Help! Two users can simultaneously lock and change the same record.

[Carolyn Wendover]

I am trying to help a customer resolve a problem with their system where
they claimed data was getting merged between records and other strange
behavior. In diagnosing the problem we discovered that it is possible for
two users on separate systems to simultaneously lock and change the same
record. I verified this by having both of them start changes on the same
record. Then one posts their changes and the other cancels hers. When they
close the screen and return to this record they both see the new changes so
I know they are working against the same work directory.

The work directory is on one local machine where that drive is designated as
shared. The other system maps to that drive. Normally their net dir is
located on yet another system that is connected via a WAN. We also tried
changing the net dir for both systems to the shared local drive and still
have the problem. The users involved were on the pc that has the data, and
a second pc with a drive mapped to this one.

I am figuring that there is some other settings necessary when using a pc as
the 'server' that we do not have configured correctly and I am trusting that
this situation has come up before and been solved.

Thanks,
Carolyn

[Liz]

Carolyn,

Make sure all machines have LOCAL SHARE set to TRUE in the BDE.
Strongly encourage them to get a machine which will act as a
'server' - tables will all live here, NET DIR will live here,
this machine will do nothing but serve up files. Check out the
FAQ on Net File Rules. If any NT machines are involved, check
out the FAQ on NT Configuration. Get back to us if LOCAL SHARE
doesn't solve it. (If you need more help, please tell us what
versions of Paradox, BDE and Windows are in use, and what kind of
network (sounds like peer-to-peer, but confirm that for us).)

Regards,

Liz
---
Get the lead out before you reply

[Carolyn Wendover]

Liz,

The local share setting fixed the problem. I will add that to my database
of errors and solutions. I do not have many people that use peer-to-peer
and so this did not get checked.

For the benefit of others looking at this. These are NT 4.0 workstations
(disk caching and op locks turned off), running Paradox 7/32 with the BDE
that shipped with that version.

Thanks again,
Carolyn

"Liz" <lea...@aros.net> wrote in message news:3A27B726...@aros.net...