Implementing some form of replication or remote access to networked database

[Dale Fye]

I've got an application that has been working in a multi-user office
environment for several years (A-XP).

Now the organization wants to allow remote (w/INTERNET access) and
temporarily dislocated (disconnected) users to access the database, make
changes, and have those changes reflected in the master database. What are
my options without having to rewrite everything? If I were to move the data
to a SQL SERVER database on a Web Server could I use Web Services? How
about using ADO across the internet?

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

You will not gain any significant speed using SQL-Server without entirely
rewriting your app to use unbound forms. You can also rewrite it to use a
Web front-end. It is generally much less expensive to use a Microsoft
Terminal Server or even Citrix than to rewrite an application. For just a
few users, you can even use WinConnect:

http://www.thinsoftinc.com/product_thin_client_winconnect_server_xp.aspx

which is by a long margin the least expensive way to go because it requires
no reworking of any part of your app, other than making sure it's split with
user copies on the server rather than each workstation.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Arvin. I'll take a look at those options.

 

[David W. Fenton]

You will not gain any significant speed using SQL-Server without
entirely rewriting your app to use unbound forms. You can also
rewrite it to use a Web front-end. It is generally much less
expensive to use a Microsoft Terminal Server or even Citrix than
to rewrite an application. For just a few users, you can even use
WinConnect:

http://www.thinsoftinc.com/product_thin_client_winconnect_server_xp
.aspx

which is by a long margin the least expensive way to go because it
requires no reworking of any part of your app, other than making
sure it's split with user copies on the server rather than each
workstation.

But Arvin, that won't help the disconnected users.

Jet replication is the only way to serve the disconnected users.

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

But Arvin, that won't help the disconnected users.

Jet replication is the only way to serve the disconnected users.

Hi David,

I didn't read it quite that way. I read it disconnected from the LAN. You
are, of course, correct if the user is disconnected from the database.

I have had very impressive results using terminal services, and now prefer
it to the Web in almost every case. Last week, I spent several days using a
PeopleSoft (Oracle) web database, and in every case bound Access forms were
significantly faster ( I mean as much as 10 times or more faster) over a
terminal server, than the web application. Just episodal observation, but
the difference was eye opening.

 

[David W. Fenton]

I didn't read it quite that way. I read it disconnected from the
LAN. You are, of course, correct if the user is disconnected from
the database.

What I understood was that the laptop users had to use the database
in the field, with no Internet connection. That means they have to
carry a copy of the data with them.

I have had very impressive results using terminal services, and
now prefer it to the Web in almost every case.

I prefer it to replication for connecting fixed locations. For the
roaming user who doesn't have Internet access always available but
still needs to use the database application, replication is the only
answer.

Last week, I spent several days using a
PeopleSoft (Oracle) web database, and in every case bound Access
forms were significantly faster ( I mean as much as 10 times or
more faster) over a terminal server, than the web application.
Just episodal observation, but the difference was eye opening.

I'm a huge fan of Terminal Server and recommend it over replication
for a large number of scenarios that I would once have recommended
replication for. But there are situations where it's not practical,
such as a traveller who has only really expensive hotel Internet
access, or who would need to inconvenience a customer with a
connection to their LAN in order to use his own database
application.

 

[Dale Fye]

Thanks, guys.

The disconnected user will be traveling with the database, so I am going to
have to institute some type of replication, but I like the terminal services
solution and tested it on my home LAN this weekend. Now all I have to do is
find a good primer on how to configure his network firewall so that the
remote user can use TS, and they will be up and running.

The disconnected user will only actually be using a very few of the tables,
and that should not be a problem since most of those tables have PKs that
include the userid and a Long integer that is generated through the code
(not autonumber). I think I'll just write some code make a "traveling copy"
of the database so that when he synchronizes for traveling, the app will
just copy the data from the server backend to his traveling copy of the db.
Then, when he comes home, I'll compare and merge changes/additions in the
server copy and relink him to that.

Thanks again.

Dale