Jürgen Welz
jwelz at hotmail.com
Mon May 3 11:29:26 CDT 2004
In the bad old days my former employer had serious security restrictions that prevented running any number of different kinds of files including batch files. No user could create a shortcut so I had to make to with the one that was given to all users. Unfortunately I needed the shortcut to run each users own FE version of the file, especially as they moved to Terminal Server and I had Word automation issues with multiple users running the same FE. My solution was to convert the mde file that the shortcut pointed at to a file that determined the logged in user, used that information in the file path to that user's unique FE, check a custom database property named "UserVersion" which was a number from 0 to 9, compare that property with the master FE filename (which had a single digit suffix in the name). If the property matched the suffix, it launched the FE, otherwise it copied over the new version and launched it. Deployment required a few simple steps: 1. Make changes to a development file; 2. Update the version property of that file; 3. Set the file suffix; 4. Copy the file to the deployment location; 5. Delete the previous file. This approach only copies new versions when they are available. Using a file name suffix means that it is not necessary to actually open the file to check the version and it might have been more efficient to simply do the same for checking the existing FE rather than opening a database object to check the UserVersion property I created. I have used schemes based on checking the file creation date with an API call for the date but found that simply changing a version number from 0 to 9 and back to 0 kept it very simple. You can simply start the version number from 0 as the test is for version match and not highest version number. Now that I look at it years later, the only reason for using a user version property rather than a file name was because the users might change the file name extension manually and because users commonly copied the FE to laptops and this obviated the need to change the name of the coped file. Simply checking for a filename is significantly faster than opening a database and checking a version property and some day I may just change it to do that only. BTW, the system automatically creates the folders if they don't exist and copies over a file if it didn't exist as well. New users are autmatically accomodated. Ciao Jürgen Welz Edmonton, Alberta jwelz at hotmail.com >From: Brett Barabash <BBarabash at tappeconstruction.com> > >Well, I was thinking more like: > >1. Split the db. >2. Move FE material to new FE db. > >Utilize batch file (as shown in my example) to: >3. Check .ver file in user's app directory against current version >4. Copy down the new FE and supporting files. >5. Launch the new FE. > >Why are you following such a complicated plan? >Won't it be a huge juggling act to kick them out of the app they just >logged >on to to copy down a new FE, and then log them back in again? >What about users that don't have the FE or app directory on their >workstation yet? How can they launch it to check the current version if it >doesn't exist on their C: drive? > >I know there are others who do it this way. For the life of me, I can't >understand why. <sarcasm>Maybe someone can enlighten me.</sarcasm> > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Mitsules, Mark S. (Newport News) [mailto:Mark.Mitsules at ngc.com] >Sent: Monday, May 03, 2004 10:02 AM >To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' >Subject: RE: [AccessD] Deployment Woes > > >Brett, Jim, Gustav, > >This is the first application that I've really had to tweak to be >"enterprise" ready. Most all of my previous apps were "low usage"...more >office automation or strictly robust reporting tools...no real concurrency >issues. This application has grown to include multiple data entry persons >as well as simultaneous users. I'm open for any suggestions regarding best >practices. > >So, to combine the suggestions thus far, here is the current plan... > >1. Split the db. >2. Move FE material to new FE db. >3. Create a version table in new FE db. >4. Create a version table in the launcher app db. > >Utilize existing db as a launcher app that: >5. Logs in user. >6. Verifies current version. >7. Calls a .bat file which, if needed: >8. Creates the new directory structure for the local FE. >9. Copies down the new FE and supporting files. >10. Launches the new FE. > >Did I miss anything? Should I try something else? > > >Mark > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Brett Barabash [mailto:BBarabash at tappeconstruction.com] >Sent: Friday, April 30, 2004 5:14 PM >To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' >Subject: RE: [AccessD] Deployment Woes > > >Mark, >I do that for all of my distributed apps. >Adds half a second to the startup time of an application (unless, of >course, >it has to copy a new version of the FE to their workstation.) >Don't know how using a batch file would add to the overhead. Can you >elaborate? > >Oh yeah, here is a sample of my batch file. >- In our office, all users have the Access 2000 runtime installed on their >machines, and we use server-based start menu profiles. >- Installing new apps on their workstation is as simple as dropping a >shortcut to the batch file in their start menu directory. >- I created an app shortcut called Launcher, that has the command line to >start the app. It is located in the same server directory as the batch >file, and is executed at the end of the batch file processing. > >Well, here it is! >---------- >@echo off >rem ** Change this variable with each new version release >set verfile=123.ver > >rem ** Create directory if necessary >if exist c:\myappdir\nul goto app >mkdir c:\myappdir > >:app >rem ** Copy the newest application file from server if it is newer version >if exist c:\myappdir\%verfile% goto end >echo Updating application files. Please Wait... >copy h:\myappdir\myfrontend.mdb c:\myappdir /y > nul > >rem ** Delete the existing version file, and create a new one >if exist c:\myappdir\*.ver del c:\myappdir\*.ver >type nul > c:\myappdir\%verfile% > >:end >rem ** Run the application using Access Runtime >start Launcher >---------- > >-----Original Message----- >From: Mitsules, Mark S. (Newport News) [mailto:Mark.Mitsules at ngc.com] >Sent: Friday, April 30, 2004 3:48 PM >To: '[AccessD]' >Subject: [AccessD] Deployment Woes > > >I need the weekend to think this over, but I'm open for suggestions. Our >department currently utilizes an existing database which is not split. >There are an estimated 100 shortcuts to this database littered throughout >the department. Do to a rising concern in "concurrency issues", I need to >split this db. With such an ingrained dependency on the existing shortcut, >it was suggested that I utilize the existing db as nothing more than a >glorified .bat file starter to distribute the new FE and subsequently check >revision status. This seems like an awful lot of overhead in order to >placate the existing user base, and obviously would increase start-up >times. >What do you think? > > > >Mark _________________________________________________________________ STOP MORE SPAM with the MSN Premium and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-ca&page=byoa/prem&xAPID=1994&DI=1034&SU=http://hotmail.com/enca&HL=Market_MSNIS_Taglines