access database

[Scherb, Glenn]

We've been doing heavy MS Access development here since 1998 with Linux on
ext2 and reiser partitions as well as FreeBSD using UFS.  A number of issues
crop up with Access and Microsoft Outlook.
1.  Ensure the kernel has kernel locking enabled.  I had problems with this
on RH 5.2 and 6.1 until I recompiled the kernel.  
2.  Experiment with the oplock settings.  I have ended up with corruption of
Access *.mdb files and Outlook *.pst files when they were enabled on Linux
machines.  No problems with FreeBSD/ufs.  This was a problem with multiple
users on the same back end data container.
3.  Look at the socket options.  I usually have mine set with TCP_NODELAY
and SO_KEEPALIVE
4.  The keepalive setting is 300 on the Linux boxes and 0 for FreeBSD.  I
don't recommend adjusting this unless Access posts a 'disk or network error
message'.  When this happens, Access behaves as though the network
connection has dropped, but the Windoze Explorer still shows the share as
live and intact.  This also happens on NT 4.0 servers periodically, so I
suspect this is a Microsoft networking problem, not something caused by
Samba.  Experimenting will determine a useful value.
5.  If you deploy multiuser Access databases, be sure to keep the
application code and queries in a local container on the client machine and
link the tables to a shared container on a server.  Performance is better
and you'll have fewer application hangs.  The same rules apply to deployment
on NT or Win2K servers.

My client machines are Win95, NT4.0, and Win2K.  Servers range from RH 6.1
(ext2), Mandrake 7.2 (reiserfs), and FreeBSD 4.2 (ufs).  All systems run
Samba 2.0.7 using an NTS4.0 PDC.  We've been pounding the Mandrake box for 4
months with no problems; reiserfs performance is great.  The RedHat boxes
have been up for 16 months and the FreeBSD boxes have been up for 8 months.
Best stability and performance is on FreeBSD oplocks work reliably on these
systems so I typically set them on and get a little bet better performance
with some operations.

Don't hesitate to drop me a line if you need some assistance.

Regards,

Glenn
--
Glenn Scherb
Midwest Research Institute
425 Volker Boulevard
Kansas City, Missouri  64110

gscherb at mriresearch.org
http://www.mriresearch.org

Phone:  (816)753-7600 x1806
FAX:  (816)753-5359

Page:  (816)990-8513
	pagegscherb at mriresearch.org


-----Original Message-----
From: samba-ntdom-admin at lists.samba.org
[mailto:samba-ntdom-admin at lists.samba.org]On Behalf Of Brandon Caudle
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2001 11:43 AM
To: samba-ntdom at samba.org
Subject: access database


Has anyone heard of corruption of an access database on a ext2 (riserfs) 
samba share?

Brandon Caudle
_________________________________________________________________
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