Switching To Access 2003 and SQL

[R.Sargent]

I have an Access 97 database with 112000 records, being
used as order entry/mail management, etc. We have alot of
"bugs," and the system is fairly slow. Our network is in
top notch performance. Should we switch to Access 2003 and
SQL for better performance. Will it be so noticeable as to
spend the money to make the change, and will MySQL work for
Access 2003. Thank You so much.

 

[Mary Chipman]

You should definitely get rid of Access 97, but you should figure out
why the app is slow before you make any major decisions on where to
go. 112000 records is not a lot unless they're all in one big table.
Design flaws are the usual culprit when hardware and network
bottlenecks have been ruled out. Access gets a bad rap because it is
so easy to create really bad apps using it, but that's not the fault
of the software

--Mary

 

[G.C.Mandrake]

... and will MySQL work for Access 2003. Thank You so much.

Of course it will. 2005 will be a fight to the death between
MS and MySql for users like you

 

[Larry Linson]

I have an Access 97 database with 112000 records, being
used as order entry/mail management, etc. We have alot of
"bugs," and the system is fairly slow. Our network is in
top notch performance. Should we switch to Access 2003 and
SQL for better performance. Will it be so noticeable as to
spend the money to make the change, and will MySQL work for
Access 2003. Thank You so much.

Read carefully Mary Chipman's advice. She's someone the MVPs turn to when
they need advice on Access and SQL Server.

I will answer your last question... you can use Access, Jet, DAO, and MyODBC
to access MySQL. The highly-touted Access ADP will not work with anything
other than Microsoft SQL Server in any of its various versions, but, IMNSHO,
that's no great loss. I've had good luck with Access/Jet/DAO/ODBC/various
server databases since the early days of Access 2.0.

The best detail information and links on performance and corruption that I
have found for Access multiuser are at MVP Tony Toews' site,
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm.

It's not clear what you mean by "bugs". Generally, that refers to program
errors, and switching database engines won't correct those. A straight
switch, BTW, to client-server often degrades rather than improves
performance until the database is revised to take advantage of the server.
As a general rule, Access databases are NOT created to take best advantage
of the client-server environment UNLESS they are specifically created, from
the start, FOR that environment.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP