I was just browsing the forum looking for an answer on how to implement Coollector using a shared database in a shared Windows folder or a network drive. That doesn't appear to be possible so far...

Ref: http://www.coollector.com/105.html

However, if you don't mind maintaining the database from one computer and moving it to a shared drive there is work around that was inspired by Coolhector's comment in this recent thread...

http://www.coollector.com/323.html

From the desktop make a shortcut to the network location for the "MyCoollection.cool" file that you manually move to the network share. Then always use that shortcut to launch Coollector and not the program (.exe) shortcut.

It would still be nice to have a text editable config file that allowed advanced users to point Coollector to a custom location for the MyCoollection.cool db file. This would allow the db to be in a shared location on a single computer or for it to be on a network. While db on the network poses risk of corruption I think this can be managed outside of Coollector on a NAS by limiting write permission to only one user ID and making all others read-only for that network share.

I hope this post helps someone else.

~KnoWei

This could easily be done. On startup, the program would check if the advanced user has created a config file, and read the location from it. But I don't see the point to complicate when the solution is as simple as using a shortcut to the coollection file instead of a shortcut to the program...



If several persons modify the coollection file, of course it will get corrupted.

Even if you're the only person accessing the file, doing it through a network will probably generate corruption from time to time, and you'll have to restore your previous backup (automatic backups are created in the same place as the coollection file, in a folder named "Backups").



Indeed, that's a great idea. I'm curious to know how often the file will get corrupted, but it should be manageable.

You are right. I've played with it a bit more and now I understand Coollector behavior. When I shortcut to a *.cool db file on my network drive, Coollector makes adds/deletes to that file and also creates a back-up on the network drive.

From an XP machine I added and deleted 7 titles to my network drive one or two at a time and had no problems. Each time I did an add or delete I closed Coollector and relaunched via the shortcut. Backups were created on the network drive each time. My baseline db was 224 titles before I started doing adds/deletes through the network.

Interestingly it works on XP SP3 but not on Vista.

From the Vista machine Coollector does not (or cannot) load the db from the network drive. After using the shortcut or just doubleclicking on the *.cool file on the network drive, Coollector opens but reports that I own no movies at all. Further, when I add some movies I'm not sure where Coollector is trying to write the updates and the backup. It closes normally but no file is showing up on the network drive or the MyDocuments on the Vista machine. This seems likely to be related to how Vista is working with the network drives and not a Coollector program issue. I'll have to play with that a bit more.

~KnoWei

I wasn't aware of that problem under Vista. I'll have a look at it when I'll find time (after I have released v2.44).

Thank you very much for those interesting experiments.

We're using the Metakit database library. It's a simple database, but very efficient, and Coollector has great performance thanks to it. Its only flaw is that there are issues with network access under Windows, and things seem to have gotten even worse with Vista.

I think I could go around this problem by copying the file from the network, using it locally, and then saving the result to the network when changes are made. And if several persons make changes at the same time, the first changes will be lost, but the database won't get corrupted.

Seems good, I add that to my todo list.

Agreed this seems like it would work. It is sort of what I'm doing manually now with drag and drop from the Vista machine to the network.


Thanks. I would make it low priority. My guess is only a few users will take advantage of this. Definitely below "Play from HDD" on the todo list.

Keep up the great work!

~KnoWei

I think both features will arrive this month.

I've just released v2.45 where coollection files can be shared safely on a network.

Yes, safely ! When you make some changes (rate a movie, add a video, etc...), the program first checks that no other user has made changes before you. If changes were made by another user, you get a message and those changes are loaded.