The MS Access Datastore Application

The MS Access data store application design uses a single Back-End MS Access data store connected that is connected to a Windows application Client... typically written in Java or VB or one of the Dot Net languages (C #, Visual Basic .Net).

Using MS Access exclusively as a Data Store is generally useful for "occasionally connected" applications that need to be deployed to a disconnected computer like a laptop or notebook PC for reference information (primarily "read" more than "write"), or data collection that is synchronized periodically to update and share data.

The MS Access Data Store method can be used to house data on a network file share, however the Data Store approach forces MS Access to handle multi-user data concurrency issues, which are always best handled by a database server.

Limitations to the MS Data Store Application approach generally include data integrity and security issues inherent with all MS Access file-based solutions.  As a desktop product, this model does not lend itself to centralized maintenance; MS Access Repair and Compact must be run by the end user.  In the end, this design is as costly to develop and deploy as a full Client-Server application, but lacks the full Client-Server benefits of centralized Security, better performance, and ease of maintenance.

See the 10 Most Common Application Migration Business Drivers