Network Optimize changing permissions?

[Cheryl Lemire]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Thiaz,

It almost sounds like you are running the network optimize from within the runtime on the workstation? If so, you only need to run the network optimize one time on the server itself, not on each work station.

[Doug Page]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Thiaz,

You only run the optimize once. You need to create the shadows on each workstation.

From the docs:

Configuring Network Optimization

1. Install the Alpha Five application on your server.
2. Make sure you can access the server from your workstations. (This sounds obvious it's amazing how many times this is an issue.)
3. Load the Alpha Five runtime or full version (whichever you plan to use) on your workstations.
4. Start Alpha Five on your workstation.
5. From the Alpha Five menu select File > Open Database... and navigate to your application on the server and open it. (Allow additional time for it to open over your network. I've seen this take almost 5 minutes on some real slow networks.)
6. Select Tools > Network Optimize... to display the Network Optimization dialog.

1. On the Basic tab, optionally click Specify Additional Files to specify other files such as image or help files that are part of your database. For example, a form in your application might use a bitmap file as a background image. If this image is not part of the database (i.e. does not show up in any of the tabs on the Control Panel ), then you need to specify it on the Additional Files dialog.
   1. Click Select.
   2. Navigate to and select the file.
   3. Click Open.
   4. Repeat steps 7a to 7c for each additional file to include.
2. Click OK to continue or Cancel to discard your inputs.

1. Click Create Shadow Database to create a Shadow Database.
2. On the Options tab, assign an initial version number to the Master Database. You will increment this number each time you want to enable a database refresh.
3. Specify rules for refreshing the Shadow Database when it does not match the Master database. When a user opens a Shadow Database, Alpha Five automatically checks the version number associated with the Shadow Database and compares it with the Master Database's current version number. If the Shadow Database is out of date, Alpha Five can warn the user, or it can automatically refresh the Shadow Database, depending on the rule you set. The options are:
   • Do nothing - allow the user to open the Shadow Database
   • Warn the user, but not require them to refresh the Shadow Database - Alpha Five will display a dialog when the user opens an out-of-date shadow database, but will allow the user to proceed without first refreshing the shadow database.
   • Automatically refresh the Shadow Database - Alpha Five will automatically update the shadow database if it is out-of-date.
4. Make a selection from When checking Version Number. By selecting the "Integer Portion Only" option, you can make incremental changes on the master copy of the database without forcing the shadow database to be updated. You can keep track of these incremental changes by assigning fractional version numbers. E.g. version 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 etc. Only when the integer portion of the version number is changed (e.g. from 1.3 to 2.0) will the shadow database be refreshed. See also A5_SetAppVersionNumber() and A5_GetAppVersionNumber(). The options are:
   • Entire version number
   • Integer portion only
5. Click Set to apply.

1. Wait for the optimize to complete. After it has completed and the application reloads, you can shut it down and set up your desktop icon. (You can also set it up ahead of time if you wish but the folders may not exist yet.). The icon should be formatted like this:

<path to alpha5.exe>\alpha5.exe <path to alpha5.exe>\Shadow\<adb_name>\<adb_name>.adb <any startup options you choose>

[DaveM]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

I personally dont think it wise to put your runtime app in a folder on the desktop. Try making a folder for it on your c: drive off your root.

Dave

[Ed Barley]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Dave is quite right. You do not want the folder quite that accessable to everyone.

Also look at what Doug has given you above.


Ed

[Thiazi]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Sorry for my ignorance, I must have misinterpreted the documentation. On Step #2, it says to make sure A57 can be loaded from the workstations, then step #3 says to load A57 on the workstations, and then step #5 & #6 say to run Network Optimize (with the instructions). I read that as performing those steps from the workstation itself, since the only step that references the server is step #1.

Here's what I've done from your recommendations above:

- Went to the server, ran network optimize
- Put files in a folder, copied said folder down to workstations' HD (in the root C: folder)
- Opened A57, then pointed it to open the .adb in the folder on the local HD
- Still getting permission errors (You are not allowed - same message)

However, one thing to note: I could always login as myself on the shadow copy. So, this time I tried one of the other admin logs, and it works fine as well. So it looks like anyone with Administrative rights to the DB can get in just fine, and this problem is only affecting users (even though they have Run permissions to the form it's telling them don't have access to run.)

[Cheryl Lemire]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Thiazi,

Perhaps the problem is in the permissions in the login script itself. The users may need to have admin permissions setup for that particular script/form? And run permissions with everything else? Or there is something in the script that is blocking them? I doubt any of this is the cause.

Part of me still thinks the way you are setting up the shadow databases is causing the problems. I only think this way because you say the users can login fine if they connect directly to the server, but not if they are connecting via the shadow copy on their work stations. This leads me to the way the shadow is actually being created.

You mention copying files from the server into a folder and then pasting them into the folder in the local work station. I have never done it this way so I cannot say if it will work or not. I have always created a blank db on the work station that runs an autoexec which basically prompts the user on the work station to navigate to the file server and select the db to open. This process then gets whatever files it needs and copies them to the local work station.

It is possible the way you are doing it, you are not retrieving all of the necessary files that need to be on the local work station in order for the db to operate correctly.

[Kanaka]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Thiazi,

Perhaps the problem is in the permissions in the login script itself. The users may need to have admin permissions setup for that particular script/form? And run permissions with everything else? Or there is something in the script that is blocking them? I doubt any of this is the cause.

Part of me still thinks the way you are setting up the shadow databases is causing the problems. I only think this way because you say the users can login fine if they connect directly to the server, but not if they are connecting via the shadow copy on their work stations. This leads me to the way the shadow is actually being created.

You mention copying files from the server into a folder and then pasting them into the folder in the local work station. I have never done it this way so I cannot say if it will work or not. I have always created a blank db on the work station that runs an autoexec which basically prompts the user on the work station to navigate to the file server and select the db to open. This process then gets whatever files it needs and copies them to the local work station.

It is possible the way you are doing it, you are not retrieving all of the necessary files that need to be on the local work station in order for the db to operate correctly.

Thiazi,
Did you try rebuilding the indexes on the tables/dbf files.

[Thiazi]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Thiazi,

Perhaps the problem is in the permissions in the login script itself. The users may need to have admin permissions setup for that particular script/form? And run permissions with everything else? Or there is something in the script that is blocking them? I doubt any of this is the cause.

Part of me still thinks the way you are setting up the shadow databases is causing the problems. I only think this way because you say the users can login fine if they connect directly to the server, but not if they are connecting via the shadow copy on their work stations. This leads me to the way the shadow is actually being created.

You mention copying files from the server into a folder and then pasting them into the folder in the local work station. I have never done it this way so I cannot say if it will work or not. I have always created a blank db on the work station that runs an autoexec which basically prompts the user on the work station to navigate to the file server and select the db to open. This process then gets whatever files it needs and copies them to the local work station.

It is possible the way you are doing it, you are not retrieving all of the necessary files that need to be on the local work station in order for the db to operate correctly.

Cheryl,

I do remember trying your autoexec late last week on a blank db I had created in the dev edition of A57, then copied this blank DB down to a workstation to run. Is that how you do it? I've noticed that since I only have the Runtime on the workstations, I cannot create a blank DB. I assume you're creating yours at the server (or where you have the developer edition installed) and copying the blank DB down to each workstation to run. I'll be happy to try this again if that is the case.

[Thiazi]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Thiazi,
Did you try rebuilding the indexes on the tables/dbf files.

Trying that now.

[Cheryl Lemire]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Thiazi,

Yes, I create the blank db where my full version of Alpha resides. When creating the new db, it MUST be the same name as your existing working db. There are no tables/sets, etc. The only file is an autoexec script with code similar to what was in the help files.

You do not need to network optimize anymore, you have done this a million times already. Unless you have turned off the network optimize in the working db. If it is turned off, reset it.

I would uninstall any db copies you have already made on a local work station. Do not uninstall the runtime on the work station.

Copy the empty db you created that has only the autoexec file in it, which is the exact same name as your working db to where you want the files on the work station. As recommended by others, place it somewhere in the root drive and not on the desktop. The files you are copying are the .alb, .alx, .alm, and .adb.

Once these four files are in the folder you want them to reside on the local work station, load the alpha runtime, select open db, navigate to the .adb file you placed in a folder on the local work station. You are doing all of this from the work station.

When this db opens, you will be prompted to navigate to the db you want, this is where you navigate to your file server and locate your working db. When the working db loads from the file server, I imagine based on what you are explaining, you will get a login screen. Login as one of your users. With any luck, it will work without a permission error.

Once the db has loaded, create your shortcut to point to the .adb file in the folder on the local work station.

Let us know how it goes, I will keep my fingers and toes crossed for you :)

[Thiazi]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Cheryl,

I followed your instructions exactly, creating the folder in the root directory, and I'm still getting the error message. :( Here is a screenshot of exactly what the error message looks like, then once you click OK, the second message that pops up:



I'm not sure if that will shed light on this or not, hopefully it will.

[Cheryl Lemire]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Thiazi,

OK, if you followed my steps exactly, then I think the 'permissions' problem might be with the runtime install on the local work station ... when you installed the runtime on the local work station, did you give the 'runtime program' admin rights?

[Doug Page]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Thiazi,

Couple of things come to mind when I see your image:
1) What does it say when you push the Why button when you get the error.
2) It looks like the error message is coming from Alpha itself. Are you using Alpha's security? If so, have a look at the following:

http://support.alphasoftware.com/alp...ermissions.htm

[Thiazi]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

I misspoke, I apologize. The second message (where it displays information about not having access to Run form Startup) is the box that appears when you click Why?

If you click OK in the first box (Permission Denied with OK and Why? buttons), it will just reappear again.

Yes, I am using Alpha5's built-in security and the error is coming from Alpha5.

Cheryl, I have local administrator rights on all the workstations, and the users do as well. Is there anything special to note when installing the Runtime in relation to installing it as an administrator, other than being logged in with administrator rights at the time of installation?

An observation I've made, since it's using Alpha5's built-in security, it almost seems as though when it makes the shadow copy down to the local HD, only the Administrators group is being copied (or at least permitted access) and all other groups are being denied. Seems obvious, which it is, but why shadowing the DB lock out the rest of the Alpha5 security groups (other than the admin group) is strange.

Doug, I followed through the link you provided, and went back to check permissions on the objects, forms, reports, queries, etc. and the particular users group quite literally has access to everything (with the exception of adding/removing users.)

I also checked the start-up script (permission-wise, the group has access to run), and the only action it's performing is open the form Startup_Screen, which the group also has access to run.

[Cheryl Lemire]

Re: Network Optimize changing permissions?

Hi Thiazi,

Sorry, but I am out of ideas :( Hopefully others will be able to offer additional things for you to look at.