Microsoft Access multiple users?

[yepwingtim]

We have 4 different locations.

Currently, I am the only one using microsoft access.

I need it to be a mulitple user compatiable.

My questions are:

1. If I upload the mdb file to a server, can users remotely connect to the server and use that file to write/read data?

2. If I let users to connect remotey to my computer, would there be any problems?

3. How does front-end and back-end work? Can I send the users a back-end file and when they are done, they can send me back the file so it will update the main front-end file I have?

4. Can I put the backend file in a server and put the frontend file in their local computer? While they are updating with the front-end file, they file communicates online with the backend file - is this possible?

4. Should I use php/odbc so they can update the files to the server?


Any advice you can give me. Thanks~
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[datAdrenaline]

Just a quick note ...

>> 4. Can I put the backend file in a server and put the frontend file in their local computer? While they are updating with the front-end file, they file communicates online with the backend file - is this possible? <<

Yes ... what you stated is how you should set up a multi-user (and single user for that matter) setup. The terminology is called a "Split" configuration. You can utilize a Front End updater to ensure that all your users are "up to date" ... if you need to make changes to the back ends schema (table design, indexs and relationships), you will have to ensure all the users are not connected to it.... But the data, will be modified in "live" fashion from each of the Front Ends.

Tony Toews (an Access MVP) has a very often referenced FE updater utility found here:

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm

Sorry so brief, but I am short on time ...

 

[MSAccessRookie]

We have 4 different locations.

Currently, I am the only one using microsoft access.

I need it to be a mulitple user compatiable.

My questions are:

1. If I upload the mdb file to a server, can users remotely connect to the server and use that file to write/read data?

2. If I let users to connect remotey to my computer, would there be any problems?

3. How does front-end and back-end work? Can I send the users a back-end file and when they are done, they can send me back the file so it will update the main front-end file I have?

4. Can I put the backend file in a server and put the frontend file in their local computer? While they are updating with the front-end file, they file communicates online with the backend file - is this possible?

4. Should I use php/odbc so they can update the files to the server?





Any advice you can give me. Thanks~

1. If I upload the mdb file to a server, can users remotely connect to the server and use that file to write/read data?
   • Access will not have any issues unless you have implemented Database Security, so as long as your network rights allow the users to access and run the .mdb file, and as long as they have the right version of Access on their WorkStation, they can run the application.
2. If I let users to connect remotely to my computer, would there be any problems?
   • If more than one user is simultaneously using a Single Access .mdb file, data corruption becomes a possibility. The more users, the greater the possibility.
3. How does front-end and back-end work? Can I send the users a back-end file and when they are done, they can send me back the file so it will update the main front-end file I have?
   • Front End/Back End structures are the most common way to resolve the corruption issues. To do this, you take the original database, and using database tools, split it into two parts. The Back End will contain ONLY tables, while the Front End will contain everything else and will have links to the tables in the Back End. You can move anything else (queries, macros, etc) to the back end if you find it necessary to do so.
4. Can I put the backend file in a server and put the frontend file in their local computer? While they are updating with the front-end file, they file communicates online with the backend file - is this possible?
   • You describe the most common method of implementation of Front End/Back End setups, and it will do exactly what you expect it to do.
5. Should I use php/odbc so they can update the files to the server?
   • You should not need to do anything more than provide your users with a Front End Linked to a Back End located on a Server that they have Read/Write/Directory permissions for.

 

[yepwingtim]

Hi MSACCESSROOKIE, thank you first of all, I guess I'll use the "number 4" method.

Is their any additional steps to do this?

Or just uploading the back-end to the server and making a front-end to their local computer is fine? How would the front-end (local) communicate to the back-end (server)? (Is there any vb coding I have to use?)
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[MSAccessRookie]

Hi MSACCESSROOKIE, thank you first of all, I guess I'll use the "number 4" method.

Is their any additional steps to do this?

Or just uploading the back-end to the server and making a front-end to their local computer is fine? How would the front-end (local) communicate to the back-end (server)? (Is there any vb coding I have to use?)

The only effort required on your part should be the following:

1. Make the Two part version of the database.
2. Move the Back End of the database to a common area of your network that all of the users have Read/Write/Directory permissions.
3. Make sure that one user can use the Split database with the Back End in its new location.
4. Make a separate copy of the Front End on the WorkStation for each user that will use the system.

Make a note of which WorkStations are updated during Step 3, since this step will need to be repeated any time that the Front End is updated. As an alternative, there are several Front End Auto Update Methods that are available, and have been discussed in detail in these Forums.

 

[yepwingtim]

Hi, Thanks very much guys. Might be still kind of confused

If I'm not wrong, once the user completes updating the data from his front-end, in order to keep things updated, he will have to upload his front-end file to the server?

Or the other alternative is using that front-end updater utility?
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[MSAccessRookie]

Hi, Thanks very much guys. Might be still kind of confused

If I'm not wrong, once the user completes updating the data from his front-end, in order to keep things updated, he will have to upload his front-end file to the server?

Or the other alternative is using that front-end updater utility?

There would rarely be a data related reason for updating a Front End, since the Front End has little if any data, and instead has links to the actual data, which resides in the shared Back End.

• A Front End is updated when the application has a change in appearance or Function.

When a user runs the Front End program on their desktop to update the data, it is the data in the Back End that is being updated, not the Front End.

 

[yepwingtim]

Thank alot, MSACCESSROOKIE, I will try this tonight!

Hopefully, I won't have any problems~



-Danielle
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[yepwingtim]

Hi problem on Step 2

"Move the Back End of the database to a common area of your network that all of the users have Read/Write/Directory permissions. "
Does this mean I have to setup a vpn connection to the server?

If so, how can I do this?
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[MSAccessRookie]

Hi problem on Step 2

"Move the Back End of the database to a common area of your network that all of the users have Read/Write/Directory permissions. "
Does this mean I have to setup a vpn connection to the server?

If so, how can I do this?

For internal users, I suspect that granting network access from their WorkStations will be sufficient, but for Work-At-Home Users, a VPN or VPN-Like connection will be required. I am not a network expert and therefore I must advise you to speak to your network Admin for more details. Perhaps someone else can provide a clearer answer.

 

[Kiwiman]

Howzit

You will probably find that without the use of a Terminal Server (Citrix as an example) you will have performance issues with home users accessing the back end - or for that matter a front end on one of your Networks.

All our Access apps are deployed on a Citrix Server (which has a personal desktop for each user that logs onto Citrix) where their copy of the front end sits. The users only access the app via their Citrix desktop - therefore there is very little network traffic. I work from home in Spain and access all our Apps on our UK servers, and it is pretty much like working on your desktop.

As an example of poor performance (from one of our apps pre Citrix) - a form that would normally take 1 second to load, via VPN and no TS took over a minute to load.

The link below may provide more info as well as licence issues that may need to be considered.


http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=161003

 

[yepwingtim]

I'm afraid I do not have the cost for terminal services =(

Would using mysql as a back-end and access in front-end be easier to do?
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[Kiwiman]

Howzit

I'm no expert on mysql or sql server, but I don't think it will make a difference. I could be wrong though - all my experience has been with Access backends - sorry.

 

[yepwingtim]

Hi guys thanks so much for everything

I'm not using mysql as backend and access as front

It's so much faster and easier to use!
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[Simon_MT]

Your solution could be a Terminal Server. Multiple locations are not a problem.

VPN's are each site and SDSL at the site serving the remote locations to get the upload speed.

On the Terminal server each user has a front end connecting to a backend database.

Alternatively you could write a web application.

Simon