Setting Up Biblioscape For Network Use

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Setting Up Biblioscape For Network Use - April 09, 1998

The following descriptions only applies to Biblioscape prior to version 5. From version 5, Borland Database Engine is no longer used in Biblioscape. User doesn't need to do anything special to open a database on the file server.

Biblioscape uses Borland Database Engine (BDE) to access its data (Paradox tables). For multi-user environment, Biblioscape supports both file server and client/server technology. The following describes how to set up multi-user access of bibliographic database on a file server.

1. In a peer-to-peer network, designate one PC as the file server, and all the others as clients. Install Biblioscape on each client PC running Windows 95, 98, Me, NT4, or 2000. Don't install Biblioscape on the file server PC.

2. On each client PC, user file manager "Explorer" to "Map Network Drive". Therefore, each client PC can access the drive on file server PC.

3. There are 3 files that BDE uses to control how a database is accessed by multi-users. These 3 files are: Pdoxusrs.net, Pdoxusrs.lck, Paradox.lck. The two *.lck files are controlled by the Pdoxusrs.net file. The place of Pdoxusrs.net is controlled by the BDE setting. This file keep track of users who are accessing a paradox database. By default, BDE put this file at "c:\". You need to change the BDE setting of "NET DIR", so multiple client PCs will use the same Pdoxusrs.net file. Run BDEadmin.exe under "c:\program files\borland\common files\bde\", and go to "Configuration | Drivers | Native | PARADOX". Change the setting of "NET DIR" from 'C:\" to a directory on file server PC.

4. Next, the BDE setting of "LOCAL SHARE" has to be set to TRUE for each client PC. Run BDEadmin.exe under "c:\program files\borland\common files\bde\", and go to "Configuration | System | INIT". Change the setting of "LOCAL SHARE" to TRUE.

5. Now, move the bibliographic database to the file server PC. All the client PCs should be able to open the same database at the same time. BDE applies record level locking which means different user can edit different record at the same time.

Note: If you encounter problems setting up Biblioscape for network user, please send us an email at support@biblioscape.com The following links also can give you more info about BDE settings for multi-user environment.
Understanding the PARADOX.NET file with the BDE
BDE setup for Peer-To-Peer(Non-Dedicated) Networks

Note: When Biblioscape opens a database, BDE will first check if there are *.lck files in that directory. Both "Pdoxusrs.lck" and "Paradox.lck" are created dynamically by BDE at the directory where the currently opened paradox database resides. They are deleted by BDE when your BDE application exits. But, in case something went wrong with the BDE application, those two lock files (*.lck) will not be removed. Therefore, If there are *.lck files in the database directory, it means there are at least one user is using the database, or Biblioscape failed to exits correctly last time.

When Biblioscape opening a database, if the *.lck file are controlled by a different Pdoxusrs.net file, Biblioscape will fail to open that database. So, to let multi-users access the same database, you need to let them all use the same Pdoxusrs.net file as indicated above in section 3. When you failed to open a database in this kind of situation, first close Biblioscape. Then remove the *.lck files if they are present in the database directory.

Tip: In a multi-user environment, if customized reference types are needed, the corresponding files should be updated across all client PCs. The files involved are: all files under "c:\program files\biblioscape 3\reftypes\", plus two files "bib_type.db" and "bib_type.px" under "c:\program files\biblioscape 3\global\".