FrontEnd on Server or Local?

[ChipR]

I wanted to have each of my ~20 users put a copy of the frontend on their desktop, but my supervisor decided it would be more difficult to update that way, so they should each have a shortcut to the frontend, which is located on the server in the same folder as the backend.
Is this a good or bad idea? I've noticed that the file size of the frontend grew a little when people started using it even though it was compiled to a .accde and then I renamed it to a .accdr so users wouldn't have the navigation window etc.
Thanks,
Chip

[rsmccli]

Based on EVERYTHING that I have heard, it would be better to have the front end reside on the individual workstations with linked tables to the backend on the server. There are numerous posts and articles on the web about this... ill try to go find one quick...

heres one: Microsoft Access tips: Split your MDB file into data and application

[Megalog]

Definitely keep it local!
I've posted a few times about this in the past. Check out these 2 topics, and that should get you started. If you need more help or ideas let me know.

FE/BE Distribution

Auto Updating Front-End on Workstations

[ChipR]

That's exactly what I was looking for, sorry I didn't search hard enough. I'm just going to tell my supervisor that having everyone run the one copy on the server is not an option due to chance of corruption. And I'm looking forward to setting up the auto-updating scheme.

The one thing I'm still concerned with is the size of my compiled frontend growing. Is this normal? I haven't kept the same version long enough to see if it ever stopped growing, but it starts at 2.5M and gets to 3M after a day of use. I made sure to close and nothing all recordset and dbs and forms. When I do a fresh compile, it just grows as soon as I go in and open some forms.

[tdw]

In looking for a solution for automatically pushing updated front ends to individual computers for my database I found a shareware solution.
It's a utility that you launch from the server on each computer. It copies the front end file from the server to the computer, and from then on every time the user opens their front end (using the desktop icon it creates) it checks to see if the copy on the server has been updated (by looking at the "modified" date of the file). If so, it re-copies the file to the user's computer. If not, it just opens up the user's own front end copy.

It's a good solution (in my opinion) for your question too, as it "installs" the front end on the user's computer. It works wonderfully, but you have to read the instructions on how to set it up correctly initially.

It is here: Auto FE Updater

[Megalog]

ChipR, the FE file will grow a little bit, basically after opening each form or executing events. Assuming you dont have any local tables stored within for temporary purposes, it should stop growing after everything has been opened or ran. If you keep opening the same form over and over, it wont change.

tdw: I've looked into using that FE distributor. It's a lot of configuring for something a single batch file can accomplish.

[ChipR]

Unfortunately, my employer doesn't allow me to run any compiled programs without an approval process that takes a long time, like years. I can only use code that I can compile myself. Just makes it more fun and challenging to learn.

[tdw]

@Megalog
Yes, there is a lot of configuring. I ended up using it because the only batch file I know how to do would copy the front end every time instead of just when there was an update. I'm sure there was a batch file solution to that too but I didn't know how to do it, so I didn't. But, once set up, the FE Updater is great.

[Megalog]

Alternatively, if you've got $$$$ you're looking to spend, you can buy a professional distribution/versioning package from FMS Solutions. This would be ideal in a company where you're managing a lot of different databases (time is $$$)...

FMS Access Version Launcher

[tdw]

Yes, but the $$$ is the problem. My boss wouldn't understand the usefulness of it, since he is really just a basic user, and not the one who has to improve it's functionality or performance.

That link you provided, is that also for creating an installer so that I could, say, put the database on a disk and distribute it to other people to install on their machines and servers (minus the actual data, of course)?

[Megalog]

tdw, it doesnt handle distribution outside of a network. And I dont think it would cover installing the runtime software, etc.

For a professional package (an expensive one, but it's feature packed) you can look into Sagekey Software.

Or you can go cheap like me, and use the Access 2007 Developer Extension Add-in. You can use that to package simple runtime & database installs.