Desktop shortcut using remote access

[sweeneysmsm]

I know how to do desktop shortcuts for Access tying together the individual
paths for Access, the .mdb file, and the .mdw file.

I have a situation where the main user has a laptop which will have Access
installed on it, but she will connect remotely to the .mdb and .mdw file
which are located on a remote server.

Now the normal kind of desktop shortcut would look like this in Properties:
The Target:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\MSACCESS.EXE" "C:\Documents and
Settings\Mary\My Documents\Work Projects\MVP\Secure MVP Database.mdb"/wrkgrp
"C:\Documents and Settings\Mary\My Documents\Work Projects\MVP\MVP
Workgroup.mdw"

The Start In:
"C:\Documents and Settings\Mary\My Documents\Work Projects\MVP"

Is there anything special I have to deal with in this situation? Thanks so
much for any insight you can provide.

(Yes, I do know that the workgroups will be scrapped in .mdb's created in
2007 format, but I am not in that situation yet...)

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

I have a situation where the main user has a laptop which will have Access
installed on it, but she will connect remotely to the .mdb and .mdw file
which are located on a remote server.

Define remote server. Is this on a Terminal or Citrix Server? Or
file server? If the WAN connection is below 100 mpbs it will be very
slow and very prone to corruptions.

Now the normal kind of desktop shortcut would look like this in Properties:
The Target:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\MSACCESS.EXE" "C:\Documents and
Settings\Mary\My Documents\Work Projects\MVP\Secure MVP Database.mdb"/wrkgrp
"C:\Documents and Settings\Mary\My Documents\Work Projects\MVP\MVP
Workgroup.mdw"

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\MSACCESS.EXE"
"\\Server\Share\Work Projects\MVP\Secure MVP Database.mdb"
/wrkgrp "\\Server\Share\Work Projects\MVP\MVP Workgroup.mdw"

"C:\Documents and Settings\Mary\My Documents\Work Projects\MVP"

That doesn't matter.

(Yes, I do know that the workgroups will be scrapped in .mdb's created in
2007 format, but I am not in that situation yet...)

A2007 ACCDBs have scrapped workgroup security but not A2007 MDBs.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

Define remote server. Is this on a Terminal or Citrix Server? Or
file server? If the WAN connection is below 100 mpbs it will be very
slow and very prone to corruptions.

Any Jet database not properly configured on a Terminal Server or other
similar machine, is very prone to corruption regardless of the speed. The
corruption will occur if too many packets are dropped during transmission.
I'd recommend SQL-Server with unbound forms if a terminal services machine
cannot be used.

 

[sweeneysmsm]

Thank you both for the above replies.

Re the nature of the server etc:

My understanding is that the person with the laptop is in a building just up
the hill from the Office Building where I believe a physical server running
on Windows Server is located. I do not know the speed of the connection. I
gather from both comments that it is basically not a good idea to go with the
remote connection concept as this would be the standard way of operating for
the main user - not a sporadic thing. Please confirm that for me so that I
can give those I am trying to assist a sense of why they need to think along
other lines.

I am also thinking that if there are networked users connecting to the same
database, it would probably be preferable to split the database into
backend/frontend.

Thank you so much. Hope to hear from you.

Mary

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

Remote connecting using RDP or terminal services is just fine as long as all
the same rules are obeyed. You must have a folder on the server for each
user, with a front-end database. What you can't do is connect to an Access
database with a local front-end, and a remote back-end.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access
http://www.accessmvp.com

 

[David W. Fenton]

it would probably be preferable to split the database into
backend/frontend.

There are no conditions in which splitting is *not* the correct way
to distribute your application. NONE.

 

[sweeneysmsm]

Thank you all so much. I have copied this correspondence to submit to my
client with an outline of what I envision as the task - Basically splitting
the database and creating an install package. I will have to wait until after
New Year to get this underway, but I will post my results. The ultimate trick
will be to pull off the remote connection. Happy Christmas to all! As an
immediate thankyou, suggest you go to restaurant.com and click on "Feeding it
Forward" So very many generous people in the world. I am very grateful for
your responses on this Christmas Eve.

Mary

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

Simple as pie for a one connection:

Start >>> Run

Then type:

mstsc.exe

expand the options and add the password. Open the user folder and you're
working. You can even add a shortcut to the laptop's desktop:

%SystemRoot%\system32\mstsc.exe

--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access
http://www.accessmvp.com

 

[sweeneysmsm]

Am back. Hope your holiday celebration was a blessed time.

I did get back to my client. I need to clarify a couple of things for me and
for them.

My understanding of the correct procedure was that each user should have
their own front end in a folder on the Windows 2000 server and that the
backend should be on the server as well. Is there such a thing as shared
folders on a server and if so is that where the backend goes?

Also, there was a mention of a WAN in the discussion and dropped packets. My
remote client is not connecting via a WAN. She would connect to the internet
through a wireless LAN and from there connect to the server in another
building through the Remote Desktop. Is there risk/likelihood of these
dropped packets in that situation. In a way I would think not since the data
is on the server and the Remote Desktop is allowing her to connect to it. The
data is not, I think, being sent across a network. Networking is not my thing
so I just want to make sure that I am giving an accurate picture of the
choices and consequences.

Also, I have to say, I do not understand the "one connection" below. If it
were just a single user would it not be better to put the database on the
laptop and not split it and just use it as a single user?

When I post I always check off the box to be notified when someone makes an
additional posting. In this discussion I have not received any notices of any
postings. Have you received notices?

Thank you for whatever insights you can provide. So much appreciated.

Mary