Re: To Web or to synchronize? That is the question.
- From: "David W. Fenton" <XXXusenet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 27 Nov 2008 00:10:01 GMT
Astley Le Jasper <Astley.lejasper@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:fb796b0e-0894-43b9-bc07-736c31d64fe0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
:
A mate has asked me to help them with a database that they need
their field staff (<10) to use. While I can just about remember
putting together an Access database and ASP, I suspect things have
moved on a bit in the last few years.
I initially thought about some kind of synchronisation tool so at
least they could have it on their laptops and hook up when they
get back to base on a VPN. But this isn't something I've done
before. Does it work? It just doesn't feel ... right.
Jet replication is a really great tool if you have laptop users
going out in the field who need editable data that needs to be
merged back with the main database when they return to the office.
However, if you contemplate synchronizing over a VPN instead of a
wired LAN (WiFi is unacceptable for use with Access/Jet), then you'd
need to do indirect synchs, which makes the process of setting it up
and maintaining it substantially more complex, though it is
certainly quite safe and usable if you're willing to put in the time
in maintenance to keep it running smoothly.
Alternatively I could put it on the web and wondered if any of the
code generation tools like CodeCharge Studio, Ironspeed, Subsonic
Scaffold etc are any good or is it better just to forget them and
build from scratch? I'd be happy to go for quick and dirty if they
work, but I wonder if they are more pain than they are worth.
I don't quite understand how a web-based solution would allow users
to work in the field. If they have an Internet connection while in
the field, then save all the work of Jet replication or porting to
the web or (following Lyle's suggestion) porting the back end to SQL
Server, and just host the app on a Windows Terminal Server in the
home office. Run the thing across a VPN and you've got an
easy-to-set-up and easy-to-maintain solution that requires no work
to revise the Access app.
The only reason to contemplate replication, in my opinion, is if
your in-the-field users need to edit the data without an Internet
connection. And if that's true, the ASP solution and Lyle's SQL
Server back end don't work, either. If either of those would work,
then WTS is by far (orders of magnitude, in my opinion) simpler and
easier and cheaper and faster.
--
David W. Fenton http://www.dfenton.com/
usenet at dfenton dot com http://www.dfenton.com/DFA/
.
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- To Web or to synchronize? That is the question.
- From: Astley Le Jasper
- To Web or to synchronize? That is the question.
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