Access and print servers

Hey, whats up. Long time no see... yeah been a few months. So anyway, heres the deal. Working on a project for a local company, and running in to a couple problems that are annoying me. The worst part is, I should know how to fix this, but its been so long that I actually had to do this crap that I don't remember.

Backgroud...
Small company.
1 server (running Win XP Media Center edition.... yeah, not sure about that either).
15 clients (running Win XP home).
A couple weeks ago, they were running a win NT server and Win 98/ME on all the clients, and everything worked fine. They made some updates on the recomendation of circut city, and it caused some serious problems. I ripped out the rest of the Win ME machines yesterday, but still getting a couple problems.

1> MS Access Database. This database is running on the server. It will NOT allow more then 9 clients to connect at once. As soon as a 10th trys to log on, it throws an error about the Jet ODB lock file being locked exlusively by a different machine. Is this a problem with Access or Media Center? I am thinking Media Center has a limit of 10 users logged in at one point (server + 9 clients), but have never touched Media Center before, so not sure. Supposedly they had 12 on it 2 weeks ago (after the new server was installed, but not all the other changes made) but I found a way that they theorically could have done it with 9 and not realized it). To run properly, they need to have 11 machines connect, and ideally 14, but they can run it with 9 and not even realize it unless things get busy. So basically, do I need to change this machine to XP Pro or some other windows server OS (they won't run linux), or is this something that needs to be fixed with access?

2> Okay, they have a bunch of reports in access and some are set to print to certain printers. Is it possible to change what printer they print to? I didn't set up the database, so no clue what reports are where, and the people who did are now someplace in california. Here is the deal. One of the things that gets printed is a check. This automaticaly goes to the check printer. When you try to print to the check printer, it says the default printer (ps3423rfglsf3or/hp1010) can't be found, would you like to use a different printer? (the ps whatever number is the linksys printserver, the hp is the printer) That printer is now at //checkprinter/p1. If you select the checkprinter, it works fine. Here is the thing. If I reconnect one of the ME machines that was set up properly, I don't get the error, but I do under XP. Is there a way to tell XP that //checkprinter/p1 and the pswhatever are the same thing? Or is there a way to tell access that the report should be formated for //checkprinter/p1 instead of the pswhatever thing?

I think I am going to run into another printer problem on a few machines, because I had to use incorrect drivers to get the printers to work, since they never made drivers for XP, but that shouldn't be to bad, I can just tell the people to use default printer for now, and then worry about it later. This other stuff needs to be working before Tuesday afternoon.

Thanks ahead of time

Well...an epson 800 printer driver should print to any printer....or generic...although you may lose some report fomatting\graphic etc...depending on the report writer

as for UNC naming conventions \\servername\share

Most older programs db apps REALLY like mapped drives instead...

Just some tips...

not sure if the will help

we have an older app.....and printing is a constant issue

MLF

The printer is a epson receipt printer. I have it working, just think its going to give the same error about not finding the proper printer and have to select it every single time they want to print to it (which is about which is about 75-100 times an hour for a few hours at a time). The DB is access 2000, so its not that old.. Was written like 10 years ago, but has been updated a few times since then.

I have seen this before with epsons not hooked up directly to the machine...

Its the driver.....

Maybe epson has a work around...I would try contacting them???

MLF

The epson is connected directly. I haven't had the ability to find out if I am going to get the error on that machine. The big problem is with the checkprinter which is an HP laser connected to a linksys printserver.

First, Circuit City made the recommendations so....where are they when the shite hits the fan?
Stupid recommendations made by inexperienced doodle-do's. (speaking solely of Circuit City)
:p

(First problem)

[Connection limit by OS ]

Computers that run Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP Professional are licensed for a maximum of 10 concurrent client incoming sessions.

Computers that run Windows XP Home Edition are licensed for a maximum of 5 concurrent client incoming sessions. All logical drive, logical printer, and transport level connections combined from a single computer are one session.

[How a session is counted ]
Typically a computer does not have multiple sessions to another computer. But there are exceptions.
For example, computer A is running a service under another user context than the logged-on user, and that service creates a logical connection to computer B. The logical connection can result from file shares, printers, serial ports, and also from communication between computers using named pipes and mail slots.

[Multiple connections can count as ONE session ]
All logical drive, logical printer, and transport level connections combined from a single computer are considered to be one session;therefore, these connections only count as one connection in the ten- connection limit.
For example, if a user establishes two logical drive connections, two Windows sockets, and one logical printer connection to a Windows XP system, one session is established. As a result, there will be only one less connection that can be made to the Windows XP system, even though three logical connections have been established.

[Time limit on dead connections ]
Any file, print, named pipe, or mail slot session that does not have any activity on it will be automatically disconnected after the AutoDisconnect time has expired; the default for this is 15 minutes. Once the session is disconnected, one of the 10 connections will be available so that another user can connect

[Configuring AutoDisconnect time ]
You can configure the AutoDisconnect time by running the following command from a command prompt:
net config server /autodisconnect:time_before_autodisconnect
Specify the time in minutes.

[Listing current active sessions ]
To receive information about active sessions on the computer that is running the server service, type the following command:
net session
Count the number of open sessions to see if the session limit of 10, or 5 in the case of Windows XP Home Edition, is already reached. Typically there is only one session per remote client.

If there is more than one session from a remote client, view the User name context on the remote client that has set up more than one session:
• View all the services that are running, and find out if one is running under the user context of the username shown in the session table.
• Look for scheduled tasks that are running in a logon script and are using a different user account then the one logging in.
• Look for rows where the User name column is empty and examine the idle time.
A session that has an empty user context is a null session.

Temporary null sessions are usually caused by IPC$ connections as the first step in establishing a connection. They stay active for 30 seconds to 90 seconds.

[Disconnecting client sessions manually ]
Note To disconnect client computer sessions, use the following command:
net session /delete \\computername
This command disconnects all sessions from that computer and closes all open files. This command may cause data loss if open files that have not been saved are closed.

[Solution to first problem ]
Either return to Win NT 4, inform management of the connection limitation, or buy Windows SBS. Why not standard Windows server? Cause SBS costs the same or less and provides many more features. Note that you cannot buy and install SBS properly in a couple days time. (MS Access is not your problem here)


(Second problem)
Printers:
With limited time, as you seem to be in, I would examine naming the Linksys printserver and ports with the OLD information.
The Print server name as decided upon by the user (YOU) when inside the printserver can be set as:
ps3423rfglsf3or
and printers can be named:
HP1010

[Solution to the second problem ]
What does change, in this scenario, is how you setup the printers.

Here's the basics:
1) Setup the print server with the name "ps3423frglsf3or" at such and such IP address from within the print server setup screen.
2) Don't use the silly "print server" software to enable printing control, I never do!
3) Know what the print server port identifier is for the actual physical ports the printers are connected to, as in 9100, 9101, if the ports are named remember the port names.
4) On the computers, setup a new port for the existing printers using the "Add port", Select "Standard TCP/IP port", then click on "new port" button, click next and put in the IP address of the print server but name it "ps3423frglsf3or". If the port has a number, enter it in the "Raw" section. If the port has a name, enter it in the "LPR" Queue section. (sometimes you have to check "enable byte counting", sometimes not)
5) Check next, next, next or save, save, save. Wait a 20 seconds for XP to digest this and try a print page from within the print driver general dialog screen.
6) If setup correctly this should work, now try printing a check or whatever from the program.

PM me with contact information if you want to talk ear to ear.

Any moral support you get helps, I know.
:D

Edit: Here's a link for messing with the TCP connection limitation in SP2: http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=1497

Yeah, that was the big problem on the first part. Media Center is also limited to 10 connections. Not sure why Circut City ever recommended it, and they also f'ed up the database in the process. I was actually able to the backup from 3 weeks ago (right before they showed up) and guess what... there is the original .mdb file for the database. Circut City aparantly made a new .mdb that used linked tables, then put both into mde files, thinking this would fix the problem. Well, obviously they were wrong, but at the same time, they deleted the mdb files. Using the backup, I was able to reformat the "check" report to use the //chkprinter/p1, and the way the database works, it took about 20 minutes to add in any new information that was missing over the 3 weeks (most info is deleted every week so they are starting from blank tables every sale day).

I got them working with 9 computers last tuesday, and they are getting win server 2003 with 20 clients this weekend, so that should take care of the other problem. wtf is Win SBS? If I don't have to teach it, I don't take the time to learn anything about it. Is it Small Business Server or something? Just curious, how many connections does it allow?

Win SBS is Windows Small Business Server.

I wanted to mention Release 2 (R2) which is not an upgrade but a whole different SKU which will be released in 2nd Qtr 2006.

Specifically it's called "Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2" and it's a BIG upgrade, more so than XP SP2.

There are no limits on the number or type of servers that can exist in a Windows Small Business Server 2003 domain, with the following exceptions:

• Only one computer in a domain can be running Windows Small Business Server 2003.

• Windows Small Business Server 2003 must be the root of the Active Directory forest and cannot trust any other domains, cannot have any child domains and cannot be demoted or renamed.

• Each additional computer running Windows Server 2003 must have a Windows Small Business Server 2003 client access license (CAL), with no more than 75 CALs. You can use CALs for each user or for each device. (Limit of 75 users, the first 5 CALs are included free)

•Windows Small Business Server 2003 supports up to two physical CPU processors and up to four virtual CPU processors.

• Windows Small Business Server 2003 includes Outlook 2003, fax service, firewall service, and remote-access service. Additionally, it includes Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, enhanced tools for server monitoring and administration, and an out-of-the-box solution for internal Web sites.

I mention a few features so you can see it's a package tailored for small businesses.

SBS also can also include SQL ans ISA with the premium version.

IMHO it is a great buy for small business.

Lots of improvements...the 2003 version is very stable...although still needs a reboot every 6 weeks or so....to release the memory that just keeps growing and growing .

Good hardware is recommended seeing it runs so many services\apps
Have been installing and supporting it since the 4.0 days when it was first released....

Its sure come along way since then..


MLF