Multiuser

[cplgroup]

Hi,
I would like to know if Alpha Five Version 6 is multiuser (can 2 or more users to use the same database at the same time?).
Not with Shadow database and then refresh the master database.

thanks in advance

[Steve Workings]

Yes, A5 can support multiple users against a single database simultaneously.

[Cheryl Lemire]

You would need to purchase the multi user licenses in order to have that functionality. Keep in mind if you are not using a shadow this can slow things down for you and is not necessarily the best practice.

[CALocklin]

Not with Shadow database and then refresh the master database.

I could be wrong but the way you worded your comment makes me think that you may misunderstand the meaning of a "shadow database".

The way you've written it implies to me that you think the shadow database is a copy that somehow later gets copied back to the master database. If this is your thinking it is absolutely incorrect. A shadowed database in effect has a copy of all the graphics stuff on the local workstation so the various forms, reports, etc. don't have to be moved over the network every time it has to be redrawn. Constantly moving this stuff over the network would be a terrible waste of network resources for something that is basically a static file. There are also some pointer files copied to the workstation and these point to the data on the server. There is never any data on the workstation. (Well, somebody's likely to argue with that so let me clarify it. Under normal circumstances there is never any data on the local workstation. However, if there is a special need for it you can force some data to be on the local workstation - but you will have to work harder at doing this than using it the normal way where the data is only on the server. And, the only reason for doing this would be because nobody but the local user should have access to that particular table.)

[cplgroup]

Thanks

:) Thanks All for your response.

[czar_g]

Hello

Dumb question.

Each time an update to a report/form etc on the main DB machine - does the shadow on anothers machine have to be updated? Sorry for the newbee quesion about multi-user shadowing network optimizing - It has been a learning experience that has been frustrating to say the least...

Thanx
George

[csda1]

George,

Yes, the shadow's have to be updated at each workstation any time the master is changed. Alpha has an automatic way to do this (based upon a developer setting a version number) that will force a refresh of the shadow the next time the database is opened on the workstation.

Cal's answer was absolutely right. I'll add that I often copy temporary data to the local drive to process, as it is more efficient at times (from a network load point-of-view) to copy the data once from the server, then process it on a local drive, than to do multiple accesses over the network, or to lock the table for a long time (which means others have no access during that window).

[czar_g]

thank you - :)