DOCUMENT #671
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THE INS AND OUTS OF MULTI-USER INSTALLATION
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PRODUCT: R:BASE VERSION : 3.1 or Higher
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AREA : GENERAL INFORMATION CATEGORY: MULTI-USER
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Installing R:BASE 3.1 on a network is really a very simple task. The
installation is the same as for single-user, except that R:BASE is
installed on the network file server. Then there are just two things
to set up:
Place the network access control file, SERVER.SY5, in a shared
directory on the network. Users must be able to both read and write
to this file. Make sure this file is not on the local workstation.
Create a unique RBASE.CFG file for each user that has MULTI ON and
the user's NAME specified. Place the unique RBASE.CFG in the user's
home or public directory on the network or on the local workstation.
Make sure this directory is on the user's search path.
The Basics
==========
When R:BASE starts, it searches for the RBASE.CFG file to retrieve
the user's name and then looks for the SERVER.SY5 file to check the
number of users currently in R:BASE and to see if the user name is
already active. R:BASE first looks for these files in the current
directory. If R:BASE doesn't find these files it searches along the
PATH you have set and stops at the first RBASE.CFG file or SERVER.SY5
file it finds. If the .CFG file is not found, R:BASE creates one
in the current directory using default settings (MULTI OFF, NAME
NONE). If the server file is not found, R:BASE returns an error
message.
The user's RBASE.CFG file can be located on the network file server, in
a directory on the local hard disk, or on a floppy, as long as it is in
a location that assures it is unique for each user and can be found
along the user's search path. Do not have an RBASE.CFG file in the
network directory with the program files.
The SERVER.SY5 file can be located anywhere on the network file server,
as long as it also is accessible along the user's search path. Make
sure SERVER.SY5 is not on a local workstation. It is recommended that
you make a copy of the SERVER.SY5 file as a backup so you can copy it over
a damaged server file, if necessary, eliminating the need to reinstall
the software.
The user must have access rights on the network to Create, Delete,
Modify, Read, and Write files where the database is located. Check
your network software documentation for the appropriate commands to
grant these privileges.
Sample Network Configuration
============================
The following diagrams show examples of a network with a file server,
two workstations, and where the necessary files are located. The drive
letters and directory names are for illustration only:
All files on network server:
---------------------------
+----------------------------+
+----------+ |R:BASE program files |
| | | (RBASE.EXE, etc.) |
+--|f:\rbfiles|--|SERVER.SY5, SERVER.BAK |
| +----------+ | (No RBASE.CFG) |
| +----------------------------+
+------------------+
| |
| | +--------+ +-----------+
| File Server | +----------+--| User 1 |--| RBASE.CFG |
| |--|f:\public | +--------+ +-----------+
| f:\ | +----------+- +--------+ +-----------+
+------------------+ | User 2 |--| RBASE.CFG |
| | | +--------+ +-----------+
| | |
| | | +----------+ +----------------------------+
| | +--|f:\dbfiles|--| *.RBF (Database & |
| | +----------+ | *.APX application files) |
+-------------+ +-------------+ +----------------------------+
|Workstation 1| |Workstation 2|
+-------------+ +-------------+
Figure 1.
In figure 1 the file server is designated as drive F:. R:BASE has
been installed on drive F:, in the directory called RBFILES. This is
where SERVER.SY5 resides. The database files and applications
are stored on the server in the directory called DBFILES.
Subdirectories have been created off the directory named PUBLIC on
drive F:, USER1,USER2 etc., one for each workstation with RBASE.CFG
in that subdirectory. The search path for workstation1 is:
PATH=F:\PUBLIC\USER1;F:\RBFILES;C:\DOS...
The user's RBASE.CFG file must be the first RBASE.CFG referenced by
the PATH statement.
In figure 2 below, the R:BASE program files are located on the local
drive for improved performance.
Files on local workstation:
--------------------------
+------------------+--+----------+ +----------------------------+
| | |f:\rbfiles|--|SERVER.SY5, SERVER.BAK |
| File Server | +----------+ +----------------------------+
| f:\ |
+------------------+--+----------+ +----------------------------+
| | |f:\dbfiles|--| *.RBF (Database & |
| | +----------+ | *.APX application files) |
| | +----------------------------+
+-------------+ +-------------+
|Workstation 1| |Workstation 2|
+-------------+ +-------------+
| |
| |
+------------+ +------------+
| c:\rbfiles | | c:\rbfiles |
+------------+ +------------+
figure 2.
SERVER.SY5 remains on the network file server. RBASE.CFG is located
on the individual workstation in the directory RBFILES. The search
path is:
PATH=F:\SERVER;C:\RBFILES;C:\DOS...
Put the SERVER.SY5 location first.
Installing R:BASE on a Novell Network
=====================================
There are three steps essential to running R:BASE multi-user on a Novell
network:
-- Create Trustee Directory Assignments
-- Create Search Maps to SERVER.SY5 and RBASE.CFG files
-- Create commands to access network printers
These steps are detailed in the R:BASE Guide to Software Installation
and New Features manual. The following examples demonstrate how batch
files can be used to efficiently set up map searches, using the above
configurations as examples:
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| REM ... RBNET1.BAT: Sets map search for |
| REM ... all R:BASE files located on file server. |
| |
| REM ... Path to RBASE.CFG file |
| MAP INS S1:=F:\PUBLIC\USER1 |
| |
| REM ... Path to RBASE.EXE, SERVER.SY5, etc. |
| MAP INS S1:=F:\RBFILES |
| |
| REM ... Change to the application directory, |
| REM ...DBFILES |
| F: |
| CD \DBFILES |
| |
| REM ... Start R:BASE. Type RUN yourapp |
| REM ...IN yourapp.APX at R> to start |
| REM ...application or use an RBASE startup |
| REM ...file. |
| RBASE |
| |
| CD \ |
| |
| REM...Delete the search mappings |
| MAP DEL S1: |
| MAP DEL S1: |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| REM ... RBNET2.BAT: Sets map search for |
| REM ...R:BASE files located on local drive and |
| REM ... SERVER.SY5, database and |
| REM ...application files on the file server. |
| |
| REM ... Path to SERVER.SY5 file |
| MAP INS S1:=F:\SERVER |
| |
| REM ... Path to RBASE.CFG, RBASE.EXE,etc. |
| MAP INS S1:=C:\RBFILES |
| |
| REM ... Change to the application directory, |
| REM ...DBFILES |
| F: |
| CD \DBFILES |
| |
| REM ... Start R:BASE. Type RUN yourapp |
| REM ... IN yourapp.APX at R> to start |
| REM ...application or use an RBASE startup |
| REM ...file. |
| RBASE |
| |
| CD \ |
| |
| REM...Delete the search mappings |
| MAP DEL S1: |
| MAP DEL S1: |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
These examples can also be included in the search mappings part of your
SYSTEM LOGIN, or USER LOGIN scripts. In this way the mappings are
performed each time the user logs into the network.
To print from R:BASE, the preferred method is to issue the CAPTURE command
prior to starting R:BASE. This will capture the output and send it to the
appropriate print queue. It is necessary to assign default values via
PRINTCON or pass parameters with the CAPTURE command for it to function
properly with R:BASE. The following parameters are recommended:
Number of Copies: 1
File Contents: Byte Stream
Suppress Form Feed: Yes
AutoEndCap: Yes
Timeout count: 15
If you intend to print R:BASE reports to any network printer, it is
more efficient to output the report from R:BASE to a file, then send that
print file to the network printer.
Installing R:BASE on a Lantastic or Novell Lite Network
=======================================================
Due to minimal memory requirements, Lantastic or Novell Lite networks
are commonly installed with a NONDEDICATED server. That is, one of
the workstations "doubles" as a file server. The network server
must be a dedicated file server. That is, the server must NOT be
used as a workstation. Please be aware that running R:BASE in a
nondedicated environment can result in database corruption.
According to developers experienced in installing R:BASE, Lantastic and
Novell Lite, two key items to remember are:
-- R:BASE 3.1x and 4.0 require SHARE.EXE be invoked on all workstations.
-- Applications must be flagged as read-only: ATTRIB +R *.APX
(assuming all applications have the .APX extension)
Common Error Messages And What They Mean
========================================
The SERVER .SY5 file shows the user name [ name ] as already active.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Two users are attempting to access R:BASE with the same user name,
either by using the same RBASE.CFG file, or the user abnormally
exited from R:BASE, in which case this name was never deactivated in
SERVER.SY5. You can check to see what RBASE.CFG file is found by
R:BASE by going to SETTINGS from the TOOLS pulldown and choosing SAVE
SETTINGS TO... the drive and directory location of the RBASE.CFG
file R:BASE found when initiated is displayed.
Another situation that can result with this message is when R:BASE
has not found an RBASE.CFG file when started. When this happens,
R:BASE creates its own RBASE.CFG file (using default settings, no
user name and MULTI OFF) in the current directory. If that directory
is an application directory on the network, the default RBASE.CFG
will be used when other users subsequently initiate R:BASE from that
directory. The other users will get this error message with the user
name [ NONE ] displayed. Correct this by choosing SETTINGS from
the TOOLS menu, NETWORK ID from the MULTI-USER option, entering a
name, and setting MULTI ON, then saving these settings to the
RBASE.CFG file for this workstation, using a unique drive and/or
directory. Delete the RBASE.CFG file from the application directory
on the network.
Current installation does not support multi-user.
-------------------------------------------------
R:BASE has determined that the SERVER.SY5 file is not located on a
network file server. You have a local copy of SERVER.SY5 and R:BASE
is finding this one before it finds the SERVER.SY5 file on the
network file server. Check your search path. Make certain that the
location of the SERVER.SY5 file appears first, before reference to
any other R:BASE directory.
With some network software it can also mean that SHARE.EXE has not
been invoked by ALL workstations. SHARE.EXE is a DOS program which
installs file sharing and locking capabilities on your hard disk.
When a file server and/or workstation uses SHARE.EXE, so must all
other workstations in R:BASE 3.1x and 4.0.
Database is connected in a mode which makes it unavailable to you.
------------------------------------------------------------------
You or the person using the database have MULTI set to OFF. This
message can also be produced by conflicting settings of COMPATIBILITY
and/or TRANSACTION. See your R:BASE User's Manual for more
information on these settings.
The database is currently unavailable -- it is open with EXTENDED set ON.
-ERROR- Unable to connect database
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The database has been connected in R:BASE 4.0 (or 3.1D) with the
EXTENDED setting ON. All users must connect the database with the
same database environment settings (see above).
Server network access control file is damaged. Reinstall server.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The file SERVER.SY5 has become damaged. You must perform a partial
installation of the R:BASE program files to recreate SERVER.SY5, then
run BUMP from your LAN pack disk; or, restore a backup of SERVER.SY5:
COPY SERVER.BAK SERVER.SY5
Could not get access to server network access control file.
-----------------------------------------------------------
This message can be caused by network privileges for the user not
being set correctly. The user must have access rights on the
network to Create, Delete, Modify, Read, and Write files in the
directory where the SERVER.SY5 file is located. It can also be
caused by the SERVER.SY5 file not being found on the user's search
path.