R:BASE in a multi-user environment allows multiple users to simultaneously access, view, update, insert, and delete data. To ensure data integrity, R:BASE uses various types of locks and a waiting period. To most efficiently use R:BASE on a network, avoid situations that cause R:BASE to work more at preventing user conflicts than at storing, sorting, and retrieving data. To a large degree, the speed of a network and the network card in your computer dictates how fast R:BASE can perform. The faster the network and network card, the better the R:BASE performance.

Although the techniques for making R:BASE perform most efficiently depend on your particular database and network, follow these guidelines to limit resource locking and improve response time:

·	Schedule data entry among users at different times of the day, or have users enter data into temporary tables that are inserted into a master table at the end of the day.

·	When designing a database, take advantage of the relational capabilities in R:BASE for linking and manipulating data stored in several tables. When possible, store data in several small tables rather than in one large one.

·	Design applications so that each user requires the fewest shared resources to do his or her work.

·	Avoid using commands that lock a database when other users need access to it. For example, avoid commands that change the structure of the database. You can run updates and backups at night, when an entire database is available without conflicts.

Multi-User Mode Topics

Setting Up for Network Use

Concurrency Control

Sharing Network Resources

Setting the Multi-User Default

Resource Waiting

Schema Reading Mode with SET STATICDB

Locks