Upgrading database applications

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kaerast
  • Start date Start date
K

Kaerast

Hi,

We've developed a fairly basic database for a client to use for stock
control. As we continue developing the database, how do we then merge our
changes to the database (changed forms, modified table structures, etc) into
the customer's version? We'd obviously need to keep all the customer's data
intact and we'd want to minimise the amount of downtime whilst upgrading
things.
 
I usually write some code in the applications Splash screen to determine
whether the database has the correct structure (I'll check to see if a field
or table I added in the latest version is in the customers backend database).
If the structure is not the latest, I'll implement some code that either
adds/modifies/deletes tables or fields from the clients database (of course I
backup their database first).

--
HTH
Dale

Don''t forget to rate the post if it was helpful!

email address is invalid
Please reply to newsgroup only.
 
Hi,

We've developed a fairly basic database for a client to use for stock
control. As we continue developing the database, how do we then merge our
changes to the database (changed forms, modified table structures, etc) into
the customer's version? We'd obviously need to keep all the customer's data
intact and we'd want to minimise the amount of downtime whilst upgrading
things.
Click to expand...

If you have not already done so, you should certainly use a "split"
database architecture: tables in one backend (either a .mdb or .accdb
file, or a client-server database such as SQL/Server), and the forms,
reports and code in a frontend distributed to each user. See
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/splitapp for details.

There would still be issues if you need to change the *table*
structure but this lets you freely develop new forms, reports, etc;
each user can simply delete their frontend and replace it with a new
one.
 
That sounds like it should work well, thanks. Although I think I'd be
tempted to create an extra table to store the version number of the backend
structure. I guess I'm also going to have to do something about getting the
users to fill in the new fields I add so that the new calculations are
valid/correct.

OK, I'm beginning to understand how we're going to do this now; thanks again.
 
If you want to add code to your FE which automatically adds new
fields, tables, relationships, etc to your BE and your client's BE
have a look at my Back End Update Utility code. Go to
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/OtherLibraries.asp, you will find
it there under Hibbs PeterS. There is also code to re-link the FE to
the BE (BE Relink.mdb) when you give the users a new version of the FE
file.

HTH

Peter Hibbs.
 
Back
Top