Citrix Question Regarding Data Corruption

#1

I have an Access FE/BE database running on Citrix. Until recently all
was well with no problems during 12 months of daily use.

Recently the data file has been corrupted several times. I've also
learned that the main data entry user is experiencing dropped Citrix
connections.

Can a dropped Citrix connection have the same effect as a power loss
or incorrect shutdown on a non Citrix setup i.e. possible corruption
of the BE data file?

#2

Wayne wrote:

Quote:

I have an Access FE/BE database running on Citrix. Until recently all
was well with no problems during 12 months of daily use.

Recently the data file has been corrupted several times. I've also
learned that the main data entry user is experiencing dropped Citrix
connections.

Can a dropped Citrix connection have the same effect as a power loss
or incorrect shutdown on a non Citrix setup i.e. possible corruption
of the BE data file?

It shouldn't because a dropped connection does not mean that the running
programs are interrupted.

Do you have a setup where all users get their own copy of the front end?
That requirement does not go away just because you are using Citrix.

#3

"Rick Brandt" <rickbrandt2 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote

Quote:

Wayne wrote:

I have an Access FE/BE database running on Citrix. Until recently all
was well with no problems during 12 months of daily use.

Recently the data file has been corrupted several times. I've also
learned that the main data entry user is experiencing dropped Citrix
connections.

Can a dropped Citrix connection have the same effect as a power loss
or incorrect shutdown on a non Citrix setup i.e. possible corruption
of the BE data file?

It shouldn't because a dropped connection does not mean that the running
programs are interrupted.

Do you have a setup where all users get their own copy of the front end?
That requirement does not go away just because you are using Citrix.

If all users have a copy of the FE, is the BE on the Citrix server? If not,
the dropped connections could be caused by a bad network card or connection
on the Citrix server which will cause corruption.

#4

paii, Ron wrote:

Quote:

"Rick Brandt" <rickbrandt2 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote in message
news:i7a4ho$5vj$1 (AT) news (DOT) eternal-september.org...
Wayne wrote:

I have an Access FE/BE database running on Citrix. Until recently all
was well with no problems during 12 months of daily use.

Recently the data file has been corrupted several times. I've also
learned that the main data entry user is experiencing dropped Citrix
connections.

Can a dropped Citrix connection have the same effect as a power loss
or incorrect shutdown on a non Citrix setup i.e. possible corruption
of the BE data file?

It shouldn't because a dropped connection does not mean that the running
programs are interrupted.

Do you have a setup where all users get their own copy of the front end?
That requirement does not go away just because you are using Citrix.

If all users have a copy of the FE, is the BE on the Citrix server? If
not, the dropped connections could be caused by a bad network card or
connection on the Citrix server which will cause corruption.

There is one back end (either on the Citrix server or elsewhere on the lan)
and there are multiple front ends (one per user) on the Citrix server
(usually in their profile folder).

#5

Rick Brandt <rickbrandt2 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote in
news:i7a4ho$5vj$1 (AT) news (DOT) eternal-september.org:

Quote:

Wayne wrote:

I have an Access FE/BE database running on Citrix. Until recently
all was well with no problems during 12 months of daily use.

Recently the data file has been corrupted several times. I've
also learned that the main data entry user is experiencing
dropped Citrix connections.

Can a dropped Citrix connection have the same effect as a power
loss or incorrect shutdown on a non Citrix setup i.e. possible
corruption of the BE data file?

It shouldn't because a dropped connection does not mean that the
running programs are interrupted.

That all depends on whether or not the Citrix server is set to
terminate sessions when the connection drops. If so, it would be
like killing Access in the middle of an operation, which could
easily corrupt the back end if records were in the process of being
edited.

--
David W. Fenton http://www.dfenton.com/
contact via website only http://www.dfenton.com/DFA/

#6

On Sep 21, 9:24*pm, Rick Brandt <rickbran... (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:

Quote:

Do you have a setup where all users get their own copy of the front end? *
That requirement does not go away just because you are using Citrix.

This is what I asked the IT department to set up when the database was
originally installed. I'm trying to ascertain if this actually
happened.

#7

On Sep 21, 10:01*pm, "paii, Ron" <n... (AT) no (DOT) com> wrote:

Quote:

If all users have a copy of the FE, is the BE on the Citrix server? If not,
the dropped connections could be caused by a bad network card or connection
on the Citrix server which will cause corruption.

Yes, the backend is on the Citrix server.

#8

On Sep 22, 12:46*pm, "David W. Fenton" <NoEm... (AT) SeeSignature (DOT) invalid>
wrote:

Quote:

That all depends on whether or not the Citrix server is set to
terminate sessions when the connection drops. If so, it would be
like killing Access in the middle of an operation, which could
easily corrupt the back end if records were in the process of being
edited.

--
David W. Fenton * * * * * * * * *http://www.dfenton.com/
contact via website only * *http://www.dfenton.com/DFA/

You may have nailed it here David. It seems too coincidental the main
data entry user is experiencing dropped Citrix connections and at the
same time the BE is corrupting regularly.

#9

David W. Fenton wrote:

Quote:

That all depends on whether or not the Citrix server is set to
terminate sessions when the connection drops. If so, it would be
like killing Access in the middle of an operation, which could
easily corrupt the back end if records were in the process of being
edited.

Ours is set up that way and every indication I have is that the programs
are shut down the same as if you closed Windows. That is, a close command
is sent to them and they close after finishing current operations. I
suppose a long-running operation or a hung program gets "cut-off", but it
doesn't appear to happen so abruptly in most cases to be a corruption
concern.

In fact if the user wants a new clean session they typically have to close
the Citrix app and then wait a minute or two. If they log back in too
quickly they are simply handed the old session back because it is still
running.

#10

On 22 Sep 2010 02:46:45 GMT, "David W. Fenton"
<NoEmail (AT) SeeSignature (DOT) invalid> wrote:

Quote:

That all depends on whether or not the Citrix server is set to
terminate sessions when the connection drops. If so, it would be
like killing Access in the middle of an operation, which could
easily corrupt the back end if records were in the process of being
edited.

I disagree for two reasons

1) I would assume that if Citrix is terminating the session it would
do a controlled shutdown of all apps using the session. Identical to
someone logging off their system with the Access app still open.

2) What do you mean by edited? If you mean the user has added a
record and is updating some fields or just changing a record and
updating some fields then being abruptly terminated at that point
won't cause corruptions. This stated being where the record select
graphic is a pencil.

Now if you meant that brief moment in time when Access is actaully
updating the database as you move to a new record, close the form or
do docmd.runcommand accmdsaverecord then yes being abruptly terminated
at that point would cause corruptions.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/