how to connect to an Access DB from a webfarm?

[GNoter]

Scenario:
I've a WebFarm with 2 web servers which are NLBs (network load balanced).
Web1 and Web2; they are not part of a domain.
I have a third server, Server3, which is part of a domain and on the same physical network, and it has an MSAccess database which is used on the external webfarm as well as on the internal intranet. I can connect via the intranet because the DB file is on the same box from which the intranet is being served (Server3)

How can I 'connect' to the MSAccess database file on Server3 from either Web1 or Web2?

When I use the code below, I get this error:
The Microsoft Jet database engine cannot open the file '\\Server3\C$\MSAccessDBs\Database.mdb'. It is already opened exclusively by another user, or you need permission to view its data.

Any clues?

Here's more info:

I'm using ASP.NET v1.1, using a standard OLEDb connection (referencing the database by path [see code below]).

From the ASP.NET v1.1 "web.config" file (I'll refer to this as ConnectStringA)

 <appSettings>
    <add key="strConnectAccess" value="Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=\\Server3\C$\MSAccess\DatabaseFile.mdb"/>
</appSettings>
 

actual "connect" code:
... I'm pausing here.
I went to go look at the connection code and there is a direct inline connection string to another database which appears to not be failing:
\\Server3\C$\MSAccess\LogError.mdb
--> I'll refer to this as ConnectStringB,

The difference between ConnectStringA and ConnectStringB is that ConnectStringA assumes a shared folder, whereas ConnectStringB goes direct, as it includes the "\C$" element.

Well, I added the "\C$" to ConnectStringA, (now "\Server3\C$\MSAccess\DatabaseFile.mdb") and it still fails.


Yes, I would agree there is some sort of permissions error. The database is set for Shared, not Exclusive.

Here is my "connect" code (modified to protect a client's database)

    Sub btnlogin_click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
        Dim conpw As OleDb.OleDbConnection
        Dim cmdpw As OleDb.OleDbCommand
        Dim strsql As String
 
        Dim dappw As OleDb.OleDbDataAdapter
        Dim dstpw As DataSet
        Dim rowpw As DataRow
        Dim bldpw As OleDb.OleDbCommandBuilder
        Dim inti As Integer
        Dim rdrpw As OleDb.OleDbDataReader
 
        Dim xx As String
        Dim yy As String
        Dim strmsg As String
        Dim strcounties As String
        Dim lngposition As Long
        Dim strIsCSR As String
 
        If txtIsCSR.Checked = "True" Then
            Session.Contents("IsUser2") = "True"
            Session.Contents("userName2") = txtUserName.Value
            Session.Contents("userPass2") = txtPassword.Value
            Response.Redirect("user2Logon.aspx")
        End If
 
        lngposition = InStr(txtPassword.Value, "'")
        If lngposition > 0 Then
            Response.Redirect("loginError.aspx")
        End If
 
 
        conpw = New OleDb.OleDbConnection(ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings("strConnectAccess"))
        conpw.Open()
 
 
        strsql = "SELECT * " & _
        "FROM [ User] " & _
        " WHERE ( ([ User]].UserName = '" & txtUserName.Value & "') AND ([ User].password = '" & txtPassword.Value & "') )  "
 
        cmdpw = New OleDb.OleDbCommand(strsql, conpw)
        rdrpw = cmdpw.executereader
 
        xx = 0
        While rdrpw.read
            xx = xx + 1
            strmsg = rdrpw.item("userID") + rdrpw.item("userName")
            strcounties = strcounties + strmsg
        End While
 
        conpw.close()
 
        If xx > 0 Then
            Session.Contents("counties") = txtMemberid.Value
            Response.Redirect("Here.aspx")
        Else
            If Len(Trim(Session.Contents("logintrys"))) = 0 Then
                Session.Contents("logintrys") = 0
            End If
            ctry = (Session.Contents("logintrys"))
            ltrys = CInt(ctry) + 1
            If ltrys > 6 Then
                Response.Redirect("lockout.aspx")
            End If
            ctry = CStr(ltrys)
            Session.Contents("logintrys") = ctry
            Response.Redirect("loginError.aspx")
        End If
 
    End Sub
 

So, in all, this error [below] is occuring, it does point to "permissions" of some kind. Thing is, how to I "connect" from a webfarm not on a domain to a server (Server3) which is on a domain? Is there a way to "mount" the shared folder at system startup and mapped to a drive letter (e.g. no user logon)?

The Microsoft Jet database engine cannot open the file '\\Server3\C$\MSAccessDBs\Database.mdb'. It is already opened exclusively by another user, or you need permission to view its data.

[kenobewan]

Here is an article that may help:
How To: Connect to SQL Server Using SQL Authentication in ASP.NET 2.0

Please remember the connection to another server is going to be very different to that of a db on the same machine and may need to involve a domain or IP address...