What is .ldb?

[Iram]

I am using Access 2000 and I develop access databases for my company.
During the average day I need to make changes to the different databases and
I have to kick folks out before I make the changes. All databases are split
with a front end and a back end. I was wondering if I could copy the front
end database that is in production, work on it offline then copy it back into
the production are where it will over right the existing "front end" file.
What will happen when the folks close out of the databases as far as the .ldb
file goes? Will the .ldb file corrupt the now changed front end .mdb?
Basically is would there be a problem if I did this?

Iram/mcp

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Iram

From your description, it sounds like you have a single front-end, stored on
a network, that all users (try to) use at once. If so, then I would expect
you to run into problems with the approach you described.

You'll find much less contention over the network and less risk of
corruption of that front-end if you place a copy of it on EVERY desktop,
rather than just a single copy on the network. There are even tools (free
at Tony T's site: www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm; for sale via FMS, Inc.)
that will make the desktop front-end "call home" to pull up a new version
before starting.

The .ldb file is a "locking database" file that Access uses to tell who is
using the associated .mdb file. You'll not want to leave an "open" .ldb
file out there while working on updates.

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

 

[John Vinson]

I am using Access 2000 and I develop access databases for my company.
During the average day I need to make changes to the different databases and
I have to kick folks out before I make the changes. All databases are split
with a front end and a back end. I was wondering if I could copy the front
end database that is in production, work on it offline then copy it back into
the production are where it will over right the existing "front end" file.
What will happen when the folks close out of the databases as far as the .ldb
file goes? Will the .ldb file corrupt the now changed front end .mdb?
Basically is would there be a problem if I did this?

Iram/mcp

The problem is - you shouldn't be having multiple users sharing the
same frontend in the first place!

The whole IDEA of the split database is that each user has a separate
copy of the frontend, all linked to the same backend.

This lets you work with the frontend (your own copy!) free of any
interference; when you have it to your liking, simply replace each
user's copy with the new one.


John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[G. Vaught]

Okay stop right there. The whole purpose of having the front-end is so it
resides on each users machine not the server. You are not gaining anything
by having one front-end used by multiple people. This is also a bad idea all
around.

You should have a copy of the master front-end on your machine or a
development server so that you can make modifications. The only time you
can't make modifications is when the modification is on the tables, then you
must have everyone close down.

If you are modifying adding queries, forms, report, macros and code, then
you can do this without interrupting the other users. When you are finished,
then you can copy the new version to each users machine and only interrupt
the person for the time it takes to copy the new version. As long as you
keep the front-end pathing the same, then relinking will not be an issue.

What I have done in the past is have my clients designate a drive letter to
use for just database linking and then map this path to each users machine.

 

[Iram]

I have written about 12 different split end databases where there is only one
front end and one backend database. Both the fron end and back ends reside in
shared folders on the server. All users access the front end via a shortcut
on their desktops. We have been working fine for the last 4 years. I have
groups of 5-50 people accessing the different databases. I was just wondering
what would happen if I replaced the fron end .mdb file while it is in
production and what would happen when folks start to close the front end
which closes the .ldb file. Would the .ldb file info overwrite the new
database copied?

Iram/mcp

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

You can't copy or overwrite a file while it is in use.

Access/Jet uses a distributed data engine, with data
cached on the client PC's.

If you copy a database file you don't get the cached data
unless everybody stops writing. If you have related tables,
you may get logically inconsistent data. If not, you may
still get incomplete data. The way to avoid these problems
is to get everybody out.

If you overwrite a file while it is in use, cached data
will overwrite the new file, into the physical location
of the old data, corrupting the file.

To avoid these problems, make sure the database is not
in use. Check that the ldb file has been deleted.

The LDB file is a file that relates the physical record
locks to the Access username and client computer name. In
Access 2000 the records in the LDB file are not cleared, but
the file is deleted when there are no record locks.


(david)

 

[Tony Toews]

There are even tools (free
at Tony T's site: www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm; for sale via FMS, Inc.)
that will make the desktop front-end "call home" to pull up a new version
before starting.

Auto FE Updater utility at http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

 

[Tony Toews]

I have written about 12 different split end databases where there is only one
front end and one backend database. Both the fron end and back ends reside in
shared folders on the server. All users access the front end via a shortcut
on their desktops. We have been working fine for the last 4 years. I have
groups of 5-50 people accessing the different databases.

Wow. What version of Access is this? If Access 2000 or newer
you've been extremely fortunate to not encounter any of the reported
problems when sharing an FE.

I was just wondering
what would happen if I replaced the fron end .mdb file while it is in
production and what would happen when folks start to close the front end
which closes the .ldb file.

Highly unlikely you would be able to replace it as the users would
have a file lock on the FE MDB on the server. This is a lock placed
on the file by the server and has nothing to do with Access record
locking or the ldb file.

Would the .ldb file info overwrite the new
database copied?

The LDB file has nothing to do with this scenario. It is used by
Access itself to track the record and object locks.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm