Opening all databases in a relational set

[carlyle]

Hi Folks, I'm stymied.

I have 16 related files that make up a database solution. Most of the "work" that the people in my office do is from one of these files (Members). I have a script that runs whenever you open the Members file which opens all of the other files. THis used to work like a charm, but since I recently expanded the database (enlarging it from 8 related files to 16 related files), this script has been crashing at random times (not regularly so that I can isolate the problem, but sporadically).

The script basically says:

Open (file1)

Open (file2)

Open (file3)

etc...

GoTo Layout (main)

Toggle (maximize)

THen it performs a find for records that need immediate attention.

Last week it was working fine on the host computer and other office computers, but was crashing on one computer (it would open some of the files and then display a message saying FileMaker Pro.exe has encountered errors and will close now, log file is being created...or something like that). This error computer has the same amount of memory as the other computers.

TOday, it started a brand new set of errors. When I tried to open it on the host computer, it opened all of the files, but then when I tried to work in the Members file on a screen with any portal in it, I got the message "File1 is currently in use and could not be opened. The file is single-user, or the host could not be found on the network." THe file is definitely NOT single-user, and File1 is saved in the same place on the same computer that everything else is. I'm not even trying to access it from over a network or anything. In fact the file is already open. When I try to point to the correct file, I get the same message.

So I changed the opening script (sorry this is turning into a novel here...the saga of my Monday) so that I go to each layout in turn and refresh the window (which also opens each related file). This works now, and the computer recognizes the location of the related files UNTIL I try to work in the related files...then the links are somehow screwed up and I get the same error message about the file could not be opened because it is currently in use.

Am I going insane?

Thanks for any help you can offer...

Carlyle

PS: I Didn't CHANGE anything between today and last Friday, yet somehow I traded in my old problems for a whole new set of problems...if only I could do that with shoes instead of problems, I'd be a happy woman....

[Fitch]

1. You may have multiple copies of the files on multiple computers.

2. You may be sharing the files via Windows file sharing instead of via FileMaker's built-in host/client sharing. That's a sure way to corrupt files.

Make sure that only the host computer has file-level access to the files. The other computers should never open the files directly, only as clients of the host machine.

[carlyle]

Thanks so much for the reply, this has been driving me crazy. So I do have copies of hte files on multiple computers, but I have renamed them all "OLD" as in "Membersold". THere are not copies of the files that have the same names on any computer but the host (and there is only one copy of each file on the host).

I have been using our inter-office network to open the files on a client computer (I believe that this is the correct terminology?)...temporarily using another computer as a host while I worked on the files. I only did this a few times (mostly I copied the files via the network onto my computer, worked on them there, and then transfered them back to the host machine...however, I did make some slight modifications using my machine as the host after I had mostly finished). Now that the database is up and running (or at least I WISH it was), I am only opening it on the host computer (which worked on Friday, but is now giving me all of these errors).

It sounds like maybe doing this has corrupted my files? Yikes...yikes, yikes. What can I do?

Thanks again for the help...

Carlyle

[carlyle]

So is the only solution to go back to a backup, or can anyone think of another explanation/solution? How far back do I need to go to make sure it's not corrupted? Any suggestions? Bummmmmer.

Thanks,

Carlyle

[Vaughan]

Good developers back up frequently (as often as every 15 minutes) and trash the current file and revert to a backup if the file ever crashes or suffers some other event that may introduce corruption.

A clean known-good copy of each file is a must!

[carlyle]

Unfortunately, I'm not a developer (much less a good developer), only the resident-computer-geek at our non-profit organization's office (a dubious distinction at best). I had to go back to last Wednesday's file (good lesson for me--I will back up more frequently now for sure). Fortunately, we hadn't done much work on it since then. So now, the backed up copy is up and running again, and lo and behold, the "single-user" problem is gone (THANK YOU for the advice, I was assuming that the old files would do the same thing...bad assumption).

SO, now I am back to the original problem (I'm sorry for being so problematic here)...The file is working well on the host computer, but when I try to open it on a client computer (I think that this is the correct term), it crashes partway through opening the files and gives this message: "Filemaker Pro.e.exe has generated errors and will be closed by windows. You will need to restart the program. An error log is being created." Any clue what this means? I have tried changing the order in which the files are opened, to no avail...it seems somewhat random where the computer crashes--sometimes it will crash while opening file 8, and sometimes on file 10, etc. No rhyme or reason that I can find...

Thanks again....

Carlyle

[Fitch]

Are you opening the files by clicking the "Host" button in FileMaker's open dialog box? This is a must.

I would go to the host computer, close all the files, then open your main file and go through each step of your "opener" script and make sure it's pointing to the right file. Check your relationships too.

[Oldfogey]

1. The Crash. I've had this reasonably often. I am 90% sure it is a Windoze problem. It seems to be due to an overload of some kind - not even sure of which resource. Sorry I can't offer any more help.

2. Customer has Citrix and V6 continually gets the ".. in use etc..." message. Been driving us up the wall. I won't give you the full 5-volume story but ...

I am interested that you got the problem after enlarging the number of files.

Our DB is about 20 files of which only 4 or 5 are used by 2-4 users and the problem frequency increases as the number of users goes up from 2 to 5. Somewhere around V5 or V6, FMI added a little para in the User guide - " ... sharing up to 10 files with up to 10 concurrent users." and "... single file with up to 25 consurrent users." I do not know if this kind of limitation applied in earlier versions. It wasn't in the User Guides but I wonder.

We just get by but occasionally I've had to resort to using a different copy of a file just to get out a report and then dump the copy.

Sorry I can't be helpful about likely sources of the problem.

[carlyle]

Well, I am opening the files by clicking the "Host" button in FileMaker's open dialog button and I'm still having the problem. (I haven't always opened the files through this host button though...I didn't realize that it was a bad idea to do it through the network, I'll make sure that everyone in the office is always doing it this way too).

I also checked each step of the "opener" script (from the host computer) and they are all pointing to the correct files. Still, other computer is crashing midway through the opener script (at random and varying places) and giving the message "Filemaker Pro.e.exe has generated errors and will be closed by windows. You will need to restart the program. An error log is being created." It works *occasionally* on this one client computer, and more reliably on other client computers (although it has crashed on those as well, giving no error message--usually opening fine the second time it is opened). Is this a sign that the file is corrupted? I shudder to think....

Thanks for all of your words of wisdom.

Carlyle

ps-Oldfogey, the "File1 is currently in use and could not be opened. The file is single-user, or the host could not be found on the network." message has completely stopped now that I went back to a backup copy. It seems like Fitch was right in that my file got corrupted when I was opening it using a remote computer as a "host" through our Windows network. Now that I've stopped doing that (and went back to a backup copy), things I haven't gotten that error message again (knock wood).

[Fitch]

The number of files and guests is something we should have discussed earlier - this could very well explain the problems you've been experiencing. With 16 files opening on every guest, I don't think you can have more than five guests at a time. You should consider moving to FileMaker Server.

Here is the relevant article on peer-to-peer hosting:

Maximum Number of Guests Supported by a Host

[carlyle]

Well that's an interesting possibility. The link that you attached doesn't appear to be active anymore (I emailed the site asking about it), but this is possibly the cause. I do have 16 files that have to open every time, but the problem computer often crashes and gives that error message even if it is the first guest to log onto the database. Also, one of the other computers sometimes crashes with no error message (all databases just shut down), even if it is only the first guest. Perhaps 16 files with guests is just too much for version 4 to handle. Someday we will have to upgrade this system, but we just don't have the money to make the investment right now (and I'm not totally sure it would solve the problem?) I will try to find a copy of the peer-to-peer hosting article that you suggested, it sounds very relevant. Thanks for the help.

Carlyle