Front End On Each Users Desktop vs One Front End

[CPGDeveloper]

Happy Holidays Everyone --

Quick Question --

I have always understood that the best practice in employing a multi-user MS Access Application is to have a split database, with the back end residing on a shared server, and each individual user would have an executable .accde version of the front end on their individual desktops.

The first job I ever had using MS Access many years ago -- this was the setup, and I have always replicated it -- it's been suggested to me that it would be easier to simply have one copy of the Front End on the network that all users access -- from everything I can find that would create some performance and corruption issues...but are there are other reasons to deploy separate front ends for each user?

 

[ranman256]

ALWAYS give every user their own copy of the FE.

All my users have their FE on the network, this way I can update everyone at the same time. They just dbl-click the shortcut on their desktop.
\\server\users\C.Xavier\Fe.accdb
\\server\users\J.Grey\Fe.accdb
etc...

code loops thru my list of users in a table , and copies the FE to each:
FileCopy vSrc, vTarg

 

[xenou]

from everything I can find that would create some performance and corruption issues...but are there are other reasons to deploy separate front ends for each user?

another reason would be difficulty in updating the FE because of the practical problem of not being able to access it exclusively if there are many users (many people leave programs like Access open all the time whether they are using it or not). So you have to have a way to kick people out when you want to add something to the DB (a report or new query or whatever).

 

[ranman256]

I built that too. My users leave it open so in tConfig table , I have field: Shutdown (yes/no)
The main menu runs a timer every 10 seconds to check for shutdown. If the shutdown flag is on , then a frmShutdown form opens to tell user of the pending quit.
I have all users tConfig tables linked into a db to allow me to shut individuals down simply by checking their tConfig.Shutdown field.

public form_Timer()
If IsShutdown() Then OpenShutdownForm
end sub

Public Function IsShutdown() As Boolean
  IsShutdown = DLookup("[shutdown]", "tblConfig")
End Function

Public Sub OpenShutdownForm()
  DoCmd.OpenForm "frmSystemShutdown"
End Sub

the form is bright yellow and says: THE SYSTEM IS UPDATING, TRY AGAIN IN 2 MINUTES"
then that form has a 5 second timer that then runs Docmd.Quit.
When the lock file vanishes, I then delete the exising app, and paste in the new version.
Simple.

 

[CPGDeveloper]

Thanks for the responses guys -- very helpful. Happy Holidays!

 

[Micron]

Agree with the foregoing, but will add that if temporary records are involved (not temp tables per se) you could easily find that in a shared FE, user B wipes out or otherwise modifies user A data when they perform the same operation, unless you incorporate user ID into the equation.