Safe Multi User xml updates [best Practices??]

[=?Utf-8?B?d2VyRA==?=]

Hello,

Im wondering, what's the best method to allow multpiple users to update an
xml file at once. In my case, generally no user should be editing the same
piece of data at any given time however there may be ten+ users updating the
same xml file at once. The file has grown to somewhere along the lines of 3
MB, but shouldnt get much larger. im afraid that using xmldocument is
beginning to become a costly process with such a large object being cahed and
written so many times

As an example this function uses a stream but leaves the file open for write
procedures as it opens, which is bad I know. I have since changed this to
create a mini template and then persist that to the xml file so I would have
less collisions so i would have less of a chance for a overwrite and even if
it does could be remedied by reposting the mini template.

--My question is how could i implement a similar function that would not
allow collisions but also enable multiple users to hit the file? Would this
be something that I would handle via a recursive update function that retries
each time access is denied or is there a Best Practice around this --

Public Function SetClientInfoVa lue(ByVal idNum As String, ByVal InfoId As
Integer, ByVal NewInfo As String) As Boolean
Dim result As Boolean
Dim xDoc As New XmlDocument
Dim strm As New
System.IO.FileS tream(Resources .MyApp.DataPath & "template.x ml",
IO.FileMode.Ope n, IO.FileAccess.R eadWrite, IO.FileShare.Re adWrite)
xDoc.Load(strm)
strm.Close()
Dim rootNode As XmlElement = xDoc.DocumentEl ement
Dim theNode As XmlElement =
rootNode.Select SingleNode("/clients/client[@id='" &
String.Format(" {0:00000}", idNum) & "']/data/info[@infoid='" & InfoId & "']")
If theNode Is Nothing Then
result = False
Else
theNode.InnerTe xt = NewInfo
xDoc.Save(Resou rces.MyApp.Data Path & "template.x ml")
result = True
End If
Return result
xDoc = Nothing

End Function

Thanks in advance for any info or direction

DrewG

[John Saunders [MVP]]

"werD" <we**@discussio ns.microsoft.co mwrote in message
news:C3******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

Hello,

Im wondering, what's the best method to allow multpiple users to update an
xml file at once.

Under no circumstances would I allow multiple users to update an XML file.
It's just a text file. If you need multiple users to be able to update data,
use a database. For instance SQL Server 2005 Express Edition
(http://www.microsoft.com/sql/edition.../default.mspx).

"SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is the next version of MSDE and is a free,
easy-to-use, lightweight, and embeddable version of SQL Server 2005."
--
John Saunders [MVP]

[=?Utf-8?B?d2VyRA==?=]

Well i have got sql running a large portion of my traffic and im doing this
for a specific section of our company. They dont require the robustness of
sql server nor will my company allow me to run dbms on the web server for
this instance. i use sql express for my own personal ventures but im not
going to be able to lock them into purchasing another license... so my
question remains or so as not to offend anyone can be shifted to

What would be the most cpu cost effective way of manipulating data with
multiple users(but not an unmanageable amount of them) ... better yet lets
say im doing the same Exact thing with access what then.. is it a data
adapter imlooking for or would a recursive method be ?

"John Saunders [MVP]" wrote:

"werD" <we**@discussio ns.microsoft.co mwrote in message
news:C3******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

Hello,

Im wondering, what's the best method to allow multpiple users to update an
xml file at once.

Under no circumstances would I allow multiple users to update an XML file.
It's just a text file. If you need multiple users to be able to update data,
use a database. For instance SQL Server 2005 Express Edition
(http://www.microsoft.com/sql/edition.../default.mspx).

"SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is the next version of MSDE and is a free,
easy-to-use, lightweight, and embeddable version of SQL Server 2005."
--
John Saunders [MVP]

[John Saunders [MVP]]

"werD" <we**@discussio ns.microsoft.co mwrote in message
news:DB******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

Well i have got sql running a large portion of my traffic and im doing
this
for a specific section of our company. They dont require the robustness of
sql server nor will my company allow me to run dbms on the web server for
this instance. i use sql express for my own personal ventures but im not
going to be able to lock them into purchasing another license...

What license? It's free.

>so my
question remains or so as not to offend anyone can be shifted to

What would be the most cpu cost effective way of manipulating data with
multiple users(but not an unmanageable amount of them) ... better yet lets
say im doing the same Exact thing with access

If you were doing it with access (did you mean Microsoft Access?) then you'd
be using a database and not having this issue.
--
John Saunders [MVP]

[=?Utf-8?B?d2VyRA==?=]

arg... i meant another sql standard/pro license.. No version of express is to
be Installed on our production web servers...

any input on my question?

"John Saunders [MVP]" wrote:

"werD" <we**@discussio ns.microsoft.co mwrote in message
news:DB******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

Well i have got sql running a large portion of my traffic and im doing
this
for a specific section of our company. They dont require the robustness of
sql server nor will my company allow me to run dbms on the web server for
this instance. i use sql express for my own personal ventures but im not
going to be able to lock them into purchasing another license...

What license? It's free.

so my
question remains or so as not to offend anyone can be shifted to

What would be the most cpu cost effective way of manipulating data with
multiple users(but not an unmanageable amount of them) ... better yet lets
say im doing the same Exact thing with access

If you were doing it with access (did you mean Microsoft Access?) then you'd
be using a database and not having this issue.
--
John Saunders [MVP]

[=?Utf-8?B?d2VyRA==?=]

ok i didnt read the bottom... I'll just continue with my own solution. I was
just wondering if multiuser xml had been handled and if there were set
practices around it.

obviously they arent so i will continue my user based templates being merged
to the core file as to avoid the limitations of access and to leave out the
overhead of sql.

Thanks
"John Saunders [MVP]" wrote:

"werD" <we**@discussio ns.microsoft.co mwrote in message
news:DB******** *************** ***********@mic rosoft.com...

Well i have got sql running a large portion of my traffic and im doing
this
for a specific section of our company. They dont require the robustness of
sql server nor will my company allow me to run dbms on the web server for
this instance. i use sql express for my own personal ventures but im not
going to be able to lock them into purchasing another license...

What license? It's free.

so my
question remains or so as not to offend anyone can be shifted to

What would be the most cpu cost effective way of manipulating data with
multiple users(but not an unmanageable amount of them) ... better yet lets
say im doing the same Exact thing with access

If you were doing it with access (did you mean Microsoft Access?) then you'd
be using a database and not having this issue.
--
John Saunders [MVP]