Multiple Users Accessing Remotely

[CharlieT302]

Hi Everyone,

We have a database that we wish to place in the cloud so users can access it remotely. This, by itself, is not a problem. However, the database contains links to an image folder and a link to another database. The folder and external database would have to be move to the cloud as well.

Bottom Line. This can only work if the links between the files can reference their location on the cloud. One Drive for Business, as an example, creates local drive references visible from File Explorer. The path would be different for each laptop or workstation that references it.

Please note, we are looking for the simplest low cost solution. We do not want to spend thousands of dollars. All that is needed is a way for multiple users to open the database remotely.

Specifically, can a proper link be created in One Drive for Business or SharePoint? Is there another solution? Any "How To" links or comments are truly appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[lameid]

Is the data static or can users update it? If static, things are simpler, they can each get there own copy from where ever, how ever.

If they need to update centrally it needs to be the same physical database (for access, file) but you can have local front ends.

This gets very dubious to run over remote connections as speed is usually a deal breaker.

Generally there are two viable alternatives. One is use a different Database Engine Server (as opposed to a file based engine like Access) and code your front end to work with appropriate subsets of data.
The second is host Access an a machine such as Terminal Server and have users Remote Desktop and use the database locally. The problem with both of these is there is a cost. Terminal Server is generally better.

If you are just trying to make it work, you could in your Frontend, have it detect if the current path has the backend in it. If so it is the central location, then copy it local and attach to the backend tables. Still from a practical sense this will not work well. I generally avoid working on databases over the network with wifi as it is just too slow. 100 Mbps seems the slowest tolerable speed and get 1 Gbps if you can.
I almost forgot, in order to copy local you need to open a transfer application, close the current applciation and then the transfer application does the actual copying.