[RESOLVED] Is Access a good database to work with?

[dinosaur_uk]

Hi there

is access a good database to work with? and why is it not that popular?

[anguswalker]

Have you checked this thread Choosing the right database ?
Access is fine as a back end if you haven't got many users, don't use stored procedures and don't want to spend anything. Even if you haven't got MS Office you can create and reference .mdb files from a VB front end.
However don't expect Access to be able to serve 100+ users satisfactorily over a LAN. Also, I personally would never again use Access as the front end- it's buggy, slow and does weird things with data that you can't control.

[szlamany]

Hi there

is access a good database to work with? and why is it not that popular?

In my opinion it's been surpassed by MSDE, a free version of MS SQL Server 2000.

Everything uses MSDE. I just purchased SONY VEGAS 6 video-editing suite - it uses MSDE in the background - I never expected that!

BACKUP EXEC - a product that backs up servers, used MSDE.

A phone system that one of my clients has - uses MSDE. I'm going to write some reports for him that track phone call usage by all the office staff - in SQL! Real SQL!

That's important.

[dinosaur_uk]

what is MSDE ? and doesn't it need to be installed on a server? i want it to be all contained within the files

[szlamany]

what is MSDE ? and doesn't it need to be installed on a server? i want it to be all contained within the files

MSDE is the free version of MS SQL Server 2000.

It can be installed on a workstation.

Like I said, I just installed SONY VEGAS 6 editing software, and it appears that it installed MSDE/MDAC along with the SONY software - I never knew the difference.

As long as you aren't going to have more then 8 or so concurrent users, it's a real good choice.

Here - read this and you will see...

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...sderoadmap.asp

[dinosaur_uk]

Right....

so i can install on the workstations which will be using this? Basically all i need is some files which are on a network drive to be accessable to users which run a program in the same directory.

anyone have any simple apps to share?

[dinosaur_uk]

ok ...

here is the situation.

i have some files on a network drive.

I have about 8 computers which may access the network drive and open these files and use them. I dont want to install a server software on any of the PCs as they are not always on.

i was thinking of access because anyone running the software on the network drive will be able to access the files easily. MSDE seems to want to have a central server where clients connect to it. That is not the case here if you get what i mean...

Any advice?

[pnish]

Personally I think Access would be fine for the scenario you describe. Access should comfortably handle 8 users and it's certainly easy to use, support and maintain.

What you need to ask yourself is, how will this app grow over time and will it be able to scale if I use Access. As I said, 8 users is no probs, but what if next year the requirement is for 25 users? Access would probably still handle it, but you'll eventually run into performance and size issues.

From what I know of MSDE (which isn't that much), it's able to handle considerably more concurrent users than Access, and the databases can be significantly larger. I think Access has a limit of about 1gb for a single database.

Just a couple of things to think about. Better get out the crystal ball.

[dinosaur_uk]

<polishing the crystal ball>

It will never in fact be 8 people connected at the same time, and the whole team is only 8 people. I am quite interested in the MSDE, but does it mean that i hve to install MSDE on each workstation.

[mendhak]

Can you not just install MSDE on a single server on the network?

[dinosaur_uk]

no...i have not got access to a server...i only have access to a network drive.

[mendhak]

I didn't mean a server in that sense. I meant, is it a small network you're working on? One of the machines could be setup to be accessible to everyone. Always on.

[dinosaur_uk]

that itself is a problem...

[mendhak]

Then either you have one server machine setup, or you install MSDE/Access on each machine.

[mendhak]

Oh, another Q: will the users be accessing the MDB directly or through the front end application that you have created?

[szlamany]

There is no difference in hardware issues between ACCESS or MSDE.

Both solutions require that the PC that has the data residing on it be turned on before any client user can touch the data.

The is the basic concept of shared data with several users. Data resides in one place, users are on several PC's on the network.

MSDE needs to only be installed on a single PC. That PC get's the data. That PC obviously needs to be turned on for any user to get at the data.

Client machines need ADO installed (MDAC) - this is just a pile of DLL's and what not - that allow the client VB program to talk to the data. ACCESS would require this just as well. So the client install is no different between ACCESS or MSDE.

If you have access to a network drive, as you said, then the network drive is on a network PC - right???

[dinosaur_uk]

Then either you have one server machine setup, or you install MSDE/Access on each machine.

What does it involve installing MSDE/Access?

licencing issues?

[dinosaur_uk]

Oh, another Q: will the users be accessing the MDB directly or through the front end application that you have created?

They will be hopefully be accessing the MDB through the vb.net program which resides in the directory too..

[dinosaur_uk]

I have access to the network drive, but i have no control on the actual PC itself. I am abit confused on how to set this out.

1 MDB file on a Network Drive

8 PCs which run a VB.Net program on the network drive.

That;s it.....

So all the Dlls that the Vb.Net program needs will be on this network drive too. Or does the Dll need to be registered with each of the 8PCs?

There is no difference in hardware issues between ACCESS or MSDE.

Both solutions require that the PC that has the data residing on it be turned on before any client user can touch the data.

The is the basic concept of shared data with several users. Data resides in one place, users are on several PC's on the network.

MSDE needs to only be installed on a single PC. That PC get's the data. That PC obviously needs to be turned on for any user to get at the data.

Client machines need ADO installed (MDAC) - this is just a pile of DLL's and what not - that allow the client VB program to talk to the data. ACCESS would require this just as well. So the client install is no different between ACCESS or MSDE.

If you have access to a network drive, as you said, then the network drive is on a network PC - right???

[dinosaur_uk]

B.t.w Thanks for your help.....

i am a newbie.....

[szlamany]

I have access to the network drive, but i have no control on the actual PC itself. I am abit confused on how to set this out.

If you cannot have the person in charge of installing programs install MSDE on the NETWORK DRIVE PC - then you are forced to use ACCESS. The ACCESS data can reside on the NETWORK DRIVE without any installs on the NETWORK DRIVE PC. If I was you I would inquire if MSDE can be installed on the NETWORK DRIVE PC - before giving up and going with ACCESS.

1 MDB file on a Network Drive

8 PCs which run a VB.Net program on the network drive.

Each of these 8 PC's will need to have some kind of INSTALL done - .NET framework, maybe MDAC (data access components).

So all the Dlls that the Vb.Net program needs will be on this network drive too. Or does the Dll need to be registered with each of the 8PCs?

Even though your VB.Net EXECUTABLE resides on a NETWORK drive, each PC running it has to have registered and installed every required OCX/DLL - whatever. The NETWORK DRIVE PC does not need any installs - unless of course you are going with MSDE.

[dinosaur_uk]

All the pcs now have .Net framework.

at the moment, they are accessing the data through a csv format which is far from ideal.

They do not want any installation, just one program which maintains a database....

that's pretty much it...

So i think i might have to bite the bullet and go with access.

[dinosaur_uk]

i am also new to databases....

how long do you guys reckon it will take for me to learn...

i am ok on the other vb functions etc.... classes, forms, threading etc....

[mendhak]

Not very long. It's just a matter of learning some SQL and playing around with the interface for the database.

http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.asp

[dinosaur_uk]

Cheers!

off i go to learn sql then!