Placing a hyperlink on a webpage to my secure database

[Guest]

Hi,

Is there a way to create a hyperlink shortcut to my secured db on the
network. My understanding is that because the hyperlink is navigating to the
db it is not allowing it to open.

The Admin users in the database have permission to run and insert records so
they should be allowed to use their default workgroup to open the db.

What can I do?

Thanks!

 

[TC]

Is there a way to create a hyperlink shortcut to my secured db on the
network. My understanding is that because the hyperlink is navigating to the
db it is not allowing it to open.

Are you trying to use one already? If so, what is the exact text of the
one you are currently using?

The Admin users in the database have permission to run and insert records
so they should be allowed to use their default workgroup to open the db.

What do you mean by "Admin users"? The "Admin user", or, "the members
of the Admins group"?

TC

 

[Guest]

I copied this out of the properties of the hyperlink. When I click on it, it
what do I want to do save it or open it. I click open then it asks for my
password and a couple of pop-ups I created come up. Then another windo pops
up like the db is downloading and then nothing.

file:///G:/IS/App%20Dev%20&%20Bus%20Support/MBI/MBI%20Shared/Form/request.mdb

I'm referring to the Admin user not members of the Admins group.

I've also created a shortcut on my desktop to point to the correct .mdw
file. It is my intention to put the shortcut on our team's desktops next
week. Should I put that shortcut on the webpage?

Thanks for responding, I really appreciate any help you can give me.

 

[TC]

Ok, a few things.

If the mdb has been properly secured, you won't be able to open it
unless you use the correct workgroup (mdw) file. There are two ways you
can do that:

(a) Copy the right workgroup file to each PC. Then use the workgroup
administrator program, from each PC, to "join" that workgroup file on
that PC. Or,

(b) Use a shortcut of the following form, to start your database:

(all on one line)

"full path to msaccess.exe"
"full path to the mdb file"
/wrkgrp "full path to the workgroup file"

Method (a) is undesirable because it will affect the opening of /every/
mdb file on or from that PC.

Method (b) is preferable because its effect is limited to that specific
shortcut. With method (b), you can (i) leave the workgroup file on the
server & reference it there, or (ii) copy it to each PC & reference it
there. Method (ii) presumeably has better performance (though I've
never tested that), but it introduces the complication of keeping all
the workgroup files in synch, if you have to add or delete users or
groups.

I think that what is happening at present, is this.

- the "file://" protocol gives you the option to open the mdb file or
download it to your PC;

- you choose to open it;

- if it /does/ open - as seems to be the case - then, you have already
done method (a) (above) on that PC, /or/ - as seems more likely - the
database has not been properly secured!

Hope this helps. Post back if you need more help.

TC

 

[Guest]

Hi TC,

You are correct. I've already placed a shortcut on my desktop to use the
correct .mdw. I don't want to have to place the shortcut on every desktop
since we have 800+ employees that may need to access the db (or not). So
option 'b' is the way I need to go.

The question I have is where do I place the shortcut? I have the .mdw file
in the same directory as the db. Now my leader wants to place a link on a
webpage to the db. Below is my desktop shortcut. When I place this in the URL
of the hyperlink all I that happens is I get the message that "the page
cannot be displayed".

Is this something I need to discuss with our webmaster to get it working
right?

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE" "G:\IS\App Dev &
Bus Support\MBI\MBI Shared\Form\request.mdb" /wrkgrp "G:\IS\App Dev & Bus
Support\MBI\MBI Shared\Form\update.MDW"
:

Thank you for being patient with me.
Have a great day.
AN

 

[TC]

Ok, now I understand you properly.

You know how to do the shortcut approach. You've used that on your own
PC. But you don't want to use that approach for the other 800+
employees. Instead, you'd rather implement it on a web page, so people
can just browse to that page, and click on a link.

Right?

If so, I'm not sure how you'd do a suitable link. But I'm sure that
your webmaster would know. Take him/her a copy of the shortcut, just
like you had in your post. That shortcut is, effectively, a DOS command
line (you could type it in from the command line). Tell him/her that
you need to write a link which, when clicked, will execute that command
line.

/BUT/:

800+ people is a waaaay large # of people to have on a Jet database.
(Jet is the underlying default database engine for Access.) There's no
way that 800 people (or anywhere near it) could use the database
simulatenously. The absolute theoretical limit is 255 simultaneous
users. And the database might (or might not) crap out well before then,
depending on how well it has been designed for a networked environment.

So I hope that you have:

(1) Split your database into a so-called "front end/back end"
structure, and

(2) Done some practical load testing, to ensure that the database will
work ok, /over the internet/, with the expected maximum number of
simulateous users.

If you have /not/ done one or both of those things, you really should
do so, before you even think about deploying it to such a large number
of users.

Cheers,
TC

 

[TC]

When I said "over the internet", I meant, "over your network (whatever
it is)".

TC

 

[Guest]

Hi Tc,

Yes you are correct I just want the users to be able to browse to the db to
submit a request. Currently, we get about 1600 reqests a year so that works
out to about 8 a day. So I don,t anticipate the 800+ users to use the db
simultanously I only wanted to allow them the access if they needed to submit
a request without a lot of maintainance.

I'm in the process of deploying the desktop shortcut to our department
(about 20 people) for testing. I'm hoping to get the rest of the bugs out
then.

I'll do some homework on splitting the db and will contact our webmaster
with the shortcut information.

Thanks so much for your expertise & input!
AN

 

[TC]

No probs, hope you get it working ok!

Cheers,
TC

 

[Guest]

"TC",

I am trying to do exactly as you mention in option "b", but am not able to
get the hyperlink to open the database and workgroup administration files.
Please assist.