Scientific said:
... I think I read some place that the max number of users
in a multi-user environment in Access is limited to about six.
If that's correct,
It is not correct, but you'll find heavy-duty enterprise applications use
heavy-duty enterprise server databases. However, those heavy-duty enterprise
server databases may well be "front-ended" with Access clients!
Here's some "boilerplate" that I have used in the past regarding number of
users in Access-Jet multiuser (the concept, by the way, is the same for
Access 2007 - ACE multiuser):
"Factors in how many users can be supported in multiuser include the
requirements, design, and implementation of the database application and the
hardware, software, and network environments. If all factors are near
perfect, we have reliable reports of over 100 concurrent users. Even if not
all are near perfect, we routinely see reports of 30 - 70 users. But, in
cases where we are rather sure that all are about as far from perfect as can
be, people have reported Access "falling over" with as few as four users.
I'd venture to guess that if someone went out of their way to do everything
wrong, it would be possible to create a database that wouldn't even support
one or two users. <GRIN>"
Now, since these comments were intended for users who did/do not distinguish
between Access (the User Interface and Development Tool), let me quickly
point out that David and others are correct that Jet or ACE are the
(default) database engines to which the limitations on number of users
actually apply.
And, just to follow up on using Access as a client to server databases such
as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, MySQL, PostgreSQL (these last two
are freely-downloadable, open-source packages, but people do pay, and
handsomely for technical support), here's some "boilerplate" for that topic:
"Because you have a copy of the Access client on each users machine, with
just one user, the limit would be determined by the number of concurrent
connections that you can have with the server machine or database, and the
capability of the server database.
I have worked with Access clients to server databases which supported just
under 200 users. Others have reported supporting user audiences in the "low
hundreds" as well. My guess is that just was the largest number they had
occasion to have in the C/S environment. I'm sure that most of the clients
with whom I've dealt in recent years would use a web-based application if
they anticipated more users than a few hundred."
then I wonder what kind of platform the banking industry
uses such as when we access bank records online, ect.
Working with databases of that magnitude must be awesome.
I envy you and your colleagues who work with such entities.
The databases I mentioned earlier are used in banking and other enterprise
applications, as are several varieties of mainframe (and maybe, still, even
some minicomputer) databases, hierarchical as well as relational.
In a previous "incarnation" (1977-84), I was privileged to be associated
with a highly-skilled group of mainframe and minicomputer developers working
on credit card applications, and I created (in IBM S/360 mainframe and in
IBM Series/1 minicomputer) assembler language "database handlers" with
performance as the critical item... it was, indeed, interesting and
demanding. The goal was to retreive the desired client's record 90% of the
time with only one physical disk-read; my database handlers met that
criteria 95% of the time.
But, frankly, I get as much or more satisfaction out of using Access (and
various database engines) to solve business problems than I did from
creating that "infrastructure" for credit card authorization.
Thanks again for your kind words... I consider all the people you list as
good friends as well as valued colleagues. I have learned a lot from each
of them, and some of them (possibly just being kind) say they have learned
from me, as well.
Larry Linson
Microsoft Office Access MVP
