Confused? Access Database hosted sites?

[ekimr]

Hi,

We want to put our ASP solution onto our web site hosted by an ISP.

We have been told that they do not allow databases but have workarounds where we can create delimited files, and then their scripts will call this file - and it will just be like a database.

I then wondered if this is a one off, and a poor solution but when I started to investigate what other ISPs offer - I didn't see any offer ACCESS hosting. There was alot of these 'scripts calling' or 'mysql'. We just want to put an access DB on - is this a rare request? If so - are other options (mysql, scripts to call your uploaded text file) - are these options easy, standard, or a complete re-invention of all the hard work we have done so far.

 

[adrikev]

Hi,

Since you are adminning an Access DB I will assume you have a need to keep this as a relational database. If this is true then you don't want to use delimited files. Delimited files are great for FLAT databases were data has a one to one relationship. Generally you run into problems with record duplication if you try and flatten a relational DB.

That being said, MySQL is relational and works well with PHP, but setting up the DB and migrating your data may prove to be more of a challenge than you are willing to take.

There are ISPs who host Access DBs. They will have NT servers running IIS or .NET software. For the most part these ISPs will be more expensive than those running Linux or Unix. --------------------------------
Fortius, Citius, nullis secundus
Strength, Speed, second to none

 

[ekimr]

Hi,

Thanks for the mail.

Actually this Access table for the web site is an isolated one and does not depend on relationships or anything to clever. The user will just want to enter a few characters and get the return of a search.

So - does this make a delimited solution or an 'mysql' solution actually simple - or should we expect to find , if we looked hard enough an 'access' hosting ISP -and stick to that?

 

[BigBadDave]

Try

http://www.wwwserver.co.uk

its cheap! Regards

David Byng

http://www.byngdesigns.co.uk

davidbyng@hotmail.com

while (Me < Drunk) {
Beer++
}

 

[adrikev]

OK,

Since you are wanting the DB to be a search engine, you do have some flexibility. You might want to look into flat delimited text files. My guess is that the ISP has PERL/CGI scripts that will search flat text files and pass the related data to the client. If this is the case, it will run much faster that MySQL and ASP if the ISPs hardware and bandwidth compare with other ISPs.

Here are some tips.

Look into the delimited text files. This may be a good solution for you. Ask your ISP a lot of questions. Of course performance and support should always be your top issues. Find out if they have documentation for their scripts.

Also ask if they are a Tier-1 provider. A Teir-1 provider means that they don't link to a backbone, they are a backbone. This will increase your sites performance. --------------------------------
Fortius, Citius, nullis secundus
Strength, Speed, second to none

 

[willscarlet]

Hi,

I have an extranet site using ASP and Access hosted by

http://www.netbenefit.co.uk

You need their NT+ service.

 

[mcpeekj]

you can also try

http://www.brinkster.com

. they have free and pay services that allow asp and ms access.