The "Split" MS Access approach is a superior method for deploying MS Access applications within a LAN environment (among a relatively small group of End Users). This approach requires "splitting" the MS Access application into 2 MDB files: one that contains the Front-End Application components (User Interface Forms, Queries, code, etc.) and another MDB file that contains the Back-end MS Access Data Store component.

Splitting an MS Access application into front-end and back-end components can incrementally improve application reliability, but can come at the cost of performance. Generally speaking, splitting an MS Access application is a good idea to support small LAN workgroup environments.

Split MS Access Application Scorecard
Number of End Users	<5	LAN only (WAN not recommended)
Application Performance	Good	Poor application design will impede performance
Application Reliability	Good	Increased usage and datastore size will crash the application/corrupt the datastore
Data Integrity	Poor	Limited means to insure data accuracy
Application Security	Poor	Data wide open to the LAN
Maintenance Burden	High	Repair & Compact, Restore common

It is also fairly common to use the Split Access method to support different MS Access Front-End applications that are connected to a single Back-End MS Access data store. For example, a single MS Access data store that contains Customer Contact data that is connected to MS Access applications in both Marketing and Customer Support departments.

Limitations to splitting an MS Access application generally include the ability to share across the Wide Area Network (WAN) or scale beyond a dozen or so simultaneous users.