Denying Access to Files (Brainstorming) 1

[circes9]

Here's a challange for you more experienced Clipper-heads...

Background: Clipper/Comix application (Clip5.2d) and 60 users; Novell 5 server

Problem: How to keep users out of data files with their Excel, Word, Access, R&R Report Writer, etc., and limit data access to only via Clipper app.

What does your experience suggest as possiblities?

Would like to hear any related success stories or failures.

Thanks

 

[TonHu]

<theoretical mode>
Get a hold of AXS, Advantage xBase Server, and put the files in a protected area only visible to the server part of AXS.
</theoretical mode>

Haven't tested or tried this ever, but seems like a viable option. It's called client-server s-)

HTH
TonHu

 

[sduraiappan]

You can lock and Unlock the files by opening the files in Binary Mode and change some first two/three byte information.

By changing this information, the database cannot be accessed. To access the database you have to restore the old information. These bytes are common to all files and you can easily restore it.

Durai.

 

[HotEye]

If you do not give the users FILE SCAN rights to the directory, they will not see the files when they browse, but they will be able to access them if they know the filename and type it in.

Although not fully secure, this is an easy option to implement.

 

[Bozz]

There was a similar post on the 23rd Dec 2002. You might want to look at that.

All of these &quot;change a byte or two&quot; of the header of the DBF ideas are OK but, who of the 60 users is going to change it? By this I really mean that it's virtually unworkable.

I still think that making it a sackable offence to all staff has some merit! Ian Boys
DTE Systems Ltd

 

[itatmce]

Hi,
try out ADS (Advantage Database Server) developed by extended systems. you´ll have to
replace your RDDs with &quot;dbfntxax&quot; RDDs and
relink your apps. So if you open files in
shared modus, no other application will be able to write to your dbs, because they´ll be in exclusive access by ADS. Besides ADS is a
client/server database engine and contributes
stability to your dbs and indexfiles and you´ll feel the change in speed as well.
Best Regs, Aram

 

[RHankinsJr]

What I do in this case is set the attrib to hidden. Then I can access it like normal thru my application but they cannot see in the the explorer window unless they have view all files open. If you are using win2k then you can right click on the file and set the properties up so only the program can access it. Richard L. Hankins Jr.
Senior Programmer
Auction Services, Inc.

 

[mehrnosh]

Hi

As sduraiappan correctly mention u can change the first bytes of the dbf file which is usually chr(3), but in foxpro with dbf having memofield it's different
U will have to use low level functions like fopen()

 

[Bozz]

Richard,
How do you set the properties in W2K to specify the programme that accesses the database. As far as I can see it only allows you to set the user that accesses the data. Using the hidden attributes is only OK if users have not changed their default view.

Mehrnosh,
The origional questions was about a 60 user system. Chances are the file will always be open by somebody so how does changing a byte help?
Ian Boys
DTE Systems Ltd

 

[circes9]

thanks for your suggestions...

thinking of moving dbf's to a new folder and hiding it,

your thoughts?