Should I be using Access? - Debate (1 Viewer)

[Richio]

What started out 18 months ago as a small project to get my head around Access has now turned into the "lifeblood" of the business.

The systems in place all revolve around a central Access database (which I continually add to) without which the Company would obviously struggle.

The system is run over a network with up to ten users at any one point in time - the current file size about 8.5Mb.

My question (and constant worry at the back of my mind) is....Is Access the best platform to rely upon?

I find Access great as I can use it myself to tailor my own needs as opposed to translate my needs to a third party developer. But I am no professional and continue to keep my fingers crossed that it will continue to work.

Has anyone had similar experiences where they reach a point where help is needed or have to switch to another system

Thanks

 

[Newman]

The db I'm working on right now has ~50 users from two different buildings and it has 30Mb.
I would not worry if I were you.
Yes, it has limits, but it should not be a problem for you.
Could learn SQL, Oracle Designer and Oracle Developer, but I'm not sure it is worth it for such a small db.
Access is not the best platform.
It is the best platform for you!
1-Your database is small
2-You already know how to use Access
3-You already own Access (Although there is MySQL which is free)
4-You have friends in this forum

Newman

 

[pono1]

Richio,

Be sure you are backing up the DB on a daily basis, if you already aren't, with multiple backup copies of the DB on hand, ideally located in different places (different tapes, for example -- perhaps even a tape rotated off-site). Also, be sure you know how to get things up and running (this could be as easy as copying a file) if, for some reason, there's a system failure. These two things alone should help you sleep better.

And eighteen months of use is excellent. If you had an unstable system, you would have known by now, as most problems crop up in the first month or two. If you are making regular updates to your app, do so systematically (create a folder to hold a copy of each version, for example), so that if a new feature creates unanticipated problems, you can simply put the older, more stable version back into service as you work out the bugs on your update.

I think you are wise to wonder if there is a better, more stable solution. Can I recommend a book? "Microsoft Access Developer's Guide to SQL Server." Sams Publishing. By Chipman and Baron. If you can put aside a little time each day to spend on the book and, better, can afford a spare PC to install SQL server so you can try out various SQL-Access scenarios, you can probably get up to a moderate speed in a few weeks or so and make a sound decision about moving to SQL at the back-end and Access at the front-end --- relatively easy to do if you know which buttons to click in which order -- this the book walks you through -- and you've practiced on a spare computer a few times. Don't have a copy of SQL Server? Go to microsoft.com and search on "Action Pack."

Regards,
Tim

 

[Richio]

Thank you for the advice

It is very nice to get feedback of this nature as sometimes I feel that I could be going down the wrong road.

It gives me confidence that what I am doing in terms of back ups / file storage etc is the right thing and that with a little patience I can push my knowledge to the next level.

It can be a lonely place within an organisation where you seem to be the only one who understands!

Thanks Again

Richio