Hi Albert,
read your article, very good, I implement some of the solutions you describe
very frequently the best solution in most cases is the thin/client for a
number of reasons.
1. Does not corrupt you database due to disconnects, the session has been
disconnected not the database, if the user reconnects they are where they
was at the point of disconnection, same screen, same textbox, same letters
typed into the textbox.
2. Windows 2000/Windows 2003 come with 2 administrator TS clients, so you
can out of the box run 2 remote clients onto an existing server.
3. No application re-write.
4. Performance is almost as good as physically being there (I have a
client recently how insisted that his database ran faster through the RDP
(Remote desktop connection), I know that cannot be true.
5. Using the RDP connection to a remote Windows XP computer, is simply a
superb solution, client want to go home, so that lock the computer in the
office, drive home, connect to that office PC from home, it's the desktop
that you locked, setup correctly your default printer has move to the home
pc and it just works, disconnect the session, go back to work and it where
you left off from home. (For the above to work property XP SP2).
NOTE. every RDP/TS connection requires x amount of bandwidth x being >56K
so a .5MB (512K) line will only support 8 users max, without problems
occurring, this is due to the RDP protocol needing that bandwidth just to
keep the screen up to date and passing mouse and keyboard actions backward
and forward. Even if no one is doing anything it still needs the bandwidth.
(The figures may differ but they are nearly there)
I have also implemented a web front ends, this is also a good solution, but
does require a complete re-write of the system into something like ASP,
ASP.NET, the question to ask here how many people do you want accessing the
system at any one time, and do you want anonymous people to access parts of
the system, because if the answer is loads of concurrent users then the web
front end will be the way to go.
The above solution is the hardest in terms of work and time, but will give
the most scalable solution.
NOTE. Access is a feature rich environment, to implement some of the good UI
features of Access in a webpage can be near impossible.
Replication
I have used Access replication a couple of times, a little long winded but
works. SQL replication done this too, the best solution (Well the only one
that works properly for WANS) is merge replication. Merge replication does
require table modifications (setting up the replication will do this for
you).
Replication is a good solution for the branch office solution e.g. Head
Office, several small offices, each small office replication changes with
the Head Office, great for that.
just my 2 pence/cents
