Access vs SQL Server

[Guest]

How can you tell if you need Access or something like SQL Server?

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

My rule-of-thumb is:

If the client can't handle occasional down time of an hour, with loss of
data back to the last back up, then it's time for an SQL server. Ideas
about the 'number of users' or the 'response time' are normally secondary to
simple considerations like this.

Also, Access is a Fat Client, and Network Intensive, which makes it
unsuitable for typical internet applications.

(david)

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your response, that clears it up for me.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Not too easy of a question to answer.

One area you would look at is single user vs a multi user system.

If your application is to only have one user, then the expense and time of
setting up sql server likely would not be a good idea.

So, number of users is a good area to look at.

Security is another (sql server is more secure).

Size of data tables. If your tables are small..only in the 50,000 to100,000
record range..then ms-access is a great choice. if your table sizes are to
be in the millions..then sql server is likely better.

Target Market:

A small business with a few computers might not want to support, and setup
sql server.

There are many issues here.

Often, the kind of application you want to write is at issue