how to mirror the database

[rex_amidst]

How to mirror the database esp MS access? I have an database named Book.mdb stored in PC1. I want it to have a backup file, exactly the same content of Book.mdb, to PC2. Whenever PC1 will be down, it will directly save to PC2. Can you help me code this?

[RhinoBull]

You didn't mention your working environment. If it is LAN then consider one database in some shared folder accessible by all of your users.
You may need to study some multiuser database access concept though...

[techgnome]

The easiest way to "backup" an Access database is to simply copy it once it is no longer in use.

-tg

[RhinoBull]

I think his concern is more about saving data than backing it up but it really sounds like "data recovery" when two databases (one main production and one at some DR site) are synchronized.

[rex_amidst]

yes, i want to save my database in two different pc location. as i update my database, it will update both location.using an MS acces database and visual studio 2008. anyone who has a brilliant mind?

[RhinoBull]

My recommendation would be to switch to MS SQL Server so you benefit from Replication and Database Mirroring.
I believe even Express edition allows that.

[shukla]

I am not sure but you can try "Database Splitter" utility.

[GaryMazzone]

The only way to perform what you want using MS ACCESS (and not Database Splitter will not do this) is to create two connection string for the application 1 points to database at location 1 and the second points to the database at location 2. When you save, update or delete data you do it to both places. But and this is a big but, you will need to ensure that the save completes in both places to be able to commit the data. If you do not do this the databases will be come out of sync.

[jmz2]

How to mirror the database esp MS access? I have an database named Book.mdb stored in PC1. I want it to have a backup file, exactly the same content of Book.mdb, to PC2. Whenever PC1 will be down, it will directly save to PC2. Can you help me code this?

I was looking for the same solution as you. Finally I found a way to do it: Distributed File System (DFS)

While you work on MDB file in PC1, DFS is doing a copy of the file in PC2. Whenever my PC1 is down I have a copy of the MDB on the PC2.

What I would like to now from other people on the forum is if there are any inconvenients of using DFS for doing this with a MSAccess database file.

[RhinoBull]

There are whole lot of drawbacks (performance, ,concurrent file updates, no support for low level api, etc) with DFS:
http://www.cse.chalmers.se/edu/year/...ilesystems.pdf
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...faq.mspx#EPBAC
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc...=rep1&type=pdf

... but again those might not be applicable to every environment.

[jmz2]

There are whole lot of drawbacks (performance, ,concurrent file updates, no support for low level api, etc) with DFS:
http://www.cse.chalmers.se/edu/year/...ilesystems.pdf
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...faq.mspx#EPBAC
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc...=rep1&type=pdf

... but again those might not be applicable to every environment.

I have the PC2 only for DFS purposes. All work in the Acces DB is done ONLY in PC1 (nerver PC1 and PC2 work at the same time on the Access DB).

What DFS is doing is to replicate my MDB file from PC1 to PC2. So:
- Acces Aplication runs on PC1
- Users do changes on the Access db only in PC1.
- PC1 and PC2 are running DFS and MBD file in PC1 is replicated on PC2
- PC2 is only powered in order to run DFS, nothing else.

If anything happens to PC1 and it must to be powered off, I can make PC2 available to my users for them to use the Access database. I can do this in about 10 minutes or so, and that is enough for me.

Do you think I can break the database using this set up? Can all this be done in a more eficient maner? (change Acces for MSSQL is not an option as my aplication only support MSAccess.

[RhinoBull]

I don't use self contained, single file databases so all I can tell you is that your application is badly architected.
Using MS Access for enterprise is just dead wrong if you ask me. Sooo many limitations...