I need to split a database

[Francesca]

Hello where I work I need to split a database so that it can be worked on by
lots of people at the same time. I have tried out database splitter and it
all seems straightforward. Are thew any pitfalls that I am going to
encounter? How do I get the front end on each machine to see the back end?
(or does that happen automatically)

Could anyone just sketch out the steps (and possible pitfalls) in easy
language so that I can do it with the least possible disruption to
everybody's work.

As you can probably tell I'm not an IT employee, just someone who's more
willing to give it a go than anyone else in the office.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Cheryl Fischer]

Hello Francesca,

Generally, the steps are as follows:

1. (You have already done this.) Split the application into a Front-End
and a Back-End. The Front-End (FE) will contain all Queries, Forms,
Reports, Modules, Macros and local-use tables. The Back-End (BE) will
contain all tables to be shared among users.

2. The BE will reside in a folder on your server, where full permissions
for each user will be granted (Read, Write, Create, Delete, Execute).

3. Before you distribute the FE to each user, use the Linked Table Manager
to Link the FE to the tables in the BE. To avoid problems with changing
drive mappings, link to the BE tables using the full UNC, starting with My
Network Places and drilling down through folders until the actual database
name of the BE is found.

4. An individual copy of each FE will reside on each user's computer. For
ease of distributing updates to FEs, see:
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm which describes an AutoUpdater
for front-ends, developed by Access MVP Tony Toews.

5. Additionally, a copy of the most current FE in use by users should be
kept on the server. You will do your maintenance/update programming on your
own copy of the FE on your own computer. When updates are ready to be
distributed, you'll copy your modified FE to replace the one on the server.

Those are pretty much the high points. Post back if you need more.