Data Loss in SQL Server 2000

I set up a server for a client with Small Business Server
2000. Everything is working well except for SQl server.
The database was designed by a third party. Said third
party imported the database and everthing looked ok. The
database uses Access XP as its front end. I have the
latest patches on all parts of the server including SQL
2000 and the lastest ODBC drivers on all desktops (around
5-7, all running XP prof or 2000). Now onto the problem.
Users have been experiencing data ie records they update
sometimes do not show the changes when check them later
(anywhere from a couple of hours to next day). I have
been called out to look for network problem or server
overload etc. Everything I check out is fine. Third party
has not really looked into problems with logs etc and
keeps bringing up things for me to do. How can I check
for problems with the database and what tools should I
use? I do not have much experience with SQL server as
this is my only client that uses it. I am very
experienced with server and exchange. Any help would be
greatly appreciated."Tim" <tim@.buckeyemicro.com> wrote in message
news:133e01c37316$c70b57f0$a301280a@.phx.gbl...
> I set up a server for a client with Small Business Server
> 2000. Everything is working well except for SQl server.
> The database was designed by a third party. Said third
> party imported the database and everthing looked ok. The
> database uses Access XP as its front end. I have the
> latest patches on all parts of the server including SQL
> 2000 and the lastest ODBC drivers on all desktops (around
> 5-7, all running XP prof or 2000). Now onto the problem.
> Users have been experiencing data ie records they update
> sometimes do not show the changes when check them later
> (anywhere from a couple of hours to next day). I have
> been called out to look for network problem or server
> overload etc. Everything I check out is fine. Third party
> has not really looked into problems with logs etc and
> keeps bringing up things for me to do. How can I check
> for problems with the database and what tools should I
> use? I do not have much experience with SQL server as
> this is my only client that uses it. I am very
> experienced with server and exchange. Any help would be
> greatly appreciated.
>
First, SqlServer doesn't loose updates. Period. It just doesn't happen.
So 99% this is an application problem, either an outright bug, or a
concurrency problem like users overwriting each others changes.
You could use a tool like Lumigent's log explorer
(http://www.lumigent.com/products/le_sql/le_sql.htm) to see what happened to
the changes. Or you could start a SQLProfiler trace and just let it run to
a file on the server, and dig through it later for evidence of the missing
updates. Your best hope is to get the users to reproduce the error:
concentrate on having multiple users making changes that might interfere
with each other. If you can describe exactly how to reproduce the problem
the software vendor should be able to fix it.
So in short, this isn't your problem, but you may have to play dective to
get the ball rolling. But you've got to fight when the third party puts the
ball back in your court. This is a common tactic that software people use
to deflect blame or stall for time (at least so I've heard ;)). Be helpful,
but don't be a pushover. SQLServer doesn't just loose updates. Only
applications can do that. If there were any kind of network problem or
serious server problem the users would be getting errors, not lost updates.
David