Network connection is sloooooooooooow, any suggestions for better speed?

[Brandon Cheal]

I have a linked database that is on our network.
Performance is fine for all users within America, but we
have a WAN connection with our European office and it
takes 5-10 minutes just to start the database! Is
replication the answer or how can I increase the speed? I
have it saved just two folders deep on the network, so the
filename extension is pretty short. Thanks in advance
Brandon

 

[John Vinson]

I have a linked database that is on our network.
Performance is fine for all users within America, but we
have a WAN connection with our European office and it
takes 5-10 minutes just to start the database! Is
replication the answer or how can I increase the speed? I
have it saved just two folders deep on the network, so the
filename extension is pretty short. Thanks in advance
Brandon

Access is a file-server database, not a client-server database. I lost
one good client when I warned him that Access is *NOT SUITABLE* for
use over a WAN using anything other than a terminal-server; they tried
it anyway and then junked the project. Frontend in Europe and backend
in the US *SIMPLY WILL NOT WORK* - not only for performance, but
you're risking irreversible corruption of your backend.

Either use Replication as you suggest; go to true client/server,
perhaps by using MSDE (the "SQL Server Lite" that comes on your Access
disk); or use a terminal server such as Citrix so that the front and
backends can reside on the same fast stable LAN.

John W. Vinson[MVP]
Join the online Access Chats
Tuesday 11am EDT - Thursday 3:30pm EDT
http://community.compuserve.com/msdevapps

 

[Rick Brandt]

I have a linked database that is on our network.
Performance is fine for all users within America, but we
have a WAN connection with our European office and it
takes 5-10 minutes just to start the database! Is
replication the answer or how can I increase the speed? I
have it saved just two folders deep on the network, so the
filename extension is pretty short. Thanks in advance
Brandon

You need to set up remote control software like Terminal Server or PC
Anywhere. Access cannot be used (in the normal fashion) over a WAN. In
addition to the long waits you will almost certainly have lots of
corruption problems.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

You do need to increase your speed of your wan. (you don't for some strange
reason mention the speed of the wan connection...).

The problem is that you wan is 100 times too slow. So, you would have to
purchase a connection that is 100 times faster.

I outline some solutions to your problem here:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal//Wan/Wans.html

 

[Brandon Cheal]

-----Original Message-----


Access is a file-server database, not a client-server database. I lost
one good client when I warned him that Access is *NOT SUITABLE* for
use over a WAN using anything other than a terminal- server; they tried
it anyway and then junked the project. Frontend in Europe and backend
in the US *SIMPLY WILL NOT WORK* - not only for performance, but
you're risking irreversible corruption of your backend.

Either use Replication as you suggest; go to true client/server,
perhaps by using MSDE (the "SQL Server Lite" that comes on your Access
disk); or use a terminal server such as Citrix so that the front and
backends can reside on the same fast stable LAN.

John W. Vinson[MVP]
Join the online Access Chats
Tuesday 11am EDT - Thursday 3:30pm EDT
http://community.compuserve.com/msdevapps
.

I am unfamiliar with "SQL Server Lite" that comes with
Access disk. Can you briefly tell me what that would
entail from my end? I am somewhat proficient at
developing in MS Access but have no experience with SQL or
Citrix for that matter. When I called my IT department
today, they told me Citrix would be just as slow. Also,
Rick mentioned PC Anywhere or Terminal Server. I am
willing to do whatever it takes to implement this. Thanks
for your help.

 

[John Vinson]

I am unfamiliar with "SQL Server Lite" that comes with
Access disk. Can you briefly tell me what that would
entail from my end?

It's called MSDE, and it's not installed automatically from the Access
CD; but it's there in the folder named SQL on the disk. MSDE is
basically a throttled-down version of SQL/Server. I would suggest
reposting to get advice from people with more experience with it than
I.

I am somewhat proficient at
developing in MS Access but have no experience with SQL or
Citrix for that matter. When I called my IT department
today, they told me Citrix would be just as slow. Also,
Rick mentioned PC Anywhere or Terminal Server. I am
willing to do whatever it takes to implement this. Thanks
for your help.

I'm currently using Citrix successfully in two applications. It must
be done right: typically each user would get a copy of the Citrix
client application; each user would have their own folder on the
computer being used as the Citrix server, or (less ideal but workable)
another computer in the same fast, stable LAN. These multiple
frontends would all be linked to a single backend on the same (or,
again less than ideally) another computer on the LAN. Your IT people
ARE WRONG; using Citrix (or PC Anywhere or Terminal Server, three
different programs which perform the same kind of function) only the
user keystrokes and the screen images need to be sent "down the wire".
With an Access frontend on one end of a WAN and a backend on the
other, all Queries involve transmitting data (either an entire Index
or even worse, the entire contents of a Table) from the backend to the
frontend for processing. Updates are just as bad.

John W. Vinson[MVP]
Join the online Access Chats
Tuesday 11am EDT - Thursday 3:30pm EDT
http://community.compuserve.com/msdevapps

 

[Brandon]

-----Original Message-----


It's called MSDE, and it's not installed automatically from the Access
CD; but it's there in the folder named SQL on the disk. MSDE is
basically a throttled-down version of SQL/Server. I would suggest
reposting to get advice from people with more experience with it than
I.


I'm currently using Citrix successfully in two applications. It must
be done right: typically each user would get a copy of the Citrix
client application;

are you referring to the Citrix application itself would
be installed on the computer? if so, my company already
has citrix established for each user, so that might help
that it's already done.

each user would have their own folder on the

computer being used as the Citrix server, or (less ideal but workable)
another computer in the same fast, stable LAN. These multiple
frontends would all be linked to a single backend on the same (or,
again less than ideally) another computer on the LAN.

A few questions, first, you talk about the LAN. Is this
the Citrix server that Europeans and Americans would be
connected to? Because don't we Americans have a LAN and
the Europeans have a separate LAN that are connected by
the WAN? Sorry for being so stupid about networks!
Second, how are you updating the front ends for all the
users? Are you just creating an mde and then running a
batch file to copy it to all the individual folders on the
Citrix server?
In other words, do I have to do anything to the database
beyond what I would have to do to make it work on the
folders of my network, or will it launch Access like
normal with an mde running through the Citrix server?
Also, why would the backend need to be on a different
computer than the front end? Maybe you can explain to me
the difference between the European network and the
American network that may cause that.
Your IT people

ARE WRONG;

My IT department is terrible!
Thanks so much for your patience and kind help!
using Citrix (or PC Anywhere or Terminal Server, three

 

[John Vinson]

A few questions, first, you talk about the LAN. Is this
the Citrix server that Europeans and Americans would be
connected to? Because don't we Americans have a LAN and
the Europeans have a separate LAN that are connected by
the WAN? Sorry for being so stupid about networks!

By a LAN I mean a *LOCAL* Area Network, i.e. within one building,
using stable, fast Ethernet connections. Anything over a phone line,
or even a dedicated Internet connection, *is just too slow*. Maybe if
you had a T4 connection from the frontend box to the backend box you
could do it, but in my experience even going 20 miles to the next town
(over T1) is *not* adequate.

Second, how are you updating the front ends for all the
users? Are you just creating an mde and then running a
batch file to copy it to all the individual folders on the
Citrix server?

Yes. Tony Toews (http://www.granite.ab.ca) has a really nice frontend
updater for just this purpose.

In other words, do I have to do anything to the database
beyond what I would have to do to make it work on the
folders of my network, or will it launch Access like
normal with an mde running through the Citrix server?

Just to clarify: The user has only one program needed on her desktop:
the Citrix client. She would use it to log on to the Citrix server in
the United States, and click on the desktop icon which opens the .mde
file in her own personal folder. This .mde file would be the frontend,
linked to a backend on the same (or a different) machine.

Also, why would the backend need to be on a different
computer than the front end? Maybe you can explain to me
the difference between the European network and the
American network that may cause that.

If I implied that the front and back ends must be on different
machines, I was mistaken; the same machine is ideal, but different
machines (again, on the same high-speed stable LAN) are satisfactory.

John W. Vinson[MVP]
Join the online Access Chats
Tuesday 11am EDT - Thursday 3:30pm EDT
http://community.compuserve.com/msdevapps

 

[Tony Toews]

When I called my IT department
today, they told me Citrix would be just as slow.

Your IT department is quite clueless. Citrix can work well over
phone lines I'm told. A friend has multiple Terminal Server sessions
running well over cell phone data (1X protocol) connection. They have
a job site office with no phone line access.

Terminal Server is sluggish over a motel room phone connection at 26.4
kbps but it does work. I've tried that myself when hitting my web
server.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
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