Site to site network - what are my options? (1 Viewer)

My client has just told me that he would prefer the database I am working on to be able to be accessible from the 2 different branches.

At first I was going to create 2 completely separate databases with date fields so I knew which was new information so I could combine the databases for marketing, but he now wants me to create 1 MAIN back end database and have the front ends on the computers at 2 different locations.

The trouble is, one location has been there for 5 years longer than the other, and hence is 5,000 invoices extra in counting. My main issue is that they wont really combine unless I create a duplicate "invoice" table - one for either branch. Which could get messy.

My other concern is I am not very knowledgeable about the whole internet database options, as the 2 sites aren't linked via network already. I have heard of database servers but not actually sure what they are or what they do, and I fear the programming involved to link to those online servers.

I think this could get quite messy.

The optimal is to use Terminal Services to do this. The user essentially logs in to a session AT the location the database is hosted at and therefore becomes a "local" user. This will keep speed issues to a minimum and will help avoid corruption. It also will avoid the problem in that a LAN is many times faster than the Internet connection. So, users who might connect using a frontend to the backend using a WAN would find the app running EXTREMELY slower.