to link or not to link

[Rod]

I have a choice of having all my data on a server and an application on a
client's machine that has tables that are linked to the database on the
server over the LAN.
Or just having the whole application on the server and the user running the
application over the network.
Everything is in Access (2003) and it is also a single user application.

Is it obvious which is best. The way I see it there is a penalty for using
linked tables, but the other way would mean that the temporary storage used
by the workspace would be over the network.

Any insight will be much appreciated.

 

[Keith Wilby]

I have a choice of having all my data on a server and an application on a
client's machine that has tables that are linked to the database on the
server over the LAN.
Or just having the whole application on the server and the user running
the application over the network.
Everything is in Access (2003) and it is also a single user application.

Is it obvious which is best. The way I see it there is a penalty for using
linked tables, but the other way would mean that the temporary storage
used by the workspace would be over the network.

Any insight will be much appreciated.

If it's single user then the only down side I can see to not splitting is
providing user-interface updates, but can you guarantee that no other user
will open it by accident or otherwise?

Keith.
www.keithwilby.com

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

If you've got the front-end on the server (be it separate or combined with
the back-end), you're going to increase network traffic significantly, since
all user interface elements will have to be transmitted across the wire
before they can be displayed. Increasing the network traffic may increase
the risk of corruption.