How to update/Patch the same SPO list item at same time by multiple users

(0) Share

Report

Posted on by VS-11031221-0

We are experiencing the Save conflict issue in PowerApps while multiple users try to update same SharePoint list record at exact same time.
There were many solutions tried to resolve the Save Conflict problem.
How can we save multiple user's data who clicked "Update" button at same time without overriding previous user updated data?

Please suggest the concrete solution.

Tried Solutions:

SharePoint Versioning Mechanism:
Update the version of the item whenever user saves a record. Allow user to patch only when the item version in the app matches with the item version in SharePoint.

Pros:	This method will avoid conflicts while saving the record. It will restrict users to patch updates on any older version of the record which could have been modified by another user, to avoid the overriding the previous user’s data. Implementation Complexity - Low
Cons:	The save conflict will happen when there is a race condition between multiple users trying to save the record at the exact same moment.

Locking Mechanism:
Allow user to lock the record for editing so other users are not able to edit the same record. The lock can be released when user saves the record or based on the lock timestamp.

Pros:	This method will avoid conflicts while saving the record. Implementation Complexity - Medium
Cons:	The save conflict will happen when there is a race condition between multiple users trying to lock the record at the exact same moment. PowerApps fetched record might have the older data which could have been updated by another user before. So, if user tries to save that record without refreshing it could result in a conflict. Needs to handle abandoned locked records. Longer wait time for user

Power Automate to update the records:
Trigger the Power Automate flow from app, when user saves the record. The flow will save the record in the SP list. The flow will handle the save conflict and update the record in the SP list again.

Pros:	This method will allow us to handle the race condition and save conflicts between multiple users while saving the record. Implementation Complexity - Medium
Cons:	Data Loss - If multiple users are saving the records at the exact same moment, the user whose record got processed at the end will override all the previous records.

Create a new list to store all the users updates as new records:
A SharePoint list to store all the user updates as a new record in a separate SharePoint list. Then show the latest record from that list in PowerApps. Have a flow to archive the older records.

Pros:	This method will allow us to handle the race condition and save conflicts between multiple users while saving the record as all the updates will be saved as a new item.
Cons:	Data Loss - If multiple users are saving the records at the exact same moment, the user whose record got processed at the end will be latest and will disregard the updates made by previous users. Will create a huge number of records each day for each operational area in the SharePoint list. Will have a great impact on the current Power BI reports. Implementation Complexity - High

Create separate list for each column which are having save conflicts:
Identify the columns which allow multiple users to make updates simultaneously and create separate list for those columns. Store the user updates for those columns separately in the respective list. Fetch data for those columns from the respective SP list in PowerApps.

Pros:	This method will allow us to handle save conflicts if users are updating only the columns in which they are assigned.
Cons:	If users are delegated (as in current process) to update for any other user, it might create the issue of save conflict in a race condition where multiple users are updating the record at the exact same time. The list stores many records for a single update. This may impact on SPO list utilization and threshold issue. Implementation Complexity - Very High

Categories:

Building Power Apps

I have the same question (1)

All responses (2)

Answers (0)

Suggested answer

Michael E. Gernaey 53,969 Moderator on at

Like (0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Hi @VS-11031221-0

Unfortunately, this is a problem all over. At some point though won't every record overwrite the other person?

Whether they do it at the same time, or not, difference in timing meaning, they see the previous person's version, before they try to update, versus just updating.

I wish I could recommend a specific one that works best for you, but for each company and need it can be different.

What I can say is this.

Whenever you load the data, you have the Created and last modified datetime as well as the last modified by

* You can do a validation against the back end, to see if those are different than the current in memory instance and if so, you can reload the data (whether overtop of the user in the app), or build in a way to say, hey this has changed, let's review the difference and let them decide if they apply their current typed in changes.

I don't know what your volume and velocity of changes it, but logistically, you could keep running into this all day long for the same user, until they pull their hair out going ugg.

But in your case, what are the volumes and velocity of changes expected to the same record, to the same fields within your list, by multiple people at the same time?

Another option, is different than what your "list for each column of conflicts", to be more, a list per set of properties that a given group cares about.

Now if you have 5 people in the same group all updating the same record at the same time, I would honestly be asking the business soundness of this to begin with.

What type of records are these? Contacts? Contracts? etc.

Why are different people in the same group even making these changes at the same time?

And so on from both a business side and then a technical side.

But again this is just a community site, not a Technical Design or Archicture site.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
VS-11031221-0 2 on at

Like (0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Thank you for your response.

Please find below reply for your questions.

Yes, the requirement is multiple people (around 5 people) work at specific timeslot (between 7 am to 7:20 am) and update their responses on the record from Canvas app.

In our case the users are ~5 and they can do changes their allocated single record between 7 am to 7:20 am (within 20 mins).
There are few more records but the different 5 users do update on each record.

Each user can update different column in same record.

The record type is SharePoint List.
Each person has responsibility to update the specified set of fields + some common columns.

Thank you

Was this reply helpful? Yes No