Access Services?? Accessing DB from web??

[Doctor]

Could someone explain to be the workflow/possibilities of Sharepoint or other
Access services? Please forgive me, in advance, if I do not get all my
terminology right on this subject.

I continue to read things about Sharepoint and Access Services that hint at
what I would like to do, but I don't quite understand what they do or how
they intergrate into Acess or if they will for sure be a solution.

Do any of these services make it possible for users to access a database
from the the internet? If not is there a way to do this without building a
php or asp based website to access the data?

I understand that Access can connect to a mysql database, but can it connect
to one that is on a web server? Am I even asking the right questions?

Thanks.

 

[Maurice]

You have a lot of different questions let's see:

Access services relies on sharepoint technology and therefore you need
sharepoint technology to access the database via IE. But read the database is
accessed via a secure environment within sharepount. Once you have an
environment like that it's possible to access a database created with access
via sharepoint. You can work on and offline. The datamodel of the db has to
be fairly straight and sometimes you might even have to think outside the
normalization box

You can use Visual Studio express for creating a front end and use an Access
backend with the data. VS Express can be downloaded from MS site.

You can connect to a mysql database on a webserver, that's all a question of
making the right connections and securitysettings for connecting to that
webserver.

But as you stated there is a lot out there so first figure out what you are
looking for and then decide what best fits the occation. From there on ask
the questions in the appropriate NG. It might take some time to get your
ideas into something productive so take your time.

 

[Doctor]

Maurice,
Thanks so much for your responses. Yes, I'll clarify my desire.

I would like for users who are traveling around the country to be able to
access the same data from wherever they are. Right now, these users "package"
the BE to take with them, but when they do so, it is read only until they
connect to the BE on the network.

Do the afore mentioned microsoft services make it possible to put the BE on
a microsoft serve, then allow users to continue to use the currect FE to
access it?

Kind regards,
Doc

 

[Maurice]

It most certainly does, seeing it i was impressed because it's also possible
to create an interface on the site. So when logging in it is not even
necessary to have a client fe on the client pc. But remember for this to work
properly you do need sharepoint 2010 to get it up and running. My god am i
advertising here? pls don't see it like that it's just my enthousiasme