Work with Access adp as frontend on distance

[o.burlin]

Hi everyone.
I have this problem:
I have a rather large Access2003 application (adp) that uses a
sqlserver database in the network at my work.

Now I want some users to work with this applicatoin from distance
through the internet.
I have experienced that it works fine to connect from an Access-adp
project to sqlserver from internet.
But now the person at my job who is responsible for security says
that he by no means will allow people to get into our firewall this
way.

He suggested that I try to find other solutions.
Making an asp-net application is of course one solution, but as my
project is very large this is not a possible way because of lack of
time

He was talking about some kind of internet service he knew about, we
might use but I know nothing about this.

I hope that someone out there have some suggestions to me how to take
the next step in this project

BigOlle
Sweden

 

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:14:17 -0700 (PDT), (e-mail address removed) wrote:

Very simple: ask that security person more details about this "some
kind of internet service he knew about". It is not enough for him to
give you a hint and send you into the forest. He should be more
specific, even do some research if needed.

Chances are he is not as well informed as he is leading on.

Some kind of terminal services application is the best way to run
Access for remote users, e.g. Citrix or Windows Terminal Services
(remote desktop).

Punching a hole in the firewall for the SQL Server port is not
necessarily a security hole: the sql server can be properly secured.
Many ISPs operate this way.

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP

 

[Sylvain Lafontaine]

Another possibility would be to use a VPN (with or without Terminal
Services) to give access to the SQL-Server.

Also, you should explain more specifically what you mean exactly with "I
want some users to work with this applicatoin from distance through the
internet".

 

[Norman Yuan]

In general, that person is correct: no database adminstrator is willing to
allow outside connection directly from the Internet to a production database
server. On the other hand, even this type of connection is allowed (in the
risk of the administrator quiting), using ADP via the Internet is often too
slow to be useful, not to metion that maintaining a constant connection to
SQL Server from APD via the Interne is just too unstable.

Termial service or web application is the direction you need to look into.
That is, the issue is more network issue rather than MS Access (ADP), SQL
Seever.

 

[David W. Fenton]

no database adminstrator is willing to
allow outside connection directly from the Internet to a
production database server.

But a VPN connection resolves the issue.

 

[Norman Yuan]

Connecting MS Access front end (MDB or ADP) via the Internet is raely useful
by its speed limits. VPN only make things even slower by ecrypting the data
trasferred.

 

[o.burlin]

Connecting MS Access front end (MDB or ADP) via the Internet is raely useful
by its speed limits. VPN only make things even slower by ecrypting the data
trasferred.





- Visa citerad text -

hi . thank you all for your intrest. I will talk albout all this to
our databasaministrator.

But I am not convienced that it is to slow to work with adp as
frontend to a sql server on distance. I tried it some years ago in a
database-project. It took some time to start that application but then
it works all right. I think a remember that all database updates were
made by stored procedures.
And in this databasproject its seldom more than one or two users
working on the databas at the same time. (I think)
/Olle

 

[Sylvain Lafontaine]

The problem with ADP and the Internet (WAN) is that each time you change the
current record or a main form, all the controls with row sources are
refreshed if you are using paramaterized stored procedures (using parameters
from the InputParameters property); even if there is no need to do so.
However, if you use sql strings, they are not (even when these sql strings
refer to a parameterized SP).

Personnally, here, when I make a test against a remote server over a VPN
with a standard DSL line, I get a similar reponse using an ADP running
locally against the remote server than by using a remote ADP running over
Terminal Service: possibly a fraction of second slower for opening a form
and travelling from record to record but barely noticeable.

However, when I'm running the project locally, opening/manipuling the
controls (comboxes, listviews) and the subforms are no longer jerked and
irregular as it is with TS. I'm also no longer limited by the size and the
resolution of the remote desktop so that I can use the full size and the
resolution of my own screen. These advantages more than compensate for the
barely noticeable slower speed of opening/navigating a form.

Using TS is easy but will not necessarily give you the best result.

--
Sylvain Lafontaine, ing.
MVP - Technologies Virtual-PC
E-mail: sylvain aei ca (fill the blanks, no spam please)

Connecting MS Access front end (MDB or ADP) via the Internet is raely
useful
by its speed limits. VPN only make things even slower by ecrypting the
data
trasferred.

message



- Visa citerad text -

hi . thank you all for your intrest. I will talk albout all this to
our databasaministrator.

But I am not convienced that it is to slow to work with adp as
frontend to a sql server on distance. I tried it some years ago in a
database-project. It took some time to start that application but then
it works all right. I think a remember that all database updates were
made by stored procedures.
And in this databasproject its seldom more than one or two users
working on the databas at the same time. (I think)
/Olle

 

[David W. Fenton]

Connecting MS Access front end (MDB or ADP) via the Internet is
raely useful by its speed limits. VPN only make things even slower
by ecrypting the data trasferred.

If the difference between your VPN and your raw Internet connection
is noticeable, then you must have an extremely slow Internet
connection.

The amount of overhead used for the encryption is really quite minor
and oughtn't be a performance issue. If it is, then something is
configured wrong (or you're starved for bandwidth).

 

[o.burlin]

If the difference between your VPN and your raw Internet connection
is noticeable, then you must have an extremely slow Internet
connection.

The amount of overhead used for the encryption is really quite minor
and oughtn't be a performance issue. If it is, then something is
configured wrong (or you're starved for bandwidth).

hi again.
thanks for all the knowledge I have read here.

As I use unbund forms and updates with stored procedures, it seemes
that this should work.
And I think that using VPN somehow is the best way for me to go on.
Hope to be able to try Vpn for this project.
/regards BigOlle

 

[o.burlin]

In general, that person is correct: no database adminstrator is willing to

allow outside connection directly from the Internet to a production database
server.

...
Terminal service or web application is the direction you need to look
into.

Now my question is what about the security issues concerning:
connection from about 10 users on distance using a VPN to a
production sql server database.
What are the risks working this way?
Hope someone has some thoughs about this
/regards BigOlle

 

[David W. Fenton]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in
m:

Now my question is what about the security issues concerning:
connection from about 10 users on distance using a VPN to a
production sql server database.
What are the risks working this way?

The same as the risks of users connecting to the SQL Server on the
SQL Server's local LAN. That's the whole point of a VPN.

 

[MOYXQ]

you should set up the application sest