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General discussion

Sharing a Database

Oct 23, 2005 1:19AM PDT

Hello,

Someone has asked me a question and I don't know the answer to it so I'm asking you. Is there any way to have a MS Access which is accessible from two seperate offices? If there is a way how is it done?

Thanks in advance,

Atalanta

Discussion is locked

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Re: sharing a database
Oct 23, 2005 4:36AM PDT

Atalanta,

Just put it in a shared folder. That's all.

Kees

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Thanks
Oct 24, 2005 4:10AM PDT

Wow, that was a lot more simple than I thought. I was reading all this stuff about ASP code.

Thanks

Atalanta

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Another Question
Oct 24, 2005 4:23AM PDT

Hello again,

Will that work so two people can access it over the internet and how do I set it up? Sorry for the volume of questions but people like to ask me computer questions despite the fact that I'm an economist and don't know all that much about computers.

Atalanta

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Re: another question
Oct 24, 2005 5:41AM PDT

No, alas not. These offices should be in a (virtual) LAN, having a common Windows shared volume. No problem at our office. Just as easy to find a file on a company server in Hoofddorp or in Alphen or in Amsterdam. In fact, those servers only have a name, and probably they were all moved when we outsourced the operations. That was my frame of reference when I mentioned 'shares' (like \\Aut2\data, and no idea at all where that Aut2-server resides.

If you're limited to Internet connections, it's a quite other business. The webserver should run a program (be it ASP or Java or .Net or PHP) that links to a database (be it MySQL or MS SQL server or Oracle). Something like amazon.com, but on a somewhat smaller scale. But you can't use the MS Access user interface then (only your browser, again line amazon.com), and there's not a single reason to use MS Access as the database server (I even doubt if it's possible).

If you've never done such a thing, hire a professional to set it up for you. Experience is what you need.

Or, depending on your needs, find a Application Service Provider who has everything ready for you (like Salesforce.com if the database is about Sales, or a bookkeeping program if it's about money). The database can be anywhere from New York to New Delhi (like this forum database is in California), and the whole world can use it via the Internet for a monthly fee with its own private company data.

Well, sending spreadsheets around the country isn't a good idea either, I'm afraid.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.


Kees