Need general help with database- literature recommendations?

[Tony]

Here is the situation.

I have created a website in coldfusion, being hosted by a remote company. I
used the company's control panel to setup an Access database file as a DSN.
The website applications all work perfectly. The website throws no errors.
All is good and green and happy.

I need to somehow be able to edit this remote database from Microsoft Access
on my computer, and have it linked to the database on the remote site, so
that I can make changes, add new records, etc.

I know this is childs play to everyone reading this, but I seriously cannot
figure out where to begin. The support staff at my web provider cannot help
me, because they do not understand how deep my ignorance runs, despite my
efforts to explain my stupidity. They say things like, "All you have to do
is set up an adocon.open" and stuff like that to which I say, "Whoop dee woo
jigga what?" Then they say, "i assume you are going to us ASP" to which I
reply, "Wizza woo who?" I go to pages that claim to have the answer, and
they say, "open your asp page" which I have no idea what or how or where the
hell to find such a thing.

Can anybody recommend a resource that assumes absolutely completely 100%
absence of any knowledge about this whatsoever? I just want to connect to
my database, damnit!

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

I can't recommend a source, but I tell you that you can't effectively use a
mdb ACROSS a internet connection.

If you MUST edit/open the file, then your web provider will have to SHARE
the folder in which the mdb file resides, and you must be ABLE TO BROWSE TO
THAT FOLDER and open the file like any other FILE ON YOUR COMPUTER!

The ONLY way to do this is to have the provider setup a VPN (virtual private
network). I am NOT aware of any web hosting or provider that allows VPN
connections, but you could ask. So, while a VPN solution would work, it is
of no use to you, since I don't believe any providers offer vpn connections
(if this was you OWN web server, then you MOST certainly can do this, but
not with a internet service provider that hosts your mdb file).

Since ms-access is not in fact being used, nor is it installed on the web
site, then really, at the end of the day your are not using ms-access, but
ONLY using the JET database engine and the mdb file format. This being the
case, the you might want to simply use sql server, or some other server
based database engine. Most (but not all) web providers DO allow direct
connection to a database engine, but do NOT allow you to open (directly) a
mdb file, which you were asking for above.

Assuming you could get a VPN setup, the problem is now going to be of
performance, and damage to the database. So, you can read the following
article of mine that gives you some options, and explains why what you ask
cannot work.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal//Wan/Wans.html