Concurrent Users on Server

[Alaraujo]

How does PowerChurch v11, installed on a server, handle concurrent users? Will PowerChurch allow two PC users make changes at the same time? Or will it block 'one' while the 'other' is making changes, then allow 'one' to make it's changes?

[NeilZ]

How does PowerChurch v11, installed on a server, handle concurrent users? Will PowerChurch allow two PC users make changes at the same time? Or will it block 'one' while the 'other' is making changes, then allow 'one' to make it's changes?

PCPlus is based on the Foxpro engine, which will handle the internal file locking. In the 15 years I've been using PCPlus and viewing the forums, I've not heard of any problems with multiple people working on the system. That said, I fully suspect that if two people tried updating the same Personal Profile record at the same time, one would get a notice that the file is being updated by another user.

However, based on the fact that I've not heard of this issue previously, I don't think its an everyday occurrance.

[Jeff]

Just to expand on Neil's comments. PowerChurch does optimistic file locking. The records are not locked until the user tries to save their changes. So if two users are editing the same family and they edit different information. (User A updates the family address while User B update the phone number.) User A saves and their changes are applied to the database. When User B saves their changes, we determine they did not change the same fields as User A and apply their changes to database as well.

If the users update the same information. (User A updates the families address and User B updates the same families address.) When User A saves their changes, their changes will be applied to the database because they saved first. When User B saves their changes we see that they updated the same fields. We then check to see if they made the same changes. If the same changes were made, no notification is made to the user. If User B's changes are different than User A's changes then User B will get a message that their changes could not be saved. The record is reloaded with the current values from the database and User B will have to make their changes again if necessary.

The program has worked this way since version 7 of PowerChurch (1998) and there has not been any problems.

You can verify how all this works by opening two copies of the integrated data entry screen and make changes to the same family. Each copy of the integrated data entry screen is essentially a different "user."

[Alaraujo]

Thank you all for your input. Once again, very helpful information.

Blessings to you all.