Networking Access

[The Quaz]

Hey Everyone. Im new to this forum and new to Access so please excuse me if my questions get redundant. I'm working on making a data base for my company using Access 07. My plan is to launch this DB on my local lan network at the office so that everyone can use it and change the data. My question is how do I switch over to multi user mode and launch this program. Now do I network this DB. Any help would be great. I have had a tough time on youtube tutorials trying to figure this out. Thanks.

[NTC]

First and foremost is to get an Access textbook (or 2) - easily found at Amazon or any big book store. They will have examples on how to split & distribute an application.

Forums are great for getting assist in things that are not clear from the textbook - but the textbook will cover all the many issues and common tasks. No one should be designing or managing any database without a textbook at hand.

Hope this helps.

[justinwright]

These may help:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ac...010240096.aspx

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304932

http://www.brighthub.com/computing/w...les/43709.aspx


My recommendation, especially if you are new, is to use the automatic splitting method. You click the Database Tools tab, then under the "Move Data" section click "Access Database." As a general practice, not sure if it's good or not, I don't split until I'm completely done developing/testing the application to my satisfaction (that isn't to say it won't get updated from time to time).

This will split your files into a front end and a back end. The back end is where your data will actually be stored (tables, etc). The front end is the actual file you will need to put on each computer, while the back end goes on a shared drive with the proper permissions. Keep in mind that the network drives for the computers need to be mapped to the same letter, ie:

X:\Shared\AccessDbProgram\

Since if the same drive is mapped to Y:\Shared\AccessDbProgram\ on another computer, you'll have to update table links (right click the linked table inside the front end) before putting it on that computer, so it's a pain when putting out updated copies of the front end.

It's also a good idea to enable "Compact on Close" in Access Options on the front end copies to avoid bloat in inputting data and such.

As an aside, you might also want to look up the differences in record-locking, which differ based on the type of DB you're making.

Info here:

http://www.databasedev.co.uk/multi-u...d-locking.html

If this answers your question please click "Thread Tools" at the top and "Mark Thread as Solved."

[ajetrumpet]

Quaz,

Good information here already. I would add I guess, that YouTube is not the place to learn anything. If you want to watch Justin Beiber sing for Obama, it's fine, but other than that it's pretty much useless (and dangerous sometimes).

And since everyone has the power to disagree, I will also state my opinion on reading textbooks. It is not the best use of time. The reason I think this is because the adage "experience is golden" has been around since the beginning of time. Even Warren Buffet says that knowledge is useless without experience.

There is nothing wrong with reading textbooks, but just like gaining knowledge from school work, it's useless without practical application. I have always found that tinkering with the program can get you the knowledge you need faster than reading a textbook first, because anyway you look at it, you're not going to be a complete expert after reading a book. There will always be overhead and a learning curve associated with new technology. So why not let the technology teach you everything instead of letting the book teach you and then letting the technology teach you everything the book didn't? Not only that, but consider the fact that instructional books on technology have requirements for publishing (I believe). Most books are pretty much theoretical, as they have to be, and the "concept by concept" style that books take you through will not be compatible with the work environment 99% of the time, unless your users have read the book too, and concur with you (not likely, ever).

That's just IMO. The other thing I've always thought is that books are boring. Why not have a little fun if you have to continuously learn new things?

good luck with your project!