Question How to Auto FE Update when Shared LAN Drive transitioned to OneDrive Cloud? (1 Viewer)

mdlueck · Apr 12, 2019

Greetings,

I commonly use an Auto FE DB Updater described here:

FE AutoUpdate with RoboCopy / XCopy
http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=1214733#post1214733

Without a shared LAN drive available any longer, does anyone have suggestions how to still have shared access to the FE DB so it a master copy may still be centrally maintained?

I am thankful,

theDBguy · Apr 12, 2019

Hi Michael. You said there's no shared LAN drive anymore, what replaced it? Based on your topic title, it sounds like you're using OneDrive now, which should be/act like a "shared" drive. If so, then I am thinking your current method should still work, but will probably need a tweak to use the new path/location of the master FE in OneDrive.

mdlueck · Apr 12, 2019

Greetings theDBguy,

OneDrive Cloud took over the user's My Documents folder, former H: \ U: LAN drives. U: was something IT mapped in their login script. I mapped H: myself to establish a drive letter for where My Documents redirected to. My Documents redirected to a UNC.

No more LAN drives.

What was on the LAN drives got scooped into showing up under My Documents, but none of that is shared any longer.

Perhaps IT has the possibility to create shared OneDrive Cloud spaces. I do not know. The challenge is SME's used to be able to put their own shared apps on the network shared drive. Those days are gone. "IT controls everything shared now".

So, any option to self share in an individual isolated environment without having to get IT involved to provide something? Do others that have gone through a similar transition have advice of how to distribute from a single master location the FE DB in a OneDrive Cloud environment?

I am thankful,

theDBguy · Apr 12, 2019

Hi Michael. If I understand it correctly, if you used to have a shared LAN folder and it now shows up under My Documents, then all users on the old network should see the same files under their individual My Documents, correct? If so, you could try a little experiment. In your My Documents folder where the files are that used to be on the LAN, try creating a new file and then ask a colleague to see if they see it under their My Documents folder. Or, vice versa, ask someone to put a new file in their My Documents folder and see if you can see it in yours (after enough time for synchronization to happen, of course). If this works, then you know there's nothing special you have to do except change your script to point to the correct My Documents folder.

The_Doc_Man · Apr 12, 2019

You have a much worse issue. You need to bring this to the attention of your IT staff.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...onedrive/880e752f-9d66-41d9-838e-d80e45ba5a17

The problem is that OneDrive DOES NOT SUPPORT the protocols required for use of Access in its normal form. I don't know that as of yet anyone has a good solution.

This is going to be a stink-up-the-room issue between your IT staff and the management who wanted a particular Access database to exist. The "cloud" will support protocols that can do a specific block re-transmit (e.g. FTP can ask for a re-send of a garbled block when downloading). SMB cannot. Using Access over OneDrive ain't gonna fly. There are a few alternatives but SharePoint isn't a bed of roses either.

mdlueck · Apr 12, 2019

Lovely. Well IT's answer will be, "Quit using Access already!"

So no way to be able to have me update a master OneDrive cloud image, and allow the FE AutoUpdate script to see that the FE has changed, fetch a copy... as if it were a good old LAN drive share?

I am thankful,

theDBguy · Apr 12, 2019

mdlueck said:
Lovely. Well IT's answer will be, "Quit using Access already!"

So no way to be able to have me update a master OneDrive cloud image, and allow the FE AutoUpdate script to see that the FE has changed, fetch a copy... as if it were a good old LAN drive share?

I am thankful,

Hi. Did you try the little experiment I suggested earlier? Did it not work?

mdlueck · Apr 12, 2019

theDBguy said:
Hi. Did you try the little experiment I suggested earlier? Did it not work?

No one else may see files within anyone else's My Documents.

There is no equivalent in OneDrive Cloud of shared LAN drive folders. (With or without a drive letter.) At least not without requesting something from IT. According to this thread's links... does not sound like OneDrive Cloud supports the concept of an admin ID pushing an update into OneDrive Cloud and replicating that change out to a group of client computers. That would be similar to my Auto FE Update script. I could have my Auto FE Update script clone from that local C: master copy to a run-time copy each time the Access app is launched through the short cut.

[Access admin pushes new FE] --> [OneDrive Cloud] --> [Master copy of FE DB on C:] --> [Auto FE Update to a run-time copy also on C:]

I am thankful,

theDBguy · Apr 12, 2019

mdlueck said:
No one else may see files within anyone else's My Documents.

There is no equivalent in OneDrive Cloud of shared LAN drive folders. (With or without a drive letter.) At least not without requesting something from IT. According to this thread's links... does not sound like OneDrive Cloud supports the concept of an admin ID pushing an update into OneDrive Cloud and replicating that change out to a group of client computers. That would be similar to my Auto FE Update script. I could have my Auto FE Update script clone from that local C: master copy to a run-time copy each time the Access app is launched through the short cut.

[Access admin pushes new FE] --> [OneDrive Cloud] --> [Master copy of FE DB on C:] --> [Auto FE Update to a run-time copy also on C:]

I am thankful,

Hi. We could be talking about two different things here. As I said in my original post, I was assuming OneDrive Cloud is the same as OneDrive. If it isn't then I can't help you. But if it is, all I'm asking is you try what I suggested. If you did, then letting us know the results will help confirm your situation for us. For example, I share my OneDrive folder with others, and when I put a file in there, they see it. If they put a file in it, I see it. If this doesn't happen for you, then I guess OneDrive is different than OneDrive Cloud (and I am not yet familiar with it). Cheers!

mdlueck · Apr 12, 2019

theDBguy said:
For example, I share my OneDrive folder with others...

Ahhh... now that bit I have heard of as supported by OneDrive Cloud. So still would need to have IT build a non user account that is tied to the program, upload updates to the FE via that, and manage app users allowed to run the app.

Tie it to a non user as sure do not want poof the app to disappear when the app owner leaves the company.

Then my diagram earlier on this thread might work. I will investigate at the first client I encounter that migrates to OneDrive Cloud. (The place I have encountered OneDrive Cloud, I do not develop Access for consumption in a shared FE configuration.)

I am thankful,

theDBguy · Apr 12, 2019

mdlueck said:
Ahhh... now that bit I have heard of as supported by OneDrive Cloud. So still would need to have IT build a non user account that is tied to the program, upload updates to the FE via that, and manage app users allowed to run the app.

Tie it to a non user as sure do not want poof the app to disappear when the app owner leaves the company.

Then my diagram earlier on this thread might work. I will investigate at the first client I encounter that migrates to OneDrive Cloud. (The place I have encountered OneDrive Cloud, I do not develop Access for consumption in a shared FE configuration.)

I am thankful,

Hi Michael. So, based on your responses, I am getting the impression that you know for sure OneDrive Cloud is different from OneDrive, although you haven't said it specifically. Can you please post a link to where I can find out more about OneDrive Cloud, so I can try to determine if there are other options that might be available to you that I am just not aware yet? Thanks.

Question How to Auto FE Update when Shared LAN Drive transitioned to OneDrive Cloud? (1 Viewer)

mdlueck

Sr. Application Developer

theDBguy

I’m here to help

mdlueck

Sr. Application Developer

theDBguy

I’m here to help

The_Doc_Man

Immoderate Moderator

mdlueck

Sr. Application Developer

theDBguy

I’m here to help

mdlueck

Sr. Application Developer

theDBguy

I’m here to help

mdlueck

Sr. Application Developer

theDBguy

I’m here to help

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