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Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

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    Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

    I wrote:
    -------------------------------

    As I understand it, Network Optimize copies over forms, indices, etc. to a shadow folder. It also makes a local table whose only entry is a pointer to the "server" table. That works for me. Refreshing this new shadow database after updating forms or indices etc. copies them over again so the "client" has the current version of them. My problem (reported earlier in a thread called "Problems With Forms" or something like that) was that once the form was copied over, it was broken. I was able to work around it by manually coping the files (muf, cdx, and the rest - 9 total) from the "server" to the "clients" shadow directory. My new problem is that I have created an index in this database. It is just the Last Name field. Now searching on the "server" machine is much faster. Using "Find by Key" is asks for Last name and hurries right along. Refreshing the shadow databases to copy this all over to the "client" (I also tried deleting everything on the client and doing a new Network Optimize) should have copied this index over. However, it didn't. Find by Key still asks for the default "record number". I tried my previous work-around (manually bringing the files over), but it didn't help this time. Any thoughts? Thanks again everyone. Sean

    Tom Cone Jr wrote:
    -------------------------------
    Sean, I think you're headed for trouble if you manually copy tables and indexes from the server to your shadow folder and then run the app against them there. If Alpha Five opens a live table in your shadow folder and your user makes changes, they will not be recorded in the corresponding tables on the server.

    Sometimes the terminology gets in the way.

    Assume the workstation has its own copy of Alpha Five (the program files).
    Assume the workstation has 'mapped' the folder on the server where the data resides to a local drive letter, and that this mapping is the same throughout all workstations. i.e. they all see the server's data folder as Drive Y: or whatever.

    If you start A5 on the workstation, and then open the database on the server (in drive Y:, for example) you could then 'network optimize' the database. This process will build shadow copies of your data tables in a folder on your local workstation. It will also copy all the supporting and ancillary files, ....

    My Reply:
    -------------------------------
    Alpha Five is installed on the workstations. I didn�t copy tables. The table still resides on the �server�. The only table on the clients is the shadow one (containing one entry, a pointer to the �server� table). Network Optimize copies a set of files (looks like everything except the DBF �tables�) to the �client� machine. However, those files are broken when they get there. That is, when I try to open our one form on the �client� machines, it tries to open the default form, which doesn�t display all our fields, instead of the one I designed that works fine on the �server� (for details see the thread �Problems Loading Form� from 9/14/00).

    I was able to overcome the form problems by manually copying those ancillary files to the clients shadow directory. Not ideal, not the way Alpha 5 is supposed to work, but it gets me by and back to my actual job.

    My new problem is that the client machines are not recognizing the index that I built for this database on the server. It looks like this in Define Indexes.

    Last LNAME Ascending All
    It works great on the server. If I use �Find by Key� rather than �Find Text� it prompts me for the Last field (Last Name) and when I enter Miller (or whatever) goes right to the first entry. I can then use the Next button to go through them, even to new ones that match that name that have been added since the database was last sorted (and thus are at the very end after the Z�s).

    On the shadow database on the �clients� though, �Find by Key� prompts me for the record number (or whatever the default index is before you build any). Network Optimize, Refresh Shadow, and manually copying over the ancillary files � none of them helped.

    Thanks Tom & everyone!

    Sean

    Who knows where data lurks on the network. The Shadow knows. HAHAhahahahaha

    #2
    RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

    Sean,

    Sorry you're having so much trouble. What you are attempting should work. It works on every (28 of them)machine in our enterprise. No consolation or benefit to you, I know. I could suggest several approaches, some of which you have probably already tried.

    Most likely to succeed:

    Delete the entire shdow directory on the client machines. Database compact your server version of the application. Re-do the network optimization on the client machines.

    Just a thought. You haven't "Network Optimized" the "development" machine, have you? If you are making your changes to the development machine's shadow files, they are not available to the client machines.
    There can be only one.

    Comment


      #3
      RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

      Stan Mathews wrote:
      -------------------------------
      attempting should work. It works on every (28 of them)machine in our enterprise. No consolation or benefit to you, I know. I could suggest several approaches, some of which you have probably already tried.

      >> Well, it is good to know that the program does work and that is just something we have done that doesn't. I can't imagine what though, one table, one form, one index, one server, 2 workstations.

      Most likely to succeed:

      Delete the entire shdow directory on the client machines. Database compact your server version of the application. Re-do the network optimization on the client machines.

      >> I will give this a try. I did delete everything off the client machines before and start over, but I don't think I compacted inbetween. It can't hurt.

      Just a thought. You haven't "Network Optimized" the "development" machine, have you? If you are making your changes to the development machine's shadow files, they are not available to the client machines.

      >> No. Although that might be a good test (the shadow, not developing on the wrong database). If I shadow the "server" to a shadow directory on the server, will the form/index/etc. work. I may give that a try.

      Sean

      Comment


        #4
        RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

        Stan wrote>

        Most likely to succeed:

        Delete the entire shdow directory on the client machines. Database compact your server version of the application. Re-do the network optimization on the client machines.

        Me>

        OK. I started fresh. New client machine. I went over to the server and made sure everything was working there. Compacted the database. Restarted, made sure everything was working.

        Went to my client machine. Mapped drive Z to the data directory on the server. Opened the database on the server. I can open the form. It DOES NOT recognize the index.

        Ran Network Optimize and restarted Alpha. Opened my new shadow database. Form works. Still doesn't recognize the index.

        Any other ideas?

        Sean

        Comment


          #5
          RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

          if the indexes do not work when you open the database before network optimizing what makes you think it will work after?

          are all you tables in the same directory?
          what operating sys are you using for both server and cliets?
          I would design the network to have the same drive on all machines including the server.

          good luck

          Comment


            #6
            RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

            Michael Pesach wrote:
            -------------------------------
            if the indexes do not work when you open the database before network optimizing what makes you think it will work after?

            - The index works when the application is run on the server against the database on the server. It does not work from the client machines either against the database on the server or against a shadow database.

            are all you tables in the same directory?

            - All one table is in the same directory on the server.

            what operating sys are you using for both server and cliets?

            - Windows 98SE

            I would design the network to have the same drive on all machines including the server.

            - Hmmm. If I mapped to drive Z on the clients. You are suggesting that I create a new drive on the server somehow called Z? Before I go about trying to do that, why would you suggest this? What difference do you think it will make? I am willing to give it a shot, but why?

            Thanks Michael.

            Sean

            Comment


              #7
              RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

              >>OK. I started fresh. New client machine. I went over to the server and
              made sure everything was working there. Compacted the database.
              Restarted, made sure everything was working.

              Comment


                #8
                RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

                This should not be so complicated...

                Sean, why don't you provide us with your exact path of your application from the desktop to the server.

                Can you open the application from the desktop without
                the network optimize and still have it fully functional?

                Network optimize is a very simple process. Sometimes we have found that you have to do it one system at a time, but
                all of my staff does it each and every morning before they
                start work, and they are all low tekkers. Sometimes due to programming development, daily we network optimize 3, 4 or more times without any failure whatsoever.

                My path looks like this:
                Code:
                 "C:Program Filesa5v4alpha5.exe" "Opcenter serveropnewOpNew.ADB" -icon="c:Program FilesA5V4susahous.ico" -title="SERVICE usa Inc Operations Center v8.0.118" -splash="c:Program FilesA5V4susaSATN.bmp"
                Opcenter server is the name on the network for the server that has a5v4 and we do a simple Network map to the A5v4 folder.

                Comment


                  #9
                  RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

                  Peter Wayne wrote:

                  I would copy down the index definitions and then delete the
                  .cdx file for the table. Then recreate the indexes - which you can do from either a workstation or the server. Just for kicks,recreate the index froma workstation - make sure you are logged in to the server database and not the shadow. Finally, run network optimize again.
                  Is there something peculiar about your index?

                  >> I will give that a try. Nothing particular about the index. One of the 80 fields in our table is called LNAME (a very clever name for Last Name). I simply index on this, sorted ascending. It is the primary (and only) index.

                  Sean

                  Comment


                    #10
                    RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

                    Elliott Lester wrote:

                    My path looks like this:
                    Code:
                     "C:Program Filesa5v4alpha5.exe" "Opcenter serveropnewOpNew.ADB" -icon="c:Program FilesA5V4susahous.ico" -title="SERVICE usa Inc Operations Center v8.0.118" -splash="c:Program FilesA5V4susaSATN.bmp"
                    Opcenter server is the name on the network for the server that has a5v4 and we do a simple Network map to the A5v4 folder.

                    >> Hmm. Actually I am not even trying anything as fancy as starting the database right up. I start the Alpha Five application with a shortcut that his this path:

                    "C:Program FilesA5V4Alpha5.exe"

                    Then a little box comes up with the most recently used databases list (or I can skip that and go to file - open).

                    I am using the default location for the shadow database

                    C:Program FilesA5V4Shadow

                    On the server, the actual files are found at:

                    C:Data

                    I agree it shouldn't be that complicated. Most people here are asking for help with scripts or complex forms or so on. Not me, I just need it to work at its most basic level, I can worry about the rest later.

                    Thanks,

                    Sean

                    Comment


                      #11
                      RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

                      Sean,

                      I had a similar problem which was resolved by updating the runtime engine on each workstation.

                      My users were running vers. 4 build 219.

                      My development version was running vers. 4 build 230.

                      Problem went away and my users could 'see' the indexes when they were updated to build 230.

                      -- tom

                      Comment


                        #12
                        RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

                        What is the full path of the actual files located on the
                        server from your desktop?

                        And when you are opening from the database list, Windows
                        pops up a look in dialogue box--where are you looking?

                        Comment


                          #13
                          RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

                          Shoot! Another perfectly sensible explantion shot down. We all have build 230. It is what came on our CD.

                          It has to be something simple and I am just not familiar enough with this software or networking to see it. Does Alpha 5 prefer any particular network protocols? We got our network courtesy of a DSL router and thought we should take advantage of it with this software. Obviously TCP/IP is installed. I also have IPX/SPX. Should I change the frame type from Auto to 802.3 or something.

                          Sean

                          Comment


                            #14
                            RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

                            Elliott Lester wrote:
                            -------------------------------
                            What is the full path of the actual files located on the
                            server from your desktop?

                            >> It was S2data
                            This latest go-around I noticed someone said to map a drive, so I have:

                            Z:

                            Which is mapped to S2data
                            >>

                            And when you are opening from the database list, Windows
                            pops up a look in dialogue box--where are you looking?

                            >>
                            Well, when I open the database on the server, it is

                            z:database for nti

                            The shadow database appears in the recently used list as

                            c:program filesa5v4shadowdatadatabase for nti

                            I use the same paths using File - Open.

                            Does that answer your question, or did I misunderstand it?

                            Thanks again for your help.

                            Sean

                            Comment


                              #15
                              RE: Networks, Shadows, Forms & Indices

                              Sean:

                              I attach a screen shot of what my system shows when
                              the Welcome to A5 list appears.

                              If you notice, the second on the list is how my system
                              shows the server database.

                              From what I can tell, you appear to be network optimizing
                              your Desktop's C drive database, resulting in the shadow of
                              what is on the desktop instead of what is on the server.

                              You must first open the server's database. Then network optimize it.

                              Take a screen shot of your system.

                              Comment

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