Access database corruption

[MikeNap]

SBS2003 Premium / Ofc 2003
Dell Poweredge 2800, 1gig, raid-5, 2 nics
HP switch, 1 gig connection to server, 100mb to clients.
Using: Exchange, ISA, Veritas, Trend Micro desktop and gateway, DSL access
4 internal users, 2 remote via ISA vpn connection.

Hired vendor to create inventory and sales database in ms-access. Having
occasional problem where the mdb file gets corrupt, need to run the repair
and compact utility to recover.

Vendor said he lost remote connection to our system, later saw the database
open but no-one logged in (after hours), problem happened.
Vendor claims problem is caused by network communications problem. And it
seems to happen once per month

Do you think database left open causes this. Can SBS be set to gracefully
close files if not in use? How can we minimize?

Any ideas? Thank you

 

[Jerry Whittle]

Network problem? Very possible. If users are losing network connections, the
database can get corrupt. Access depends on a very strong network to work
properly. Things like running Access over a wireless network seems not to
work very well. If the vendor lost connection the later went into the folder
holding the database file(s) and saw an .ldb file still open, things like
that could cause corruption.

Is the database split between a front end and back end? Hopefully so as this
will reduce the possibility of losing data if there is a corruption problem.

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

a> Vendor said he lost remote connection to our system, later saw the
database

open but no-one logged in (after hours), problem happened.
Vendor claims problem is caused by network communications problem. And it
seems to happen once per month

I am surprised that you can get any useable speed over a VPN. Are you
talking about a remote desktop, or are you actually running the connection
over your high speed vpn?

Do you think database left open causes this. Can SBS be set to gracefully
close files if not in use? How can we minimize?

No, you can't possibly EVEN CONSIDER having the server close the file if
ms-access has it open..you are effectually blowing out the file if you do
that.

I explain that you must split your database. So, read the following, and
MAKE CAREFUL notes on the part about breaking the connection

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Articles/split/index.htm

The above explains why corruption will happen.

Also, as mentioned, it is not clear if you are talking about a remote
desktop (ok), or a split connection over your VPN. You need to read the
following, as it explains the problems, and pit falls of using a VPN over
the internet..

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal//Wan/Wans.html

But, to answer your question, you cannot have the server close a open
file....as then how will the changes get saved?? You can do this in a
emergency situation where some user machine is locked up, but you are
risking damage, and data loss...

 

[MikeNap]

a> Vendor said he lost remote connection to our system, later saw the
database

I am surprised that you can get any useable speed over a VPN. Are you
talking about a remote desktop, or are you actually running the connection
over your high speed vpn?

Hi Albert,

The vendor connects using RWW. Two users connect with notebooks via vpn. The
connection is pretty good. Their exchange mailboxes synchronize within a
minute, they store several hundred messages.

But based on the posts remote access to this database should be avoided?

 

[MikeNap]

Network problem? Very possible. If users are losing network connections, the
database can get corrupt. Access depends on a very strong network to work
properly. Things like running Access over a wireless network seems not to
work very well. If the vendor lost connection the later went into the folder
holding the database file(s) and saw an .ldb file still open, things like
that could cause corruption.

Is the database split between a front end and back end? Hopefully so as this
will reduce the possibility of losing data if there is a corruption problem.

Yes, it is split with FE/BE.
Mike

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

But based on the posts remote access to this database should be avoided?

You can use remote desktop. However, if you are running a "split" database
OVER a vpn connection that is subject to dis-connections, then as my diagram
shows...pieces of the file will NOT make the journey back..and you have a
"Houston...we have a problem" situation.

So, for the most part, a VPN over the internet is not going to be reliable
enough for a split database. In this case, you would do well to avoid this.

My article on WANS gives you plenty of options that show how to use
ms-access OVER that connection (eg: use TS, or move the back end data to sql
server).

The simple answer is that you really don't want to keep a file OPEN over a
connection that is not reliable.

 

[Alan]

Hi,

Just post to hope this still can help in the future.

I think you can try a utility called Advanced Access Repair to repair your
Access MDB file. It works rather well for my corrupt Access MDB files. Its
web address is http://www.datanumen.com/aar/

Alan

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

Just post to hope this still can help in the future.

I think you can try a utility called Advanced Access Repair to repair your
Access MDB file. It works rather well for my corrupt Access MDB files. Its
web address is http://www.datanumen.com/aar/

You also work for that company. Posting without disclosing any
connection is highly unethical and sleazy.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
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