best way to gain exclusive access in multi-user environment

[freeskier]

hello,

i have a split ms access database with front ends distributed to several users. it is a real pain to have to wait until everyone signs off for the day to make design changes to the backend. i was wondering what techniques people have used to gain exclusive access to the backend when tables, modules, etc. need to be saved/edited. i have seen several clever methods but am not enamored with any yet.

thanks in advance for the help!

[nico5038]

This will only work when all users "have left" the database.
There are ways to close the database by force, but I'm more in for the gentle way the Access Cookbook uses. There they have an internal message system to warn and ask the users on forehand to logout.
Checkout the index and samples at:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/accesscook2/

Select CDROM for the samples.

Can recommend the book :-)

Nic;o)

[freeskier]

This will only work when all users "have left" the database.
There are ways to close the database by force, but I'm more in for the gentle way the Access Cookbook uses. There they have an internal message system to warn and ask the users on forehand to logout.
Checkout the index and samples at:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/accesscook2/

Select CDROM for the samples.

Can recommend the book :-)

Nic;o)

i don't see that link on the page or that subject in the table of contents but if you say it's got what i need i'll go purchase tomorrow.

[nico5038]

Checkout chapter 10 the sub 08: "Track which users have a shared database open" and sub 04 "Send messages to other users without using email"
In the CDrom section you can download all chapter 10 samples and the sub indicates the name like 1004.mdb and 1008.mdb.

Having warned the users gives them the time to stop working and allows you to use the system's task manager to kill the Access excution after a certain warning time...

Nic;o)