Update Secured MDB, No MDW Distributed

[Tom G]

IF a person uses the logic of the Microsoft Access security FAQ and
distributes an application WITHOUT the developers MDW file, but simply uses
the default workgroup file, how does one modify the user's 'DATA' database?

Any changes to code would simply require re-distributing the MDE, but each
user has data in the back-end database already, so how do you make updates
without losing that data?

I've done 'data' database updates through code many times, but I've always
had the MDW at my disposal for creating a workspace, but what if that MDW
wasn't there?

I can see some possible solutions:

1) Travel to each client site with the MDW and make the modifications.
2) Have each client email or upload to a server their data file, update the
file, re-send to the client
3) Try to hide the MDW file with some innocuous name? Code the update
either in the front-end or a separate 'update' mde program.

ANY ideas or thoughts on this are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[Br]

Tom G <no****@none.com> wrote:

IF a person uses the logic of the Microsoft Access security FAQ and
distributes an application WITHOUT the developers MDW file, but
simply uses the default workgroup file, how does one modify the
user's 'DATA' database?
Any changes to code would simply require re-distributing the MDE, but
each user has data in the back-end database already, so how do you
make updates without losing that data?

I've done 'data' database updates through code many times, but I've
always had the MDW at my disposal for creating a workspace, but what
if that MDW wasn't there?

I can see some possible solutions:

1) Travel to each client site with the MDW and make the modifications.
2) Have each client email or upload to a server their data file,
update the file, re-send to the client
3) Try to hide the MDW file with some innocuous name? Code the update
either in the front-end or a separate 'update' mde program.

ANY ideas or thoughts on this are greatly appreciated! Thanks in
advance!

I'd create a special user that they need to log in as in order to do
updates on the back end database. This user would have limited
permissions but would have permission to alter the design of some of the
tables.

Many applications I've seen (by others) don't have much security on the
backend or have a database password... probably for this very reason. We
geneally get users to send us the backend (which for us rarely is too
large to ZIP and email).

--
regards,

Bradley

A Christian Response
http://www.pastornet.net.au/response

[Tom G]

Well, as I'm not distributing an MDW, the users are NOT logging on. (Ok,
technically they are being silently logged in as the default admin user....)

The alternative of having them email the data (back-end) may work for now,
but once the number of users increases it may not be feasible...

Thanks

I'd create a special user that they need to log in as in order to do
updates on the back end database. This user would have limited permissions
but would have permission to alter the design of some of the tables.

Many applications I've seen (by others) don't have much security on the
backend or have a database password... probably for this very reason. We
geneally get users to send us the backend (which for us rarely is too
large to ZIP and email).

--
regards,

Bradley

A Christian Response
http://www.pastornet.net.au/response

[Rick Brandt]

Tom G wrote:

Well, as I'm not distributing an MDW, the users are NOT logging on. (Ok,
technically they are being silently logged in as the default
admin user....)
The alternative of having them email the data (back-end) may work for
now, but once the number of users increases it may not be feasible...

You could give them an MDW file that doesn't make them log in, but still allows
for you to login as a user with higher authority. You just have to supply the
user name as a command line argument since there is no prompt by default.

--
I don't check the Email account attached
to this message. Send instead to...
RBrandt at Hunter dot com

[Br]

Tom G <no****@none.com> wrote:

Well, as I'm not distributing an MDW, the users are NOT logging on.
(Ok, technically they are being silently logged in as the default
admin user....)
You can setup a special shortcut that uses a workgroup file which
requires a login to do an update.... ?
The alternative of having them email the data (back-end) may work for
now, but once the number of users increases it may not be feasible...

Yeah, that's the downside.

I can't see any way around using a workgroup file.

Also, you can do silly things like rename the data file to disguise it
(ie. give it a diff. extension)....

I have to do this soon with a system I've done privately. They do login
but don't have design access to the data file (I have two different
workgroup files. The one they have doesn't contain the database owner so
it's impossible, without hacking the database, for them to get into it).
I have one special user who administers the users etc so I am thinking
of giving that user access to the data design so they can do updates...
if they try to fiddle it's only the data structures (and if they were
paying they's have to pay if they broke it:).

When we have SQL clients they will usually always have full access to
the data structures etc... so I figure it's the same deal with Access
back ends....

Anyways, enough ranlbing :) If you come up with a good way of doing it
let us know.

I'd create a special user that they need to log in as in order to do
updates on the back end database. This user would have limited
permissions but would have permission to alter the design of some of
the tables. Many applications I've seen (by others) don't have much
security on
the backend or have a database password... probably for this very
reason. We geneally get users to send us the backend (which for us
rarely is too large to ZIP and email).

--
regards,

Bradley

A Christian Response
http://www.pastornet.net.au/response