But, in practicality it simply doesn’t work, not with complex databases anyway. I was excited when they introduced Sharepoint, because all their literature promised that it would be possible to deploy Access databases on a Sharepoint site.
One of my biggest frustrations with MS Access is that Microsoft really hasn’t developed an efficient means of deploying Access in an online environment. By its very nature office data is dynamic, and therefore it requires dynamic data processing solutions. But, then there really is no perfect solution. Microsoft Access is not the perfect solution to all data processing problems. High volumes of data, high volumes of end-users, network capacity and capabilities all play a role in determining when to use SQL over an Access backend.īeyond the technical considerations listed above, following are some observations from my own experience. The use of SQL comes into play because of different factors. Most of my clients operate in multi-user environments and every multi-user client operates off of a split database. The backend tables are then linked back to the main frontend application for data access. Data tables can be stored in a SQL fileĮither way, the data tables are stored separately from the main Access application.Data tables can be stored in an Access data file.There are a couple of different ways to split an Access database. After an Access database has been split there will be a backend file (data tables) and a frontend file (data application). To split a database, the storage component is “split” away from the forms, reports, queries, and reports. Data processing is managed through forms (for data entry), queries, reports and other processing objects. Generally speaking splitting an Access database means separating data storage functions from data processing functions. Split Your Database: Splitting your Access database will dramatically improve performance in a multi-user environment. Set advanced settings as defined above.Scroll through the Client Settings until you find the Advanced Settings.Click Client Settings in the left side Options Menu Pane.You can find these settings in Access 2010 by going through the following steps:.In a multi-user environment record locking should be set as follows: Record locking prevents two people from editing the same record at the same time. Record Locking: Within a multi-user environment, record locking is pivotal.
Generally speaking, if the following issues are addressed properly, MS Access will function very well in a multi-user environment. Best practice protocols are defined by Microsoft.
#Ms access multiple user software#
So, there are best practice protocols to using MS Access, but there are best practice protocols to developing in any other database software as well.īest practice protocols, in regards to Microsoft Access, are not just my opinion as a programmer with 20+ years of experience. And like any other tool, it has to be used properly. From experience I can tell you that Microsoft Access serves many of my clients very well in a multi-user environment. I also have extensive experience with SQL. I’ve watched Access go through all the various upgrades and transformations. I’ve worked with MS Access since version 2.0 back in the Mid 1990s. This assumption is an unfortunate and costly mistake. In regards to a multi-user environment, many professionals continue to operate under the paradigm that MS Access doesn't work properly in a multi-user environment. One of the biggest misconceptions about Microsoft Access is that it can’t handle complexity.