"The database has been placed in a state of admin by..."

[Futures_Bright]

Hi all,

I've designed and built a database for my company and launched it recently. Unfortunately users have started complaining about an error message appearing stating "The database has been placed in a state of admin by...". Even after reading several forum threads on similar faults, I'm at a loss how to fix this - any suggestions would be much appreciated!

I don't want to upload a copy of the database as it is quite large, so I will do my best to give the potentially relevant key points below:

• It is a split database, designed in Access 2010
• The front end is an ACCDE file
• The back-end is an ACCDB file
• The database needs to be accessed by personnel globally
• Because of speed issues, it was decided that all users would use the same front end via Citrix XenApp
• Not all users use Access 2010 (I don't think this is the cause as myself and another 2010 user get this error too when testing a copy)
• It has a module for user security changing the locked, visible and enabled properties for all items on forms and reports.
• Client settings for front end default open in shared mode, default record locking - no locks, "Open databases by using record-level locking" ticked legacy encryption
• Client settings for the back end has no record locking and uses legacy encryption
• Both front end and back end have been compacted & repaired

My theory is that it is because everyone is using the same front end, however we do have other Access databases designed by an external company which allow multi-user access through this method of access. The reason the same front end is accessed via XenApp is for the speed of accessing the data - when using a locally saved version of the front-end the speed is extremely slow (but at least it works).

Are there any other theories worth investigating?
If I am right what is the best way to fix this? Would converting the back-end to SQL be an effective solution? Is there a way to prevent locking the database when a user enters the database but still locking records when editing?

If there's anything I haven't thought to include please feel free to ask. Thanks in advance.


Kind regards,

Michael

Edit: As an additional thought, we use SharePoint 2007 at the moment, and there is talk of upgrading to a later version - does anyone have any experience 'hosting' databases on SharePoint? Would this solve the problem?

 

[llkhoutx]

You probably have a bound forms which a user opens and moves to a specific record. Another user opens the same form on another record, but the 1st has locked the table which prohibits then other user from using it.

Your should set "Record Locking" in Access options to "optimistic."

 

[Futures_Bright]

Thank you for the suggestion llkhoutx (P.S. "Newly Registered User" + join date Feb 2001!?).

I'm not sure I completely understand the record locking - would this error also occur if people use different front end's? I thought it would. Also the first forms that users are guided to are unbound with no actual data in them (the only data it looks up is the user's permission level via VBA code) and the error still happens, should this produce the error?

Reading this article it doesn't appear to be the case (although that could just be based on the assumption that multi-user = multi front end). I expect it will take quite a bit of work to run through all bound forms to make them unbound (as well as making sure the correct security is in place), so I'd like to avoid this if possible.

IT are reluctant to use multiple front-ends because of the administration of this (I'm not sure if speed will be compromised yet). If I can't convince them to do this, are there any other possible causes/alternative methods to look into?

 

[gemma-the-husky]

I think your locking setting IS optimistic, so that is not a problem
Client settings for front end default open in shared mode, default record locking - no locks,

it depends what your dbs is doing internally. Clearly access does not like something. Multiple concurrent users in the front end is just not recommended. That is surely the issue.


if you are logging in to citrix to use the dbs, how can you be using different access versions?

 

[Futures_Bright]

Thanks for your help Gemma, the multiple users using the same front end did appear to be the issue.

We resolved it by replacing the citrix shortcut with a .bat file that copied the front end to the user's "my documents" folder (without prompt if replacing) and opened from there.

Added bonus - means I don't need everyone to be out of the database to update the front end, it will automatically download the latest version