"Frontend" and "Backend" are terms used to describe two of the fundamental
parts of a database software system. In the case of Access, the "frontend"
is a normal Access database file (*.mdb) that contains all the forms,
reports, queries, macros and so on. The "backend" is a standard Access
database file (*.mdb) that contains only tables. The backend is sometimes
referred to as the "data store", because it "stores" the data.
If you don't have a "split" database, you can split it by selecting Tools |
Database Utilities | Database Splitter.
Once you split the database, you can place the "backend" on a server share,
so it is accessible to everyone. Each user would then normally have a
"frontend" installed on their workstation; one frontend per user. It is not
good practice to have a single frontend stored on a server and used by
multiple users.
Regards,
Graham R Seach
Microsoft Access MVP
Sydney, Australia
Microsoft Access 2003 VBA Programmer's Reference
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0764559036.html