Accessing a DB on a file server through ASP on the Web Server

[Doug]

I have a split Access database that resides on a file server. The file
server is a restricted drive that only people with the correct permissions
can browse to this directory on the LAN. Several users use the Access front
end to modify the database on the file server, but I would like to make some
of the data available (read-only) through webpages with asp. It is not an
option to move the database directly to the webserver because these users
only have access to the file server and if the DB was moved to the webserver
that would not work. It is also not an option at this point to make the DB
fully web integrated and get rid of the access front end. I have tried
several ways to get the ASP code to work and pull the data off of the DB on
the file server, but so far no luck. I have spoken with a couple of the
administrators and they say this really isn't possible, but I have a hard
time believing that. I realize that the best answer would be to move the
database over to a SQL server and I am working towards that, but in the
meantime I would like to be able to share the data with ASP pages.
Hopefully I have made this understandable, and I would appreciate any help
if anyone has a potential solution.

Thanks!

Doug

[Scott McDaniel]

I would think that if your admins say it can't be done, then it can't be
done.

If the directory is restricted, I'm betting standard the IUSR (?? or
whatever the default internet user name is) would NOT have access to that
directory (I'd hope they wouldn't, anyway) ... if your Internet account
cannot connect to the LAN directory from the webserver, then quite simply
you cannot connect to the Access database.

Not sure how fresh your data needs to be, but you could possibly export data
to another db xx times a day (you can automate this via the Windows
Scheduler), one that is available to the webserver.

--
Scott McDaniel
InfoTrakker Software
"Doug" <dt*****@nospam .cox.net> wrote in message
news:bDcNe.739$ UI.326@okepread 05...

I have a split Access database that resides on a file server. The file
server is a restricted drive that only people with the correct permissions
can browse to this directory on the LAN. Several users use the Access
front
end to modify the database on the file server, but I would like to make
some
of the data available (read-only) through webpages with asp. It is not an
option to move the database directly to the webserver because these users
only have access to the file server and if the DB was moved to the
webserver
that would not work. It is also not an option at this point to make the
DB
fully web integrated and get rid of the access front end. I have tried
several ways to get the ASP code to work and pull the data off of the DB
on
the file server, but so far no luck. I have spoken with a couple of the
administrators and they say this really isn't possible, but I have a hard
time believing that. I realize that the best answer would be to move the
database over to a SQL server and I am working towards that, but in the
meantime I would like to be able to share the data with ASP pages.
Hopefully I have made this understandable, and I would appreciate any help
if anyone has a potential solution.

Thanks!

Doug

[David W. Fenton]

"Scott McDaniel" <sc***@infotrak kerDELETEME.com > wrote in
news:Kc******** ************@co mcast.com:

I would think that if your admins say it can't be done, then it
can't be done.
I would say exactly the opposite. Many times when sysadmins say
"can't be done" they mean "we don't want to do this for you for our
own reasons, even though it's perfectly possible to do it." My guess
is that making it available to the web server would violate their
security model, which is a pretty valid reason for not wanting to do
it.

[]
Not sure how fresh your data needs to be, but you could possibly
export data to another db xx times a day (you can automate this
via the Windows Scheduler), one that is available to the
webserver.

I wouldn't recommend it, but you could replicate the database to the
web server, but again, you'd still have to have an account somewhere
that has permission to read/write on both servers, and if that's
possible, then reading the original MDB from the web server ought to
be possible.

Of course, I'm also sort of assuming that the web version is
read-only, which would be the best way to implement the replicated
solution, since you'd never need to synchronize back from the web
server copy. If the web interface is providing write access, then
replication would require two-way synchs, and then the potential for
conflicts arises.

I think this needs to be discussed with the sysadmins and they
should provide you with a solution to do the job. You may need to
enlist the services of someone in the company with management clout
to force the IT people to listen to you.

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

[Doug]

David,

I think you hit the nail on the head. Information protection over
information sharing is the standard here, but that doesn't always help the
customer. I know it CAN be done, just how can we do it securely is the
question I suppose.

Thanks for the response.

Doug

"David W. Fenton" <dX********@bwa y.net.invalid> wrote in message
news:Xn******** *************** ***********@216 .196.97.142...

"Scott McDaniel" <sc***@infotrak kerDELETEME.com > wrote in
news:Kc******** ************@co mcast.com:

I would think that if your admins say it can't be done, then it
can't be done.

I would say exactly the opposite. Many times when sysadmins say
"can't be done" they mean "we don't want to do this for you for our
own reasons, even though it's perfectly possible to do it." My guess
is that making it available to the web server would violate their
security model, which is a pretty valid reason for not wanting to do
it.

[]

Not sure how fresh your data needs to be, but you could possibly
export data to another db xx times a day (you can automate this
via the Windows Scheduler), one that is available to the
webserver.

I wouldn't recommend it, but you could replicate the database to the
web server, but again, you'd still have to have an account somewhere
that has permission to read/write on both servers, and if that's
possible, then reading the original MDB from the web server ought to
be possible.

Of course, I'm also sort of assuming that the web version is
read-only, which would be the best way to implement the replicated
solution, since you'd never need to synchronize back from the web
server copy. If the web interface is providing write access, then
replication would require two-way synchs, and then the potential for
conflicts arises.

I think this needs to be discussed with the sysadmins and they
should provide you with a solution to do the job. You may need to
enlist the services of someone in the company with management clout
to force the IT people to listen to you.

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