Networking/multiuser support?

[Mr. Analogy]

Hi,

Does UR support multiple users (say, on a network) ?

I'm guessing not, but thougth i'd check.

(I"m well aware that 1.0 can't support everything or it wouldn't be out till 2006, like Longhorn :-)

[ExtraLean]

Or, how about non-concurrent access over a network? As per your license allowance, I'd like to run UR from my desktop and laptop depending on what machine I'm using at the time, but have the database sitting on a central file server so I'm always working on the latest version. Is this possible?

[kinook]

Yes, you can access a shared database from multiple computers. In version 1.0a, only the first to open had write access, but with 1.1 multiple users can open the database for editing.

It's not a true client-server setup, so it's not designed to handle a lot of concurrency, and the tree contents are not automatically refreshed with changes from other users (Shift+F5 or Tree | Refresh All will reload the trees from the database). A single user accessing from different computers at different times should not have any problems, but multiple users performing long-running updates could encounter locking issues.

Accessing a UR database on a USB stick (carrying it around physically to multiple computers) is another viable option.

[Mr. Analogy]

What is the worst case scenario with a lock conflict?

Suggestion:
With the KB I wrote (last century<g>) it detected whether you were in write mode. If so, it wouldn't let anyone else write until you left write mode.


The odds of two users editing at exactly the same time are pretty low and worst case would be that the second user had to wait. Not a big deal.

[kinook]

Worst case is like you said: if you try to do an update while another update is in process by another user, a "database is locked" error message is displayed, and you can't do the update until the other user's update has completed.

[vamp07]

I'm finding that if I let my portable hibernate with UR running, when I wake it up it thinks the file is locked and nothing will get me out of the problem except exiting the program. My desktop does have it open but this problem only happens when returning from hibernation.

[Sean Siler]

Interestingly, I am having the same issue with locking on my laptop coming out of hibernation. Not a big deal, I just have to exit out of UR each time and re-open. Kind of a pain.

[kevina]

The problem being described is not actually due to accessing an Info Database from two computers at the time, but rather that when Windows comes out of standby/hiberate, open file handles to an Info Database on a network share are invalid (currently requiring the database to be closed and re-opened or Ultra Recall to be restarted to continue using the Info Database).

We are aware of the problem and are working on a resolution. An updated download will be available when this issue has been resolved (a minor version release).

Interestingly, some Microsoft applications (ie. Microsoft Access) prevent Windows from entering Standby/hibernate until you close the application... We are confident we can provide a solution that works as expected (allows standby/hibernate, yet resumes properly!).

[kevina]

Version 1.2 of Ultra Recall is available which addresses the issue of Standby/Hibernation interferring with Ultra Recall operation (as well as several other bug fixes and enhancements).

You can download the latest version of Ultra Recall here: http://www.kinook.com/UR/download.html

You can view the "How to Upgrade to a newer version of Ultra Recall?" FAQ entry here: http://www.kinook.com/Forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=911

Note: Version 1.2a is a minor version update and is free to all licensed users of Ultra Recall.