Basic design concepts over a network?

[Stuart Green]

We are a small Division of about 50 users of a much larger organisation. We have been happily using Access across our network by splitting the database, having the tables in a shared network area and installing the front end on every users PC on the C drive. None of our users have the full Access prog, only the run time.
The IT section of the organistaion has now decided that there will be one build of PC for the entire organistaion, effectively banning the installation of any client front end on the individual PCs, this makes life easier for them!
What they are now suggesting is one shared back end and ONE shared front end. I have said that this would cause problems with many users trying to use the same front end but they don't believe me. Could some wise heads out there confirm my views on this or am I seeing problems where there isn't one?
Many thanks

 

[MarkThomas]

I am new to this but as no one else has suggested an answer...

If you were to use a web based front end for your clients then they wouldn't be affected by the 'one build' approach as they would effectively download the client each time.

Web based front end = ASPs or DAPs (which might work on an intranet).

 

[Mile-O]

Do the people have a "personal" drive on the server? If so their individual front end could go there.

If you have one copy of the frontend that everyone uses then you won't be able to edit it unless everyone is out of it.

 

[Stuart Green]

Do the people have a "personal" drive on the server? If so their individual front end could go there.

QUOTE]

They do have but the front end of the OS system is locked as to creating prog shortcuts. these are controlled by the IT people (machines are policied). We would need 50 individual short cuts to the prog instead of the one we have right now that points to C drive. The users could I suppose double click on the front end file in their area but it isn't ideal

 

[rpadams]

Been there, done that

I had a similiar situation - linked back end on the server, individual front end on the C-drives This worked fine until the school district this ran on wanted to make it available on all of the district computers (hundreds) even though there probably wouldn't be more than 10-20 users at any one time. We eventually put the front-end on the server. There was a slight degradation in performance (usually related to overall activity on the servers, not just this application) but on balance it was MUCH easier to make changes to the front-end on just one copy. To avoid the problem of having to shut down the system to edit the front end, I maintain my OWN copy on a C-drive and make my changes there. When necessary, I pick a time when no one is using the application and copy my changes all at once to the server.

By the way, each user has a network account and a "private" drive with a shortcut to the network location of the front end.

My rec -- if your IT department knows what's it is doing, try the network approach.