DSN-less connection

[Sirocco]

If MSDE is installed on a network drive, is that essentially a "SQL Server"?
If not, what makes a SQL Server a "SQL Server"?

Also, my impression is that I can upsize an Access mdp file to ADP in
basically 2 different ways:
1. to the MSDE on my C drive (and then transfer this to the network
server), or
2. to the production server directly.

Since we don't have a "production server" for SQL yet, should I wait, or is
option 1 easy enough? If possible, please discuss the pros and cons of the
above 2 options in reference to a DSN-less connection. This may be too
much to ask, if so, please direct me to a good reference (text book or
online source).
Many thanks in advance.
Brian

 

[BJ Freeman]

I use an offline SQL server for development then transfer to the Production
server.
However it does take a lot of work to transfer if you have MSDE. the License
does not allow for DTS to a Full SQL server.
As long as you are just doing views and Store Procedures you can use the
scripting to transfer the code between servers.
If you have table relationships you create and table changes, that takes
more since you have to maintain the integrity of the production server.
In general if you are designing a DB to go on the new server you can
transfer the infrastructure via script.
if you have data then by using two ADP's you can populate the production
server from the MSDE one.

 

[Guy Horton]

Brian,

What makes SQL Server a "SQL Server" well I suppose any instance of SQL
Server installed either locally on your PC or on a networked PC (server)
would qualify. MSDE or as it is now more commonly called the SQL Server
Desktop engine is essentially SQL Server with some performance limitations
applied which come into effect once you exceed 5 users. You can have one or
more instances of SQL Server on a PC.

An ADP does not require a DSN to connect to SQL Server.

Obviously I know nothing about your company's IT organisational setup, or
the application which you are looking to upsize, but generally you would
never develop an application directly in the "production" environment.
Usually you would want to upsize your application in a "development"
environment which you control, so that any actions you take such as
installing software or rebooting the PC doesn't impact other users. Then
depending on your organisations requirements you may perhaps move the
application to a "testing" and/or "user testing" environment so that you
and/or the users of the system can validate that the software works as
required. Then when all parties are happy you would move the application
into "production" following whatever change management procedures your
company has in place.

Please be aware that unless your .mdb is very simple it is unlikely that the
upsizing process, assuming you are looking to use the Microsoft Upsizing
Wizard, will be the only step you need to take to successfully perform the
upsizing operation. A client/server adp is a very different beast from a
file/server .mdb.

Hope this helps
Guy Horton