Using Access over a WAN

[StrikeEagleII]

I have created an mdb to track tasks and their completions. The current plan is to split it into a front and back end, and then store the back end on a network server here at work and distribute the front end to those who need it here at work. I will have user level security enabled, but there won't be a need for lots of people to access it at once. In addition, there could be the possibility of a person having to access it via vpn when they go remote. I've just read an article that access and Jet engine don't work particularly well over WANs. I've read Access comes with MSDE which functions like a toned down SQL server, but don't know anything about it (or using a SQL server). I've read about replication, but that that tends to be a nightmare. What options are there?

 

[Ed2020]

The issue is the amount of data that Access has to pull back over the network when running queries. As Access is a file server database, rather than a client server (like SQL Server, Oracle, MSDE) all data has to be retrieved from the relevant tables and processing done locally - there is no server-side processing.

The issue isn't so much one of problems over a WAN, but problems with any low-bandwidth network. If your database is relatively small, or your WAN sufficiently fast you may find that your database runs perfectly well - try it before you look at any optimisations.

If you do have problems a well designed MSDE database with Access frontend should *significantly* reduce the amount of data being retrieved across the network however I'd make sure I was certain that this was the casue of the performance problems before moving to MSDE.

Ed Metcalfe.

Please do not feed the trolls.....