Synchronizing Auto-Updates or Other Solution

[drdespair]

Hello all,

I have a front end and a back end access database. All of the logic is defined on the front end side, and the back end is basicaly tracks records changes historicaly, as well as provide the front end with the latest status of the record.

Currently I have my front end connect to an AS400 database to check is something has changed on a record, and if it has the front end will post a new record into the back end that will become the "latest" record for that set. This need to be done every minute.

My problem is that how do I do this with multiple uses without several of them posting the same update to the back end (because of timing issue between the front end the back end for which record to verify against the AS400 data, and the posting of the new Status to the back end database)

My environment does not allow me to schedule anything, it has to be done while a client (one of several) is open. Any thoughts on how to deal with this? Thanks!

DrD

 

[pbaldy]

I'm not clear on what you're trying to achieve, but a form has a timer event that can be used to execute a process every minute.

 

[drdespair]

Hmm let me try to draw is:

AS400
/ ¦ \
/ ¦ \
Client Client Client
\ ¦ /
\ ¦ /
Back End (no record editing, only record creation)


The record life cycle is a like this, user creates a record on the back end, at some point the another process changes a status in AS400, the client goes to check this every minute and creates an updated status of the record on the back end based on the information from AS400. My worry is that when I have 20 clients all trying to update the same records every minute at some point I am going to end up having duplicate statuses created on the back end. Ideally I would prefer to run one job every minute on the back end but I have no way of triggering it, and if I have the clients trigger it, how do I make sure it only triggered once regardless of how many clients are "connected".

DrD.

 

[pbaldy]

One thought that comes to mind is a table with a date/time field in it. Your process could check that and only run the process once a minute has passed, and update the field at that point. Another is a special copy of the front end that only runs on one computer.