Crashes, Backup and Recovery

[David Kistner]

I'm running Access 2002, split database client server. If a client
crashes or doesn't sign off cleanly, how does this adversly affect the
database?

I copy my database and client forms to CD-rom each day, once per week I
do a ghost image of the hard drive. Is this sufficient for having a
good backup of my database or should I be doing other things?

Is there a good book I could buy to learn more about Access 2002
database administration -- things like backup and recovery resources?

Thanks in advance.

- David Kistner

[Salad]

David Kistner wrote:

I'm running Access 2002, split database client server. If a client
crashes or doesn't sign off cleanly, how does this adversly affect the
database?
It can corrupt a database. I would recommend UPS systems on the
computers so folks can shut down if there is loss of power. Provide
dummy hats to folks that simply turn off the computer at the end of
business.
I copy my database and client forms to CD-rom each day, once per week I
do a ghost image of the hard drive. Is this sufficient for having a
good backup of my database or should I be doing other things?
At worst you'll lose a day's work. Does the network crash a lot?
Is there a good book I could buy to learn more about Access 2002
database administration -- things like backup and recovery resources?
Are you having problems now...or are you anticipating problems in the
future?

Thanks in advance.

- David Kistner

[David Kistner]

Salad wrote:

David Kistner wrote:

I'm running Access 2002, split database client server. If a client
crashes or doesn't sign off cleanly, how does this adversly affect the
database?

It can corrupt a database. I would recommend UPS systems on the
computers so folks can shut down if there is loss of power. Provide
dummy hats to folks that simply turn off the computer at the end of
business.

I copy my database and client forms to CD-rom each day, once per week
I do a ghost image of the hard drive. Is this sufficient for having a
good backup of my database or should I be doing other things?

At worst you'll lose a day's work. Does the network crash a lot?

Is there a good book I could buy to learn more about Access 2002
database administration -- things like backup and recovery resources?

Are you having problems now...or are you anticipating problems in the
future?

Thanks in advance.

- David Kistner

Thanks for the help. To answer your question, I'm not having any
problems so far. I just want to do my best to understand how to best
protect our data. Losing a day's work would not be a problem at all.
We only enter a handful of new records each day....it would be easy to
backfill one day of records. The network has never crashed since I've
been working here. I do expect there will be people who every now and
then forget and shut down their machines uncleanly.....I can't help that
and just want to be ready to recover.

- David Kistner

[Tony Toews]

David Kistner <sp**********@verizon.net> wrote:

Thanks for the help. To answer your question, I'm not having any
problems so far. I just want to do my best to understand how to best
protect our data. Losing a day's work would not be a problem at all.
We only enter a handful of new records each day....it would be easy to
backfill one day of records. The network has never crashed since I've
been working here. I do expect there will be people who every now and
then forget and shut down their machines uncleanly.....I can't help that
and just want to be ready to recover.

To track when people logged in and out as well as abnormal terminations I did the
following.

In one situation I created some logic behind a hidden form which was opened when the
database was opened. It added a record to a logging table containing relevant info
such as NT userid, work station name and so on. The autonumber ID of this record was
retained on the form. When the database was closed, which meant this form was
closed, the form then updated that record, using the stored autonumber ID as having
normally terminated.

We could then moniter users who were having problems or were using abnormal methods
of closing Access. Kinda funny to visit a user and state "I see you were having a
problem yesterday. What was happening?" They'd look a bit surprised and then tell
you. We never had to worry about someone doing the Ctrl+Alt+Del or hitting the power
switch as it was an all NT4 network and they were good users.

I get my information which I log from the workstation name and the NT logon user
name. See the API calls at the Access Web at www.mvps.org/access. I haven't
bothered to use Access security yet.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
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