I have been doing this exact thing that you refer to in the initial question.
Below are the steps to publish Access DB to a web server using IIS 5.1 and Access 97. According to Microsoft...I Know but sometimes they have some logical stuff...You must put the access database under the root of the web
It would look like the following:
C:\Inetpub\
You then need to add the DB to the web that you are building
Using FrontPage 2002
Click on tools ->Web Settings-> Data bases-> Add new database
You then explore to the c:\inetpub\wwroot\databases folder and choose the MDB file you want added.
Then click on verify.
My major hurdle on this has been using a linked MDB file, at this time I still have not been able to do it.
If you want to create custom searches using the database you just added, you then do a few simple steps, and you have some really cool custom search forms using ASP to search the database you just added.
Here are those steps
(In FrontPage again)
Click Insert-> Database->results-> Pick you database form the dropdown.
Then just follow the wizard.
Hope this helps