architecture / design for MDB Access reports

[D_policE]

Need inputs in designing or planning the architecture for the Access MDB
reports which will be using the Sybase database through ODBC connection. The
reports will be run by the users over a network through citrix. Should we
create a local folder for every user and have a copy of access file in it,
which might lead to sync, odbc issues, etc and is a cumbersome process to
maintain every users local drive. (For an approx user base of 500)

Any help or inputs on this is highly appreciated.

 

[D_policE]

Version - Office Access 2003

 

[Dale Fye]

Highly recommend giving each user their own front end. This is easy to
maintain if you use a Front-End updater of some sort (see:
http://www.autofeupdater.com/)

 

[D_policE]

Aren't there any other ways to achieve this instead of giving each individual
a front end?

 

[Dale Fye]

You could use terminal services, but you would still have to provide a front
end for each of the users on the server. It is really bad practice to allow
multiple users to use the same front-end at the same time. This practice
contributes significantly to database and application corruption.

It really isn't that hard. Personally, I don't use Tony's AutoFEUpdater,
but that is just because I cannot get permission to install an executable on
our network. My Access file checks to see if the application is on the users
local PC. If it is, then it checks to see the version number of the
application on the local PC and compares it to the version number of the
application that is sitting on the network. If the one on the network is
newer, or the app does not exist in a specified folder on the users computer,
then it copies the application from the network to the users PC and then
starts the application.

I normally just put my FrontEndUpdater on the network, and create a shortcut
to it on each users desktop.

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Do you have a "Word" or an "Excel" "front-end" on each individual user's PC?
Why would this be any different?

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP