Deploying my App

[Guest]

My application will be deployed via citrix on Monday. My question is how can
I access the user level security wizard if I split the database, create a MDE
front end and disable MS Access special keys and open the front end without
the access toolbars?

Is there another way to add users, groups, set passwords other than the
security wizard?

Can I use the same mdw file to secure the back end?

Thanks for your help. rob

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

You can secure the back-end, or just hide anyway for the user to get at it.
When deploying an app with a Terminal Server, you should always make a copy
for each user and put it in a folder that has all of their applications, and
is unique to each user. Sharing a front-end can lead to corruption.

I always place the back end on another server, but there is no real
advantage other than ease of backup, or if your back-end is SQl-Server, you
can better allocate resources.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your input, the front end will go on a citrix farm of 3 servers,
the app will have between 3-6 simultaneous users. Do you think I'm heading
for trouble with this set-up, or should I just put the front end on desktops?

Also, how can I access the security wizard or manage the security under my
proposed set up of MDE, etc.?

Thanks, Robert

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

My application will be deployed via citrix on Monday. My question is how
can
I access the user level security wizard if I split the database, create a
MDE
front end and disable MS Access special keys and open the front end
without
the access toolbars?

You most certainly can, and should hide all of the ms-access interface. The
options to complete hide and keep people out of the ms-access interface can
easily be done using the tools->start-up options. Using those options allows
you to complete hide the ms-access interface (tool bars, database window
etc). Also, using these options means you
do not have to bother setting up security.

Try downloading and running the 3rd example at my following web site that
shows a hidden ms-access interface, and NO CODE is required to do
this....but just some settings in the start-up.

Check out:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/msaccess/DownLoad.htm

After you try the application, you can exit, and then re-load the
application, but hold down the shift key to by-pass the start-up options. If
want, you can even disable the shift key by pass. I have a sample mdb file
that will let you "set" the shift key bypass on any application you want.
You can get this at:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/msaccess/msaccess.html

Is there another way to add users, groups, set passwords other than the
security wizard?

You can roll your own. That what I did....

Can I use the same mdw file to secure the back end?

oh..., I think you miss understood how security works. When you launch
ms-access, you MUST BE logged into a legal workgroup file. You THEN open,a
nd attach to a mdb (or mde) file. So, any, and all files (your front end)
and your backend if secured cannot be opened without using the that correct
workgroup file. Remember, the security wizard does not actually modify, or
do anything special to a file..you can set security up manually for a file.

But, yes....you would secure the front end, and back end to the same
workgroup file. That workgroup file will be shared by all users (I useably
place it in the same folder as the back end). You should provide a shortcut
that specifies the workgroup file when launching ms-access.

As mentioned, to hide up, and lock out users from the ms-access interface,
you don't need security, and security is not really for that purpose.
Secirty is used for who can view/use what form or reprot. Hiding the
interface is not really related to the secirty features at all (they are two
diffence goals and concpets).

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

If the app is on a local LAN, then Citrix is adding another layer of
complexity, which means there is another chance for error. Whether the
front-end is on a Citrix server or on workstations doesn't matter as far as
splitting the app. You need to do that anyway in order to share it. No
matter what your network guru says, the database MUST be split if you want
to share it.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access
http://www.accessmvp.com