Understanding the FE BE Scenario in a Multi-User Environment

[moishy]

I've read a lot about using FE/BE.

What I'm not clear on is the limitations:

What will happen if multiple users attempt to edit the same record?

Are there any limitations?

 

[RuralGuy]

One of the best MultiUser links I've ever found: http://www.accessmvp.com/TWickerath/articles/multiuser.htm

 

[moishy]

I can't open that website, can you copy the content, please.

 

[jdraw]

That link opens for me.
Here's some others that may apply
http://www.hitechcoach.com/index.ph...o-application-anddata&catid=65:split-database

http://www.fmsinc.com/microsoftaccess/Performance/LinkedDatabase.html

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/performancefaq.htm
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-reasons-to-split-an-access-database/1119
http://www.fmsinc.com/microsoftaccess/databasesplitter/index.html
http://www.allenbrowne.com/ser-01.html

 

[moishy]

Thank you for the links, but most of them don't mention multi-users at all. I understand that the ling posted by RuralGuy can be opened by you, but for some reason I can't. Can someone please post the content of that link.

 

[jdraw]

Try this, I copied and saved it.
http://www.4shared.com/document/v-Kh3OqK/multiuser.html

 

[moishy]

Does anybody know what will happen if multiple users try to access the same record or table simultaneously?

 

[boblarson]

By default, multiple users can have the same record open and the person who updates last, wins.

 

[gemma-the-husky]

the truth is the likelihood of multiple users trying to change the same record at the same time in a multi-user environment is negligible

even so, access offers a choice of strategies

a pessimistic strsategy: an explicit locking strategy that physically presents users being able to read a record in the course of being edited

or an optimistic strategy (the default): users can read records without them being locked, but beofre writing a change, the record is re-read in case it changed. If so the record cannot be saved and the user is warned. This strategy is generally adequate. As I said, in a correctly designed database, the likelihood of multiple contempory updates is very very small.

 

[jdraw]

There is a write up on various aspects of JET/ access at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Jet_Database_Engine

I have not seen, nor found, a thorough treatment/write up of record locking with Access from M$oft or others.

 

[Pat Hartman]

The user gets no error if he reads a record that has been dirtied but not saved by another. If the form shows the record selector, it will show a circle with a line through it which is the typical symbol for blocking something. If he procedes to change the record and attempts to save it, he will be presented with an error message with three options.