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Hi,

My partner and I have a site which uses ASP code to connect to an Access 
database (environment on the server is Windows 2000, ASP 3.0).  We have 
less than 1400 records in our member table, a renewals table of less than 
2600 records and another table of about 2200 records.  All the other tables 
are very small.  The total database size is over 9 MB.

I wrote to this forum about a month ago about an intermittent problem we 
were having whereby some of the ASP pages would just "hang" (no errors) and 
I placed sample code in my email.  I got a couple of answers, both saying 
my code looked okay and making some suggestions as to cause.

We have been going back and forth with our host and the problem continues 
to happen, so that the server has to be restarted about once a week.  Once 
the problem occurs, it affects all ASP pages, even those which contain no 
Database connection code.

Last week, we asked our host server to investigate the problem further by 
sending it up to their "advanced techs" rather than just restarting the 
server, as they usually do.  They did this and their reply was "The root 
cause of the issue is your Access database. It is simply too large to be 
stable. Microsoft has stated that their Access database format is 
unsuitable for more than very light traffic once it reaches more than 3 
megs in size, Your database is over 9 Megs. The best, and really only, 
resolution of this issue would be to upgrade from an Access database to an 
MSSql database, which would be able to handle the traffic."

Upgrading to MS SQL Server database, in addition to the cost of buying the 
Developer version, would double our monthly hosting costs at this 
company.  The last few days, we have been checking out other 
alternatives.  In talking with another host company, they say the above 
statement just is not so; that they have clients who have Access databases 
that are over 50 MB in size.  They say it may be a bandwidth problem at our 
current host.  My partner and I are trying to decide what to do.  I do not 
want to migrate to an SQL Server database, with all the conversion and 
trial and error that this would probably entail, if we don't need to.

I'd appreciate any of your opinions as to whether large Access databases 
are a problem on the web as far as connecting to them using ASP.  Also, any 
information regarding the learning curve difficulty in learning to code ASP 
against an SQL Server 2000 database after having worked with Access 
2000.  Some of the recent questions on this forum from programmers 
struggling with migration from Access to SQL Server have me worried.

Also, I don't know if its acceptable policy on this list, but if its okay, 
I'd appreciate any recommendations for reliable hosts that support ASP 3.0, 
ASPMail, and the databases mentioned above.  If you'd rather not put out 
your recommendations to the list, you can email me privately.

All help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Betty Gerstner
bettyg@h...

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Betty - Your hosting provider is incorrect.  The main issue with Access
is number of tables - not so much table size.  The number of records you
are running in Access is WELL (stressed) within the limits of Access.  

We run an Access database that has several tables with well over 5000
records.  We have another 30 tables or so with anywhere from 1000 to 5
records in each. Our DB is only about 4MB but we store a lot of Null and
4 byte values. We run quite well.  This is a business for me so it HAS
to be up.

Now, we believe we are running at the limit of Access and are in the
middle of a conversion to SQL Server.  My goodness...  what a nightmare.
Makes me wanna puke.  If I ever get to a point where I actually
understand what the heck happened to my application I will write an
article.  I am having REAL trouble finding solid guidelines for
upgrading to SQL server so if you run across anything, let me know.  I
just don' have any SQL server experience and there seems to be some sort
of really odd way SQL server is supplying data to the ASP record set
object (it is related to char type columns but we can't find a
consistent behavior pattern in sql server so... who knows....).

There are other things - SQL server has no boolean type so they all have
to be converted to int, SQL is different so all your embedded SQL
commands will have to checked syntactically, and so on.  Those are
rather easy.  But the char thing is kicking our butts.

Anyway, I guees I am having fun typing b/c this is a rather long winded
way to say "I don't think it is your database size.".  So, what else?
If you are running on shared hosting I might suggest that you will never
know for certain. Who knows what other people are running. The answer
you hosting provider gave suggests to me that they don't know either.
Dedicated hosting is expensive, though. 

If you decide on dedicated hosting, I can recommend Rackspace like no
other.  I have been in hosting provider hell for two years. Shared
hosting nearly killed my business.  I went through 6 different hosting
providers.  All were terrible and cost me business.  Rackspace saved my
bacon as a business and they were pretty reasonably priced.  But, you
pretty much manage your own server so if you are not up to the task,
then someone else is a better choice.

If you do shared hosting, you might want to consider a different
provider. It doesn't take too much to switch. I recommend searching
alt.www.webmasters and searching the discussion on providers.  They are
REAL Unix bigots over there but they talk about MS platforms, aslo.  I
think you should go with a small guy - a small firm that really
understands ASP and what they are doing. Read first - then post and ask.
They appreciate people that have done their research first.

If you want to stay with shared hosting, I can recommend a guy here in
the states (Dallas).  I worked with him for about 2 years at a big web
technology consulting firm (now defunct - 700 people to start - laid off
600 in 1 year after the tech market crash). He is the best ASP
programmer we ever had on staff and he now freelances and does web
hosting.  He might very well me a perfect fit for you.  It may sound
strange to go with someone small but, believe me, they give better
service and their servers stay up. Let me know if you want me to pass
your name along.

OK, I gotta get back to work.  This has been a nice diversion.

Take care,

TW3

-----Original Message-----
From: Betty Gerstner [mailto:bettyg@h...] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2002 11:16 PM
To: ASPToday Discuss
Subject: [asptoday_discuss] Connecting to SQL Server DB as opposed to
Access DB using ASP

Hi,

My partner and I have a site which uses ASP code to connect to an Access

database (environment on the server is Windows 2000, ASP 3.0).  We have 
less than 1400 records in our member table, a renewals table of less
than 
2600 records and another table of about 2200 records.  All the other
tables 
are very small.  The total database size is over 9 MB.

I wrote to this forum about a month ago about an intermittent problem we

were having whereby some of the ASP pages would just "hang" (no errors)
and 
I placed sample code in my email.  I got a couple of answers, both
saying 
my code looked okay and making some suggestions as to cause.

We have been going back and forth with our host and the problem
continues 
to happen, so that the server has to be restarted about once a week.
Once 
the problem occurs, it affects all ASP pages, even those which contain
no 
Database connection code.

Last week, we asked our host server to investigate the problem further
by 
sending it up to their "advanced techs" rather than just restarting the 
server, as they usually do.  They did this and their reply was "The root

cause of the issue is your Access database. It is simply too large to be

stable. Microsoft has stated that their Access database format is 
unsuitable for more than very light traffic once it reaches more than 3 
megs in size, Your database is over 9 Megs. The best, and really only, 
resolution of this issue would be to upgrade from an Access database to
an 
MSSql database, which would be able to handle the traffic."

Upgrading to MS SQL Server database, in addition to the cost of buying
the 
Developer version, would double our monthly hosting costs at this 
company.  The last few days, we have been checking out other 
alternatives.  In talking with another host company, they say the above 
statement just is not so; that they have clients who have Access
databases 
that are over 50 MB in size.  They say it may be a bandwidth problem at
our 
current host.  My partner and I are trying to decide what to do.  I do
not 
want to migrate to an SQL Server database, with all the conversion and 
trial and error that this would probably entail, if we don't need to.

I'd appreciate any of your opinions as to whether large Access databases

are a problem on the web as far as connecting to them using ASP.  Also,
any 
information regarding the learning curve difficulty in learning to code
ASP 
against an SQL Server 2000 database after having worked with Access 
2000.  Some of the recent questions on this forum from programmers 
struggling with migration from Access to SQL Server have me worried.

Also, I don't know if its acceptable policy on this list, but if its
okay, 
I'd appreciate any recommendations for reliable hosts that support ASP
3.0, 
ASPMail, and the databases mentioned above.  If you'd rather not put out

your recommendations to the list, you can email me privately.

All help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Betty Gerstner
bettyg@h...