Problems with multiple users?

[solun]

Okay, I'm sure this has been addressed, but I can't find it in the FAQ or by keyword search, so I'm just gonna ask...

I have a small office (12 people) using Access 2000 (not a server edition, just the MS office 2K version) as a contact/membership db. The db lives on a shared network drive and is split into a full mdb and a replica. The users use the replica. I am constantly having to "compact and repair" the database because it doesn't seem to like having more than one person in it at a time, even if several are just doing data lookups and only one is entering/modifying data. Is this the usual way Access works??? (I'm a Notes/Domino developer.)

Thanks for any and all info!

Heidi

http://www.jamnturtl.net

 

[oharab]

Have a look at thread181-293590 for more ideas, but basically you need to split your database using the database splitter addin. This will create a file with just the data in it and another with the code & forms in it.
Put the data file on the shared drive, then each user should have a copy of the front end on their local machine.
The problem you have is most likely due to minor network problems that upset Access. By splitting the file you drastically cut down the amount of data sent accross the network. Have a look at my FAQ:faq705-2010 for detail on how to keep the front end up to date.
I've never used replica databases before & I'm not sure why you are using them here. You could make better use of the replica feature of the database and give each user a replicated version of the datafiles on their own hard drive and use code to automatically refresh the dataset every now and then. As I said, I've never used it before, butI think that's how replication is supposed to work!
Other things you might want to look out for are people just switching off machines instead of closing down Access then closing down windows.
One final thing you may want to consider: If a database file gets opened in word (stop laughing I have had it happen to me!) it can be made very very poorly indeed. If this may have happened you need to copy everything into a new file and pray!

Best of luck. Don't give up on Access too easily! She's sometimes touchy, but will always come through in the end!!!

B ----------------------------------
Ben O'Hara
bo104@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk
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[thornmastr]

Your configuration will work very nicely once you split your database into a FE (forms,queries, modules) and a BE (tables). You do not need replication. In fact, using Replication as you are, constant corruption and other problems are guaranteed.

You would use replication if your sales force needed a copy of the database on their notebook. Then, they would use the desktop brierfcase and replication to update the master database.

What you must do is split your database. If you need further confirmation of this look up split database on the MSKB.

Make sure that each user has their own copy of the front end. Make sure that the back end is specified as shared, not exclusive.
Robert Berman
Data Base consultant
Vulcan Software Services
thornmastr@yahoo.com

 

[ryan1]

One reason you might have to repair and recompact the database so much is that you cannot replicate a database while a user is using the database. "oharab" is right when he says you need to spilt the database into two separate databases one with tables and one with forms,reports and code and then link the tables. The only time i replicate data is for security purposes for items such as reports for people that don't have access to the server where my tables reside. I replicate the tables to a shared server and give the users a report front end this also cuts back on traffic to the main tables.