how do i do it???

[Mih_Flyer]

hello
i want to ask about some thing, let us say i have a program which installed in many pcs, and that program deals with database, and i want the database to be shared, i mean all of these pcs will deal with one database, so what is the best way to do that, of course the app is coded in VB, and how do i creat this database, how do i deal with it, like adding and adjusting and deleteing....., i hope you got what i mean,,,,any idea???
Thanx

[Gen-X]

So far all we know is that you have one app with many users on a single database....

I think we need a little more info

1. What database are you using?
2. What network are you using to connect the computers?
3. What operating system is it running?
4. How many users are we talking about?
5. What level of security do you want?

[Mih_Flyer]

1. What database are you using?
the program is not coded yet, so i don't know which one is the best...
2. What network are you using to connect the computers?
connection to the net, that means the pc has to be connected to get the data
3. What operating system is it running?
win98 or 2000
4. How many users are we talking about?
around 40 as maximum
5. What level of security do you want?
not very important stuff

[Paul282]

Keep it simple as possible first.

NT 4 Server
SQL Server (6.5 or 7)
DSN connection
TCP/IP network

Sounds like ASP web conections would be nice and easy too!

[Gen-X]

The only problem I see there is "connection to the net"


This means that your database will be accessible by the general public and anyone can get into it.

In general VB applications don't run "over the net" and connect to central databases... They are either coded using ASP (Active Server Pages) and only people with correct permissions are given access to them.... or you use SSL to securely send transmissions of important data across the public internet.

Somehow I don't think that is what you want

[Paul282]

I wasn't thinking of connecting to the net. Just a TCP/IP LAN, VB is not a problem over the net, you can set the SQL server to TCP rather than named pipes and have the pc's DSN point to the SQL server's IP, after that it's normal ADO (or RDO) programming.

The ASP solution is the same, but you don't have to worry about client DSNs. just a normal LAN / Intranet environment. The LAN shouldn't be open to the internet (there may be a proxy or gateway for web and mail access but that's not an issue).

Keep the security policy seperate, have the person who sets up the internet connecting routers put in a strict access list or if there is no net connection, you don't need much of a security policy (unless you don't trust your own staff!)

[Rodik]

I think it's wnough with an Acess-Database (.mdb) instead of SQL to this matter as it wont go over the internet.

There are ODBC-Services both in win98 and nt4+ so you just put one of them to serve a database where then all the clients connect to.

[Paul282]

You could use ASP with an access mdb backend. Simple but 40 users... depends on what they're doing I suppose, it might be a little slow.

(PS Pretty much anything will go over the internet)

[Gen-X]

But what about security????

If it actually travels over the internet (and by this I mean freely across TCP/IP, out to your Internet Provider, down through theirs and to your PC) then you have a MAJOR security hole in that any person who simply puts a packet analyser between you and them (and lets face it, you could be routed to china and back for each packet, you don't really know) and they get to see ALL of your data.

If it is sensitive information then everyone can see it. That is why they use SSL, regardless how secure both ends may be it still bundles up all your requests and all the data returned into a "packet" and sends it through the public network to reach you.

[Paul282]

He said security wasn't an issue!

So I assume he means that the data is not sensitive! like he's building his own private chat server or forum on an nt box, I also assume he's doing it mainly for a learning experience and will impliment security when it gets serious!

I'm sure he is aware (or is now anyway) that his sytem can be compromised if he doesn't just run it on a local lan (not connected) but he did say

"What level of security do you want?
not very important stuff "

so... be nice to him, think of it as a DB question only

[Mih_Flyer]

paul is right, security is not important to me right now, all i need is a 40 pcs has the same app which deals with one database, so if one of the pcs add some data in the database file then the other pcs can see this data,,thats it, sound easy to say, but hard to do,,isn't it????
any way thanx alot guys

[Paul282]

It's not that hard.

I would use a tcp/ip DSN (ODBC) for connectivity, or if you want to call a computer by name over the net then add the name and IP to the hosts file of the client, then you can call it as if you were on a slow lan.

The internet is just another network, you can use it like a ethernet lan (sort of! minus broadcasts etc). Unfortunately, everyone else can see you're stuff too if you don't bother to secure it (and sometimes even then).

I don't know what else to tell you, if you can get you're app running on a local TCP/IP LAN then you should be able to get it to run on the net with minimal modifications.

[Mih_Flyer]

ok thats ok, but i'v never made an app which deals with any kind of networks, do ya have any samples on that, if so please send it to me at : [email protected] , or just give me an idea on how to do it, and what can i do to secure the data if i want to, right now the security is not important, but if i want it, what can i do???
Thanx alot mate

[VB Knowadge]

Goto Fox's website. He has a bunch of samples and I think one of them has to do with networks. Just find a post of his and then use his links to his side.

[Paul282]

VB Knowadge has the sort of name that irritates my Spell checker

[Mih_Flyer]

"VB Knowadge has the sort of name that irritates my Spell checker"

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT??????

[Paul282]

hahahhahah

type "VB Knowadge" into MS Word and when it highlights Red, right click on it and tell me what you see

[Mih_Flyer]

i don't have ms word installed in my pc right now, so if you just can tell me what it show,,,

[Paul282]

Are you serious ????????????

hahahahahahahah Looks like the joke is on me!

you don't actually have to do it (view it in Word), I thought it was fairly obvious.

FORGET IT, This was a very small "Chuckle sized" joke which is not funny enough for this kind of attention.

I need a drink