Automatic updating of some tables from ftp download

[rdemyan via AccessMonster.com]

My App has 10 or so tables that we provide that contains proprietary data.
This data will need to be updated once or twice a year.

I would like some comments, suggestions on my proposed strategy for updating
these tables via an ftp site:

1) Post a .mdb file to our ftp web site that contains the updated tables. My
App code connects to the ftp site and gets the file name for any update files
on the site. I already have code to do this and it works fine. My plan is
to have a FTPDownload Table in the backend of My App. It will contain the
name and date of the last update file downloaded. If the current update file
has a later date, it will be downloaded. Should I also keep a separate
record for each table in My App that is updated this way? Not every table in
My App will necessarily need to be updated each time there is a download and
as the developer I may need to know when the last update for each table
occurred not just when an update file was downloaded. Suggestions, advice?
2) If update file is more recent than last update, ask the administrator if
they wish to continue. If so start the forced logoff process to disconnect
everyone from the back-end file. This code is already present in My App.
Also, I’m planning to backup the back-end file from code prior to deleting or
importing any tables.
3) Once the back-end file is backed up, download the update .mdb into a
temporary folder created by code. Use TransferDatabas e to copy the new
tables from the update .mdb to the back-end file, using code in My App. When
should I delete the existing tables before or after the import? If after,
then all of the imported files will need to be renamed because they will have
a “1” at the end.
4) After the update, delete temporary folder that was created to hold the
update .mdb.

What’s the recommended method for initiating this process. Should the code
look for updates every time My App starts up? BTW: Only members of the
Admins group are allowed to update the tables. Should this be manually
initiated by administrators, but they won’t really know when an update is
posted.

Thoughts, recommendations , suggestions are greatly appreciated.

--
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[CDMAPoster]

rdemyan via AccessMonster.c om wrote:

My App has 10 or so tables that we provide that contains proprietary data.
This data will need to be updated once or twice a year.

I would like some comments, suggestions on my proposed strategy for updating
these tables via an ftp site:

1) Post a .mdb file to our ftp web site that contains the updated tables. My
App code connects to the ftp site and gets the file name for any update files
on the site. I already have code to do this and it works fine. My plan is
to have a FTPDownload Table in the backend of My App. It will contain the
name and date of the last update file downloaded. If the current update file
has a later date, it will be downloaded. Should I also keep a separate
record for each table in My App that is updated this way? Not every table in
My App will necessarily need to be updated each time there is a download and
as the developer I may need to know when the last update for each table
occurred not just when an update file was downloaded. Suggestions, advice?
2) If update file is more recent than last update, ask the administrator if
they wish to continue. If so start the forced logoff process to disconnect
everyone from the back-end file. This code is already present in My App.
Also, I'm planning to backup the back-end file from code prior to deleting or
importing any tables.
3) Once the back-end file is backed up, download the update .mdb into a
temporary folder created by code. Use TransferDatabas e to copy the new
tables from the update .mdb to the back-end file, using code in My App. When
should I delete the existing tables before or after the import? If after,
then all of the imported files will need to be renamed because they will have
a "1" at the end.
4) After the update, delete temporary folder that was created to hold the
update .mdb.

What's the recommended method for initiating this process. Should the code
look for updates every time My App starts up? BTW: Only members of the
Admins group are allowed to update the tables. Should this be manually
initiated by administrators, but they won't really know when an update is
posted.

Thoughts, recommendations , suggestions are greatly appreciated.

--
Message posted via AccessMonster.c om
http://www.accessmonster.com/Uwe/For...ccess/200604/1

Several months ago I wrote a database that allows a manufacturing
company to ensure that fabricators are using the most current set of
Prints/CAD Data. It probably saves them several hundred thousand
dollars per year since it is very expensive to build to an obsolete
blueprint. It took about two weeks to write. Someone in the CAD
department was given the assignment of maintaining a limited-access
directory on the server containing the most up-to-date manufacturing
data available. Once the JobID is selected on the main form, a subform
fills with the latest posted set of filenames. When the 'Create IPDR'
(IPDR stands for Inspection Plan Data Register) command button was
clicked, Access deleted the files in a public directory on the server
(created if not present) and copied the files on the subform from the
control directory to the public directory along with a PDF file
(created by Access) showing the names of the current files and any
files marked as obsolete (not copied to the public directory). Since
some of the data files are in the several hundred Meg range it caused
high network loads to update the data files. The reasoning behind the
change was that a few files added to the list or changed shouldn't
require the entire set to be replaced. I was also told that different
individuals had responsibility for different jobs and thus concurrency
would not be an issue.

I added a checkbox to the subform called 'Freshen' that comes up
unchecked when the file list is brought in. Any new files chosen from
the combobox on the subform (recordsourced to a function that gets the
filenames from the control directory) or any edits to the record cause
the 'Freshen' field to check. I explained that by using the 'Freshen'
field they were taking more responsibility upon themselves to know
exactly which files have been updated. Now when 'Create IPDR' is
clicked, Access deletes any files from the target directory that are
not contained in the subform's RecordsetClone or that have 'Freshen' or
'Obsolete' checked. Afterward, only the files marked 'Freshen' are
copied to the target directory. When using FTP to transfer files I
always use a different name until after the files have been
transferred. Hopefully this will give you some ideas.

James A. Fortune
CD********@Fort uneJames.com