Remote Desktop to run Access 2000 Application

[BillD]

I have set up remote desktop on 3 computers, 1 Client-desktop computer
running Windows 2000 Pro, 1 Host-desktop computer running Windows XP Media
Center Edition and 1 Client-laptop computer running Vista Home Edition. I
have an Access 2000 database set up on the Host -XP machine. The 2 client
machines can remotely control the Host XP Machine as long as there is only
one machine accessing the host at any one time. When one of the Client
computers remotely connects to the Host, then the Host computer cannot be
used by anyone until the client computer disconnects the session or the Host
disconnects the session.
I have 2 questions:
1) Is there any way that I can run the Access 2000 Database on the Host
computer with Remote Desktop without taking over the whole machine?
Currently, when the client PC remotely connects to the Host XP Machine, if my
son is using the Host computer it will kick him off and will show the Host
machine desktop window on my Client machine. The Host Monitor will not show
the desktop. If anyone signs in on the Host Computer, then the client
computer session is disconnected.

2) Is there a way that I could have both client computers connect to the
Host Access 2000 Database at the same time and have the Host computer still
usable?

Thanking you in advance for your valued assistance.
Bill D
NB Canada

 

[aaron_kempf]

You do _NOT_ need terminal sessions to run Access over the web.
You can simply use Access Data Projects- which has plenty of options
for encryption - under File, Connection, Advanced.

Moving to SQL Server will prevent you the _COST_ of a bunch of
terminal services licenses.. The _COST_ of a terminal server server..
and the cost of a fulltime network admin to run it.

Keep your data where it belongs-- if you ever want to use it at
multiple sites (Access doesn't support replication any longer)
VPN
Wireless
Public Internet if you want.. and you know how to forward a port on
your company's firewall (or at least know someone that knows how to
forward port 1433)

-Aaron

 

[Paul Shapiro]

No. Windows XP as a host is limited to one session at a time, either at the
console or remote. The same limit applies to all the workstation OS's. If
you want multiple users on the host, you have to use a Server OS. You can
get 2 sessions on Windows Server by itself, but more than 2 sessions
requires enabling Terminal Server on the Windows Server, with additional
client licensing requirements.

 

[BillD]

Aaron:
I have been using Access Databases for 12 years as a stand alone Database
but I am not a programmer, so explanation will have to be detailed for me to
understand. I recently have a need to keep the Database on one machine (say
the office machine) and work from home on a desktop computer or use a laptop
with a wireless connection to review and edit the database.

You do _NOT_ need terminal sessions to run Access over the web.
You can simply use Access Data Projects- which has plenty of options
for encryption - under File, Connection, Advanced.

I am not familiar with ADP's but understand that they are no longer
supported by microsoft. Are you saying that I can easily use ADP's to access
my database over an web internet connection.
Also when you say :

Keep your data where it belongs-- if you ever want to use it at
multiple sites (Access doesn't support replication any longer)
VPN
Wireless
Public Internet if you want.. and you know how to forward a port on
your company's firewall

Where are you saying that the data belongs? On my Computer?

Thanks,
Bill D

 

[BillD]

Paul:
Thank you for the response.

No. Windows XP as a host is limited to one session at a time, either at the
console or remote. The same limit applies to all the workstation OS's. If
you want multiple users on the host, you have to use a Server OS. You can
get 2 sessions on Windows Server by itself, but more than 2 sessions
requires enabling Terminal Server on the Windows Server, with additional
client licensing requirements.

 

[BillD]

Paul:
Can the one session run the database and not take over the whole computer.

 

[Paul Shapiro]

No, as far as I know there's no (legal) way around the one session at a time
on a workstation OS. And Access only runs in a session, not as a service on
the computer. If you had two different computers hosting Remote Desktop you
could get one session on each, with the database shared from one of the
hosts, but that doesn't sound like it fits your constraints.

If your 3 computers are all in the same local area network, you can share
the folder containing the database on one machine and then all 3 machines
can work on it simultaneously. But if the 2 client machines are in another
location, this doesn't work with Access. If this is a local network, you
should split the database into two parts: a) a backend db containing just
the tables and b) a front-end db containing everything else. In the
front-end db you link to the tables in the backend db. Then give each user a
copy of the front-end.

If this happens to be for a charitable organization, Windows Server Standard
Edition is very inexpensive. That would let you host one or two remote
desktop sessions simultaneously with one console session, without using
Terminal Server. But if you don't qualify for charitable licensing, the
price is not so very inexpensive.