Making Access app multi-user

[Dad0AEW]

I have a client who has an application that was originally written in Access 2010 and is now in 2013. It is set up now so that only one user at a time can use it. I want to be able to make this multi-user. Anyone have any tips/tricks/ideas? Would I be better off to export the tables into their own file, put that in a central location, and then have the screens/reports be their own app, with linked tables, thus allowing multi-use? If I do this will I need to implement some type of security structure? There are only about 5-8 users of this application, all within 1 physical location.

Thanks

 

[lameid]

This is a big topic but yes splitting your file is best practice. All the tables should be in one file or the back end. Everything else with links to the back end in another file or front end. You then have each user have a front end locally. Two reasons for this, any object change locks a file which is prone to happen to front end objects like applying filters are other simple property changes. The other is network use, if it is local, then it is not clogging up the network.

You should consider record locking which is well defined in articles or other posts around the net.

Those are the biggest issues. But sometimes things can be done a certain way that is simply not multi-user friendly... You'll probably find out about it as soon as you start a trial run with multiple users.

Another possibility is to migrate your database to SQL Server (whether express or otherwise). That is another big topic but the only way you'll get any real security. SQL server handles mutli-user much better. Although, the express (free) version has had limitations in simultaneous connections which may be more limiting than just using Access.

That's a place to start anyway.