Multi-User Database Design

[comteck]

Hi,

This is my first post, and I appreciate any help anybody can give. I have been working with databases for a couple of years now, but only at a single database level (i.e a single database installed on a single computer).

I'd like to start developing databases for multi-users, and working with front end and back- end servers, etc. Does anybody know where I can find some decent tutorials on these topics.

Or, any information at all would be appreciated. I am a complete novice in this area.

Thanks.
comteck

 

[Ed2020]

Are you using MS Access as your frontend and your backend?

The principals of good database design are much the same regardless of how many users you have, however these are some of the guidelines I try to follow:

1. Give all users a locally installed frontend linked to a common backend. This means forms, reports, code, etc. do not have to be loaded over the network.

2. Use unbound forms and a customised record-locking routine.

3. If you have tables of data that are not amended regularly store these in the local frontend.

4. Create code to check and ensure all users are using the most up to date frontend.

5. Normalise your tables.

6. Index your tables correctly.

7. Minimise the amount of data you retrieve over the network, bearing in mind that MS Access runs all queries (except passthrough queries) locally so large amounts of data can be pulled over the network.

If you are looking for books on this subject I can highly recommend the Access Developers Handbooks from Sybex. There are two volumes - I bought both. I've never had to refer to any other Access book since.

Ed Metcalfe.

Please do not feed the trolls.....

 

[comteck]

Thank you for the reply.