is this possible

[jtm235]

i am a beginner software developer but i have created a very comprehensive vb.net program that is the brain of an entire transportation company. it uses an Access database on a LAN. is it possible to put this database online? im trying to get it so they can access the database from anywhere (while its still reasonably fast). i coded every sql query the program uses, which call the same connection string from a editable text file. its used on about 5 computers. can i just "slap" the Access databse online and modify the connection string? what about some kind of p2p client that connects to the host computer, then the database? im looking for the path of least resistance, but a decent outcome. any help appreciated..

[Bruce Fox]

If you want concurent database connections, you may want to start thinking about using SQL (or MySQL).......

BTW, as a beginner developer, don't you have experience fellow workers? That said, if you did you probably wouldn't have used Access as a back end in the first place due to the R&D etc that would/should have taken place.

[jtm235]

i regret using access...what exactly is a sql database? im confused because i use sql queries for an Access database...how paifull is the transition? i am a fast learner

[Bruce Fox]

The queries could be similar. Depending on how you coded up the command & connections etc, you may be able to make minimal changes.

Anyhooo, here is a good place of reference.

[jmcilhinney]

i regret using access...what exactly is a sql database? im confused because i use sql queries for an Access database

That's exactly why (many) people shouldn't be lazy and say "SQL" when they mean "SQL Server". SQL is a language used to write queries for basically all databases. SQL Server is Microsoft's enterprise-grade RDBMS.

If your app is not too large you might consider starting out with SQL Server Express, which is free but does have limitations. SQL Server Express uses the same data file format as SQL Server so upgrading is simply a matter of attaching to a different server.

Thanks to ADO.NET and SQL, moving from one database to another is relatively simple, once the new database and its schema has been created. Because Access and SQL Server are both from Microsoft, there are more similarities than usual. For the most part it's just a case of changing all your OleDb objects into SqlClient objects and changing the connection string.

[jtm235]

That's exactly why (many) people shouldn't be lazy and say "SQL" when they mean "SQL Server". SQL is a language used to write queries for basically all databases. SQL Server is Microsoft's enterprise-grade RDBMS.

If your app is not too large you might consider starting out with SQL Server Express, which is free but does have limitations. SQL Server Express uses the same data file format as SQL Server so upgrading is simply a matter of attaching to a different server.

Thanks to ADO.NET and SQL, moving from one database to another is relatively simple, once the new database and its schema has been created. Because Access and SQL Server are both from Microsoft, there are more similarities than usual. For the most part it's just a case of changing all your OleDb objects into SqlClient objects and changing the connection string.

im not sure what "too big" is. the database had about 20 tables, 2 of them are 75 items wide and will grow at a rate of about 100 rows per day. one of those tables is continually read every 30 seconds. too big?

[Bruce Fox]

That's exactly why (many) people shouldn't be lazy and say "SQL" when they mean "SQL Server".

Oops my bad, glad i got the open source one right then...

To be correct: MySQL Community Server, or Enterprise Server for example.

[jmcilhinney]

If you want to know what the specific limitations of SQL Server Express are then you should check out the SQL Server Express documentation on MSDN. "Too big" is not a relative or at all wishy-washy term in this sense. As the documentation says, SQL Server Express supports databases up to 4 GB in size. Anything over that will require archiving old data or upgrading to SQL Server.

[jtm235]

i just realized our hosting account for the website has mySQL. would that be sufficient?

[jmcilhinney]

i just realized our hosting account for the website has mySQL. would that be sufficient?

As Bruce Fox has already suggested, yes it would.

[Bruce Fox]

Also, check the capabilities and limitations you host imposes. Generally, there are DB size limits etc.

[jtm235]

thanks everyone for pointing me in the right direction