Running Access over a virtual server.

[Ant_Snell]

I have developed a temporary Access database for a small company with just a had full of employees and no current server. All employees will at some point need access to the DB therefore we are looking at subscribing to a virtual server with VPN access. The intention is to split the DB and put the back end on the server and each employee have a locally installed front end. My question is: taking this approach would an additional licence of MS Access be required to be installed on the server or providing each user has access on their own laptops with just the tables back end on the virtual server be sufficient? Basic question but I didn’t want to go the expense of setting things up to find they still needed to throw more money at it for it to work.
Thanks

[moke123]

Using an access backend over the internet is an invitation for corruption.
There are other options such as an SQL server backend or using a remote desktop type program such as teamviewer or chrome desktop, etc.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...a-68da245a0446

[ArviLaanemets]

There are other options such as an SQL server backend...

It looks like OP's company doesn't have LAN at all! So where will be SQL Server installed?
I'm not sure about this, but maybe when OP uses Office 356 cloud service for both Access FE and Access or SQL Server BE (So all FE's and BE are in same cloud, and only keystrokes and images are moving over internet), this will work? Although I have no experience with this!

[CJ_London]

teamviewer et al can only connect one computer to another. And multiple computers cannot connect to a single computer at the same time. Better to use terminal server or citrix for both access front and back end - each user will have their own profile so each will still have their own copy of the FE. To save on additional licence fees, just install the runtime version of access. terminal server or citrix will be more secure, less liable to corruption (subject to the usual requirements) than VPN and significantly faster. Whether MS's 365 cloud service would provide the same functionality, I don't know.

Another cloud hosted BE alternative is to use SQL Azure