Splitting and networking database

  • Thread starter Thread starter sweeneysmsm
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sweeneysmsm

I have an Access 2003 database to split into a front and back end. I expect
to use the wizard to accomplish that task. The database is on one computer on
my client’s network (no server; just networked computers).

This is my plan so if my steps are not correct, please let me know. (I’m
going to make a copy of the unsplit db just to protect myself.)

1) Use the wizard to split the database. Leave the back-end in the shared
folder. (I am assuming here that the splitting process will leave a front-end
and back-end that are linked to each other on the computer where the present
database is located.)
2) Copy the front end and bring it home where I have Access extensions
installed and a CD burner. (Workplace does not have a CD burner on the
computer where Access is loaded..)
3) Use the Access extensions to make a package to install the front end and
a runtime version of Access.
4) Install the package on each of the computers which need to access the
database from other computers on the network.
5) Please make any relevant comments on the above.
6) The other question I have concerns a desktop shortcut. I am wondering if
there is any special syntax for the Shorcut’s Target. (I know that if I have
a special workgroup [which I don’t in this case] I need to bring together the
Access application, the database, and the workgroup.] Is there anything
special I have to do with Front-End/Back-End etc in a shortcut?

Someone also very kindly shared this link with me
http://www.mvps.org/access/tables/tbl0009.htm
Do I need to use something like this if I have only one Front End and one
Back End or will the splitting wizard take care of this for me? I hope that
the latter is the case as I do not understand much of the relinking code.

Thank you for any insight you can give me.

Mary
 
Right off the bat, I question how successful you might be if you leave the
data on your company's PC and carry the front-end (linked to ???) home to
work on it.

Has that worked for you before? Can you get from home to the company's
PC/network? Will others need to make that connection?

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP
 
Thank you for replying.

My only reason for seeking to go someplace else is that the licensed Access
program is only on the one computer at my client's workplace where I did the
development, but that computer has no CD burner to burn an install package to
CD.

Are you saying that I should also copy the back end? Will the Access
extensions make an install package for both the front and back end at the
same time? Or do I make two install packages? I guess I had thought that if I
did the splitting on the computer at my client's workplace, the front end
would have the links to the back end. Then if I copied the front end and
created an install package for it, it would have the links to the back end
location from the original split. If the links weren't right, my hope had
been that they could be corrected in properties.

Neither I nor anyone else would be accessing the back-end from anyplace
offsite. I have never split a database before, even when it was being
accessed from other computers. However, that was the very strong
recommendation that was made to me earlier in this forum. Cf.
http://www.microsoft.com/communitie...1dc6&mid=a9555442-c8b0-4f76-9f66-08a26fa21dc6

Mary

Jeff Boyce said:
Right off the bat, I question how successful you might be if you leave the
data on your company's PC and carry the front-end (linked to ???) home to
work on it.

Has that worked for you before? Can you get from home to the company's
PC/network? Will others need to make that connection?

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

sweeneysmsm said:
I have an Access 2003 database to split into a front and back end. I expect
to use the wizard to accomplish that task. The database is on one computer
on
my client's network (no server; just networked computers).

This is my plan so if my steps are not correct, please let me know. (I'm
going to make a copy of the unsplit db just to protect myself.)

1) Use the wizard to split the database. Leave the back-end in the shared
folder. (I am assuming here that the splitting process will leave a
front-end
and back-end that are linked to each other on the computer where the
present
database is located.)
2) Copy the front end and bring it home where I have Access extensions
installed and a CD burner. (Workplace does not have a CD burner on the
computer where Access is loaded..)
3) Use the Access extensions to make a package to install the front end
and
a runtime version of Access.
4) Install the package on each of the computers which need to access the
database from other computers on the network.
5) Please make any relevant comments on the above.
6) The other question I have concerns a desktop shortcut. I am wondering
if
there is any special syntax for the Shorcut's Target. (I know that if I
have
a special workgroup [which I don't in this case] I need to bring together
the
Access application, the database, and the workgroup.] Is there anything
special I have to do with Front-End/Back-End etc in a shortcut?

Someone also very kindly shared this link with me
http://www.mvps.org/access/tables/tbl0009.htm
Do I need to use something like this if I have only one Front End and one
Back End or will the splitting wizard take care of this for me? I hope
that
the latter is the case as I do not understand much of the relinking code.

Thank you for any insight you can give me.

Mary
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Yes, the front-end will have "links". No, your home PC won't be able to see
them!

Perhaps other readers have had experience doing this ... I've done my work
in the environment/on the machine(s) on which the application would have to
run.

Good luck!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

sweeneysmsm said:
Thank you for replying.

My only reason for seeking to go someplace else is that the licensed
Access
program is only on the one computer at my client's workplace where I did
the
development, but that computer has no CD burner to burn an install package
to
CD.

Are you saying that I should also copy the back end? Will the Access
extensions make an install package for both the front and back end at the
same time? Or do I make two install packages? I guess I had thought that
if I
did the splitting on the computer at my client's workplace, the front end
would have the links to the back end. Then if I copied the front end and
created an install package for it, it would have the links to the back end
location from the original split. If the links weren't right, my hope had
been that they could be corrected in properties.

Neither I nor anyone else would be accessing the back-end from anyplace
offsite. I have never split a database before, even when it was being
accessed from other computers. However, that was the very strong
recommendation that was made to me earlier in this forum. Cf.
http://www.microsoft.com/communitie...1dc6&mid=a9555442-c8b0-4f76-9f66-08a26fa21dc6

Mary

Jeff Boyce said:
Right off the bat, I question how successful you might be if you leave
the
data on your company's PC and carry the front-end (linked to ???) home to
work on it.

Has that worked for you before? Can you get from home to the company's
PC/network? Will others need to make that connection?

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

sweeneysmsm said:
I have an Access 2003 database to split into a front and back end. I
expect
to use the wizard to accomplish that task. The database is on one
computer
on
my client's network (no server; just networked computers).

This is my plan so if my steps are not correct, please let me know.
(I'm
going to make a copy of the unsplit db just to protect myself.)

1) Use the wizard to split the database. Leave the back-end in the
shared
folder. (I am assuming here that the splitting process will leave a
front-end
and back-end that are linked to each other on the computer where the
present
database is located.)
2) Copy the front end and bring it home where I have Access extensions
installed and a CD burner. (Workplace does not have a CD burner on the
computer where Access is loaded..)
3) Use the Access extensions to make a package to install the front end
and
a runtime version of Access.
4) Install the package on each of the computers which need to access
the
database from other computers on the network.
5) Please make any relevant comments on the above.
6) The other question I have concerns a desktop shortcut. I am
wondering
if
there is any special syntax for the Shorcut's Target. (I know that if I
have
a special workgroup [which I don't in this case] I need to bring
together
the
Access application, the database, and the workgroup.] Is there anything
special I have to do with Front-End/Back-End etc in a shortcut?

Someone also very kindly shared this link with me
http://www.mvps.org/access/tables/tbl0009.htm
Do I need to use something like this if I have only one Front End and
one
Back End or will the splitting wizard take care of this for me? I hope
that
the latter is the case as I do not understand much of the relinking
code.

Thank you for any insight you can give me.

Mary
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Yes, the front-end will have "links". No, your home PC won't be able to see
them!
Click to expand...

You're going to need some kind of automatic relinking code - there are
lots of techniques out there. The reason is that if your back-end
database ever moves, your users will need to be able to quickly relink
to it.

Also, for you as the developer, you need to be able to test out the
application on different back-ends. Using linked table manager will
work for you, but it's cumbersome.

Regarding building the install at home - your front-end won't be able
to see your work PC unless you are VPNed in, and even then it will be
very slow. It would be better to have your back-end at home too just
for testing, and then relink when you get to the office.

No, your install package should NOT include the back-end database -
we're just talking about having the back-end available so that your
links will work.

Armen Stein
Microsoft Access MVP
www.JStreetTech.com
 
Thank you to you all.

I have made some progress. The client's computer has a DVD burner so I
presume I can use that with the Access extensions to create the package.

I have succeeded in splitting the database as was suggested. (I am actually
working on a "test run copy" to insure that I am safe. My back-end contains
my tables and my front-end forms etc have "linked" icons preceding them.

Regarding the relinking code:

1. In my Access 2003 Inside-Out book it give Startup Code to Verify and
Correct Linked Table Connections (on p. 1206). Then it says: “The code begins
by attempting to open the lined ztblVersionTable. I have looked in the
back-end and Front-end and find no table with that name.â€
a. Does that mean I do not use that code or that that table is hidden?
b. If I should use the code (presuming that the table is hidden), it tells
me to open the modStartup Module. where and how do I find the modStartup
Module. (I am assuming it is in the front end.)
Thank you for any insight you can provide.

Mary
 
Regarding the relinking code:
Click to expand...

Hi Mary,

I don't have that book in front of me, but it seems that both
ztblVersionTable and modStartup are part of the relinking code used in
the examples. You would need to bring in any necessary pieces. One
issue is that by its name, I assume that the table does some version
checking too, which you may not want or need.

You might want to use a more "standalone" relinker utility. Your post
prompted me to do something I've been thinking about for a long time -
make our relinker available. It's at:
http://www.jstreettech.com/cartgenie/pg_developerDownloads.asp

The file is J Street Access Relinker.

This should work fine for you, and doesn't need any of its own tables.
If you want to try it, just follow the instructions in the Read Me
table.

Armen Stein
Microsoft Access MVP
www.JStreetTech.com
 
Hi, Armen.

Thank you so much! You have no idea how much I appreciate your help and your
willingness to share. It gets me out of the problem of having references to a
table I don't have.

I have downloaded the .mdb and taken a peek at the ReadMe file. Either today
or tomorrow I hope to bring it to my client's workplace and test it out with
my Test.mdb. I will get back to you and let you know how I progress. It looks
to be a wonderful help for those of us who make databases but are not fluent
in VBA. I do so welcome the opportunity to learn. This is the first time I am
working with a database that has multiple user from different computers on a
network.

Will be in touch.

Mary
 
Hi, Armen.

Thanks so much for the relinker. It worked like a charm. I just have one
more question. I feel a bit like Columbo who says 'There was just this one
other matter..."

I split the database and made the install package with the developer
extensions. I do encounter one problem and I just want to know if that is
part of the runtime version of Access. When a user is am using the front end
with the runtime version of Access. and a linked back-end, they seem to have
no filtering options. They can't click into a field which displays data they
are looking for , eg, the name of a State, and then right click and choose
filter by selection. There seem to be no filtering options available in the
runtime version of Access. Is this true? (I'm also going to post this as a
separate question in the event that having said my question was answered, you
no longer get messages as to new comments on the thread. Thank you again for
your help.

Mary
 
When a user is am using the front end
with the runtime version of Access. and a linked back-end, they seem to have
no filtering options. They can't click into a field which displays data they
are looking for , eg, the name of a State, and then right click and choose
filter by selection.
Click to expand...

Hi Mary,

This may have been answered in your other thread, but it sounds like
you have Shortcut Menus (the official name for Right-Click Menus)
turned off in your Startup Options. The runtime doesn't prevent them
from working.

So glad the relinker worked well for you.

Armen Stein
Microsoft Access MVP
www.JStreetTech.com
 
Thank you so much. I will try and research how to adjust the Startup Options
in the Runtime version. Somebody should write a small book on the runtime
edition. It would be a great help!

Thank you so much.

Mary
 
I will try and research how to adjust the Startup Options
in the Runtime version.
Click to expand...

You can just set the Startup Options in the MDB, then create the MDE
and distribute it. The MDE will retain those options.

We usually don't bother to change the Startup Options in the MDE. We
set them in the MDB and then bypass them during development using the
Shift key on launch.

Armen Stein
Microsoft Access MVP
www.JStreetTech.com
 
Thank you! This has been so very helpful.

Mary

Armen Stein said:
You can just set the Startup Options in the MDB, then create the MDE
and distribute it. The MDE will retain those options.

We usually don't bother to change the Startup Options in the MDE. We
set them in the MDB and then bypass them during development using the
Shift key on launch.

Armen Stein
Microsoft Access MVP
www.JStreetTech.com
Click to expand...
 
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