Your thoughts on FE/BE setup Please

[SmallTime]

Hi all,

I’m Reposting this from as I think I originally posted in the wrong forum (General database discussion)

I work for a firm that has some 500 users of which some 50 use a database that I developed, concurrent usage is somewhere around the 30 mark.

Previously we’ve all had full access rights to the local ‘C’ drive. However, recently a new IT Manager took up post and he’s removed all access rights to the local drive. It’s No loner visible to us and we can’t install anything locally. Unfortunately for me this also means I can no longer install MSA Runtime on new machines or update my MDE’s.

I’ve had numerous discussions with this chap and he’s adamant that absolutely no one, under any circumstances will be allowed to have access to their local drives. No reason why, it’s just a policy change.

He’s suggested that I was wrong in distributing the front end (MDE) to every local machine and instead should have a single front end on a shared drive that everyone logs onto. I know this is wrong, but he says he’s been developing Access databases for many, many years and he knows from experience this is the correct setup.

I intend to take this up again next week but would like to be armed solid reasons why he’s suggested set-up is mistaken and try to get him to be a little more flexible in allowing access to the local drive.

However, before I get too entrenched I’d appreciate some thoughts and aguments from the community.

Many thanks in advance

 

[SmallTime]

I think I've posted this in the wrong forum. It's now been reposted in Microsoft: Access Other topics

Apologies

 

[MajP]

I would say if you work in a company that hires an IT Manager who even asks this question, its time to look for a new company. Just kidding. Sort of.
First think of the overhead. Instead of all forms, reports, and code residing on the local machine you will have 50 people pulling all that information over the network. That should make the network work realllly fast.
Most likely, your application will run really slow if at all.
Your chance of corruption of the front end is real high. It will lock up and everyone will be locked out of the back end.
Your chance of corrupting the back end is high.

There is probably a FAQ on this site about this issue, with more specifics.

 

[SmallTime]

I take your point about changing jobs. Luckily I don't have to work with this chap. Only have to talk to him now and again, and at the moment even that’s more then I can stand.

I did bring up the issue of clogging the network and also about corruption. However, he's absolutely adamant that I'm on the wrong track and because he's the head of the IT department I almost started to question if it was me that was wrong.

Thanks for bringing me back to my senses. I may push the mater up to Director level, otherwise I'll have to suffer another 30 minute chat/dispute/argument.

Kind regards

 

[drkhelmt]

The point about curruption is well taken.

I have a database (MDB) that is setup on a shared drive with about 7-10 users in which 3 are on at one time. I don't operate in the high traffic area, so the relevancy is a little lacking. I have not had any curruption problems.

However, I can relate to you in having an overbearing IT management. Mine is so overbearing that he wouldn't even create a directory on the server which forced me to convince my branch manager to buy a computer to act as a file server!- which I administer myself. For you, curruption may happen and thats that. My advice is to do what this 'chap' says, knowing it will fail, and let it fail. Before doing so, write a memo to your manager stating what you know will happen. When the thing dies, the egg is on the IT manager's face, not yours. In essence, cover your a**. Sometimes I think you have to wreck some havvoc to wake up somebody.

Hope this gets you closer to the solution.

Andrew
a.k.a. Dark Helmet

"What's the matter Colonel Sandurz? Chicken?

 

[SmallTime]

Many thanks for you suggestions, you’ve conformed my thoughts and put y mind at rest.

I’ve had longer think about this and also taken on board your good suggestions. I’m going to bounce this up to Director level, spelling out my concerns, and let them sort it out. If this takes too long I’ll have little choice but to go along with what he says and when problems do occur I’ll direct all flack to him. In the meantime I’ll make hourly backups of the BE as I’m sure it’ll only be a question of time before things go wrong.

Can’t believe this idiots been developing databases for 15 years.