Is Access 2K a network resources hog?

M

Mike W.

Hey y'all,

I have a database developed in Access 2K. The company IT guy doesn't want to
put it on the server because "Access will slow the network down because it
drags the whole db across the network every time that you click on it."

I seem to remember that there was a problem with Access hogging network
resources a long time ago, but I thought that issue had been cleared up
before Access 2K came out.

Any thoughts?

TIA

Mike W.
 
I

Immanuel Sibero

Hi Mike

Check out the following for good information on Access performance over
network.

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/performancefaq.htm

One thing I can tell you is Access does not drag the whole db across the
network. I'm surprised that an IT guy tells you that, he should know better
(I'm sure he said that just to blow you off). I'm sort of a hybrid IT and
application person (more on application), you have to go back 15 or 20 years
before you can find a pc database system that drags a whole db across the
network. I remember a silly little hex editor back then that was
sophisticated enough to load only a section of a file that's being edited.
Surely, today's Access is at least a little bit more sophisticated than
that, wouldnt you think?


Immanuel Sibero
 
T

Tom Wickerath

To add to Immanuel's input, you might want to read the following by Luke
Chung, President of FMS:

Why IT Departments Hate Access
http://www.fmsinc.com/tpapers/genaccess/DBOD.asp#hateaccess

If you follow all of the suggestions that are included in the link that
Immanuel provided, including splitting the database, you should not have a
resource hog. You'll want to use proper indexing on fields used as criteria
in queries or for sorting, to help reduce network traffic.

Tom
________________________________________

:

Hi Mike

Check out the following for good information on Access performance over
network.

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/performancefaq.htm

One thing I can tell you is Access does not drag the whole db across the
network. I'm surprised that an IT guy tells you that, he should know better
(I'm sure he said that just to blow you off). I'm sort of a hybrid IT and
application person (more on application), you have to go back 15 or 20 years
before you can find a pc database system that drags a whole db across the
network. I remember a silly little hex editor back then that was
sophisticated enough to load only a section of a file that's being edited.
Surely, today's Access is at least a little bit more sophisticated than
that, wouldnt you think?


Immanuel Sibero
________________________________________

:

Hey y'all,

I have a database developed in Access 2K. The company IT guy doesn't want to
put it on the server because "Access will slow the network down because it
drags the whole db across the network every time that you click on it."

I seem to remember that there was a problem with Access hogging network
resources a long time ago, but I thought that issue had been cleared up
before Access 2K came out.

Any thoughts?

TIA

Mike W.
 
T

Tony Toews

Mike W. said:
I have a database developed in Access 2K. The company IT guy doesn't want to
put it on the server because "Access will slow the network down because it
drags the whole db across the network every time that you click on it."
Click to expand...

Rubbish.

If the selection and sorting criteria involve an index then only those
pages containing the relevant index entries are downloaded. Then the
relevant pages containing the selected records are downloaded.

If the selection and sorting criteria can't use an index, for example
a data field which doesn't happen to have an index on it, then yes,
the entire table is downloaded to the computer.

Now yes, Jet does create temp files on the PC as required but this
does not mean that the entire table gets put in the hard drive either.
I seem to remember that there was a problem with Access hogging network
resources a long time ago, but I thought that issue had been cleared up
before Access 2K came out.
Click to expand...

There are performance issues but not hogging network stuff. That said
SQL Server is definitely going to be more efficient. Just more work,
etc, etc.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
 
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