How to use databases from a network computer?

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Advance Steel databases are usually stored locally on the PC, in a folder related to the Advance Steel installation. For companies which have more than one computer with Advance Steel is useful to store the databases on a server computer, and make all the computers to read this common database.

The server computer doesn't need to have Advance Steel installed on it, only the local computers need to have it.

The operating system for the server needs to be Windows 2000 or newer.

How to share the databases on the server computer

1. Create a folder on the server computer (for example: "data") and set for it full access rights for all user. The folder needs to be on a NTFS partition.

2. Copy the databases which you need to share (for example: AstorSettings.mdb) in this folder and verify if the database in not read-only.

3. Open the file properties dialog for this database (right click on the file > Properties). Then go to "Security" tab to change the security settings for this file (please see the image below).

It's necessary to have checked the option: "Include inheritable permissions from this object's parent". If this option is turned off then all the users added to have access to this file will be automatically removed from the allowed access list for this file.

How to use databases from a network computer

How to configure the local Advance Steel installation to read the network databases.

Open DatabaseConfiguration.xml file located in: Graitec\AdvanceSteel\2010\Configuration on a user computer and change the path for AstorSettings.mdb according to the folder on the server:

How to use databases from a network computer

The location for the others databases in Advance Steel:

Database	Location in Windows XP	Location in Windows Vista and Windows 7
AstorAddin	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Graitec\Advance Steel\2010\User2\Data	C:\ProgramData\Graitec\AdvanceSteel \2010\User2\Data
AstorBase	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Graitec\Advance Steel\2010\Steel\Data	C:\ProgramData\Graitec\AdvanceSteel\2010\Steel\Data
AstorDetails	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Graitec\Advance Steel\2010\Steel\Data	C:\ProgramData\Graitec\AdvanceSteel\2010\Steel\Data
AstorRules	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Graitec\Advance Steel\2010\Steel\Data	C:\ProgramData\Graitec\AdvanceSteel\2010\Steel\Data
AstorSettings	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Graitec\Advance Steel\2010\Steel\Data	C:\ProgramData\Graitec\AdvanceSteel\2010\Steel\Data

For AstorProfiles database, in order to access it from a network address the user needs to change a registry entry.

AstroProfiles can be found at the following address:

Database	Location in Windows XP	Location in Windows Vista and Windows 7
AstorProfiles2010	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Graitec\Data	C:\Program Files\Graitec\Data

To change the registry entry you need to:

- Open Registry Editor tool from Windows ( press START > Run > type regedit)

- To the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Graitec / Database Connections.

- Here change the folder target for the AstorProfile2010 entry with the network address.

How to use databases from a network computer

This registry configuration needs to be done independently for each computer, but the DatabaseConfiguration.xml file can be replaced for each computer.

Keywords: Autodesk Advance Steel