Selecting a Database software?

[albertlse]

I'm going to design a system which will be use on several LAN Pc which are going to access a same database.

Which database software would you recommend?

Can Access support this type of networking database?

How about MySQL? is it supported in VB .NET?

Please guide. Thank you.

[Memnoch1207]

first look at the amount of concurrent connections you expect this db to be able to handle...then look at how large you think it will grow over time, and what kind of performance you are expecting from it....The number of db's should be narrowed down to a handful to choose from...then take into considerations your cost (how much are you willing to pay to get what you want.)

[powdir]

Memnoch1207 is right, carefully consider what the future is to be for your DB. Access is fine for a FEW concurrent users, but it doesn't incorporate a solid locking mechanism and, as a rule of thumb, will start to creak at around the 80000 - 100000 record mark.

this article might help

http://mindseyeinc.com/articles/pcjournal0899.htm

[Pirate]

Your best bet is SQL Server 2000 .

[albertlse]

My situation:
there will be 3 PC connecting to the database via LAN.

the database is expected to grow larger because it is an inventory database of a magazine supplier company.

for the performance, as long as it can handle those task done by all 3 PC, and does not affect the performance of the workers daily task (adding & update database records)

bout the cost, I hope to get a free one, or cheaper but useful one. can I know all the cost of all database softwares in the market now?

I would like to know whether Access support this type of networking database?

How about MySQL? is it supported in VB .NET?

[hellswraith]

You can use the MSDE if you want, it is basically the SQL Server 2000 database engine. You can also use MySql database. Both of those are free.

[Memnoch1207]

You'll need to look at how large you think the database will grow...MSDE can support databases upto 2GB in size.

MySql capacity overview as quoted from their site.

Handles large databases. We use MySQL Server with databases that contain 50 million records. We also know of users that use MySQL Server with 60,000 tables and about 5,000,000,000 rows

[Iamthewalrus15]

Your best bet is ORACLE! but if your not rich sql server 2000 is good and if your really not rich, MySQL does work very well

[stingrae]

i agree that the correct application will come down to cost and size.

from what you are quoting above, i would go with a VB.Net to Access database. it is simple and cheap and you will be able to implement it very easily and quickly. i've written dozens of VB/Access apps and have rarely encounted locking problems. in "most" cases, it's rare that 2 PCs will be writing to the same records at the same time, especially if you only have 3 PCs in total.

then once it is going and workign nicely, it is simple to evaluate and check to see if you need to upgrade. if the tables start to grow too large (as stated above), then migrating from Access to SQL server is very simple.

[nemaroller]

If you're worried about 2 or 200 Pc's concurrently accessing ACCESS at the same time, the way I got around here at my POOR (as in, we don't like to spend money on software) company is this:

1) You have the Client side software (your UI)

2) You write a simple socket server

3) You have the access database.

The only communication with the database is your socket server (so there is only ONE connection to it EVER). And if the Socket Server (i call mine Bravo), is busy, my client software waits until it is free to accept a new TCP connection. Its all synchronous... not at all complicated...

So when the user puts data in a form, and soon as they hit NEXT>, the client software sends a TCP connection request to the client Server (Bravo), and sends the info, waits for the response...

I have sucessfully tested it with many computers... and once in a grand while, my little 'Momentarily waiting for Bravo...' message form pops up (for like a second).... when Bravo is completing another client's request. That part of the code simply does a Try Catch, if it fails to receive a response, it sleeps the thread 200ms, then tries again... and I increment a variable to keep track of how many times it tried, if it waits too long.. it simply says "Unable to Complete Transaction. Server may not be running on data host."

[nemaroller]

Oh and the socket server restarts itself when it encounters an unexpected error....

[albertlse]

quote from stingrae:

in "most" cases, it's rare that 2 PCs will be writing to the same records at the same time, especially if you only have 3 PCs in total.

the system i'm going to build is an invoicing system used by 3 PC at the same time.
Let's imaging, when all 3 PC are trying to prepare invoices, will there be any problem allocating the invoice number?
Any resource on coding in this type of networking system?

[nswan]

only problem would occur when the 3 people try to commit new invoices at exactly the same time (we're probably talking the same milli second!). The chances of this happening on a 3 user system are so remote i wouldn't worry about it.

[stingrae]

nswan is correct.

[nemaroller]

The chances of getting hit by lightning are remote too... but it happens...

[nswan]

we should all buy lightening conductors then, stick them on top of our heads, and get ourselves properly earthed!!!!

[nemaroller]

was playing on the par-5, 8th hole of my local golf course shooting 1 under par so far (my best round of the year to that point), when I shot a unreal 16. I stood on the tee box behind my ball and saw the "perfect line" down the fairway. I circled around to set up to my ball and proceeded to swing one of the most perfect swings I have ever felt. I had my head so still that I did not see the flock of geese flying over my landing area. The ball drilled one of the geese in the side and dropped it to the ground from at least 20 ft. high. My friends with me started laughing uncontrollably, so I looked up, and it was just laying in a clump in the middle of the fairway. It slowly got to its feet and started walking toward the water pond on the right. I decided to take another shot at my drive............

I hit a worm burner, a bullet disguised as a golf ball, it went straight down the fairway and hit the same goose in the leg. I couldn't believe it and knew this had to be some kind of omen telling me to quit. (one of those man vs. nature things). But like the true hacker I forged on and decided to play the ball where it finally landed. When I got to my 2nd shot there were still about 20 geese just walking about on the fairway, except for the one I hit of course, he was limping back towards the flock. I walked out toward my ball and was suddenly charged by 20 geese.(almost as if they knew that I had done it) I ran out and retrieved my ball and then dropped about 340 yards from the hole. I was so shaken from the experience that I hit the next 2 three woods into the water on the right and 2 more out of bounds. By the time it was said and done, I had a big fat 16 on my card, ruining my round. Later that year, that same foursome asked me to go hunting with them!!!!

http://www.badgolfmonthly.com/stories2.htm