Access vs Comercially available databases

The two main reasons people choose Access are its ease of use and the fact that it’s already installed at their organization. Security isn’t even considered until the IT department says “NO.”
 
AccessBlaster said:
The two main reasons people choose Access are its ease of use and the fact that it’s already installed at their organization. Security isn’t even considered until the IT department says “NO.”
Click to expand...
Exactly, even though Excel is being used for the same thing and holds the same "sensative" data.

I dont mind people being stupid, but be consistent with your stupidity
 
Pat Hartman said:
Each user has an individual account but I pick the password so he doesn't know it. His windows login won't work. He logs into the Access app using whatever password he choose and the app logs into the server and links the tables using a password that only the DBA and I know. There are two ways to do this. Either a hardcoded password which the DBA and I must change frequently or a generated password. I give the DBA a database he can use to generate a password for the user and I use the same code. There are lots of ways to generate a password that is based on a string that is the user's login. Corporate logins are assigned by IT and so I start with that value. Then I make the password 30 characters and append a string to the end of the login string with enough characters to bring it up to 30. Then I pick some method of choosing characters from that string in some order to create the password. So even from the left and odd from the right or whatever. The appended string should contain numbers and any special characters that the server password rules allow.

When the app closes, the tables are deleted to remove the links although the password isn't saved in the link.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's called SQL authentication as far as the auth method, and also known as service accounts, esp. if they don't know the PW.
 
Access was never designed to be or to create enterprise level applications. This is why many users feel frustration about scalability. It's awesome if people recognize It's limitations.
 
AccessBlaster said:
Access was never designed to be or to create enterprise level applications. This is why many users feel frustration about scalability. It's awesome if people recognize It's limitations.
Click to expand...
I have found the multi-user aspect to be more or less unlimited as long as the back end is SQL server
 
AccessBlaster said:
Access was never designed to be or to create enterprise level applications. This is why many users feel frustration about scalability.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but by splitting into an Access front-end and an SQL engine on the back end, you CAN very EASILY reach enterprise-level apps. Such as the Navy App I mentioned earlier... one of MANY possible actions. It is only the native Access back-end that would interfere with enterprise solutions.
 
The_Doc_Man said:
Maybe, but by splitting into an Access front-end and an SQL engine on the back end, you CAN very EASILY reach enterprise-level apps. Such as the Navy App I mentioned earlier... one of MANY possible actions. It is only the native Access back-end that would interfere with enterprise solutions.
Click to expand...
Once you hook Access up to SQL Server, it’s no longer “just an Access database,” it’s a hybrid Access/SQL Server application.
 
Isaac said:
I have found the multi-user aspect to be more or less unlimited as long as the back end is SQL server
Click to expand...
"Unlimited" if SQL Server edition is not Express, and running on Windows Server.
 
Last edited:
AccessBlaster said:
Once you hook Access up to SQL Server, it’s no longer “just an Access database,” it’s a hybrid Access/SQL Server application.
Click to expand...

Even when you DON'T hook up to SQL Server, it's not "just" an Access DB, it is an Access GUI front end on an ACE DB, which turns out to be something used by Windows itself.
 
The_Doc_Man said:
Even when you DON'T hook up to SQL Server, it's not "just" an Access DB, it is an Access GUI front end on an ACE DB, which turns out to be something used by Windows itself.
Click to expand...
Agreed - at root the Excel spreadsheet sheet that you see is still dao technology.
 
BlueSpruce said:
The point I make with security keys is the client doesn't know the authentication key value. The issue your discusing is the use of service accounts, which can easily fall into the wrong hands and then how do you know who perpetrated a hack?
Click to expand...
As I said, I am not talking about service accounts. If the user doesn't actually ever know his password, then the hardware lock works but at a cost. I don't think I've ever had a client that used hardware locks for every computer.
 
Isaac said:
Well yes, definitely the business is not expected to be running a trial version of ... anything
Click to expand...

SS Express is not a trial version. Some of our customers have been using it since year 2016 with the following server config we put together for them for under $5K. The servers run Linux with multiple KVM's. For the past 9 years, none of these customers have experienced any hardware issues. These servers have on_board, battery backed, hardware based RAID 10 controllers.

OurServer.png
 
Last edited:
I was under the impression that SS Express was not for production use. I know that lots of small companies use it that way. It is limited in what it supports as well as how much data you can hold.
 
Last edited:
It should be mentioned that SQL Express does not include SQL Server Agent. You have to script database maintenance and backup yourself. That's a disadvantage in a professional environment.
 
AHeyne said:
It should be mentioned that SQL Express does not include SQL Server Agent. You have to script database maintenance and backup yourself. That's a disadvantage in a professional environment.
Click to expand...
True, but there are other backup solutions available, both free and paid.

For example, here are two selected at random, with no recommendation implied:

www.sqlbackupmaster.com

Free SQL Server Express Scheduled Backup Utility

Free SQL Server Express Scheduled Backup Utility
www.sqlbackupmaster.com www.sqlbackupmaster.com

SQLBackupAndFTP - SQL Server, MySQL and PostgreSQL Backups

SQL Server, MySQL and PostgreSQL Backups made easy with SQLBackupAndFTP. All Backup types, Encryption, Compression, Scheduling, Email notifications, Sending to Folder, FTP or Cloud
sqlbackupandftp.com sqlbackupandftp.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Magger
My loop sometimes starts at 2 or 3
Replies
6
Views
354
Pat Hartman
P
Libre
32 bit Access vs 64 bit Access - HELLLLLP!!!!
Replies
12
Views
1,437
gemma-the-husky
gemma-the-husky
P
Re-design a wellworking data base
2
Replies
34
Views
1,478
gemma-the-husky
gemma-the-husky
bsacheri
Access crashes when switching Form View to Datasheet View
Replies
2
Views
527
MajP
MajP
N
MS Access VBA Vs JAVA
Replies
2
Views
496
CJ_London
C

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top Bottom