Will .mdb crash when it is being used of many users?

[KBBJ]

I am building a forum with functionality a bit like this forum.
It will be for approximately 100 users. Much of the storing will be in a .mdb Access database.

I don’t know if it would be wise of me to use another kind of database.

Do you guys think that it will crash?…

From KBBJ (-:

 

[VBVines]

yes it will crash. Use SQl server. aspvbwannab

 

[KBBJ]

You have saved me from some serious troubles in the comming future.
Thanks a lot!

From KBBJ (-:

 

[Ladyhawk]

Access won't crash if you have multiple users using it. You just need to write your code to handle conflicts. The same as you would have to with SQL Server. Ladyhawk.
** ASP/VB/Java Programmer **

 

[bjrollet]

Also be aware that Access will only allow 255 concurrent users.

 

[KBBJ]

What I read now is, that there is a possibility of using Access databases.
I would be glad if I could avoid using Sql Server (though I ought to) because I have no knowledge about these databases.

I could build a counter in Global.asa to ensure that the maximum of logged in users is 255 and escape some errors. (Thanks for the information bjrollet!)

Ladyhawk: My code is running without complains under any condition (in a single user environment).
Are you thinking on any particular conflict that I should trap in a multiple user enviroment, when you are pointing me to do as I would have done while using Sql Server?

Thanks from KBBJ (-:

 

[Ladyhawk]

I was thinking of record locking and the like. Ladyhawk.
** ASP/VB/Java Programmer **

 

[AncientTiger]

Ladyhawk- You hit on one of my concerns. I understand that access allows for many users to VIEW records concurrently, and I understand the priciple of LOCKING a record before it's modified by a single user.... but can you answer me a question in that regard? What happens if two users hit the UPDATE button at the same time, and the script therefore tries to lock a record concurrently? Does access take this into account? I've never really experimented with it that much or had need to, but I'm working on a project now where there is a very real possiblity of two users hitting the same record simultaneously.....

18 years of programming, and still learning every day!

 

[bperry]

AncientTiger:
I don't work with Access, but I have definitely heard that Access will corrupt after 'too many users', but I've never heard what the magic number is. It might depend on the activity the users are doing. SQL Server definitely has better locking mechanisms than Access, but that doesn't mean that Access might not be good for what you are doing.

In addition to the feedback you've already goten here, I was thinking you might get some additional good info if you posted your question in the Access forum, where those readers must have dealt with this issue many times over.

 

[AncientTiger]

You're probably right. Ladyhawk piqued my interest on this thread, but I'll move the Q over to Access forum.

Thankx 18 years of programming, and still learning every day!

 

[durug]

Check out this 2 links. They make pretty clear the pro and cons using Access / SQL

http://www.aldex.co.uk/sqlserver.html

http://www.mssqlcity.com/Articles/Compare/SQLvsAccess.htm

regards,
durug