Where to locate front end / backup question

[KateB]

I've been reading various posts regarding front ends and back ends. I've
created various (very simple!) single-user databases in the past so this has
never been an issue. However, I'm now creating one for a team of 3 people who
may all need to access it at the same time. I understand the principles and
necessity of splitting, but don't know if I should put front-end copies on
their c:drives or give them each a FE copy on the shared network drive (in
their personal folders). With the latter, if I made any changes I could
access each persons FE and update it instead of having to do it on their
individual computers but is this technically an OK thing to do? To put a
copy on their c:drive would I have to copy the FE to a memory stick and paste
it to their computer?

Also, I'm not sure what to do about a backup. The database will be located
on a server that is backed up each night by the IT team. Does a backup
create a copy of the complete database on a regular basis? If so, how? Do I
need to do that if the drive is backed up by IT? And, even simpler, how do I
create a backup?! Last time I asked IT for help on this sort of thing they
corrupted the database, locked me out and I had to start from scratch because
they couldn't solve it.

 

[Joan Wild]

I
understand the principles and necessity of splitting, but don't know
if I should put front-end copies on their c:drives or give them each
a FE copy on the shared network drive (in their personal folders).

Put it on the C: drives.

With the latter, if I made any changes I could access each persons FE
and update it instead of having to do it on their individual
computers but is this technically an OK thing to do? To put a copy
on their c:drive would I have to copy the FE to a memory stick and
paste it to their computer?

You can automate the updating. Make/test changes on your copy of the FE.
Once you are ready to distribute, you'd copy the FE to the server. You'd
then have some automatic check to see if the server copy of the FE is newer,
and if so, copy it to the user's computer.

Look at www.granite.ab.ca/autofe.htm for a utility you can use to automate
the update. That page also has other examples listed at the bottom.

Also, I'm not sure what to do about a backup. The database will be
located on a server that is backed up each night by the IT team.

That should be sufficient. If you don't trust them, you can always create a
copy of the backend and the frontend - just be sure no one is using the
database when you copy it.

 

[KateB]

Many thanks for your advice - will check out the suggested site.