Access DB for web

rooroo · October 28th, 2003, 05:40 AM

Bit of a newbie here!

I am creating a departmental website for a college which will be used by staff and students. I have to use microsoft technology but I more familiar with open source technology. The site won't be huge but I feel the need for it to be database driven.

Is there a problem with MS Access when the ammount of simultaneus users exceeds a certain amount?

Thanks
Phil

Imar · October 28th, 2003, 06:12 AM

Hi there,

The technical limit for concurrent Access users is 255. However, in certain / most circumstances, this limit will be reached sooner. It all depends on the way your users use the database (i.e. lots of Inserts vs lots of reads, for example). In practice, it turns out that somewhere beyond 15 to 25 concurrent users your site will slow down. Notice that concurrent users could still mean you can service quite a lot of users a day, as long as they don't hit your site on the same moment.

For a small scaled site, Access will perform fine, but it lacks some of the features that advanced database servers, like SQL Server have.

For a more detailed discussion about this, check out: http://www.15seconds.com/issue/010514.htm

Can you please not cross-post on this forum? Your message will be read anyway.

HtH,

Imar

---------------------------------------
Imar Spaanjaars
Everyone is unique, except for me.

rooroo · October 28th, 2003, 09:21 AM

Hi Imar

Thanks for this, and your time - this is useful.

In terms of usage I envisage there been mainly queries that in turn will deliver the pages - for example: /page.asp?section=services&id=3 sort of thing.

Cheers

Apologies for the cross post!

Phil

Ben Horne · November 19th, 2003, 03:47 PM

What web-authoring package are you using? Basically (as I see it), you have two options

1. You can use Microsoft FrontPage XP to develop the database site

2. You could also use ColdFusion MX. I'm not at all familiar with that software but it gives you a lot of flexibility when defining database connections.

Ben
Madison Area Technical College student
-------------------------
I am one of those people that you call "Microsoft Access Freaks". I'm addicted to Access

Imar · November 19th, 2003, 07:46 PM

Ben, did you try to reply to a different topic? I can't quite see the connection with the original question, but I may be missing something.....

Imar

---------------------------------------
Imar Spaanjaars
Everyone is unique, except for me.

Ben Horne · November 20th, 2003, 03:50 PM

I'm only saying that,possibly, Microsoft FrontPage would be a good idea for creating a database-driven site. I'm not familiar with using Access databases in FrontPage so I can't help much

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Imar
Ben, did you try to reply to a different topic? I can't quite see the connection with the original question, but I may be missing something.....

Imar

---------------------------------------
Imar Spaanjaars
Everyone is unique, except for me.

Ben
Madison Area Technical College student
-------------------------
I am one of those people that you call "Microsoft Access Freaks". I'm addicted to Access

SerranoG · November 20th, 2003, 05:40 PM

I have a simple Access database linked to a web page via FrontPage (http://www.deq.state.mi.us/aps/pendapps.asp), but the IT people in my office tell me that it's being phased out. Turns out that FrontPage adds tons and tons of HTML code to even simple pages and it makes loading those pages a bear! I'm not sure what they're switching to.

Greg Serrano
Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality, Air Quality Division

Ben Horne · December 2nd, 2003, 01:38 PM

Maybe they might be switching to Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver is a better web-authoring package because it does not do what FrontPage does

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by SerranoG
I have a simple Access database linked to a web page via FrontPage (http://www.deq.state.mi.us/aps/pendapps.asp), but the IT people in my office tell me that it's being phased out. Turns out that FrontPage adds tons and tons of HTML code to even simple pages and it makes loading those pages a bear! I'm not sure what they're switching to.

Greg Serrano
Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality, Air Quality Division

Ben Horne
Madison Area Technical College student
-------------------------
I am one of those people that you call "Microsoft Access Freaks". I'm addicted to Access

Steven · December 16th, 2003, 02:49 AM

I realise this is a bit off topic, but.........

If you think FrontPage adds a lot of unneeded code - try saving something as HTML from Word!. As an example, here's a basic page, with one character:
<html><body>x (i.e. 13 bytes)

That would show up fine in any browser - BUT, if you type "x" into Word, then save as HTML, here's what you can get (11.2KB):
<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">

<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document>
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10">
<meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10">
<link rel=File-List href="Z_files/filelist.xml">
<title>Z</title>

<style>

</style>

</head>

<body lang=EN-US style='tab-interval:36.0pt'>

<div class=Section1>

<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-AU>x<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div>

</body>

</html>

Then there's also an additional 2 files in a subfolder that goes with that (and it is a bit dependent on the Word template you use)

I am a loud man with a very large hat. This means I am in charge

Ben Horne · January 10th, 2004, 09:58 PM

Word does have the capability of creating web pages BUT it's generally not preferred. I took a Web Development class a while ago and I thankfully learned a lot from it. What I've heard is that Office applications aren't really suitable for creating complex webpages. If you want to create a complex page, use a web-authoring package such as Dreamweaver

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Steven
I realise this is a bit off topic, but.........

If you think FrontPage adds a lot of unneeded code - try saving something as HTML from Word!. As an example, here's a basic page, with one character:
<html><body>x (i.e. 13 bytes)

That would show up fine in any browser - BUT, if you type "x" into Word, then save as HTML, here's what you can get (11.2KB):
<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">

<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document>
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10">
<meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10">
<link rel=File-List href="Z_files/filelist.xml">
<title>Z</title>

<style>

</style>

</head>

<body lang=EN-US style='tab-interval:36.0pt'>

<div class=Section1>

<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-AU>x<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div>

</body>

</html>

Then there's also an additional 2 files in a subfolder that goes with that (and it is a bit dependent on the Word template you use)

I am a loud man with a very large hat. This means I am in charge

Ben Horne
Madison Area Technical College student
-------------------------
http://community.webshots.com/user/valerian114

Go there. I have a lot of awesome photos that I rendered myself