access 2003 format verses 2007 format

[tstew]

I have a questions about sharing my database. I'm currently using mdb and I
sync with 2 laptops that go into the field and collect data. 30-50 records
are updated in the filed per day per laptop. They are not connected to the
internet during the day. At night, I sync them back with my desktop computer.

As I understand it, the 2007 format has no way of sharing the data in this
way. Hmmm, that doesn't seem right. I know 2007 can share through Sharepoint,
but can 2007 really not be shared with someone offline? If it can, can you
point to a reference?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Thu, 1 Oct 2009 15:57:08 -0700, tstew

If with "sync" you mean replication: that's still available in A2007
MDB format, but not in ACCDB format.

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP

 

[Larry Linson]

The feature that allows synchronization is called "replication". It was not
carried over to the ACE database engine and ACCDB/ACCDE database format.

I could be wrong, but I believe it is still supported for MDB databases in
Access 2007.

If not, Microsoft SQL Server has a replication feature, so using Access to
create a client application to an SQL Server backend on each machine may
solve your problem, then use SQL Server replication. I do not know if the
free SQL Server Express supports replication.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Office Access MVP

 

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Fri, 2 Oct 2009 00:42:53 -0500, "Larry Linson"

Yes it supports (simple forms of) replication:
http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/express.aspx

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP

 

[Bernd Gilles]

Hi Mark,

I have a questions about sharing my database. I'm currently using mdb and I
sync with 2 laptops that go into the field and collect data. 30-50 records
are updated in the filed per day per laptop. They are not connected to the
internet during the day. At night, I sync them back with my desktop computer.

As I understand it, the 2007 format has no way of sharing the data in this
way. Hmmm, that doesn't seem right. I know 2007 can share through Sharepoint,
but can 2007 really not be shared with someone offline? If it can, can you
point to a reference?

Thanks,
Mark

mdb format can still be synchronized via replication.

if you have separated your access application in frontend/backend, you
can use accdb as frontend (with all benefits) and mdb for the backend
(and then synchronize only the backend).

 

[David W. Fenton]

The feature that allows synchronization is called "replication".
It was not carried over to the ACE database engine and ACCDB/ACCDE
database format.

Not true, Larry. I is suppored in the ACE, but only with MDB format.
The engine can obviously handle it, since when you're using an MDB
with A2007, you're using the ACE. MDB is a native A2007 format, so
it's simply an artificial limitation MS put on the ACCDB format.

I am underwhelmed in regard to the ACCDB format. I've still not
found anyone who can make a case for any feature that it adds that
is so useful as to give up any possibility of ULS and replication.

 

[David W. Fenton]

[I should read the whole post before replying!]

I could be wrong, but I believe it is still supported for MDB
databases in Access 2007.

MDB is a native format for A2007, and Jet replication is fully
supported for MDBs created in any version of Access (though a Jet
3.x replica will be read-only, but that was the case with A2000,
too). Any Jet 4 and up MDB will offer full replication
functionality, including MDBs created in A2007 using A2007's MDB
format.

If not, Microsoft SQL Server has a replication feature, so using
Access to create a client application to an SQL Server backend on
each machine may solve your problem, then use SQL Server
replication. I do not know if the free SQL Server Express
supports replication.

A subset of full SQL Server's replication features are supported. I
do not know if the parts that are left out are crucial or not.

I do know that it's significantly harder to manage and can lead to
weird Access front-end errors (Hi, Tony T!).

 

[David W. Fenton]

if you have separated your access application in frontend/backend,
you can use accdb as frontend (with all benefits) and mdb for the
backend (and then synchronize only the backend).

What do you consider to be the benefits of the ACCDB, either as
front end or back end?