Freechain question

[Don Coleman]

Nancy:

See inserted responses below:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nancy Palmquist [mailto:nlp at vss3.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:38 PM
> To: Don Coleman
> Cc: filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
> Subject: Re: Freechain question
> 
> Don Coleman wrote:
> > List:
> >
> > Ken posted a response several weeks ago stating that it was not required
> to
> > have all users exit a file before rebuilding a freechain.  He stated fP
> > effectively locked down anyone trying to add or delete records while the
> > freechain was running (if I remember correctly, certainly not his
> wording).
> > Over the past week I had two freechain rebuilds occur as a result of
> running
> > an archive process while other users were one the system and in this
> file.
> > The archive process copies the appropriate records from the source file
> to a
> > mirror destination file, then deletes the record in the source file.
> 
> Don,
> 
> Make sure you do a WRITE  after the DELETE, and also make sure you do a
> WRITE ARCHIVE after you COPY to the archive.

I had write file_I_copied_to but did not write the file_copied_from (the one
which will be deleted at the end of the archiving process.  Added your
suggestion today.

> 
> Is the socket running from this file?

Yes, the socket is running from the source_file, not a separate control
file.

> Is the IMPORT running in this file?

No, the ascii import runs from a control file, sitting on a dedicated
record.
 

> If the IMPORT is running in this file, can you run it from another file
> and just post the records to this file as they are read?

See above 

> Same with the socket logic.  Run it from a work file and just write
> records to the file that requires the data.

I should be able to do this.  Don't see why not.  Historically, I have run
my ascii imports from a very limited access control file, but my socket
connections run from within that file application.  I don't know/remember
why I choose to do it this way.

> Then if those functions somehow misfire the live file is not generally
> affected.
> 
> Especially if these functions tend to run overlapped and often.
> 
> The steps that effect the freechain are a lookup with r=free, adding a
> record live, or a DELETE.  Review those items and make sure any lookup
> has a -p (lock), make sure you issue a WRITE after any DELETE or ADD.
> 
> This has all but eliminated any freechain builds on my systems.

Windows systems, or *nix?

> If there are users adding records, turn off the BREAK key until you
> finish posting.
> 
> For example, issue BREAK OFF when you start posting.  Then I always add:
> 
> Break ON to the @wef processing for the first data entry field on the
> screen.
> 
> That allows the user to BREAK during data entry or when they get to a
> new record and they do not want to add anymore.
> 
> This depends on your functionality, but maybe it will give you some ideas.
> 
> You can not do anything about the idiot that RESET's the computer,
> interrupts the power or hits the X to close the window while a record is
> being updated.  These are only under your control to the extent that the
> hardware is maintained properly, the humans are trained possible and the
> Microsoft gods smile on you.
> 
> Nancy
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > Typically, if I am going to have a freechain rebuild occur it is when I
> turn
> > two interfaces (one an ascii import, one a socket connect) back on after
> > running the archive process.  If I run the archive process while these
> two
> > interfaces are left on I will surely get a freechain rebuild, so I turn
> them
> > off.  This lessens the odds to less than 50%.
> >
> > Now to my question.  This AM I turned one of the interfaces back on and
> it
> > posted 10-20 records and then the "rebuilding qs1 freechain" popped up
> on
> > the interface window.  I exited the application and then immediately
> started
> > it again.  No freechain error has popped back up, the interface is still
> > posting its data and has been doing so for about 75 minutes.  If fP
> > automatically detects a files' freechain needs to be rebuilt why didn't
> it
> > pop up when I re-started the interface the second time?  There are
> > 100,000-200,000 records in this file and if I manually run freechain it
> will
> > take approx. 60 seconds to complete.  When the interface was re-started
> I
> > can't believe it completely rebuilt the freechain since I closed the
> > interface displaying the freechain with 2-3 seconds of it appearing.
> >
> > Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Windows 2000 & WINXP Pro. Clients, fP
> v5.0.13.
> >
> > Don Coleman
> > Donald G. Coleman, Consultant
> > 402 Andrew Circle
> > Indiana, PA 15701
> > dcoleman at dgcreact.com
> > (724) 349-6302
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Filepro-list mailing list
> > Filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
> > http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/filepro-list
> >
> >
> 
> 
> --
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