Make Access database available to multiple users on a network?

[Guest]

I have a single-user license and have designed databases for myself and other
single-users. How do I make a database available over a network to multiple,
simultaneous users? I searched MS but couldn't find an answer. Thanks!

 

[Mike Revis]

Assuming that everyone has the same version of Access installed on their
individual machines.

Split the database. Front End / Back End. Place the backend on the network
server. Place a copy of the front end on each machine that has Access
installed use the linked table manager to connect each front-end to the
backend.

If each machine has different versions of Access there could be a problem if
the database was created with a newer version of Access and uses features
that are not available in older versions.

Mike

 

[Randy]

Why can't you just put it on the common drive and let everyone have
access to it?

 

[John Vinson]

Why can't you just put it on the common drive and let everyone have
access to it?

You can... if you don't mind lousy performance, frequent collision
errors, rapid database bloat, and frequent corruption.

John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[Randy]

John could you explain by what you mean by putting it on the network
server. We have a network here and everyone has an H drive which is
their personal access drive. There is also a G drive that everyone has
access too.

Is the G drive the network server drive that you are talking about or
is that different.

I don't know anything about networking drives.

Appreciate any explaination.

 

[Guest]

Could you be more specific for me? What do you mean by front-end and
back-end? Access creates a new .MDB file for each database. How do I split
that, or is there something else (front-end) that exists on each users
machine (in addition to Access itself)? Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Oh, and can multiple users work on the DB at the same time? Other DBs I work
with allow multiple users as long as they're not trying to access the same
record.

 

[Mike Revis]

Hi
When you create a database you have a .mdb file which if you look at the
database window will have all the tables, queries, forms, reports etc.

In order to split a database you can use the database splitter which is
found under tools>database utilities>database splitter.

When you use the database splitter you are separating the *data* (tables)
from the user interface (queries, forms reports).

After splitting the database you will have 2 files one will usually be named
"mydatabase.mdb" and the other will be named "mydatabase_be.mdb".

The mydatabase.mdb will be the user interface. Forms queries reports.

The mydatabase_be.mdb will only have the tables. Tables are where the *data*
is stored. Right?

The backend, mydatabase_be.mdb, is placed on the network where everyone can
have access to it.

The front-end, mydatabase.mdb, is placed on each individual computer and
*linked* to the backend. See linked table manager.

This way each computer will have a user interface to access the data and the
data will be in one place where everyone can use it. This way the same data
will be available to everyone and you wont have a bunch of different data on
each machine.

I don't know to much about database security but I think that by default
record locking security is implemented when you split a database.

What this means is that all users can access the data but only one user at a
time is allowed to alter a particular record.

You can't have two users trying to alter the same data at the same time.

Mike

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

I explain the whole process of splitting here:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Articles/split/index.htm

The above explains why you split, why un-split applications are not
reliable, and also how to setup ms-access in a multi-user situation.

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

Could you be more specific for me? What do you mean by front-end and
back-end? Access creates a new .MDB file for each database. How do I
split
that, or is there something else (front-end) that exists on each users
machine (in addition to Access itself)? Thanks!

I explain the whole process of splitting. (why you split, how you split,
etc.) here:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Articles/split/index.htm

 

[John Vinson]

Is the G drive the network server drive that you are talking about

Yes.

In order for this to work, everyone must have FULL read, write, create
and delete access to the folder on G: containing the backend database;
but other than that, you're right - just put the backend on G: and a
copy of the frontend on each user's H: drive.

John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[Guest]

Perfect, Mike. Thanks for your help! ----------> Sandy