Synchronising a LAN BE with a website DB

[trandel]

Hi,

The situation is that we have a split DB on a LAN using Windows Server. The BE is on the server and the FE are distributed to each user PC on the LAN. (For historical reasons there are differing versions of Access at each user which was the primary motivation to split the DB)

We also have a copy of the DB on the company website which is to be updated via FTP on a regular basis. This is used for queries only by visitors. We now want our clients to be able to update their information on line in tandem with our local users.

The question is - what is the best method to keep these DBs synchronised?

My thought is to use replication with the LAN BE as the master DB and the website having a replicated version. Then we can periodically download the website version and synchronise the two - presumably we would have to disable the updating function on the website while we do this and then reload the new replicated version up to the website.

A problem I see already is that the website DB is not split where the local version is - is it possible to rejoin a split database? Synchronise it, upload a a replica and then split the BE and FE again?

All Ideas / Suggestions welcome

Tony Randell

 

[trandel]

FYI I have tested using a split Access database on a FrontPage website and it works - all I needed to do was run the Access Link Table tool.

 

[Laurentech]

Tony - I'm interested in learning more about what you say in your second message. I'm in the process of working out the deployment details for a multiuser split database, and am having a hard time finding a home for the backend that is accessible to all my front ends. If I could put the backend on a web server then all my problems would be solved.
How exactly did you set this up? Did it work just like it had been placed on a shared file server?
Thanks for any info.

Larry

 

[trandel]

Larry,

I actually put both the BE and the FE on the website as the database is used in the website for queries. As to whether one could use the link table manager to link a local pc FE to the website BE I do not know.

If this were possible it would help me no end with another situation?

Sorry for the delay - I forgot to check the 'notify by email' option on so wasnt aware that you had responded.

Regards

Tony

 

[trandel]

Sorry - I did NOT manage to split an access database website after all. It only worked on my testing IIS PC because the links were on my hard disk. When I actually published to the web Access Link Magaer could not join the FE and BE