CODEWITHSUNDEEP
sql-serverms-accessodbc
David
David

Reputation: 11

Connecting MS Access to SQL Server on a network

I have SQL Server Express on a windows server. I have 10 people with MS Access 2016 on the local PCs. assuming that the db is very small and simple. What is the simplest way to connect to SQL Server? Will simple ODBC work? Do I need to enable remote access? TCP/IP? Pipes?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1321

Answers (2)

Gustav
Gustav

Reputation: 55806

ODBC is the simple and proven method.

Sidenote:

Consider the method using a script and a shortcut to distribute the frontend to the users as described in my article:

Deploy and update a Microsoft Access application with one click

Upvotes: 1

Albert D. Kallal
Albert D. Kallal

Reputation: 48989

Yes, the basic concept here is to use linked tables. It not clear if before using SQL server, you were using Access in a mutlti-user mode.

The general idea here is you have a split database. So you have the application part or so called front end. This concept is really no different than say running word, or excel. These applications are installed on each workstation. But THEN the application can use some file.

So, in a typical multi-user Access applications, you have your application part installed on each machine (the front end).

Then you will typical place the back end file in some folder on the server. And then your front end will have linked tables to the back end.

If you adopt sql server for the back end? Then the setup is really the same as above. You have the front end application part that you install on each machine, and you have linked tables like before. The only difference is now your linked tables are pointing to SQL server.

So, yes you do have to enable TCP/IP for SQL server. You also have to decide if you going to use windows authentication for the users (that is windows logon). You can really only from a practical use case use windows authentication if you have a domain controller. (A computer that manages permissions to all your computers). If you are not sure or don’t have a domain? Well then you will need to create and use SQL server logons. Most often, you can create one logon/user for SQL server and have all of the access FE use this one logon. (so once again, you link the FE’s using the Access linked table manager, and you use + save this logon during the linking process).

As as a standard approach, how your application will work is really the same when using SQL server or not. In these use case examples, you use linked tables in the front end. In fact if you had a access back end, and now use SQL server for the back end, then all your forms and even the VBA code should work as before. There are often some “minor” changes to code that uses recordets, but the forms etc. should work as before.

Upvotes: 1

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