MS Access Database ready for use... What is next?

[lacampeona]

Hello experts

I have some questions about...what happens when you finish MS access database. My database is prepared for users?
what i have to check before i can say ...yes you can start using the database.

What next i have to do?
Lets say that my database will be used maybe for 1-50 persons....not more
What you reccomend me to do?

I read something about spliting the database...

what you sugggest is best to do? i want that database will be working nice and perfect...
hmmm
thank you in advance to all

 

[theDBguy]

Are all users going to be in the same building? You should have split the database from the start.

 

[Isaac]

I read something about spliting the database...

Good! Now do it.

Next, make sure you have a method for semi-automatically providing version updates and version control, and auto distribution.
Common topic, search AWF

Converting desktop database to web

I am not familiar with this. I need to publish ( if this is the correct word) one of our forms in the website so that the clients can have access to that. Is it possible to convert to web? Or it is a complete different environment and everything has to be redone for the web? Thanks for your help.

www.access-programmers.co.uk

Make sure all non-trivial procedures have error handling.

Consider making accde or at the very least deploying a filename where you've simply manually changed the extension from .accdb to .accdr

 

[lacampeona]

Hello
Yes i make my database and put it on G network disk.
for now the database is not splited. it is in "testing" mode for only 1 user and me.
Users are from another location..another building...butt they have access to the G disk
i will put my back end and front end on my G disk so they can use it...?
is that good way to do that?
what i have to be careful? what is good and bad things?

 

[theDBguy]

Hello
Yes i make my database and put it on G network disk.
for now the database is not splited. it is in "testing" mode for only 1 user and me.
Users are from another location..another building...butt they have access to the G disk
i will put my back end and front end on my G disk so they can use it...?
is that good way to do that?
what i have to be careful? what is good and bad things?

Okay, after you split the database, you put the BE on the G disk and give a copy of the FE to each user.

To help with distribution, you can put the FE on the G disk as well, but you have to tell everyone to download a copy of it onto their machine. Don't let them use the one from the G disk.

 

[lacampeona]

Ok good now I undestand that..
Lets say database will be on wind10...what about the future?
If will be wind 20 ..how this will afffect the database?
is that true that becouse some windows uptadates the database can stop working correctly?
I asume that if somebody use codes for years that mean that the same code will work forever?

hmmm

 

[Isaac]

I am not so sure about Wind 20
But you never know...

 

[The_Doc_Man]

is that true that becouse some windows uptadates the database can stop working correctly?
I asume that if somebody use codes for years that mean that the same code will work forever?

1. Updates can sometimes affect a security-related module that will run afoul of site rules. So yes, DBs will trip over themselves. In particular watch out for things that work OK now but at some point become obsolete.

2. Despite a certain sense of pride, I know that NO code lasts forever. However, it should last until someone changes things with which it interacts. The source of that change? Who knows? I don't because my crystal ball got mistaken for a bowling ball one night. Didn't work any better than my regular ball, but we knew the scores ahead of time.

 

[lacampeona]

When is time to put the database on server? is that complicated to do?
if my database will be used for small amount of users then is better to have it in splited way?

 

[Isaac]

if my database will be used for small amount of users then is better to have it in splited way?

Read posts 2 and 3 again.

 

[lacampeona]

ok yes i understand
thank you

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I will answer your question about splitting. Basically, if you are going to share the DB, you MUST split it in order to avoid major problems.

Look at post #8 in this thread:

Network Split Database Slowness- with a twist!

i guys, I've got a very specific split database/network problem. I have created a front end/back end solution and when I install the back end onto the company C: drive and the front end anywhere else (eg. other partitions on the server with a different drive letter) everything is fine and...

www.access-programmers.co.uk

Now, I will answer your question about WHERE to put a shared BackEnd file.

IF the file is going to used via something like SQL Server or MySQL or ORACLE or Informix or Sybase - all of them being ACTIVE database servers - then you do best putting the DB on its own machine that will act like a server. It will run its SQL engine locally and you talk to it through some variant of ODBC protocols.

IF the file in question is a "native" BackEnd of Access, one that was created by using the file splitter, then that database file is PASSIVE. It can sit on any machine that supports Windows File Sharing. Technically, it doesn't even have to be a server-class machine because all it will do is file services. The work on a native Access BE file is done by the FrontEnd machine, which is running Access and merely using Windows File Sharing protocol to get or put data from PARTS of the BE file. Technically, the protocol in question is called SMB or Server Message Block. (And some vendors include something called SAMBA as their proprietary name for a version of that protocol.) As long as the BE file's host is set up for sharing, you are good to go and do not need to worry about anything else.

IF you have a small shop, you might not have a formal domain, but as long as you have connections via some sort of intranet, you are probably going to be OK. If you have an actual domain controller in your network, you will be fine because that will make addressing easier. You might wish to look up UNC mapping, which takes the form of \\computer\share-name\folder\folder....\folder\database-file (and I made that kind of a deep path but it doesn't really have to be very deep at all.) Drive-letter mapping works in a small shop but you should be very careful about how you do that because of accidental drive-letter conflicts. UNC mapping is unequivocal and usually quite efficient.

 

[lacampeona]

Hi
Thank you very much for your ecplanation

 

[Steve R.]

IF the file is going to used via something like SQL Server or MySQL or ORACLE or Informix or Sybase - all of them being ACTIVE database servers - then you do best putting the DB on its own machine that will act like a server. It will run its SQL engine locally and you talk to it through some variant of ODBC protocols.

This goes beyond the question as originally asked by @lacampeona, but since the existence of other databases and using the ODBC protocol came-up; I would encourage looking into using one of them as the back-end. The downside, doing that would entail a "paradigm shift" which may be considered unacceptable, additional work, and would probably delay deployment of the MS Access FE to the users. A compromise of sorts, deploy the MS Access configuration as planned and also install an (independent) SQL database as an experimental platform to test it out.

Also consider that some databases are "free". I am using MariaDB which is one of the "free" ones. So that is a benefit.
An internet search turned up several articles, here is one of them: Top Free Relational Databases Software. I have no knowledge of which ones would be best for meeting the needs of @lacampeona.

 

[Pat Hartman]

You still have a lot of testing to do before you can officially turn over the app for production work.
1. Split the FE/BE
2. Move the BE to the server drive - link to the BE using UNC rather than drive letters
3. Settle on your distribution method. If you have IT support, they can distribute a shortcut to all uses for opening the FE. The shortcut will run a batch file or open a different database and will create a folder on the user's C: drive and download the current version of the FE and then open it. There are several good topics on how this is done.
4. Start with just you and the one user working at the same time.
5. Expand the user count for the next test to at least 10 users. It is best to give them scripts if possible to tell them what they should do and the order in which they should do it. you want to try to identify conflicts NOW under controlled conditions rather than later.

 

[Isaac]

This goes beyond the question as originally asked by @lacampeona, but since the existence of other databases and using the ODBC protocol came-up; I would encourage looking into using one of them as the back-end. The downside, doing that would entail a "paradigm shift" which may be considered unacceptable, additional work, and would probably delay deployment of the MS Access FE to the users. A compromise of sorts, deploy the MS Access configuration as planned and also install an (independent) SQL database as an experimental platform to test it out.

Also consider that some databases are "free". I am using MariaDB which is one of the "free" ones. So that is a benefit.
An internet search turned up several articles, here is one of them: Top Free Relational Databases Software. I have no knowledge of which ones would be best for meeting the needs of @lacampeona.

I am going to ask a question that betrays my ignorance although I don't really care, I'm just here to learn something new : )

So MariaDB is free, but then you have to host it somewhere, right? So if a person was wanting to take advantage of a system like this, what would the simplest implementation look like? How do multiple users of, let's say, a FE that is linked to MariaDB as back end, the users who are in different locations, how do they all successfully connect to the MariaDB system?

Is it basically a matter of web development after that point?

Another question. To anyone's knowledge is there any service that actually provides a (small but reasonable amt of space) RDBMS, connect from anywhere ODBC, cloud hosted, for free?

 

[Steve R.]

So MariaDB is free, but then you have to host it somewhere, right?

No. MariaDB as well as MySQL will run on any computer. I can access MariaDB from any of my three computers on the local LAN. By extension, in a business environment that uses a LAN, a desktop computer (or equivalent) can be used as the server.

Before, I retired, the overnment agency I worked for had a server located in Raliegh, NC. MS Access FEs where located in Willimington, Morehead City, and Elizabeth City, all in North Carolina. This was not "hosting". This type of configuration (SQL BE Server) connected to remote MS Access FE can be accomplished.

I have not been involved with "hosting", but based on my limited understanding of "hosting"; it occurs when you upload your database (as a copy) to an ISP provider so that the public or a select clientele can access your database.

Is it basically a matter of web development after that point?

When using MS Access to connect to a remote database, it is not web development. However, in my case - since I no longer use MS Access - the "code" to access the database is the same as "web development". It's all PHP/HTML etc.

Another question. To anyone's knowledge is there any service that actually provides a (small but reasonable amt of space) RDBMS, connect from anywhere ODBC, cloud hosted, for free?

Don't know.

 

[CJ_London]

Don’t think there is such a thing as free cloud hosting - you might find one that is free for a trial period of a month or so but is likely to have some functionality disabled or limited storage capabilities

there may also be ones that provide discounts for charities/not for profit organisations

there are two basic direct costs the host incurs in providing a service - the storage hardware, to include backup and other related costs such as power. And bandwidth to enable you to connect. The narrower the bandwidth, the lower the cost but the slower the connectiion

 

[Isaac]

@Steve R. & @CJ_London , thank you gentlemen, good/informative stuff, appreciate your insight.

 

[Steve R.]

@Isaac: Should you have some free-time, download one of the free databases and experiment with it. It will be a learning experience.