Giant database issue

[Antavas]

I maintain a database that is quickly approaching 350,000 KB. It's been
unstable for quite some time and now users are starting experience slow down
in system. All of the data currently housed in it can not be moved anywhere
else.

Any suggestions/help?

 

[Maarkr]

This is an Access db? What version? Is it large and unstable due to a large
number of records? How many tables and records? Has it ever been compacted?
Why can't the data in it be moved? Can you archive a copy of it with old
records in it that are not currently used, like one db with records prior to
2005, and the current one with newer (and fewer) records?

 

[Jeff Boyce]

There are several reasons why users may perceive a "slow down". See if any
of these apply:

* many users (more than 10) are all trying to add/edit records
simultaneously
* the data is located in a "split" back-end on a Local Area Network, but
there is only one "front-end", and it is on the LAN too
* the tables are not well-normalized
* the tables are not indexed well for the use being made
* the application runs on a LAN and a recent "upgrade" to the LAN
antivirus has clobbered Access (this happened to me!)
* ...

By the way, mentioning that the db has been 'unstable' doesn't really give
us much to go on, so you're likely to get a lot of guesses! For some folks,
calling it unstable means that it's quitting/shutting down Access
unexpectly. What does "unstable" mean to you? (symptoms, please)

More info, please...

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

 

[Jerry Whittle]

350,000 KB isn't giant as Access can be 5 times that large. In other words,
size isn't the problem for the slowdowns or stability problems.

As Jeff mentioned, it would really help if you described the symptoms the
users are experiencing; how many users are in the database at once; and if
the database is split or not.

 

[Jerry Whittle]

350,000 KB isn't giant as Access can be 5 times that large. In other words,
size isn't the problem for the slowdowns or stability problems.

As Jeff mentioned, it would really help if you described the symptoms the
users are experiencing; how many users are in the database at once; and if
the database is split or not.