MS Access backend database on the internet accessed via MS Access front end clients

[Tarika]

Hi All,

I have an MS Access database, what is in use for 2 years, it's split it into backend and frontend MS Access databases.
I want to put the backend on some (free) online database what the MS Access frontend clients can then access via Internet.
Do you have any suggestion what database to use online MySQL probably, and do you have any experience with free online databases which suppoort external record access via MS Access? What options do I have?




Thanks in Advance

Tarika

[June7]

Never done web database but the only methods I am aware of with Access use Sharepoint or ASP (or maybe Cold Fusion or some other web programs that can interact with databases).

No idea if split database can be web enabled.

[NTC]

A browser based database/application is different than a classic Access database that has a WAN in between the front & back ends.

Access now of course offers web forms. It is not as robust a development environment compared to an ASP.net - but can be suitable for some needs. MS provides alot of instruction on this as well as some templates. Approach this only with the 2010/2013 product.

Web based service offerings such as Caspio or QuickBase allow you to avoid learning web programming and avoid hosting issues - but the trade off is that you get what they offer and customization is bounded by whatever customization they allow; and of course one must learn their development techniques so there is a learning curve in any case.

Classic Access with a WAN in between the front & back end typically was not viable. It would hang/freeze and was never the inherent design/installation of the product itself to be via a WAN. There was a 'work local' methodology in 2007 & 2010 to have the back end on sharepoint that moved the data temporarily to the front end and then returned it to sharepoint when your session was done. Simultaneous multi user conflicts can occur in such a scenario that was managed with a resync process which is not an ideal user experience but where alot of applications are only mildly multi user no resync issues surface and it has been a viable approach.

With Access 2013 there has been closer coupling with the Office 365 service offering and where one can put the back end on Office 365 and the front end remains local. This may be really exciting in offering a WAN installation. I have experimented with it and it does work (unlike prior attempts that just hung/froze). There is a noticeable delay however in the data transfer and to what table sizes this becomes too annoying for the user to accept it is not yet clear - and that delay may vary due to congestion in the network, at Office 365, and the user's bandwidth....so there are alot of unknowns still.