Remotely accessable database (1 Viewer)

[marleyuk]

Ive got a medium sized database that i use to keep a record of customer details and services i provide made in access. Id like to make this a server and be able to remotely connect to it from other locations.

Any ideas on where i can start?

Thanks,
Ian.

 

[Pat Hartman]

I would start by converting the back end to SQL Server. Although it is technically possible to share an .mdb over web, I wouldn't recommend it. you can use the upsizing wizard to upsize your application. Choose the option that copies the data and adds links to the server-side tables. Do not choose the project option. The .adp has been depricated by Microsoft and is only included in A2007 to support legacy applications. And the third option - make no changes to the current app has a bug. If you choose this option, the tables will be created on the server but the data won't be uploaded in some versions of Access.

 

[shadow9449]

I've had a lot of success deploying Access databases using Windows Terminal Service. You don't need to change anything about your database and if it's designed well, you should be able to get a decent number of users at the same time. It really depends on what your needs are and how many users will be accessing the database a the same time.

SHADOW

 

[marleyuk]

I only need a couple of users at anyone time. Possibly 2. I want it to be as easy to setup as it can be.

 

[Pat Hartman]

When working over a WAN, it isn't the number of users that is at issue, it is the amount of data being pulled over the network. A SQL Server back end will minimize the data transfered as long as forms are always based on queries with selection criteria.

 

[marleyuk]

Yeah but as i cant really use SQL, anyone help with access?

 

[Pat Hartman]

Can you use terminal services?

 

[marleyuk]

I was hoping there was a cheeky script that i may have been able to use. Like paste a bit of script that would make it remotely accessable? or do i have no chance?

 

[Pat Hartman]

Your back end database needs to sit on a server that allows direct connections to the database. I don't know how to set this up but I know it can be done because I am doing it for a client on his GoDaddy account.

Connecting to an Access database with this method may be too slow to meet your needs which is why we are offering alternatives. SQL Server or any other RDBMS will provide better performance than Jet in this scenario but ONLY if you have optimized your Access application to exist as a good client in a client/server environment (see the white paper on this on the MSDN site). Using Terminal Services or Citrix provides a "local" connection between the front end and back end and so you will experience LAN speeds rather than WAN speeds. Take a look at your LAN speed compared to the speed of the internet and you'll see what we are talking about. There's about a 30 to 1 difference even over a fast connection so the only solution with a direct connect is to minimize the network traffic.