no read only on NAS

[gldmeier]

I just got a NAS to move my files to for protection and for better data access among my tax preparers. One thing I noticed right away Using Lacerte 2019, when one user opened a client on the NAS and another user then opened the same client, with both open simultaneously, he did not get a message about the client already being open and only having read only access. 
This is very troubling a

[qbteachmt]

This is because you are using NAS: "he did not get a message about the client already being open and only having read only access."

NAS is a static storage device and not a self-managed server-type device. The only way to do what you expect is to set up one of the computers as a peer server and attach the NAS to it as a static drive for the Computer to manage. Then, no one else would access the NAS files directly. Which means you would save money and simply use a larger SSD/HD for the server system. Think of a server installation as having a librarian, and no one would want to bypass the librarian.

What you did is set up the NAS as a common library or repository, and this allows you to have common access, but think of this as a swimming pool without a lifeguard. A NAS has no operating system, so it has no way to monitor the condition you describe.

You didn't want NAS; you wanted Server.

What you need to do is introduce Internal Controls. The computer system isn't going to manage this for you. Be your own lifeguard.

[gldmeier]

that's a bummer. before I got the NAS I spoke with Lacerte support about a few issues and they told me  that the system would warn me about read only when on a NAS as well

thanks

[qbteachmt]

"that the system would warn me about read only"

Yes, I explained this. You need to treat one of the computers as a server, and you install programs for server installation, not stand-alone, and then no one uses the NAS directly. You have not got a Managed sharing installation.

Look at this image:

https://www.lifewire.com/thmb/u6dx1LLBgF5JS0msJ1CshQqRBq0=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150...

You did the Red part, but you wanted the Blue part.

[gldmeier]

I dont get the difference. when I tested it, pre-nas, with a similar setup but on a computer, it worked fine and warned me of read only. The installations were the same, with each computer its own standalone installation. I took the files from one computer with Lacerte and put them in a shared folder on the computer and accessed it from two different computers via the network share, and got the read only warning. The programs were not set up as servers, just different standalone installations, accessing the same files on a shared network drive. yet the same lacerte installations on two different computers with the files on nas shared drive and I dont get it. I dont see the difference, considering it is the same process with nothing functioning as a lacerte server.

[qbteachmt]

Here's the difference: "accessing the same files on a shared network drive"

A Share through the network means it is owned by that computer where it is located.

NAS bypasses ownership. It is Network Attached, meaning a direct access is possible. Not Shared, but Common. Nothing is managing that it is "checked out" more than once.

[qbteachmt]

"before I got the NAS I spoke with Lacerte support about a few issues and they told me that the system would warn me about read only when on a NAS as well"

It's not surprising that we get wrong answers from Intuit's various customer service calls. As a consultant for QB, I can tell you this happens all the time, and is why I stopped participating in their Live Community as an All Star.

"Network Attached Storage (NAS) drives are not supported" from here:

https://proconnect.intuit.com/community/help-articles/help/2019-lacerte-system-requirements/00/4585

[gldmeier]

you wrote "A Share through the network means it is owned by that computer where it is located. NAS bypasses ownership. It is Network Attached, meaning a direct access is possible. Not Shared, but Common. Nothing is managing that it is "checked out" more than once."

I get how that works, but I see that as a flaw in Lacerte. Other programs identify files in use even when accessed via  a NAS. Open an Excel file hosted on a NAS drive that is already open by another user and it will tell you that the file is already open and can only be opened read only.

Anyway, thank you for the explanation.

[qbteachmt]

"but I see that as a flaw in Lacerte."

You now understand why you do not get a Read Only notice that there is going to be a "conflicted copy" and it's the same type of reason you don't use Carbonite, Mozy, One Drive or DropBox for these file types, either. You can store Backups there, but not Work From there.

This is not Customer Support nor Programming Support. You are on a peer user forum. I hope that helps.

[Drphibes]

Our NAS, dual 10k rpm drives mirroring each other on the network, does give us a warning that the file is open on whoever's machine and does allow a read only copy to be looked at.  Not sure why your is working that way.

[qbteachmt]

You likely hit on the difference, here:

"mirroring each other on the network"

The NAS can be Attached to a computer, as I pointed out, and that makes it Managed. Or, attached to the Router, which makes it Common, not Managed.

You can see the difference in the installation types if you go to the image I linked.

It's like this:

Three of us in an office share a company vehicle. There is one set of keys at the front desk. When you go to get them, you find out I already have them and have the car.

Or,

We each have our own set of keys. There is no way for you to know if anyone else already took the car.

[Drphibes]

Spoke with Lacerte early on about this very subject before tax season got going (when not so busy).  The reply from Technical at that time was a NAS storage device on a network for the Lacerte data files was not going to change but having the tax program resident on the NAS was not going to be supported.

[gldmeier]

this is exactly what the support person I spoke with told me when I asked about the NAS

[gldmeier]

I just spoke to Lacerte Customer Support about this. The representative I spoke with confirmed that on a NAS environment that I described the software is designed to give the read only warning. The fact that it is not is a problem. The rep thinks that it will still act as read only and when the second tax preparer tries to make changes to such a file, it will either give him a warning then or crash the software. I am going to test it and then get back to customer support to see how to proceed.

[Richard C]

I just set iup a NAS on my system, set up a shared folder on the NAS. I then mapped this as a drive on my computers to this shared folder.  As a result, I do get the message that a client is open and only having read only access.

[Davisgroup1]

• What kinda NAS do you use? 
  
  
• have you noticed any type of lag or slow down?

[Davisgroup1]

What type of NAS do you have?

[Davisgroup1]

As for servers do you have to have a server running a windows server OS or can you just get another machine running Windows 10 and use it as a file server?

[Drphibes]

Using Synology ds215+ running 2 10,000 rpm mirroring drives as file storage.  It is an older system that we keep firmware and software up to date.  Works fine for our office with 3 Lacerte workstation computers and storage of Lacerte clients from 2002- current also .pdf of client materials/organizer from 2004- current.  If I was to do it now I would be using SState drives.

[Drphibes]

NAS drive has it's own software and looks just like a hard drive on the network.  All 3 Lacerte workstations running WIN10's network with the NAS as a mapped drive.