Basic Concepts About Security Work Groups

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(1) Can multiple databases be assigned to one work group?

(2) Can a user or group belong to more than one work group simultaneously?

Thanks,
Tom
 
Tom Glasser said:
(1) Can multiple databases be assigned to one work group?
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Yes. The workgroup controls the session of Access (it isn't tied to a database - in fact a single database could be used by more than workgroup); many databases can be opened during that session. Even out of the box, Access uses a workgroup file called system.mdw - all databases that haven't been secured, are actually secured - You are silently logged in as 'Admin', and that user owns everything, and is common to all system.mdw files.
(2) Can a user or group belong to more than one work group simultaneously?
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Yes, the key is to make sure that the username and PID is exactly the same in all workgroup files.
 
Thanks for your response, Joan. Can you please further clarify a couple of
things
for me? :

-- How do you go about assigning multiple databases to a specified workgroup?

-- It seems to me that when I use Workgroup Admin Utility to join a particular
workgroup, I lose my ability to access databases in other workgroups.
Am I missing, or misunderstanding something here?

Thanks again,
Tom
 
Access always uses a workgroup file (can't function without it). Out of the box, it ships with system.mdw. As I said, you use this for all databases, and it silently logs you in as Admin. Every system.mdw is the same, which is why you are able to send an unsecured mdb to someone else; they can open it as 'Admin' which has permission to everything (actually it's the Users Group, also common to all mdw files, that has permission to everything; Admin is a member of the Users Group).

When you implement security, you create a *new* workgroup file. This mdw still has the Admin User and the Users Group in common with all other mdw files, which is why you remove all permissions for these two entities when you secure a mdb.

So, in order to work Access must use some workgroup file. There is always *one* mdw file set as the default. You have to join another mdw to make it the default. Access will use this default mdw unless you specify otherwise. Generally, on leaves the default set to system.mdw, and creates a desktop shortcut to launch secure mdbs. The target of the shortcut uses the /wrkgrp switch to over-ride the default mdw, for just that session of Access. The target looks like:
"path to msaccess.exe" "path to secure mdb" /wrkgrp "path to secure mdw"

You don't really 'assign' a database to a workgroup file. The workgroup file controls the session of Access. Usually you want the database to only be useable when using the 'correct' mdw. To answer your question, you can either join the workgroup you want to use (making it the default), or just create a desktop shortcut with "path to msaccess.exe" /wrkgrp "path to secure mdw" to launch an Access session using the secure mdw.
 
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