Accessing an Access database by over 50 people

M

McTheny

We're considering setting up an Access database with input form to be used by
50+ people. I've been told that there may be problems with this many people
accessing the same db. Any opinions on this?
Thanks for your help
 
R

Rick B

Should not be a problem as long as you use a split database with the
back-end on a server and the fron-ends residing on each user's PC.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
 
M

M.L. Sco Scofield

To expand on what Rick said.

First, what he said about the split architecture, that is absolutely
critical. If you don't, two users will be a stretch.

Second, 50 users could actually be a problem. It depends on how much
concurrency there is going to be. It has a lot to do with how much data
entry and updating is going on at the same time verses how much is just
querying.

If most of the activity is going to be querying, you might be able to get
away with 50 people, especially if they are not all working at the same
time.

However, if most of your activity is going to be data entry and updating, 10
to 25 users is a more realistic number.

The bottom line is concurrency. You can have a lot of people connected and
if only 2 are hitting the enter key at the same time, you only have 2
concurrent users.

Something else that has a huge impact on the number of concurrent users you
can get away with is the network stability. With a bad network, you'll be
lucky to get one ore two people using the database reliably. With a good
network, 10 to 25 concurrent users won't be a problem.

BTW, if you happen to see in help (or someone tells you) that Access can
handle 255 locks, that's exactly what it means. Handling locks and handling
concurrent users is two entirely different things.

Good luck.

Sco

M.L. "Sco" Scofield, Microsoft Access MVP, MCSD, MCP, MSS, A+
Useful Metric Conversion #17 of 19: 1 billion billion picolos = 1 gigolo
Miscellaneous Access and VB "stuff" at www.ScoBiz.com
 
A

Arvin Meyer

McTheny said:
We're considering setting up an Access database with input form to be used by
50+ people. I've been told that there may be problems with this many people
accessing the same db. Any opinions on this?
Thanks for your help
Click to expand...

To add to Sco comments. I am currently supporting a database with up to 51
concurrent users without any significant problems. Some of them are using an
asp webform front-end, but most use an MDB front-end. I would feel
comfortable with a dozen more since I don't, as yet, have to deal with any
record-locking conflicts. Good database design is paramount after the first
few users.

All of my users are editing and adding records, but only a few are
intensively doing so. It is the intensity, as well as the number of users
that needs to be considered when you look at Access (or rather the JET
database engine). Hundreds (or more) of users can use an Access front-end
with a SQL-Server back-end.

My best advice is to build it in Access, then move the data to the bigger
(and more expensive) engine if you start seeing problems.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access Downloads
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access
 
Top