"Jennifer B." wrote
Could anyone please answer one or
any of the following questions for
Access 2003:
- Maximum size of an Access database (after split)
Maximum size of an Access 2003 database is 2GB. The front-end should be on
each user's machine, or in each user's separate storage if you use Terminal
Services. Each back-end from which tables are linked can be 2GB. It is
almost certain that you'll find performance will be the limiting factor
rather than storage.
- speed of Access using a Citrix server
(any server for that matter, will it affect
the processing time of other database
programs running alongside Access.
That would be impossible to guess, even if you had provided reams of
detail... it depends on quite a number of factors unique to your
environment.
- Would you suggest adding a separate server?
See above.
- networking issues if Access crashes on the server
If you are running Terminal Services (or Citrix), both the front-end and
back-ends will be running on the server. There is always a possibility of
corruption when Access terminates "ungraceful ly" especiall in a multiuser
environment. Network issues, in the TS/Citrix case, are not as big an issue
as in a normal LAN multiuser environment where the front end resides on the
user's machine and the data on the server.
In the LAN setup, the most common provable cause of corruption is dropped
network connections, in my experience and observations.
The best collection of detailed information on multiuser performance and
avoiding corruption is MVP Tony Toews' site,
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm.
Good luck with your project. Be sure to give each user their own copy of the
front-end -- multiple users logged in to the same front-end or monolithic
database significantly increases your chances of corruption.
Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP