Shadow Update Problem

[Peter.Greulich]

On Fridays I copy my database to a zip drive, bring it hope, do some work, bring it back to work on Monday.

At home the database is on C:/dba5
At work the database is on P-333/c:/dba5 over the network

When I copy the zip drive back to P-333 on Monday and I load the shadow database on my PC (P-933), the shadow update script (essentially the shadow_update() command) doesn't fully run. It only modifies the shadow dbf files, ERRONEOUSLY, to point to C:/dba5, INSTEAD OF P-333/c:/dba5.

The error appears to be Alpha, looking at the adb file, which just came from home and is pointing to c:/dba5. Does this make any sense? Does anyone have an understanding of what is going on? Any insight would be much appreciated...

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Shadow Update Problem

Peter, I've seen something similar, but the circumstances are sufficiently different that it may not help. But, here goes.


If I mistakenly network optimize to a different location on the local workstation I wind up with two shadow folders each of which contain a shadow copy of the networked database. If I then open the original shadow copy of the database (instead of the most recent one) I get exactly the same pathing type error you are seeing.


Admittedly this is a bit of a long shot, but if I were you I'd make sure that the shortcut I'm using to open the database is pointing to the most recent shadow copy of your database.


Hope this helps.

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: Shadow Update Problem

Thanks Tom, I use a batch file to open my database. The shortcut points to the batch file which is located in the same folder as the source database. The batch file contains the following:

"C:\Program Files\A5V4\Alpha5.exe" "C:\Program Files\A5V4\shadow\dba5\gei_db.adb" -maximize -title="Company Database" -splash="C:\Program Files\A5V4\shadow\dba5\Boston.bmp" -command=script_play("CPH")

The batch file points to the users c: drive, to load A5.exe and the shadow database. I must be missing something. Somehow, Alpha sees c:\dba5 as the path. I don't get it.

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: Shadow Update Problem

Tom, Are you saying that the original net optimize points to an incorrect path? What happens if you don't optimize the second time? Is the path then still incorrect? Or, in other words, do you have to always optimize twice to get it right?

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: Shadow Update Problem

Confirmed the problem and how to avoid it. The adb file remembers the relative path of the database, each time you work on the app. Shadow Update copies the adb relative path into each of the shadow table pointers. So if you worked on the adb in C:, and then copy the application along with the adb file onto a network server, for example, and then you update the shadow over a network, all of the shadow dbf pointers aim to the local C: drive, instead of the network path.

Moral of the story: Never copy the adb file, unless you load the non-shadowed app over your network, before updating the shadow. You may have to add and/or drop tables & sets from the adb file in both locations from the source database. Then, and only then, is it safe to run the shadow/update.

Very confusing. This may not qualify as a bug, but on the other hand it isn't a "feature" either. I hope this is fixed in ver. 5. What a P.I.T.A.!