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Who's got the table open?

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    Who's got the table open?

    I maintain an application for a group of roughly 50 users at a company. When I need to do table maintenance/index rebuilds, etc., I need exclusive control of various tables. The application that accesses the tables in question has a "Run on Load" form that hides itself, has nothing on it and no convienient way for the user to close it - and contains an on-timer script to A5Close() if table.close is .t. This works most of the time, but there are times when I try to close down the system - and am able to knock myself off - but still can't get exclusive control of the table I want.

    Given the group of users, the likelihood of someone disabling the "Run on Load" form that closes the system, or creating another database that includes various tables from the group is nil - there aren't any hackers.

    Does anyone know of a way (I'm on a Novel network) of looking at who on a network has a table open. I realize that I could try to implement a scheme for logging users in and out of a Registry table when they open the db and close it - but I would like to know what condition allows people to get around my first scheme. (They would probably beat a registry.dbf scheme in the same way.)


    I have tried to use a shareware program called FileSpy, but couldn't make it work. Maybe I do not have the required rights on the network? Any experience with this problem out there? Thanks in advance.

    -Bill

    #2
    RE: Who's got the table open?

    That's a good question. I'll be watching this thread, too.

    Do you suppose that some of your users are reloading your application after crashing it? This might result in files from the first instance still being considered 'open' by Windows. I wonder if you'd get better control if you prevented another instance from loading while any tables are still 'open' from the first instance? You could have them reboot between instances in this case.

    -- tom

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      #3
      RE: Who's got the table open?

      >

      This is what all of our cases have been. They might not crash A5 but will also do this if crash their system without exiting A5.

      Comment


        #4
        RE: Who's got the table open?



        This suggests that the users have access to the control panel. If so and someone has a table, form, etc. open in any mode other than view, it is possible to click the "Minimize" box (even accidently) which will put the table, form, etc. to the bottom of the screen. If the "Maximize" box is then clicked for control panel, the table, form, etc. which was minimized, will be hidden behind the control panel. You will be unable to use any form until the table, form, etc is maximized and closed.

        I doubt this is the case but then one never knows. Perhaps this may give you another thought to solving your problem.

        kenn
        TYVM :) kenn

        Knowing what you can achieve will not become reality until you imagine and explore.

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          #5
          RE: Who's got the table open?

          I use Filespy with great success. What problem do you have with it?

          In my experience you launch Filespy, type a pattern in the upper right box (invoi* would show you invoice.dbf, invoice.ddd, etc), highlight one of the files in the list, double click, view the user list.

          I don't remember exactly where the directory structure to be searched is specified and can't check since I'm at home. I could reply again on Monday if you are still interested.
          There can be only one.

          Comment


            #6
            RE: Who's got the table open?

            Bill,

            This may be the answer. A5 crashes now and then; seems to happen more on a network than a single user. Sometimes it crashes on a single user as mine just did, fatal error and then adios. When I tried to repoen A5, got the "I won't let you" message because there was already an instance running on the network. I don't have a network.

            This has been posted in the past and I never paid too much attention to it as I was not using a network. Now I see one doesn't have to have a network. I had to reboot to get back into A5.

            Is it possible one of the stations crashed?

            Just a thought.

            kenn
            TYVM :) kenn

            Knowing what you can achieve will not become reality until you imagine and explore.

            Comment


              #7
              RE: Who's got the table open?

              Thanks Tom: This may be the case, but how could you force a re-boot after a crash? The company has an unlimited user run-time license, so A5 will allow multiple instances of the program to be loaded.

              Comment


                #8
                RE: Who's got the table open?

                Ken: The "run on load" form that I refered to also does a controlpannel.hide. But in theory, a user could get a developer copy of A5 and create a new database and select the tables in question as part of it. Given the group, this (or other intentional hacking) seems unlikely. -Bill

                Comment


                  #9
                  RE: Who's got the table open?

                  Stan: Thanks for the input. I will try FileSpy again. When I tried using it before, I was not able to even detect myself (when I knew that I had a table open). I assumed that I did not have the required network right, but it's worth another try, as it would probably answer this mystery. -Bill

                  Comment


                    #10
                    RE: Who's got the table open?

                    Be sure you are looking at the right things. Try scanning the .muf file for your application (database). Try scanning the parent table of a form you have open. I'm not sure that Filespy will report that you have open all the tables in a set.
                    There can be only one.

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                      #11
                      RE: Who's got the table open?

                      Thanks Stan: I downloaded filespy again and it seems to work fine (unfortunately not before I offered two colleagues pizza lunch if they could figure it out). I must have messed up the down load or install - although it seems so straight forward now that I can't imagine how. I think this will solve my problem. Thanks again.

                      -Bill

                      Comment


                        #12
                        RE: Who's got the table open?

                        On the Novell server you can run the monitor program " load monitor "
                        From there you can see each user that is connected and under each user what files the user has open on the network. It can be time consuming but it does work. I have 50 users on a Novell network and often use this for the same reasons

                        Comment


                          #13
                          RE: Who's got the table open?

                          Thanks for the reply Gary. Based on Stan's comments above, I gave FileSpy another try and had no problem with it. (I believe that I must have been using an old/otherwise non-complient version of NetWare when I tried it before.) It downloaded in no time and the set up/use is very easy. And the price is $19.95 - hard to beat. I recommend it to anyone with this problem.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            RE: Who's got the table open?

                            Every network server I've ever used has some form of built in software or utility that lets you know exactly who's on the network and what directories and files they have open. Some, such as Novell, let you set permission|security levels. Most let you disconnect a user. Some require that you have a certain security level to do these things.

                            Why do you need to buy something else and have it running around mucking up the OS innerds?

                            Comment


                              #15
                              RE: Who's got the table open?

                              Jim, what tool would you use for a Win 9x peer to peer LAN?

                              -- tom

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