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Database/Multi-user
Software F.A.Q.
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Q.
Why am I getting strange errors like this one below?
ElevateDB
Error #600 File manager error (Cannot delete the file
C:\DOCUME~1\fullerm\LOCALS~1\Temp\CM1S29083572PC45.EDBTbl (OS Error:
The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another
process. )).
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A. This is
probably due to your anti-virus software interfering with our
software's database files. Try configuring it to not scan the data
folder of our software.
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Q.
How can we share data amongst several
people with the Standard edition?
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A.
To share
data with multiple users over a network you should install the data on
a network shared folder then install the software on each computer. To
do this run the setup program and select the Data only
installation
option. The Select Destination Location screen
will appear. This will be where the program data will be
placed. Complete the setup for the data. Then
run the setup file from
each of the client machines, choosing the Client only installation for
each one. When asked for the data folder enter the folder where you
installed the data earlier.
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Q.
I installed the Standard edition on only one machine. How can I setup
another machine to use the same data?
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A.
You need to either share the current data folder so the other machines
can access it or move the data folder to a shared location and then
setup each machine to use that data.
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Q.
I want
to share data amongst several people. Can I
use the Standard edition or do I need to purchase the
Client/Server edition?
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A.
The Standard editions of our software (as well as Class
Scheduler, Employee Project Clock, Employee Scheduler, In Out Scheduler
and Project Clock Pro)
can share
data with multiple users over a network. However, the standard edition
will be more likely to require database re-indexing especially in
networks with unstable machines or inexperienced users. A general rule
of thumb is not to use the standard edition with more than 10
simultaneous users. With 10 or more simultaneous users the
Client/Server edition will perform better.
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Q.
When I
Start Program X why does the following error message
comes up:
DBISAM Engine Error #9217 Error reading From Data File C:\Program
Files\Cyber App\data\ATable.dat
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A.
This is a database corruption error and it sounds worse than it is.
Several
CyberMatrix programs use a local database to store their data.
Corruption can happen in any local database when a system is shut down
abnormally. You should never shut down or restart a Windows machine
without doing a proper Windows shutdown first (i.e., choosing Shut Down
from the Start menu.) Newer versions of our software will re-index
(repair) tables automatically if all users close the software and a
single person restarts it. To re-index the table manually, first close
down all instances of the software except one. Then select the
problem table in the Data Manager screen and then choose File | Repair
table
(or File | Re-index table).
DBSys
If you are unable to open the application to do a repair you
can get
the DBSys utility.
DBSys
is a utility from Elevate
Software,
the makers
of the database engine used in our database software. Use this program
to repair the affected table.
Windows
95:
There exists problems with several versions of the network redirector
provided with the Windows 95 Microsoft Client for Microsoft Networks
that can cause data corruption in DBISAM data files when they reside on
a shared Windows 95 server. One of the problems occurs when the network
redirector (vredir.vxd) improperly caches server data locally and can
cause various problems such as key violation exceptions with
auto-increment primary keys and others that should never occur. If you
are experiencing random problems with data corruption when sharing data
files in a Windows 95-only environment then please download the updated
network redirector and apply the update to all Windows 95 machines on
the network. Please note that these problems do not occur when
accessing Novell NetWare servers.
You can find more information at:
support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q174/3/71.asp
Windows
NT:
If you don't have NT Service Pack 3 or higher you may want to check and
see if the NT server has opportunistic locking turned off:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Services\ LanmanServer\
Parameters
"EnableOplocks" (DWORD) = 0 (default=1)
NT Service Pack 3 supposedly fixes the problems with opportunistic
locking on the NT server platform. Remember to re-apply the service
pack after any updates to the system.
Last
Resort
If after trying all these solutions you still have problems, you can
zip up the data files and e-mail them to CyberMatrix. We'll repair them
and send them back.
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Q.
When I try to start your software a Data Missing box appears and says
that I need to attempt re-installation or enter new data folder
location. What does this mean and what do I need to do?
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A. The software
cannot find the data. Possibly the drive it was on is no longer
available. You should verify that the machine where the data is stored
is functioning properly and that no changes have been made relating to
the data folder, e.g. drive mapping changes.
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Q.
When I try to re-index a table I get the error "DBISAM Engine Error
#10242 Cannot unlock table or record in the table 'TableX'". How do I
fix this?
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A.
You need to get everyone off the system (shutdown their machines if
necessary) and
try re-indexing again.
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Q.
What does Client/Server mean?
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A.
Client/server applications have a client and a server component. The
client only talks to the server and only the server has direct access
to the data. File server applications have no server component
and they can directly access the data.
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Q.
What
is the purpose of the Users table?
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A.
The Users table merely keeps a running log of which users are believed
to be logged into the system.
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Q.
What is the maximum size of a single database table?
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A.
The maximum size of a table (.DAT), index file (.IDX), or BLOB file
(.BLB) is 4 gigabytes.
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Q.
Performance seems very slow. How can we make it faster?
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A. Turn off
anti-virus software, or configure it to NOT scan .DAT, .IDX, .BLB files
(or simply your entire database folder).
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Q.
We are using a UNC path name for the data path setting on XP
machines with SP1. Performance seems very slow. How can we make it
faster?
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A. Upgrade to
SP2. XP SP1 had an issue with slowdowns with UNC path names.
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Q.
We're
running your software on a Windows 2000
peer-to-peer network setup. We're experiencing performance problems.
How can we speed things up?
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A1.
On Windows 2000
there is a bug relating to UNC paths. http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q249/7/99.ASP
You will see significant performance problems with database
applications if different people access the same shared files using
different paths. To work around the problem you can map the shared path
to a common drive letter.
A2.
A rather annoying "feature" included
with Windows 2000 can impact the responsiveness in network browsing
from Win2K systems to Windows 98 PCs. When you browse the network and
double-click on an available workstation, you may experience a delay of
up to 30 seconds. This is due to a resource scanning routine that has
to do with Scheduled Tasks. In most cases, it's not necessary, so
simply deleting the associated registry key will work around the issue.
When you upgrade Windows components or versions of Internet Explorer,
this may be replaced, so you'll have to delete the key again in order
to rid yourself of the reinstated delay. Navigate to the following
registry location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \
Explorer \ RemoteComputer \ NameSpace
Then delete the following key:
{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}
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Q.
I have
setup Program X on an NT 4.0 station. When
only one person access the software everything is fine. When other
machines use Program X everything slows to a crawl. What's going on?
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A.
This is an NT4
issue, and most likely related to opportunistic
locking settings and the SP level. Due to bugs in early versions of NT4
a lot of servers had opportunistic locks turned off, but since this has
been fixed they haven't turned them back on. Ensure the
OpportunisticLocking functionality is enabled (=1) in the registry.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Services\
LanmanServer\
Parameters
"EnableOplocks" (DWORD) = 1
Both the server and the workstation must agree. Make sure you have SP4
or higher. The other thing that can cause slowdown problems is using
NetBeui in conjunction with TCP/IP (especially making NetBEUI the
default protocol). You might also try turning off
StrictChangeDetection. It is recommended that you get an NT server
administrator to look at the server and make sure that it's configured
properly.
If you are running 10 Base T on your network try upgrading to 100 Base
T.
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Q.
We're
running Program X on a Windows 95/98 peer to
peer network. Performance seems very slow. How can we make it faster?
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A.
Make sure your network cards are set to half duplex. If you are running
Norton Antivirus, disable "Auto Protect".
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Q.
Will
Program X run on Novell?
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A.
CyberMatrix database applications will run fine on a properly
configured Novell Network. Novell does have one issue you need to be
aware of. Unlike Windows NT, Novell has a default maximum number of
record locks per client of 500. So you may need to change the Novell
default record locks. You can do this by adding 2 lines into your
system autoexec files as follows:
SET MAXIMUM RECORD LOCKS PER CONNECTION = 5000
SET MAXIMUM RECORD LOCKS = 40000
You should use TCP/IP and eliminate the IPX/SPX protocol (may
need Novell 5) completely from the NT box. On the workstation make sure
the Microsoft Client is bound to TCP/IP only and the Microsoft Novell
client is bound to IPX only. Remove any protocols you do not use such
as Netbios from your workstations (you need it for NT server). Also
look at the protocol resolution order.
With Novell it is also important to make sure you are not running full
duplex if your network design is 10BaseT or 100BaseT since without a
intelligent (expensive) switch this can corrupt Novell packets.
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Q.
How
can I import data from another program into your software?
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A.
Export the data from the other program into CSV format. Then in the
Data Manager screen of our software select
View | Data Manager from the main menu. Select the table then choose
File | Import CSV File.
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Q.
How
can I export table data into Excel?
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A.
Export the table into CSV format in the Data Manager screen: select
View | Data Manager from the main menu. Select the table then choose
File | Export to CSV. Load the saved file into Excel.
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Q.
How
can I use your file-server (local, standard) software with two
different data folders on the same machine?
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A.
You could install the software in two different folders on the same
machine each having separate data. The trick is that the data files
must reside in a folder called Data inside the program's folder.
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Q.
Which
database engine is used in your software?
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A.
We use Elevate DB and the DBISAM database engine for all our
non-Enterprise Windows
business
applications. Meeting Manager, Pro Schedule, Project Clock, Employee
Project Clock and timesheets now use the Elevate DB engine.
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Q.
Can your database tables be accessed from Crystal Reports or
other common database software?
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A.
For newer non-enterprise editions of our software (Class Scheduler v3+,
CyberMatrix Office, Employee
Project Clock v2.20+, Employee Scheduler, In Out Scheduler, Meeting
Manager v4+, Phone Lister v4+, Point Of
Sale, Project Clock v5.10+, Pro Schedule v3+, Timesheets) we have an
ODBC driver available. See:
ODBC
Driver
A.
For older versions of our software
there is an ODBC driver available that others have used to access
database tables from Crystal Reports. You can get it here:
http://www.cybermatrix.com/download/odbc.zip
We do not offer any support for this older driver.
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Q.
Where
can I learn how to use SQL?
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A.
Try these links: SQLCourse2.com, SQL
Tutorial 1
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Q.
We are
using the Client/Server edition of program X.
Why are we getting a windows socket error (10065) on API connect on one
of the client stations?
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A.
This is probably a firewall issue. You need to open a port. All our
server software runs on port 9000.
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Q.
I have
a single license for Program X. I logged in as
someone else, then I had a crash. Now when I try to start Program X
again it says "The number of users have exceeded your license. Contact
CyberMatrix to purchase additional licenses." What do I do to use the
software again?
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A.
Login as the other person, shut down Program X and then login as
yourself.
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Q.
We are
very interested in the Client/Server edition
of your software. However, we want the server application to run as a
service. Is this possible?
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A1. For Meeting
Manager, Pro Schedule and Timesheets it is
possible to run the database server as an NT service. There are several
advantages of running the server as a service: you can ensure it
restarts if the machine reboots unexpectedly for any reason; you can
take actions if the service crashes; and you can run the service as a
specified user fairly easily. To install the edbsrvr.exe database
server as a service enter the following command at a command line
prompt or from the Run Menu:
edbsrvr.exe /install
To install the database server so
that it does not interact with the
desktop at all, which is required in instances where the current user
will be logged out of the system, then you should use the /nointeract
flag along with the /install command-line switch:
edbsrvr.exe /install /nointeract
This will install the service as a
non-interactive service and the
database server will not display a user interface when it is started.
To start the edbsrvr.exe database server as a service enter the
following command at a command line prompt or from the Run Menu:
net start edbsrvr.exe
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A2. For Project
Clock, CyberMatrix Office and CyberMatrix Point of Sale you can use the
"srvany" tool from the Microsoft
Resource kit
to
run the server application as a service. Here is a tutorial on setting
up our servers as a service.
1)
use the "instsrv" tool to install the
service to the registry
Example:
instsrv yourservicename "C:\Program Files\Resource Pro
Kit\bin\srvany.exe"
Note that the executable name has to be "srvany.exe"
2)
After you done with step (1), you
need to edit the registry either by using the registry editor or using
a batch file.
create a subkey name "Parameters" under
"HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\yourservicename\"
so that the tree structure looks like
"HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\yourservicename\Parameters"
Then, in the Parameter Subkey, add the values "Application"
and make it
point to your application executable.
Example, "C:\ProjectClock\PCServer.exe"
3)
DONE. You will be able to start/stop
the service from both the
"service" manager and the command prompt using "sc stop service name"
See also:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/137890/EN-US/
http://www.coretechnologies.com/products/AlwaysUp/
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Q.
We use
the Client/Server edition of your software. We
want to install the latest version on a new server. What is the best
way to upgrade and still use our old data?
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A.
You can either copy over your entire old server folder over to the new
server machine and then install the new server software into this
folder or install the new server software on the new machine and then
copy over the database files. The database files are those with the
.Dat and .Idx extensions.
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Q.
I want to move Program X to a new machine but keep all my data. What is
the best way to do this?
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A.
You could over your program and data folder over to the new machine but
then there would be no shortcuts in your start menu. The best way is to
install the software on the new machine. Then on the old machine do a
backup from Program X's Data Manager, copy that backup file to the new
machine, and then restore the backup file on the new machine using
Program X's Data Manager.
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Q.
I exported a table to CSV. Why is it when I try to import that same CSV
file it says there is an "Invalid data value in import data."?
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A.
When running the CSV import wizard, your time format must be exactly
the
same as what is in the CSV file. Most people leave in the .zzz part in
the import format string when their CSV data does not have
microseconds. The import is not always smart enough to determine what
date/time formats you are using. You have to tell it.
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Q.
We are using version 1 of your software. Is it possible to install the
V2 trial of the software on the same machine so that both versions can
be run side by side.
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A.
Yes. For the Client/Server edition the V2 server would have to run on a
different server machine but V1 and V2 of the client can be installed
into different folders. However you would have to log in as another
user for V2. For the Web edition you would just install V2 in another
folder. For the Standard edition (or Project Clock Pro) you would have
to do a Data Only and
Client only install of V2. The data would have to be installed in a
folder called Data just off the program folder i.e.: C:\Program\Data.
The software would have to be installed in the C:\Program\ folder.
Then you should run V1 and make sure it is still using the old data
folder. Alternatively you could just run V2 under a different user
account i.e. log in as another user for V2.
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