Server Questions - Hardware advice

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Ellen Leonard - 20 Mar 2006 22:38 GMT

I will be splitting my database in the next month or so after more input and
testing from management. I will have access to a SQL server.... So here are
my questions.

1. If the database is going on a SQL server, are there additional steps I
need to take or does it just work like a file server?
2. Should I really be asking management for a dedicated file server to hold
the access database?
3. Are there any suggestions or lessons learned that I should know about
regarding security?

Sorry if these seem like really simple questions, but not used to dealing
with the hardware side of things.

Thanks for all your help.

Ellen

Reply to this Message

Larry Linson - 22 Mar 2006 06:42 GMT

> I will be splitting my database in the next month
> or so after more input and testing from manage-
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> there additional steps I need to take or does it
> just work like a file server?

Yes, indeed, because you are moving from Access/Jet multiuser to Access
client to a (true) Server Database. It works very well, but there are
differences -- there are, in fact, enough differences that there is a
special Microsoft-sponsored newsgroup.

> 2. Should I really be asking management for
> a dedicated file server to hold the access database?

You should ask for a dedicated file server only if you still have
performance problems after trying all the options to speed up response. The
best multiuser performance information and links that I know about are at
MVP Tony Toews' site, http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm/

> 3. Are there any suggestions or lessons learned
> that I should know about regarding security?

There's a 39-page Security FAQ, downloadable from Microsoft's web site. You
will find links to either read it online or download it at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/207793/en-us. I'd recommend you download it,
and read, re-read, and study it until it seems to begin to make sense.

Do not rely on Access security if your data or the database application is
worth more than US$150 because that is the price of a "hack" (Oops, pardon
me, in this context it should be) "password recovery software" that will be
able to break security.

If all you really need to do is to keep honest employees from stumbling over
their own (mis-)typing fingers, you might be able to get by with "security
lite" -- a list of the network login ids and indication of the privilege or
security level can be used for this purpose and code in each Form that you
deem as sensitive.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP

> Sorry if these seem like really simple questions, but not used to dealing
> with the hardware side of things.
>
> Thanks for all your help.
>
> Ellen

Reply to this Message

Ellen Leonard - 22 Mar 2006 23:32 GMT

Thank you for your response. I've downloaded the security FAQ and will read
and re-read it.

I guess what I don't understand is if I stay with the AccessJet multiuser
where does the backend go?

> > I will be splitting my database in the next month
> > or so after more input and testing from manage-
[quoted text clipped - 43 lines]
>>
>> Ellen

Reply to this Message

Larry Linson - 27 Mar 2006 04:21 GMT

> Thank you for your response. I've down-
> loaded the security FAQ and will read
> and re-read it.

Don't for get the "until it seems to make sense" part. Then, experiment on a
copy (not your real database, please) and you'll likely come up with yet
another catalog of questions.

> I guess what I don't understand is if I stay
> with the AccessJet multiuser where does
> the backend go?

On a shared folder on the server, where your users have _create file_,
_delete file_ , read, write, and modify permissions.

Reply to this Message