Question Best UPDATE method?

[Reflex_ht]

Is tehere a sample plan, method or something showing the best way to update a multyuser Access application. There could be thousands of solutions and i have some couple of Ideas how to make it but I don´t want to invent the weal again :banghead: THX

 

[Mr. B]

The answer to the question you have asked is much more involved than can be answered in a simple response.

Here is link that might help get you started down the correct path:
http://www.opengatesw.net/ms-access-tutorials/Access-Articles/MSAccess-Deployment-Best-Practices.htm

As you move forward, please post back with specific questions.

 

[Reflex_ht]

THX for the Reply

The Informations on the link where very helpful

Lots of thoes things I already do like it is explained. Some more, some less because tehere are thing that can´t fit into our needs. Now the specific questions:

The main thing that I´m thinking about is how to update a existing application that is used by more than one user.

Saving it on the local PC's was my first tought and how i can see thats the right way

Now there are two main questions:
1. How to update the FE?
2. How to update tables in the BE?
3. How to "kick" all users out of the application when they "don´t want" or forget to do it on they'r own.

For the first question i have a Idea:
I would like that every user can desit when he eants to make the update, because some have more time some less and that is never at the same time. Because of that i want to make a button what makes the update. Of course (the update procedure is that the old FE file will be overwriten by the new one) I can do that just form the FE application. I managed it like this:
In the FE application is a button on witch klick it opens a other Application (update application) and closes the FE. The update application then just copy a new FE over the old one. I always use the same folder where i store the new FE and the FE is always saved on the "C:\" (no Folder). At this time i´m testing that solution but it migth be te right one if someone has sugestions or warnings pleas let me know.

The 2 question is more dificult and i don´t thing that there is such an easy way for solwing it like for the first one future fields are not something for me, because even this constalation od fields is hard to folow (and i made that thing ). Because i don´t think there is a good solution for the 2 question there is the 3 question. By kicking all users form the application I´ll have my time do work on the BE. There fore i could use just a table where i store a value 1 or 0. In the FE i could check that value in defined time intervals and if it is for example 1 it will notice the user that the application will be shut down for maintance. Something similar i will use for the FE updates where i sotre the version of the FE in a BE table and the FE that is in use always checks (at the startup) if it is the newest one. If it is it just displays on the start form that it is uptodate and if not it shows that there is a new one and alwso the version number of the old and the new one.

 

[Mr. B]

1. How to update the FE?

As you make changes to the FE you will need to distribute a new version out to all of your users. Here is a link to a very good solution to this issue.
http://autofeupdater.com/

2. How to update tables in the BE?'

For this one, I am assuming that you are talking about when you have to make changes or modifications to the structure of the tables that are located in the BE. You are correct that you would need to have exclusive access to the BE to make those changes and your question #3 is where the solution to this comes in.

3. How to "kick" all users out of the application when they "don´t want" or forget to do it on they'r own.

Here is a link to a thread that discusses this subject. Especialy take a look at the link provided by Doug Steele in the thread:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...05?msgId=f90e4150-472b-4591-abd4-399ac6240a67

Hope this helps.

 

[Reflex_ht]

OK

I solved all that things. I don´t know if it is a standard way but for me it all we need.

1. Update the FE:
In the BE is a table that just has the definiton of the newest FE (for example v1.2). In each FE i have a value that defines what the FE is (for ecample v1.1). Every 2 min the FE cheks in the BE table if that values match. If the'r don't match the FE runs a "update.bat" file and closes it self. The "update.bat" file copy-s the new FE over the old FE and opens the new FE. That all hapens in les than 5 sec. Copying with a .bat file goes extremely fast The users can't desid if they want do do the update. Everyone has 5 sec for that

2. Kick users form FE:
The same funktion that checks if there is a new FE checks also a value in the same table that just has 0 or 1. If the value is 0 nothing hapens. If it is 1 a dialog box (form made for that) comes up and shows a message to the user that the application will be closed. On the dialog box is a countdown of 10 sec after witch the application closes. The dialog box and countdown are there for noticing the user that the application closes because the administrator want that and not that the user thinks that a error crushed the application.

For now bouth funktions work greate if there will be errors i´ll post

THX for the sugestions. If someone has a good idea for this pleas let me know