tips and
links to MS KB articles visit my Access Performance FAQ page at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/performancefaq.htm

They call wondering
why the application won't run. Does it make sense to split the database and
leave both FE and BE in the same folder if everyone is going to open the
application through Citrix? hope this makes sense.

Your posting makes perfect sense. Yes, you should split the app. But
you still have to give each user their own copy of the FE. You can
place in a user specific directory on either the file server or the
Citrix server.

The IT department might not like the idea of putting the FE on the
Citrix server in which case you have no choice but to use the file
server. Performance won't be quite as good but will still work
quite well. Or so my experience went three years ago.

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
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

 

[CDM]

Thanks for the help! Digesting your response will take a while. Can you
recommend a good book to use as a reference for someone just above a novice,
such as myself?

I've developed a small application and put it on the company's shared drive.
I tried splitting the database, but performance was horrible.

The three most common performance problems in Access 2000 or newer
are:
- LDB locking which a persistent recordset connection or an always
open bound form corrects (multiple users)
- sub datasheet Name property set to [Auto] should be [None]
- Track name AutoCorrect should be off

If the problem is for everyone when starting up the MDB then it likely
needs a decompile.

For more information on these, less likely causes, other tips and
links to MS KB articles visit my Access Performance FAQ page at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/performancefaq.htm

They call wondering
why the application won't run. Does it make sense to split the database and
leave both FE and BE in the same folder if everyone is going to open the
application through Citrix? hope this makes sense.

Your posting makes perfect sense. Yes, you should split the app. But
you still have to give each user their own copy of the FE. You can
place in a user specific directory on either the file server or the
Citrix server.

The IT department might not like the idea of putting the FE on the
Citrix server in which case you have no choice but to use the file
server. Performance won't be quite as good but will still work
quite well. Or so my experience went three years ago.

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
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

Thanks for the help! Digesting your response will take a while.

Do ensure you keep asking questions if things don't quite make sense.

Can you
recommend a good book to use as a reference for someone just above a novice,
such as myself?

Books almost certainly wouldn't go into this much depth on these kinds
of details. What version of Access? If A2003 and earlier I'd
suggest the Access 2002 Developers Handbook as it is the "Bible". And
actually that set of books is quite relevant to A2007 as well as the
code and much of the topics won't have changed.
http://www.developershandbook.com/ Hmm, that website hasn't been
changed since about 2000 or 2001. Still a fine, fine series of books
though.

If A2007 then I strongly suspect Microsoft® Office Access™ 2007 Inside
Out by John Viescas and Jeff Conrad , both of whom I've met, would
likely be an excellent book.
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/authors/auth9784.aspx
I haven't read it myself though.

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
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

 

[David W. Fenton]

I've developed a small application and put it on the company's
shared drive. I tried splitting the database, but performance was
horrible. The non-split version runs reasonably well when opened
in a Citrix session, but the problem is maintenance and locking
people out while I'm working. They call wondering why the
application won't run. Does it make sense to split the database
and leave both FE and BE in the same folder if everyone is going
to open the application through Citrix? hope this makes sense.

Splitting is a necessity for all but about .001% of Access apps, in
my opinion:

Every Access application with more than one user should be split. NO
EXCEPTIONS.

Every Access application where the user needs to get updates to the
forms/reports from someone else should be split, even if it has only
one user. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Every replicated Access app should be split. NO EXCEPTIONS.

And every user should have an individual copy of the front end, no
matter whether the app is running on a workstation or in a Terminal
Server/Citrix session. NO EXCEPTIONS.

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

Splitting is a necessity for all but about .001% of Access apps, in
my opinion:

Right off hand, the only exception is that the person who created it
is the only person who will ever use the Access app.

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
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

 

[David W. Fenton]

Right off hand, the only exception is that the person who created
it is the only person who will ever use the Access app.

....and it's not replicated.

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

...and it's not replicated.

Good point. Never done that so I had completely forgotten about that.

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
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

 

[David W. Fenton]

Good point. Never done that so I had completely forgotten about
that.

I was expecting you to ask why anyone would replicate an MDB that
only one person was using, and I was prepared to explain that they
might want to use it in multiple locations and synch, rather than
copy.

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

I was expecting you to ask why anyone would replicate an MDB that
only one person was using, and I was prepared to explain that they
might want to use it in multiple locations and synch, rather than
copy.

<chuckle>

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
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/