Convert an Access database to SQL

[cory]

Hi,
I have an Access database and am having an ASP.NEt application written for
it. It is almost complete. I have a hosting company that I signed up with
a month ago but before I did anything I asked them if Access and ASP.NET
would work on their servers, they said yes so I bought in. Now they are
saying my application wont work on their servers using MSaccess and I can
only use SQL or asp 3.0. They are saying Microsoft is trying to keep Ms
Access as a desktop application. The database is done, and the app is
almost done. I have paid alot of money for this application. What are my
options here?

How hard is it to convert an Access Database to SQL? What ramifications
does this have on the ASP.NET part?

How hard is it to convert to asp 3.0?

I was also told XML would work. DOnt know anything about it.

What about other hosts?

Any other options?

I just cant believe this.
Any help and insight would be greatly appreciated.

Cory

[Steve Jorgensen]

Please see the recent thread underway on this subject here at
comp.databases. ms-access.

On Wed, 07 Jan 2004 04:56:55 GMT, "cory" <no***@here.com > wrote:

Hi,
I have an Access database and am having an ASP.NEt application written for
it. It is almost complete. I have a hosting company that I signed up with
a month ago but before I did anything I asked them if Access and ASP.NET
would work on their servers, they said yes so I bought in. Now they are
saying my application wont work on their servers using MSaccess and I can
only use SQL or asp 3.0. They are saying Microsoft is trying to keep Ms
Access as a desktop application. The database is done, and the app is
almost done. I have paid alot of money for this application. What are my
options here?

How hard is it to convert an Access Database to SQL? What ramifications
does this have on the ASP.NET part?

How hard is it to convert to asp 3.0?

I was also told XML would work. DOnt know anything about it.

What about other hosts?

Any other options?

I just cant believe this.
Any help and insight would be greatly appreciated.

Cory

[Scott McDaniel]

Converting an Access data structure to a SQL Server structure can be
difficult, depending on how the tables were designed and built. There are
tools available to do this, but I generally use the Data Transformation
Service if going to MS SQL Server.

From what I've heard, ASP 3.0 provides much poorer performance than ASP.net.
NOt sure about coverting between the two, you'll probably need to ask that
in an ASP group ... I've merely dabbled in ASP.NET

XML is a method to transfer data between platforms using formatted
text-based streams. Your data provider (i.e. your database) would send you
an XML document, and your application would take/convert/use that XML
document to "read" the data sent by the provider.

There are quite a few hosts that will support Access databases ... Google
should return a good list. However, your ISP service is not entirely
incorrect in their views. Most find that, unless your web site experiences
very low traffic, your Access db will quickly not be up to the task. My ISP
recently stopped supporting Access dbs simply because of the problems they
were having with congestion, performance issues (server tied up with
Jet/Access requests) and complaints from their users of lost/corrupted
databases. If my site were critical to my business, and I couldn't afford to
lose the time spent in restoring from my backup, then I'd certainly consider
going the SQL route ...

--
Scott McDaniel
CS Computer Software
Visual Basic - Access - Sql Server - ASP
"cory" <no***@here.com > wrote in message
news:rkMKb.8681 2$6b2.26807@edt nps84...

Hi,
I have an Access database and am having an ASP.NEt application written for
it. It is almost complete. I have a hosting company that I signed up with a month ago but before I did anything I asked them if Access and ASP.NET
would work on their servers, they said yes so I bought in. Now they are
saying my application wont work on their servers using MSaccess and I can
only use SQL or asp 3.0. They are saying Microsoft is trying to keep Ms
Access as a desktop application. The database is done, and the app is
almost done. I have paid alot of money for this application. What are my
options here?

How hard is it to convert an Access Database to SQL? What ramifications
does this have on the ASP.NET part?

How hard is it to convert to asp 3.0?

I was also told XML would work. DOnt know anything about it.

What about other hosts?

Any other options?

I just cant believe this.
Any help and insight would be greatly appreciated.

Cory

[Norman Yuan]

Since your application is developed in ASP.NET + MS Access...here are some
thought:

1. Convert DB from Access to Sql Server may be fairly easy, or may be quite
some work, depending on how the db is designed. Tables can be easily
transferred to SQL server, while queries are not. So, if the Access DB and
your app use a lot of queries in Access, you are having trouble to convert
them to either stored procedures in SQL server, or dynamic SQL statement in
your app.

2. Since the app is .NET app, I believe that the data access is based on
ADO.NET, not old ADO/DAO thing, thus, OleDB namespace in .NET is used to
access data in Jet database (Access database). Although OleDB namespace
works with SQL Server, you really should use SqlClient namespace to access
data in SQL Server, SqlClient namespace is specifically designed and
optimized in ADO.NET for SQL Server.

3. Go back to ASP.3.0 does not change the fact that Access is basically
designed as desktop database. Convert ASP.NET to ASP 3.0 may lead to entire
application re-written because of the different application
structure/approach in .NET and pre-.NET technology.

IMO, find a ISP that provides ASP.NET + Access DB service; or convert Access
DB to Sql Server, after all, a server based db is more suitable for web app.

"cory" <no***@here.com > wrote in message
news:rkMKb.8681 2$6b2.26807@edt nps84...

Hi,
I have an Access database and am having an ASP.NEt application written for
it. It is almost complete. I have a hosting company that I signed up with a month ago but before I did anything I asked them if Access and ASP.NET
would work on their servers, they said yes so I bought in. Now they are
saying my application wont work on their servers using MSaccess and I can
only use SQL or asp 3.0. They are saying Microsoft is trying to keep Ms
Access as a desktop application. The database is done, and the app is
almost done. I have paid alot of money for this application. What are my
options here?

How hard is it to convert an Access Database to SQL? What ramifications
does this have on the ASP.NET part?

How hard is it to convert to asp 3.0?

I was also told XML would work. DOnt know anything about it.

What about other hosts?

Any other options?

I just cant believe this.
Any help and insight would be greatly appreciated.

Cory

[Kevin3NF]

I feel your pain, so here's a thought...

Let me take a look at your existing Access database, and I'll give you a
free, no obligation time estimate on the conversion to SQL Server. I've
done a few of these recently...the most complex took 57 hours and included a
learning curve I won;t have to climb again...

You can reach me by emailing Kevin [at] 3NF-inc {dot} com. You will get a
SPAMArrest verification email in reply.

--
Kevin Hill
President
3NF Consulting

www.3nf-inc.com/NewsGroups.htm

"cory" <no***@here.com > wrote in message
news:rkMKb.8681 2$6b2.26807@edt nps84...

Hi,
I have an Access database and am having an ASP.NEt application written for
it. It is almost complete. I have a hosting company that I signed up with a month ago but before I did anything I asked them if Access and ASP.NET
would work on their servers, they said yes so I bought in. Now they are
saying my application wont work on their servers using MSaccess and I can
only use SQL or asp 3.0. They are saying Microsoft is trying to keep Ms
Access as a desktop application. The database is done, and the app is
almost done. I have paid alot of money for this application. What are my
options here?

How hard is it to convert an Access Database to SQL? What ramifications
does this have on the ASP.NET part?

How hard is it to convert to asp 3.0?

I was also told XML would work. DOnt know anything about it.

What about other hosts?

Any other options?

I just cant believe this.
Any help and insight would be greatly appreciated.

Cory

[Tom]

I write in ASP 3.0 and use MsAccess DB's but for very small traffic
sites. I agree if you expect any traffic you should go ahead and move
up to MySQL or SQLserver whichever the host allows you to use.

Since your data isn't too far along your developer should be able to
do the switch over for you.

[David W. Fenton]

no********@Remo veThis.shaw.ca (Norman Yuan) wrote in
<XBWKb.15883$X% 5.13218@pd7tw2n o>:

IMO, find a ISP that provides ASP.NET + Access DB service; or
convert Access DB to Sql Server, after all, a server based db is
more suitable for web app.

Every single web app should use a server-based db?

Or do you really mean "a server-based db is more suitable for
medium- to large-volume websites, especially with large populations
of simultaneous connections and heavy write load. On the other
hand, smaller numbers of simultaneous connections and read-only web
pages can be run very well against Jet back ends."

--
David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton
dfenton at bway dot net http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc

[Steve Jorgensen]

On Wed, 07 Jan 2004 20:10:13 GMT, dX********@bway .net.invalid (David W.
Fenton) wrote:

no********@Rem oveThis.shaw.ca (Norman Yuan) wrote in
<XBWKb.15883$X %5.13218@pd7tw2 no>:

IMO, find a ISP that provides ASP.NET + Access DB service; or
convert Access DB to Sql Server, after all, a server based db is
more suitable for web app.

Every single web app should use a server-based db?

Or do you really mean "a server-based db is more suitable for
medium- to large-volume websites, especially with large populations
of simultaneous connections and heavy write load. On the other
hand, smaller numbers of simultaneous connections and read-only web
pages can be run very well against Jet back ends."

What I've heard from people who have done it is that Web apps bog down with
Access back-ends under pretty light loads because Jet is not multi-threaded.
The concensus seems to be that you'll eventually need a server back-end for
most Web apps, so it's easier if you go ahead and start out that way.

[Jerry Boone]

Amen

--
Jerry Boone
Analytical Technologies, Inc.
http://www.antech.biz
Secure Hosting and Development Solutions for ASP, ASP.NET, SQL Server, and
Access
"Steve Jorgensen" <no****@nospam. nospam> wrote in message
news:rq******** *************** *********@4ax.c om...

On Wed, 07 Jan 2004 20:10:13 GMT, dX********@bway .net.invalid (David W.
Fenton) wrote:

no********@Rem oveThis.shaw.ca (Norman Yuan) wrote in
<XBWKb.15883$X %5.13218@pd7tw2 no>:

IMO, find a ISP that provides ASP.NET + Access DB service; or
convert Access DB to Sql Server, after all, a server based db is
more suitable for web app.
Every single web app should use a server-based db?

Or do you really mean "a server-based db is more suitable for
medium- to large-volume websites, especially with large populations
of simultaneous connections and heavy write load. On the other
hand, smaller numbers of simultaneous connections and read-only web
pages can be run very well against Jet back ends."

What I've heard from people who have done it is that Web apps bog down

with Access back-ends under pretty light loads because Jet is not multi-threaded. The concensus seems to be that you'll eventually need a server back-end for most Web apps, so it's easier if you go ahead and start out that way.

[Larry Linson]

"Steve Jorgensen" wrote

What I've heard from people who have
done it is that Web apps bog down with
Access back-ends under pretty light loads
What's a "pretty light load"? Would it be fewer concurrent users than can
use an Access multiuser application with satisfactory performance? I
seriously doubt it, and that number can be up to 100+. That's not enough for
"the next Amazon", but I would venture that few websites on the Net
consistently have enough users to put a strain on it.
because Jet is not multi-threaded.
Again, if that's not a problem with 75 concurrent users on a LAN, why would
it be a problem with 75 concurrent users on a website (short of the web
developers not knowing much about database and using it in an abominable
fashion)?
The concensus seems to be that you'll
eventually need a server back-end for
most Web apps, so it's easier if you go
ahead and start out that way.

That's a generalization, that, like many generalizations , can throw you
off-track -- I'd disagree that _most_ Web apps will outgrow a Jet database.
Some will, but many will not.

Use appropriate technologies... that's the ticket.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP