|
Working with your data file on a network Overview
The power behind MYOB Accounting Plus lies in its ability to run on your company’s network, with more than one person using the same data file at the same time. Using this power, you’ll be able to get more of your accounting functions done more quickly.
Accounting Plus operates a little differently than software programs that don’t run on networks. Since your accounting records are vital to your business, it’s important for you to understand how MYOB Accounting Plus works in your network environment. This part can help you prepare to use MYOB Accounting Plus data files with other users; it also explains what happens when more than one person uses a data file at the same time.
The way you set up a data file in MYOB Accounting Plus can affect the people in your company who use the data file.
A variety of setup options, known as preferences, are available in MYOB Accounting Plus; they enable you to customize the way you work. You can also set up a password-security system to protect your sensitive business records from those who shouldn’t have access to them. Preferences and passwords affect how Accounting Plus is run on a network by more than one person; this chapter briefly describes how Accounting Plus is affected by these functions.
Some of the preferences you can choose in the MYOB Accounting Plus Preferences window can affect how everyone works with your data file. Since these preferences, known as systemwide preferences, may affect other people, it’s a good idea to be aware of the effects of each choice you make in the Preferences window.
Each systemwide preference is clearly marked with the word System-wide in the Preferences window.
For more information about the Accounting Plus preferences, see Customizing work preferences.
You can safeguard your company’s accounting data by setting up passwords that prevent people from using parts of the data file that they don’t need to use. This ensures that your confidential information will be seen only by authorized personnel. See To create the master password to learn how to set up your company’s password-security system.
When you use the Password Access window to restrict access to specific windows in Accounting Plus, you may also restrict access to information shown in lists and reports throughout the entire Accounting Plus system. For details about how passwords affect specific lists and reports, Note: If you’ve created custom reports with a previous MYOB product.
When two or more people use MYOB Accounting Plus simultaneously to keep accounting records for your company, they all access the same data file at the same time. This means that two or more users might be entering sales, writing checks, creating customer cards, and so on, at the same time.
Accounting Plus uses a special function, called file locking, that makes it possible for more than one user to enter information in the same data file at the same time. File locking is one of many features built in to MYOB software that allow you and your coworkers to work together in Accounting Plus. The sections in this chapter describe some MYOB Accounting Plus features that are activated when more than one person is using the same data file at the same time; we suggest that you spend a few minutes to read this information carefully.
Since more than one person can use an Accounting Plus data file, you might run into situations where two or more people are making entries at the same time. There also are times when important maintenance procedures affect your entire data file, such as when you back up a data file. In each case, MYOB software uses file locking to protect your accounting data. File locking can take two forms: multi-user file locking and single-user file locking. This section will help you learn more about the two types of file locking.
Multi-user file locking is used by MYOB Accounting Plus when more than one person is entering information into the same data file at the same time. It’s used to prevent different pieces of data from “colliding” into each other when they’re simultaneously entered into your data file; such a situation, if not prevented, could seriously damage the data file.
Let’s use an example to understand how multi-user file locking works. Say two people, Person A and Person B, are using the same MYOB Accounting Plus data file. Person A has created an sale in the Sales window, but she hasn’t clicked the Record button to record the sale into the data file yet. Person B has created a purchase in the Purchases window, but he hasn’t clicked the Record button, either. Then, at the exact same time, Person A clicks the Record button in the Sales window and Person B clicks the Record button in the Purchases window.
This is when multi-user file locking comes into effect. Both Person A and Person B want to record their entries into the data file at the same time, but MYOB Accounting Plus will record only one entry at a time -- so only Person A’s entry is recorded first. Person B must wait (he is “locked out” of the data file) until Person A’s entries are properly recorded in the data file. Because Person B is “locked out,” the message File is busy; access denied appears on his computer screen. After Person A’s entries are completely recorded in the data file, Person B can then attempt to record his entries again by clicking the Retry button in the File is busy; access denied message.
Another instance of multi-user file locking occurs when you’re working with a particular record in the Sales, Purchases, Historical Sales, Historical Purchases, Customer Payments, Vendor Payments, Settle Returns & Credits and Settle Returns & Debits windows. In these windows, if you’ve marked the Automatically Refresh Lists When Information Changes box in the Preferences window and another person changes or removes the same record you’re working with, the window you’re using will automatically close.
For example, say Person A is viewing a sale in the Sales window. Person A has marked the Automatically Refresh Lists When Information Changes box in the Preferences window. Now, Person B removes the sale record. On Person A’s computer screen, the message The Sales window will close because the sale being displayed there has been deleted will appear.
If you haven’t marked the Automatically Refresh Lists When Information Changes box in the Preferences window, the window you’re using won’t close until you attempt to change or remove the record you’re viewing.
A number of other factors affect how multi-user file locking works on your company’s network. This section describes those factors.
Q: How does MYOB Accounting Plus choose which information to record first when multiple users enter information at the same time?
A: When two people make an entry into the same data file at the same time, it’s essentially a “race” between the two computers to see who reaches the data file first. The first computer that reaches the data file is the “winner” of the race. A few factors affect these races, such as:
Q: The message File is busy; access denied is displayed on my computer screen. How long do I have to wait before I can record my entry in the data file?
A: When this message appears on your computer screen, it means that another user is currently updating the contents of your company’s data file. As soon as the data file is updated, you’ll be able to record your own entry; this should take no more than a few seconds. When you’re ready to attempt to record your entry again, click the Retry button in the File is busy; access denied message. (If the message appears again, it’s possible that other users have attempted to record an entry at the same time; you can click the Retry button every few seconds until the file is “unlocked.”)
Q: I just changed a customer’s address in the Card Information window. When I was done, I pressed the tab key on my keyboard to move to the next field -- and the File is busy; access denied message appeared. What happened?
A: When you enter information in Accounting Plus, your data file is updated in one of two ways. The method Accounting Plus uses depends upon the window in which you made your entry.
Generally speaking, if the window you’re using has a Cancel button on it -- such as the Spend Money window -- any information you enter in the window isn’t recorded in your data file until you click the window’s Record or OK button.
On the other hand, if the window you’re using doesn’t have a Cancel button on it -- such as the Card Information window -- any information you enter is recorded into your data file on a field-by-field basis. In other words, as soon as you press the tab or enter key after making an entry in a field, the entry you made will be recorded into your data file. If other people are making entries into the same data file at the same time, it’s possible that you might encounter the File is busy; access denied message each time you press tab or enter.
Q: All I want to do is print some reports in MYOB Accounting Plus. Will multi-user file locking affect me in any way?
A: You can choose to activate multi-user file locking when you’re printing or displaying reports -- the choice is up to you. See Printing, displaying and customizing reports in a multi-user environment to learn more about how multi-user file locking affects Accounting Plus reports.
A few important MYOB Accounting Plus tasks require that only one user is using the data file. Many of these tasks are file-maintenance procedures, such as backing up and checking your data file for errors, and require the “full attention” of the data file while they’re being performed. Single-user file locking ensures that only one user is using a data file when these tasks are occurring.
When you begin to perform a task that requires a single-user file lock, no other users can have the data file open. If you attempt to begin one of these tasks when the file is open on another user’s workstation, Accounting Plus will prevent you from starting the task. Similarly, if a single-user file lock is in effect on a data file, no other users will be able to open the file.
When you open a data file, you can specify that you wish to activate single-user file locking. In the Sign-On window that appears when you start Accounting Plus, choose the Single-user Access option.
The tasks in which single-user data file locking occur include:
In addition, the following elements cannot be created, changed or removed when more than one person is using the data file:
If you wish to perform a task that requires single-user file locking but other users currently have the data file open, you can quickly determine who is using the data file by displaying the Active Workstations window. To do this, choose Active Workstations from the File menu.
When other people are using the same data file that you’re using, the way you print and display reports can affect how others perform their MYOB Accounting Plus tasks and how your reports look. Also, if you customize any reports, there are some additional concepts you should keep in mind. The topics in this section discuss how Accounting Plus reports are affected by a network environment.
When you’re printing reports on your printer or displaying reports on your computer screen and other people are using the same data file, you can choose to activate multi-user file locking yourself.
Before you print or display a report, open the Report Filters window for the report. The Report Filters window contains a box labeled Prevent Data Changes During Report Generation. This box allows you to activate multi-user file locking and prevent other users from adding, changing or removing any information from the data file while MYOB Accounting Plus is generating the report. When you print or display the report while this box is marked, the report will be as up to date and accurate as possible.
Keep in mind, however, that a few MYOB Accounting Plus reports take some time to be generated. You might want to consider printing these lengthy reports at times (for example, at the end of the work day) when other users won’t be forced to wait for the report to be generated before they can begin making entries into the data file again.
You can also leave the Prevent Data Changes During Report Generation box unmarked. When you do this, other users will be able to continue to make entries into the data file, but your report may not look exactly the way you intended. If another user changes information that affects the report as it’s being printed or displayed, that particular entry may be indicated by zeroes or blank spaces on the report. In addition, new entries that other users make might affect the total amounts on some reports. With this in mind, you should consider printing or displaying the report at a time when you know no entries are being made that will affect the completeness of the report.
Some Accounting Plus reports allow you to view the entries made by a specific user during a specific time period. Accounting Plus tracks activity using the User ID; a User ID is the ID each user enters in the Sign-on window during the process of opening a data file. You can use these reports to determine who made a particular entry. You can also review your own entries during a certain time period.
Click below for the step-by-step procedure:
To print a report showing entries identified by user IDs
To print a report showing your entries for the session
To automatically print a report showing your entries for the session
When you create custom reports in MYOB Accounting Plus, the information about the custom reports is stored on your workstation’s hard disk, not on the network. Other users of the same data file won’t be able to use your custom reports unless you copy the custom reports’ information to the appropriate locations on their workstations. (You may want to ask your system administrator to perform this task.)
Your custom report information is stored in the CUSTOM folder inside the folder on your workstation in which MYOB software is installed. (For example, if MYOB Accounting Plus is installed in C:\MYOBAccounting Plus, your custom report information is stored in C:\MYOBAccounting Plus\CUSTOM.) You can use Windows Explorer to copy the custom report files onto other users’ workstations.
If you’ve created custom reports with a previous MYOB product, you may not be able to display and print them using MYOB Accounting Plus Version 10. Because of the addition of new report fields, changes of field names or changes to the length of information that will display and print for a field, your custom reports may not be available in Accounting Plus Version 10. You may need to recustomize those reports.When you restrict access to specific MYOB Accounting Plus windows using the Password Access window, you also may limit the information that appears in various lists and reports throughout the entire system.
If you’ve restricted access to any of the following windows, you’ve also limited some access to the information in at least one corresponding list or report. Users will still be able to view or print such lists and reports, but the lists and reports may not contain complete information. Keep this in mind if someone who is assigned a particular password is viewing lists or printing reports in MYOB Accounting Plus.
|
|
Each time you open a list window (such as the Inquiry Register window) or display a report in the Screen Reports window, the information that appears matches the contents of the data file as of the moment you opened the list or displayed the report. However, if you keep the list or report displayed on your computer screen for some time, the data that other users enter during that time may make the information on your screen obsolete or incorrect. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to keep the information that’s displayed on your computer screen as up to date as possible; that way, you’ll be sure you’re equipped with the latest data when you make your company’s financial decisions.
You can update the information displayed on your computer screen automatically or manually. The following instructions explain both of these methods.
Click below for the step-by-step procedure:
To set up MYOB Accounting Plus so on-screen information is updated automatically
To update on-screen information manually
Working with your data file on a network Overview