Database Design question

[Carrie]

I am designing a custom database for tracking various pieces of software we
use at my job. Each user has access to different pieces of software and many
pieces of software require a separate username and password for each user.
I'm trying to figure out the easiest/best way to do this. I'm using our and
Employee table with EmployeeID as the PK and the EmployeeID FK in the
Software table. I can either create a Software table that lists a field for
each type of software and a separate username and password for each piece of
software (which I know is poor database design) OR create a many to many
relationship and create another table. The part that's throwing me off is the
password/username part. Each person will have several usernames and passwords
(one un/pw for each piece of software). Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm
using Access 2007.

 

[Beetle]

As far as keeping track of the various user names an passwords, you
could add a third (junction) table that woul handle this. For example;

tblEmployees
**********
EmployeeID (Primary Key)
FirstName
LastName
other attributes of the Employee

tblSoftware
********
SoftwareID (PK)
Description
other attributes of the software

tblPasswords (the junction table)
**********
EmployeeID (Foreign Key to tblEmployees)
SoftwareID (FK to tblSoftware)
UserName
Password

EmployeeID and SoftwareID woul be a composite PK in the junction
table. Each record in this table would hold the valid user name and
password for any given combination of Employee/Software Item

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Carrie

Is there a chance that you actually have a many-to-many situation (one user,
many software titles:ne software title, many users)? If so, you'll need
three tables to resolve that.

Are you saying that each instance of USER and SOFTWARE might have a
different [UserName] and [Password] associated with it? If so, then the
"third table" (the one that shows valid pairs of USER and SOFTWARE) will
also need [UserName] and [Password].

It sounds like you could have one software title (e.g., Microsoft Word 2007)
but multiple licenses (one per user). If this is your situation, your
"third table" might look something like:

trelUserSoftware
UserSoftwareID
UserID (a foreign key pointing back to the [tblUser])
SoftwareID (a foreign key pointing back to the [tblSoftware])
UniqueUserName (see above)
UniquePassword (see above)
LicenseNumber (see above)
InstallationDate
... (any other facts specific to this user having this software
title installed)

Good luck!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

 

[Carrie]

Thanks, Beetle! That's exactly what I needed. I just needed someone to put it
in simple terms for me.