There is what we call the actual "limit" of a JET based database, and then
there is the practical limits.
You don't give any details as to if this is to be a multi-user system, and
how many users to expect. Further, do you expect to be using your standard
office LAN, or some type of WAN deployment.
Not having any details...a application in ms-access can certainly handle a
customer files that is quite large. For example, a customer file of 100,000
records is really NOTHING for ms-access.
Unless your database is going to be in the MANY millions of records, then
you should be ok. So, when you say "large", do you mean 200 million
records....or 200,000 records? To some people, a database with a million
records is small, and to others, they never worked with any close to that...
As mentioned in the other post, the number of records is not the limit on
ms-access, but there is a max size limit (so, if your records are
smaller...then you can fit more into the file size limit).
The size limit of access 2002 is 2 gigs.
So, if you take a average name in a mailing list, add a few extra
fields...your record size might be about 120 characters on average in size.
So, the number of records you can store is:
2 gig / 120 = 32 million records
So, the limit is NOT the number of records..but "how many" records you can
fit into 2 gig.
Of course, if each customer name only takes up 60 characters...then you can
store 64 million records in the file.
How many records do you plan to store? In real terms, I don't think anyone
would store close to the actual limits of the file size for ms-access when
not using sql server. I think in real terms....a few hundred thousands
records is certainly fine with ms-access.
And, of course, you can keep the data on Oracle..as ms-access does
make a great front end. So, in point, ms-access does
NOT actually have the limits....it is the data engine you choose.
You would not ask how large can a file be when you use VB.
You would not ask how large a file can be when you use C++
You would not ask how large a file can be when you use c#
The same applies to ms-access. The limits of data is going to
be based on what database system you use with ms-access.
Ms-access is just the programming system.....
You can use
sql server, or Oracle, or "JET" as the database part. Ms-access
is really only the programmers part, and so the max amount of
data is the problem of the database you choose...not ms-access.
