Migrate from Access to MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server

[Larsson]

Hi!

My company needs to migrate from Access JET to another database. We will still use Access as a front-end but we will use another database as backend.

My question is what database I should choose. I am thinking of MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server.

We have current data in many database-files, 54 files, totally 5 GB.
We are 20 users but we will probably be 50 before the end of this year.
At the moment we have at least one case of corrupted data each month.

I have experience in Access, VB, C++, .NET.
We are going to use .NET to build are front-ends in the future.

So in your expert opinions what database should I choose, MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server?

Markus Larsson

 

[zemp]

Both databases will do the job well. However here are two things that you can consider. MySQL is free if you are not distributing it, SQL Server is not. With SQL Server you can use the Upsizing Wizard to convert your Access data to SQL Server format quickly and painlessly, with MySQL your data conversion may be slow and tedious.

Thanks and Good Luck!

zemp

 

[gusset]

our company uses Access 2000 or Access XP as front end, which has built-in support for Sql Server back end, the users report good results

 

[Larsson]

We will do something like that. But we haven't decided if SQL-Server is worth the money it cost, or if we can make do with MySQL.

 

[wolf8769]

At this point in time, if you are going to do .NET development, I think you'll find Visual Studio's integration with SQL Server VERY helpful. I use both databases. In my opinion, the only reason to choose MySQL over SQL Server is price. Determine the cost to license SQL Server for your purposes. If you cannot justify the cost, you should use MySQL. However, if you want to program using Stored Procedures and User-Defined Functions, MySQL is not there yet. Consider that most of the code examples and training materials for .NET development will be SQL Server specific.

You should also look into MSDE2000, a SQL Server Lite of sorts from Microsoft that is free and freely distributable.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnmsde/html/msderoadmap.asp

 

[Larsson]

Thanks for your advice.
MSDE2000 isn't it limited to 5 concurrency user?

 

[wolf8769]

It is limited to 2GB per database (not computer), and can support 16 databases on one machine. I believe it is limited in regards to concurrent sessions, but I haven't found any hard answers. I read on one Microsoft site that it handles up to "5 concurrent batch processes to optimize performance". I don't think this translates into 5 user connections. I know for example, that the Microsoft Great Plains Special Edition uses MSDE2000 and is limited to 10 concurrent users. I don't know if MSDE2000 sets this limitation or Great Plains is enforcing it--but in any case 10 is more than 5. So I'm not sure about the concurrent user limitations. Let me know if you find out!

 

[Larsson]

2GB per database is to small for us. So MSDE2000 is not an alternativ for us.