Store one table elsewhere on Network

[GaryS]

We have a Linux server with standalone MS Access copies on several PCs. I
have created an application we use to calculate lease payments for cars, and
each month certain parameters change, forcing me to update each PC
seperatley. All the parameters that change are contained in one table. I
would like to be able to somehow store that table on an extenal networkable
HD and have the PC's refer to that drive for the parameters. Can this be
done without splitting the database?

Thanks in advance

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Why? What reason do you have for wishing not to have a "split" database?

By the way, putting one table on the LAN somewhere means you're putting an
Access (or some other ) "back-end" on the LAN and linking to it. That's
"splitting"?!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Access MVP

--
Disclaimer: This author may have received products and services mentioned
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does not constitute endorsement thereof.

Any code or pseudocode included in this post is offered "as is", with no
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You can thank the FTC of the USA for making this disclaimer
possible/necessary.

 

[GaryS]

It's not that I don't want to split the database so much as I don't know how
or what to do? Since we have a Linux server, where would I install the
backend? How would I set it up?

 

[Tom Wickerath]

Hi Gary,

It's not that I don't want to split the database so much as I don't know how
or what to do?

Split the Database
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/gem_tips1.html#SplitDB

http://www.accessmvp.com/JConrad/accessjunkie/splitting.html

Since we have a Linux server, where would I install the
backend?

Stop. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. <smile>
AFAIK, Microsoft does not certify that JET databases will work correctly on
anything other than Windows platforms. You could irrepairably damage your
database by accessing it on a non-Windows platform.

If your application is only used for calculations and reporting, but not for
data entry (other than your parameters in the one table that you update),
then you can probably get along just fine without splitting it. You might
look into the possibility of using Access MVP Tony Toews' "AutoFEUpdater"
utility. Although it is intended for easily updating the Front-End (FE)
application file on each user's hard drive, it will work the same for
updating an unsplit application:

Auto FE Updater
http://www.autofeupdater.com/

Now, the $64,000 question is will it (the VB6 executable file
"StartMDB.exe") work on a Linux server? I don't know the answer to that
question, and I doubt that Tony has tested it, but you can do a free trial to
see if it serves your needs. I'm sure he would be interested in learning the
results as well!


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/TWickerath/
__________________________________________

 

[GaryS]

Could I just go ahead and split the database, store the BE in a folder on my
PC, then share that folder with the other PCs on the network?

 

[Stefan Hoffmann]

hi Gary,

All the parameters that change are contained in one table. I
would like to be able to somehow store that table on an extenal networkable
HD and have the PC's refer to that drive for the parameters. Can this be
done without splitting the database?

No.


mfG
--> stefan <--

 

[John W. Vinson]

Could I just go ahead and split the database, store the BE in a folder on my
PC, then share that folder with the other PCs on the network?

Sure. The backend doesn't need to be on a "Server" per se - just a
read/write/create/delete enabled shared folder.

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

Now, the $64,000 question is will it (the VB6 executable file
"StartMDB.exe") work on a Linux server? I don't know the answer to that
question, and I doubt that Tony has tested it, but you can do a free trial to
see if it serves your needs. I'm sure he would be interested in learning the
results as well!

Putting the VB6 executable on a Linux server won't matter as it never
executes on the server. It executes on the WIndows PCs.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/

 

[GaryS]

Thanks so much!

 

[David W. Fenton]

Now, the $64,000 question is will it (the VB6 executable file
"StartMDB.exe") work on a Linux server? I don't know the answer to
that question, and I doubt that Tony has tested it, but you can do
a free trial to see if it serves your needs. I'm sure he would be
interested in learning the results as well!

If the Linux server is running Samba (as is likely), it will work.
The updater doesn't run on the server any more than Jet does. All
that's involved is the SMB networking layer and its interaction with
the underlying file system. I won't allow clients to store their
data on Samba servers, but many people have reported great success
(and excellent performance) from doing so.

I just don't trust that underlying file system to behave the same
way as native Windows.