Does anyone run their application o

[TheBulldog]

Does anyone run their application on a Novell network, uses VFP database containers,install the software on the server, installs the VFP dll's on each workstation and executes the application from the server?

I've got an accounting application that uses transaction processing to update several files at once. I've opened the files to be updated in table buffering mode and I've done all updates before starting the begin transaction. Inside the begin/end transaction I've got the usual tableupdate() with a rollback and tablerevert() if any of the tableupdates fail or a end transaction if everything goes okay.

The problem is with a couple of customers who have large data sets on a Novell network. During the transaction, they're getting an error on one of the tableupdates - "record is in use by another user". If they don't update as large a batch of information, they don't get the error.


This process works fine on an NT server or by putting the data on a local drive. Any ideas about what's up here?

Thanks

 

[Scott24x7]

TheBulldog,
If it is a large client, odds are, someone is actually using the record (even viewing it, if you have pessimistic buffering), will generate "Record in use" message. Either switch to optimistic buffering, or ensure no one is in the system at the time the transactions are committed (not very practical), or write in some "Wait/Kill" code in your transaction process that waits until the records are released. I've worked a lot with Novell, and that doesn't sound like any problem specifically Novell related that I've encountered. Best Regards,
Scott

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, and no simpler."

 

[TheBulldog]

Scott:
We know that there is no one else in the system. In addition, this is happening at 5 different sites. I think there is an issue with having the .exe run from the server. We've already changed to optimistic buffering and it still happens. If the users process 10 fewer transactions at at time, there is no problem. When they try to post between 10 & 100, the error occurs. I've been told that the workstations are Win2000 & XP's. No reported problems when the workstation is a 9x platform.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[DSummZZZ]

You may need to tweak the Novell Client on their machines. Change the File Caching to off, and File Commit setting to On to start with (Advanced Settings tab). It at times takes Novell 30 seconds or more to release its lock of a file or record, even though the app has released it.
Dave S.

 

[TheBulldog]

One of the network guys suggested that it is problem with the server settings where there was a maximum of 500 record locks per connection and 20,000 total record locks. Should these settings be increased and by how much?

TIA,
Mike

 

[DSummZZZ]

We ran into a scenario once where the settings had to be changed on the server. I forget the exact names of the settings, but one was concurrent open files, and the other was concurrent locks. It wasn't per user, but per server settings, although user settings could also be an issue.
If one user has five tables open, there could easily be 100 actual file handles used. Considering the executable, all the runtime files, the table files themselves, associated .CDX's and .FPT's, not to mention any temp tables that VFP has created, reports, .FXP's, bitmaps...
You get the idea.
Dave S.

 

[TheBulldog]

Thanks Dave!
They changed the settings to 3000 record locks per conenction and 80,0000 total record locks and the problem went away. It sure seems like an immense amount of work for a network administrator to determine some number of records that a given workstation might need to process for all of their applications.

 

[fluteplr]

Yes it is, and thats one of the prices you pay for running a Novell network. You get to spend a lot of time tweaking setting that IMHO should be taken care of automatically. On the other hand it keeps lots of Novell Network people employed.