Kudzullc
asked on
Accessing .mdb over internet
Hello experts!
I am trying to build an application that allows the user to use a .mdb located locally on users computer and update an .mdb file on the internet. The only reason for the local .mdb is because use of the form needs to be able to react off-line as well as on-line. Specifically, the user will always update the local database and only update database over the internet when a)connected of course & b) when user specifies (ie. on_click). Synchronization of these databases is not the problem in a sense, I have been researching for the past few days and I am not able to narrow down a search on this subject, hence the question. I am successfully updating the local database with OleDb Connections. I understand that SQL server is my best bet, but my company and I are not able to use this technology yet and need for this application is growing. Now to the questions.
1). Am I able to do this? Can I connect to and successfully update,delete,insert data into an Access database over the internet? I have been here http://www.carlprothman.net/Default.aspx?tabid=93#MSRemoteAccess (best by far) and a few other places to locate the connection strings but to no avail. Also, I have visited most the links provided within EE forums for past subjects on this matter.
2). With ADO & OleDb controls, do I connect to the .mdb via Internet with ConnectionString?
(ie. Provider=MS Remote;" & _
"Remote Server=http://myServerName;" & _
"Handler=MSDFMAP.Handler;"
"Data Source=MyAdvworksConn")
Or rather something similar? Is there something more involved I am missing or is this the only mandatory item to connect? If I can connect and do one simple select or update, I will be off and running.
3). Is there another approach I am overlooking?
4). Is this a stable procedure? (Accessing .mdb's over Web)
This application is done in VB.NET 2005 (VS 2005 non-beta) and is quite stable as far as local database moves. Thanks for your time and I appreciate ANY input into my situation.
Thanks in advance,
Lucas
I am trying to build an application that allows the user to use a .mdb located locally on users computer and update an .mdb file on the internet. The only reason for the local .mdb is because use of the form needs to be able to react off-line as well as on-line. Specifically, the user will always update the local database and only update database over the internet when a)connected of course & b) when user specifies (ie. on_click). Synchronization of these databases is not the problem in a sense, I have been researching for the past few days and I am not able to narrow down a search on this subject, hence the question. I am successfully updating the local database with OleDb Connections. I understand that SQL server is my best bet, but my company and I are not able to use this technology yet and need for this application is growing. Now to the questions.
1). Am I able to do this? Can I connect to and successfully update,delete,insert data into an Access database over the internet? I have been here http://www.carlprothman.net/Default.aspx?tabid=93#MSRemoteAccess (best by far) and a few other places to locate the connection strings but to no avail. Also, I have visited most the links provided within EE forums for past subjects on this matter.
2). With ADO & OleDb controls, do I connect to the .mdb via Internet with ConnectionString?
(ie. Provider=MS Remote;" & _
"Remote Server=http://myServerName;" & _
"Handler=MSDFMAP.Handler;"
"Data Source=MyAdvworksConn")
Or rather something similar? Is there something more involved I am missing or is this the only mandatory item to connect? If I can connect and do one simple select or update, I will be off and running.
3). Is there another approach I am overlooking?
4). Is this a stable procedure? (Accessing .mdb's over Web)
This application is done in VB.NET 2005 (VS 2005 non-beta) and is quite stable as far as local database moves. Thanks for your time and I appreciate ANY input into my situation.
Thanks in advance,
Lucas
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ASKER
Scolja and tm,
Thanks for your comments. I have gotten down to the nitty gritty on this issue. The past VB6 program(which I did not build) is using Coldfusion as a webservice by calling xmlhttp.Open "POST" to append data to the server. It is quite effective and since I know CF I am going this route myself. Thanks for all your input on this. I was really hoping that one of you would have said "Yeah, the connection String is this #blah blah blah# and dont forget to check and make sure your connected, thats all you need" but It is a bit more complicated and I have already begun testing some test models. It is very interesting. Just a quick explanation.... I am passing all the fields per table into a form post through xmlhttp and submitting the cfm which tags the DSN I need to update. Works great too! But I will be looking to upgrade this software later this year and obtain a dedicated SQL Server for just this application.
Thanks again!
Lucas
Thanks for your comments. I have gotten down to the nitty gritty on this issue. The past VB6 program(which I did not build) is using Coldfusion as a webservice by calling xmlhttp.Open "POST" to append data to the server. It is quite effective and since I know CF I am going this route myself. Thanks for all your input on this. I was really hoping that one of you would have said "Yeah, the connection String is this #blah blah blah# and dont forget to check and make sure your connected, thats all you need" but It is a bit more complicated and I have already begun testing some test models. It is very interesting. Just a quick explanation.... I am passing all the fields per table into a form post through xmlhttp and submitting the cfm which tags the DSN I need to update. Works great too! But I will be looking to upgrade this software later this year and obtain a dedicated SQL Server for just this application.
Thanks again!
Lucas
ASKER
Thanks for the reply. I am very unfamiliar with ASP.NET but will look into this. If I build an ASP.NET application and let my VB.NET app talk to it, this ASP app has to reside on the remote server like a website, right? Then my VB app gains internet access and populates the ASP app then allows the ASP app to connect to the remote server (which would be local for ASP app) for SQL stuff. Does the ASP app have to be designed specifically for tables or does it just set a platform for the SQL data transfers? Hmmm... let me rephrase that last one. Can the ASP app be a universal container that can be dynamically built with the VB app and then be set with SQL statements from the VB app...?
Thanks,
Lucas