posting a access application to the web

[docin]

Hi all,
I'm fairly new at using access (2000), but I've managed to put together a stand alone app (using the runtime engine). This application uses a front end (mde file) and a backend where the data resides. The user can only select buttons and queries that I have already set up. Everything works fine. The problem is now they want to know if this can be put on the web so people can use the database to pull records and reports rather than come in the office. How much of a pain is this going to be and what is the best way to procede. I hate to redesign the database. I would really like for people to access the front end just like they do now. One thing that might make it simplier is the fact that the database would be basically "read-only", they would only retrieve the data and wouldn't be making any changes, that would be done in house by people that control the database. Any suggestions on getting a "already working" runtime application to the web would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[DanMc]

You're pretty much out of luck. MSAccess is based on the philosophy of "large, powerful, proprietary, and as complex as you want it to get". The philosophy of a web page is "simple, modular components, standardized, so that viewing them is as easy as launching a web browser".

The route that most people with Access databases go is that they put the MDB file on a network file server, then access it simultaniously from 1-12 computers with the same version of MSAccess installed on them. More than a handfull of users and you'll start seeing database corruption and be restoring from backup tape a lot.

Access does have a seldom used feature where an application can be "published" to a Microsoft web server. But this is little more than a trick, because all that it really does is run MSAccess inside Internet Explorer... So you still have to have the same version of Access on each PC.

 

[ReddLefty]

I agree with DanMc entirely, MS Access has it's limits. I had the same challenge a while back and I had the Access database transformed to an SQL database instead. It's not alot of work if you have someone who can do it, so the cost can be relatively low. What costs is the SQL server and licenses that will be driving it.

To cut costs, you can use the free MSDE version. To run a backup, you stop the service, copy the database, and start the service again. You can have a batch file run at a certain time to do that. If your application cannot afford down time, then you'll need to invest in a full blown SQL Server with licenses and all to run live backups.



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