Microsoft Access across the network

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Traveller

At what point does Access 97/2000 become senstive (re:
performance issues) when accessing a database? ie.
Number of users and database size.
 
At what point does Access 97/2000 become senstive (re:
performance issues) when accessing a database? ie.
Number of users and database size.
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That depends on the structure of your queries, the network
architecture and traffic, users' tolerance for performance delays,
processor speed and memory, and twenty dozen other criteria. Obviously
two users accessing a database simultaneously will experience somewhat
slower performance than one, three slower than two; at which point it
becomes an "issue" is very much a "rubber ruler" question!

You'll just have to try it with your system. A VERY rough rule of
thumb would be that some twenty users simultaneously updating, and
some hundred read-only, will become an issue; database size shouldn't
be too much of an issue if your tables are properly indexed and your
queries well designed.
 
Are you talking about LAN or WAN?

If you are talking about WAN, I recommend using Access as the Front-End and
applying in Client-Server as much as you can using proper database server
such as MS-SQL Server, Oracle ... as the Back-End.

If you are talking about LAN, then the performance of the database (Access
Front-End, Access / JET Back-End) depends on a lot of factors: how well the
database is designed and implemented, how dynamic the data is, network
hardware (even down to the NICs), network software, etc ... Ball-part
figures are generally misleading as we all have seen databases that struggle
with 10 MB size and 2 users as well as databases that are up to 20+ GB
(Arvin Meyer's) or more than 100 users (Larry Linson's).

Personally, I look for an upgrade path at around 500MB (dynamic database)
and / or 25+ users. It is NOT that Access fails at these figures but I
think if the database is dynamic and that big or used by that many users, it
is *important enough* for a proper back-up and restore procedures (which are
lacking in Access) as well as continuity of service. I ask myself the
question: Can the business afford to lose the database for a day or 25+
users not doing the work efficiently because of the inaccessibility of the
database for a day.
 
It really depends on a variety of factors, i.e., network speed ,
applicaton design, PC RAM, PC HD, server RAM, server HD, etc. But network
speed and application design are probably most important. If poorly
designed, your app may only support 1 user. If well designed, 20 or more.
 
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