Database Access

[John]

Hello,

I have an existing .NET 2.0 C# Windows form application that accesses an
Access database for information. The form can be utilized by 2 types of
users. Type A can read & write to the database. Type B can just read from
the database. The database is located on the same machine as the Windows
form application. The application just accesses the database via an
OleDbConnection object, and executes scalar queries against the database.

I just recently received a requirement in which the customer wants the
database to exist on another machine than the client application.

Everything I have read seems to indicate that Access is a poor database
choice for remote clients. Therefore, I have the following questions
somebody may be able to help me out with:

1. If I continue to use Access as my database, and I setup the application
to use it from a remote network location. Is this OK if I only allow 1
read/write user on the database at a time, and many read users? What are
the bad implications of doing this? Is this OK if I just have 1 read/write
user?

2. Would it be easy for me (I know that is relative) to switch to a SQL
database? If so, is there a free version of SQL somebody could recommend?
Would this be better for me for database access across the network? If so,
what are reasons for this.


On a side note, the customer also refuses to modify this application to a
web form.

Thanks,
-- John

 

[Stefan Hoffmann]

hi John,

I just recently received a requirement in which the customer wants the
database to exist on another machine than the client application.

It's not relevant where your mdb is stored, local or on a network share.


mfG
--> stefan <--

 

[John]

hi John,

It's not relevant where your mdb is stored, local or on a network share.


mfG
--> stefan <--

Sorry. Currently, it's local to the computer. They want to move it to a
network share.

 

[Stefan Hoffmann]

hi John,

Sorry. Currently, it's local to the computer. They want to move it to
a network share.

So you can simply use it, Jet (the database engine) can handle this.
Just use the UNC path or a mapped drive to their share for accessing the
database.


mfG
--> stefan <--