Dedicated Front End on a Windows Server 2019

[Thomasso]

Hi all,



I'm currently watching an Access course and I got an idea during the lesson about timers. The instructor is using timers for all kinds of automations, like backing up the database and so on. The idea is that there is a dedicated front end with a 1 second timer connected to other controls. It's running on a PC all the time.

The thing is that I don't want to have a client PC running all the time.

So the question is - can you run an Access Front End on a Windows Server 2019? It would run all the time, run VBA when necessary and work with data on an SQL server (also on that Windows Server machine).

Is this possible?

Thanks.

BR,
Tomas

[Minty]

Yes.

Personally, I would use the scheduler to run a Access DB with a command-line switch to run a specific task at a given time, rather than relying on it being open all the time.

[Thomasso]

Sorry but could you please elaborate on this? This seems interesting. What is the "scheduler" in the context? And how would I go about the "command-line switch"? Are those tools within the Windows Server 2019?

[Minty]

Windows server has a task scheduler. You can use it to pretty much schedule any sort of app to run, on any sort of schedule (Daily, hourly, weekly etc. etc.)
https://techdirectarchive.com/2020/0...s-server-2019/

Access can be told to run a macro during startup (other than the AutoExec) by way a of a command line switch
https://www.access-programmers.co.uk...itches.176511/

Using the /x Macro option you simply create a macro that calls the VBA code you want executed.
Once that has completed you close access back down again.

You can create multiple different macro's, each one to do a task or tasks.
Simply schedule the call to access with the appropriate macro name as part of the command line..

[Thomasso]

That's excellent stuff, gave you a star right away. Thanks :-)