Two back-ends, how set relationships?

[mscertified]

I have to maintain an application that I did not write and is set up in a
weird way.
There are two back-ends, one is protected by a password and contains a
mini-application to update referenece tables. There are no relationships
defined but there really needs to be as there are several important
one-to-many relationships. The problem is the 'many' side is in one database
and the 'one' side in the other database. Can relationships be defined in
these circumstances?

 

[Allen Browne]

You cannot enforce relationships automatically across separate MDB files.

Your choices are:
a) combine into one MDB, and let Access take care of enforcing the
relations, or
b) take on the responsibility to enforce the relations yourself, ensuring
that you capture and test every possible insert, deletion, and edit that
could affect the integrity.

 

[John Vinson]

Can relationships be defined in
these circumstances?

No.

The relationships would need to be defined in one of the databases -
and there is no way that those relationships can be enforced, or even
known, if someone or some application opens the OTHER database and
starts making changes there.

The only solution would be to lock down both databases with tight
security, and allow ONLY your frontend to make any changes in either
database, using VBA code to enforce referential integrity between the
two. And of course even that tactic can be evaded if someone is
determined enough to break the security.

John W. Vinson[MVP]