I'm thinking about providing a relatively easy method for users to restore
the front end from a backup. The purpose is to allow for restoring if the
front end becomes corrupt.
Here are some particulars about my app
1) The front end is distributed as a .mde file.
2) Front end uses workgroup security
3) A separate logon form is used to actually launch the front end.
4) My app includes a backup front end form, that backups the front end to the
user's PC. The form automatically creates the backup file name including
date/time.
So here's the process that I'm considering:
1) Put 'Restore Backup' button on logon form.
2) User clicks this button which brings up the file dialogue box. User finds
backup and presses the 'Open' button on the file dialog box.
3) Processing continues and checks that a file name was entered. If not,
message to user.
4) Processing will now attempt to open the selected file and will look for
the version table in the front end. This will assist in verifying that a
backup of the front end was selected and not some other Access file. I
already have this code to check for version updates, so this is a no brainer.
5) If everything is okay, then message asking user to verify that they really
want to restore the backup file.
6) Kill old version, Rename backup version and Filecopy to the main frontend
directory.
I didn't give all the details, but I think there's enough to convey my plan.
I'd like some comments on my plan and I'm curious as to what other's do about
restoring backup copies of the front-end.
I guess another alternative is to ask the administrator to provide a copy of
the master that he/she has. But what if they are not available. Plus I
don't think it is a good idea to leave the master copy in a file folder that
anyone can get to; hence the need to contact an administrator.
Another probaby good option is to just copy a copy of the master from the
server down to the front end.
As I mentioned above I currently have a form in the app that allows users to
backup the front end. They typically will backup the front end to a
subfolder named 'Backups' in the main app folder. I must confess that this
has been an extremely easy method for me, as a developer, to create backups.
However, it might actually be better to force users to just restore a copy
from the server and not from their local PC.
Suggestions, comments, advice are welcome.
Thanks.
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