Microsoft SQL Server Internet Database

Do you need to share and update information in real-time with employees, suppliers, distributors or customers over the Internet?  Are you experiencing problems managing the cost and complexity of your business process?  It may be time to consider moving your Database to the Web.   PCA specializes in Web database applications, and we have helped many businesses determine the best, most cost-efficient way to develop and deploy Web database applications.

Practical Differences: MS Access, MSDE, MS SQL Server

The different database Servers and Clients available on the Microsoft Business Platform have inherent strengths and drawbacks.  Databases include: MS Access Jet Engine, MSDE and MS SQL Server.  Application Clients include: MS Access, .ASP (Web pages), Visual Basic, and PCA's Smart Clients.  Principal considerations for deciding which CLient/Server combination is most suitable for your Web database application include:

• Mission Criticality of the Business Application
• Location and End Users (LAN vs. Internet)
• Frequency of Use (Moderate vs. Heavy)
• Number of End Users (5 users vs. Enterprise-wide deployment)
• Business Product/Process Complexity (and associated Database Complexity)
• Size of the database (<1MB to >100GB)
• Static vs. Dynamic Content (Read vs. Read-Write access)
• Auditability, Industry Compliance (e.g. SarbOx, HIPPA)

MSDE Database (Server) to MS Access (Client)

If you've already reached the technical limitations of your MS Access Application, the MSDE database engine is the first database upgrade on the standard Microsoft Business Solutions path.  This approach requires that you swap-out the native MS Access Jet Engine database back-end with the MSDE database.  You can continue to use the MS Access Application front-end (Client).   This approach can be the most cost-effective (MSDE is free), and, this will most likely eliminate some of the database limitations inherent to MS Access.

If your database is exposed to the Internet thru anything other than an MS Access front end (which limits the number of End Users you can support) or .ASP Active Server Pages (which provides read-only access to your data), you must purchase (or already own) a SQL Server License from Microsoft.  This is purely a Microsoft Licensing issue -- MSDE and MS SQL Server are the same identical database engine; the only difference is, an MS SQL Server license is required by Microsoft to support unlimited users on a LAN or the Internet, with no performance or licensing restrictions.  MSDE is also slightly more difficult to develop custom business applications on, and appreciably more difficult/expensive to install and configure vs. MS SQL Server.  So these are "development cost" issues that you should keep in mind as well.

MSDE, MS SQL Server and PCA Smart Client

With a few users, you can get away with an MS Access Database, provided your database schema is simple and you don't expect your database to grow larger than 1.5 GBs.   If you have a complex process (and a similarly complex database schema), or you need to use the Internet, or you need to support a growing number of End Users, it's time to get serious about either MSDE or MS SQL Server.

Static vs. Dynamic Database

Do you need to publish structured information to various web pages, where your End Users are limited to read-only access?  If this is the case, generating .ASP pages from a MS SQL Server database is probably the way to go.  If however, you need to support frequent, two-way interaction and transaction of database content (End uses can read, modify the data, add new records, etc), or if you have a more complex business process, it's time to get serious about considering using a PCA Smart Client application hooked up to an MS SQL Server database.

Database Replication and Synchronization

In our experience, the data replication and synchronization method you apply to MS SQL Server is one of the biggest technical challenges.  How you go about this can (and will!) directly impact performance and data integrity.  There are several proven approaches to distributing and updating database-driven content, and the ideal approach varies depending upon: end user access restrictions, workflow considerations, schema complexity, update cycle, media types, size of the database, and other factors.  The process of how you distribute information to remote users, and flow reliable data back and forth forces key early design decisions.

Choosing the Appropriate Business Platform

Any wrong turn with these considerations can (and will!) produce results that are both painful and expensive, and likely fall short of meeting your business objectives.  All too frequently, customers call PCA because they took a wrong turn with the database configuration and design, and are now experiencing lost data, very slow performance, or the database itself becomes corrupted.

PCA offers a number of time-tested distributed web database applications approaches that can address a broad range of fucntional and budget requirements. We can create robust, web database applications directly from your MS SQL Server database that actually perform FASTER and are EASIER TO USE over the Internet, than most MS SQL Server applications running on a local area network (LAN)!

PCA can help you determine the most cost-effective Business Application Platform to meet your budget and business needs.  Initial customer consultations are free-of-charge. Let us help you put your MS Access application on the Internet!