Won't let multiple users acess a group library at the same time on a Cloud IT system

knowledge_PCUK

I need help!!

I used to use a Zotero group library in my old office which was accessed by 2 people. We used the default data directory (our own Mozilla profile directories on our C drives). We then moved to a new office with a Cloud technology IT system, so no more C drives! I copied and pasted the Zotero folder from my previous computer onto a shared folder on the Cloud and I have succesfully been using my database here - alongside another user who has also set her data directory location as the same folder as I have, on the shared drive.

THE PROBLEM! I helped another team set up another group library (which they shared with myself - I have no problems using it) and another member of their team. They selected a different location on the shared drive as their data directory location - this was set up on the Cloud system for the first time (rather than copying and pasting like I did). We have since realised that these 2 users cannot both have Zotero open at the same time. Error message:
"Your Zotero database is currently in use. Only one instance of Zotero using the same database may be opened simultaneously at this time. If Zotero Standalone is open, please close it and restart Firefox."
And when the second user does manage to log in (after the first user closes their Firefox), we get this message:
"This Zotero database was last synced with a different zotero.org account ('xxx') from the current one ('yyy'). If you continue, local groups, including any with changed items, will be removed and replaced with groups linked to the 'yyy' account.To avoid losing local changes to groups, be sure you have synced with the 'xxx' account before syncing with the 'yyy' account."

Please help - I am at my wit's end and really need advice to get this team up and working with Zotero ASAP since they have spent hours moving all their PDFs in to Zotero!!

Sorry for the long email,
Thanks,
Ali

adamsmith

wait, but it sounds like there are three users - you and two others - but only two different data directories. Or am I missing something?

knowledge_PCUK

Hi, the setup is:

User A (me) - owner of the Evidence group library and can access the Information group library(syncs to data directory #1 where the Evidence library is stored)

User B - can access the Evidence library (syncs to data directory #1)

User C - owner of the Information group library and can access the Evidence library (syncs to data directory #2 where the Information library is stored)

User D - can access to Information and the Evidence library (syncs to data directory #2) - although I haven't actually given this user admin/viewing rights to the Evidence library so I don't know why they can see it when they log in to Zotero. It's almost as if they users c and d are both logged in as user c (I think user c may have logged in as herself on user d's computer at some point when trying to fix the problem).

adamsmith

what do you mean by "syncs"? Two different users obviously shouldn't share a single data directory. The question is - do all four users have separate data directories specified? Because from what you're saying it sounds like C and D are using the same Zotero data directory.

knowledge_PCUK

yes, they are. As are users a and b. To be honest, I don't really understand the purpose of the data directory. Should we all have seperate ones? But then how would it work exactly? How do you propose I set things up?

Basically, there are two group libraries in existance and I want all 4 users to access both at any given time (and maybe more users in the future too).

knowledge_PCUK

does everyone need to copy and paste the data directory contents into seperate folders?

knowledge_PCUK

ps. myself (user a) and user b have no issues using the group library at the same time, even though we use the same folder as our data directories

adamsmith

you need to set this up as if each person was on a separate computer. Each person . You can't share data directories through a network drive or you'll get exactly the type of thing you're seeing now. Zotero syncs the information through its own server.
You'll need you ask your IT folks to handle the details of this.

knowledge_PCUK

ok. but they won't be very helpful so I have to fix it myself! my question is...how do the group libraries work? i.e. if i was to add a totally new user tomorrow and they selected a random folder as their data directory, surely they wouldn't be able to see all the content of the group library (unless they chose the data directory containing the database)? Or have I misunderstood?

adamsmith

the sharing of group libraries works via sync with the Zotero server. So yes, in fact if you added any random user anywhere in the world - say me, for example, to the group, the content of the group would show up in my Zotero after the next sync.

knowledge_PCUK

and then when that random user added a PDF for example, anyone else in the group can access it from Zotero? Although I guess the backup of the PDF itself will only be in their data directory, or would it be in everyones?

adamsmith

if you have file sync enabled for that group, sync will transfer each PDF to every data directory of every group member. You can change that to download files only as needed (see the sync tab of the Zotero preferences) - in that case PDFs are only downloaded when you try to open them.

knowledge_PCUK

I totally get it now, thank you so much! I just tested it with setting up a new account with another email address and then adding that account account to the group - then it appeared when I signed in as that user! Thanks for being patient with me and explaining!!

So, do you suggest I now asked 2 of the 4 users to pick a different data directory such that we each have a seperate one, but two of the users keep their original locations sinece that's where the data is saved up until now?

adamsmith

that sounds good, yes. The two users who keep using the same data directory should check their database integrity from the advanced tab of the Zotero preferences, just to make sure nothing went wrong (sharing a data directory can potentially cause data corruption).