Sending/receiving Databases

[PaulSpell]

Can you people please tell me how you send and receive databases to and from clients?

I have been working with a mixture of email (which is ok for small stuff) and CDs for the big stuff (though this is a pain as the royal mail are awful).

Just wondered whether there is a better way?

 

[WayneRyan]

Paul,

Are you talking .mdb or .mde?

Personally, I move dbs around on CDs and ZIP cartridges.
With the Import utility you only need pieces, not the whole
db.

Or are you talking initial distribution?

Wayne

 

[PaulSpell]

I'm talking about .mdb and .mde. Generally how you deal with transferring database files (the whole thing) to and from clients.

 

[dcx693]

I use zip and cds as well. I think WayneRyan may be asking about initial distribution because of security and workgroup files.

 

[PaulSpell]

I was thinking of maybe trying PC Anywhere, does anyone else use this? What's it like over a dialup connection?

 

[pono1]

Paul,

It's slow over a dialup, especially when in remote control mode, and yet it's undeniably convenient, especially for file transfers. You need the product installed on a PC at both ends -- and you'll need someone at the receiving end to fire up the app into "host mode" before you dial in...

Regards,
Tim

 

[PaulSpell]

OK thanks, PC Anywhere looks like a good investment then, but probably not until I get broadband! What size is the backend software (will it email)?

I suppose the only real solution for big files is burning a CD then.

One last thing, what about using MSN Messenger (or similar) for transferring files has anyone tried this?

 

[pono1]

You can transfer files of any size using pcANYWHERE on a dialup. It's just a time trade-off. Very roughly, I'd guess it takes about 30-40 minutes to transfer 10 megabytes over a dialup --- I think...

Regards,
Tim

 

[PaulSpell]

Is it pretty stable though? The kind of sizes I sometimes deal with could mean this running for a few hours. I don't want it to crash 50k from the finish line!

 

[pono1]

I use it infrequently these days and don't have much trouble to speak of.

In the past, I recall it dropping a connection every once in a while --- I never understood why, though. Perhaps an incoming call on the same line, something to do with call waiting? And, yes, that would not be pleasant, 40 megs of 50 megs in and the connection is dropped...

Sorry I can't be more precise or sure. We're still really in the ice age when it comes to telecommunications...

Regards,
Tim

 

[PaulSpell]

Tim,

Thanks for your advice.