Suggestions for MS Access Web-based Replacement.

[nicksterling]

Our company is currently using Access 2003 to connect over ODBC to a MySQL database. We chose Access 2003 because of its use of forms. More recently, we have been looking for a solution which might centralize our process.

Instead of having to maintain 5 workstations with Access installed, we’d like to move to a web based system. Does anyone have any ideas for an Access replacement which uses a similar interface on a centralized server? Thanks!

[kgun]

Can this

Transfer data from excel/acess to a MySQL database

thread help you?

[RichAtVNS]

Originally Posted by nicksterling

Our company is currently using Access 2003 to connect over ODBC to a MySQL database. We chose Access 2003 because of its use of forms. More recently, we have been looking for a solution which might centralize our process.

Instead of having to maintain 5 workstations with Access installed, we’d like to move to a web based system. Does anyone have any ideas for an Access replacement which uses a similar interface on a centralized server? Thanks!

We have this solution ourselves. Save your self a huge amount of headaches rewriting the world.

Put a secure access database on either the webserver or a mount drive connected to the webserver and export your forms to asp (a tool in access already).
The only thing you will need to do is change a few configuratiions to read the right table.

You will be up and running in days. Plus if your webserver is networked in house you can all reference the original access database and forms though a simple secure mount.
If you want to use this solution just make sure your webserver only talks through the firewall or router on http,https ports. Sounds like you have a small configuration so if your using something like a linksys router thats real easy.

This means you will not have to go and rewrite the queries and forms and you can still use access simple template form builders to make your stuff.

Now if you have a perfomance issue you can always move the tables and data to any odbc complient databas (like kguns suggestion for MySQL) and then just link the tables through your master access database.

We have a multiple site with over 45,000 pages and over 2000 page views an hour running on a simple IIs server with this configuration. (the only thing we did was move all images to a separate image server to remove the heavy bandwidth taken by just delivering the images)

Have any other questions?

[RichAtVNS]

Originally Posted by kgun

Can this

Transfer data from excel/acess to a MySQL database

thread help you?

He didn't say anything about excel and this solution does not save his forms.

[kgun]

Originally Posted by RichAtVNS

Put a secure access database on either the webserver or a mount drive connected to the webserver and export your forms to asp (a tool in access already).
The only thing you will need to do is change a few configuratiions to read the right table.

Is it so difficult to do the same with Access VB embedded SQL statements and export it to PHP / MySQL forms?

Originally Posted by RichAtVNS

He didn't say anything about excel and this solution does not save his forms.

That thread was about Excel / Access.

Originally Posted by nicksterling

Our company is currently using Access 2003 to connect over ODBC to a MySQL database. We chose Access 2003 because of its use of forms. More recently, we have been looking for a solution which might centralize our process.

Instead of having to maintain 5 workstations with Access installed, we’d like to move to a web based system. Does anyone have any ideas for an Access replacement which uses a similar interface on a centralized server? Thanks!

My bolding.

OK, great if your solution solves his long term needs.

[texxs]

I do this daily. Use ASP.NET it' has special tools just for this. I would suggest you migrate all your data to one database first, or at least multiple databases of the same type. Trying to use 2 different database technologies in the same web app ids just insanely more complicated if it's even possible.

If you don't know how to write code, do not attempt this, hire a pro or buy "dummy" (no offense) software, ask us for a recommendation after you've migrated all data to one DB and will help you with that too. But we know which database you've chosen.

[texxs]

BTW, none of the "Data Access Pages" included with MS Access will work for more than one computer unless you set up a "three tiered server" system. It's definitely NOT worth the effort to even research this crazy method.

And I use MS Access every day and I don't think there's any tool that "exports to asp" other the data acess pages which, again will only work on an expensive three tiered server system.

If you do find a way to make them work over the internet let us know the world wants this.

Dude did say "web based" not "LAN based" so mounting drives etc. won't do either, unless everyone who needs it is on the same network and there is a MS Server in the house as well. Then it may be a good idea to consider a local access only application.

There's no way around development when your trying to make a web application.

" . . . you can always move the tables and data to any odbc complaint database (like kguns suggestion for MySQL) and then just link the tables through your master access database. . ." This will just make your performance problems worse.

Please don't think you can just migrate data from one any odbc compliant database to another. There ARE compatibility issued (not all databases have the same datatypes).

It sounds as though RichAtVNS is using a dedicated MS web server (you can't even view what drives are attached to a machine when using a shared hosting account, much less mount a new one), and a big fat one at that. This probably isn't an option for most because of the enterprise level costs involved.

RichAtVNS: Why even do the mounted drive thing?