Concurrent users

[Lars Brownies]

I recall reading that a well designed and splitted Access database can have
a maximum of 30 to 50 concurrent users. In this respect, what is meant by
concurrent users? Does it mean the number of users that have the database
open at the same time, regardless of the fact if they're actually doing
something in the application? Or is it the number of users that are editing
in the application at the same time? Or perhaps something else?

Thanks,

Lars

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Check Access HELP for "specifications" to get the theoretical limits.

You'll find rules-of-thumb suggestions here in the newsgroups.

If everyone is simultaneously hitting the same set of data (e.g., an
underlying table), doing edits on existing records, 5 - 10 might be crowding
it. If everyone is looking up info, your 30 - 50 might be reasonable.

That said, one ... person's ... great response time may be another's
yawner/delay-of-game. What kind of performance standard are you judging
against?

I have several apps running as split applications, with as many as 50 users,
but rarely will more than one be simultaneously doing something in the
database. ... and I've never heard performance complaints ...

(I seem to recall a theoretical limit of 200+, but I've never experienced
that.)

Good luck!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

 

[Lars Brownies]

Thanks Jeff.

If everyone is simultaneously hitting the same set of data (e.g., an
underlying table), doing edits on existing records, 5 - 10 might be
crowding it.

I was hoping Access could handle more users for this situation. I guess it's
time to explore the possibilities for another type of backend.

Lars

 

[Larry Linson]

See Jeff's reply regarding the physical limit for Access databases (split
Access - Jet database engine). There is no similar limit for an Access
client to a true server database backend such as Microsoft or Sybase SQL
Server, Oracle, or Informix -- people successfully support hundreds of users
in those configuration.

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>

I recall reading that a well designed and splitted Access database can have
a maximum of 30 to 50 concurrent users. In this respect, what is meant by
concurrent users? Does it mean the number of users that have the database
open at the same time, regardless of the fact if they're actually doing
something in the application? Or is it the number of users that are editing
in the application at the same time? Or perhaps something else?

Thanks,

Lars

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