Hmmm...access across internet?? 3

[mike777]

I have a potential customer that wants me to make an Access database available from both of this company's offices. I don't want to be sending the entire tables of data across whatever the connection is, as I understand MS Access is wont to do. The offices currently do not talk to each other, but they do have a website. Can anyone suggest how I should approach this? I mean, I know I can use HTML to access a database file, and just add those pages to their website, but I really wanted to do the program in MS Access as a desktop program. Is there a way to write the program, deploy it to both locations, and have the remote location retrieve the data from the server location? Thanking you in advance.
-Mike

 

[davemsteel]

Hi Mike777

Have a look at MySQL it should help you,
I am assisting with a project similar to your needs and we are currently learning how to use it.

I will be happy to feed you with more information as and when we discover what will work.

Dave Steel

 

[LearningFox]

Have you considered ASP? I am not an expert so I cannot tell you how, but the is an ASP forum here.

 

[Zeroanarchy]

Ok worked on a similar idea about 4yrs ago. After spend lots of time and $$$$ we figured out the best way to solve the problem was to do what we called an overnight run. You have the main system and the other system/s would upload at a specific time like 1am. At one end on exit of the program it would output a rich text file and would upload it to the main computer. When it got to the other end a program was on standby awaiting the incomming info and would instently add it to the Main system. After about 10min the main system would ring back and upload the new complete database. So to finish it off when the user on the secondary system load the program it would delete the curent table of data and upload the new info.

We found this to be the best aproach as it ment that you did not require to be on line at all times, no network was required cost was min and the user was not aware of the changes. Another hint if you think of using this method is to have one use Odd ID Numbers and the other to Use Even Id Numbers will save on errors also build in an error handeler so that if the phone line is busy it will ring back after 5.

Hope this helps.
Zero Anarchy

 

[mike777]

Great suggestions.
Yeah, davemsteel, let me know of any developments. Would be very much appreciated.
Zero anarchy, your idea is good, but I was looking for a real-time solution. The uploading/downloading/synchronizing method is one we're trying to avoid, but if our experience is like yours, I guess we may end up there at the end of the day anyway. We'll see.
Learning Fox: I have some books on ASP. I'll have to check it out. Thanks.