CHAPTER  19

Developing Client/Server Applications

Although you can use Microsoft Access on its own to develop multiuser applications, you may need the added power and security of a client/server application. In a client/server application, you store your data in remote tables on a database server instead of in local tables in Microsoft Access. The Microsoft Access application (the client) sends queries and updates to the server and retrieves the data it needs. Using a database server has many advantages, but client/server environments can use a great deal of computer and network resources. This chapter describes techniques for creating client/server applications and offers tips for optimizing performance.

The Client/Server Environment

In a client/server environment, processing tasks are divided between an application on a client computer system, and a database on a server. The client and the server are linked by a network. The client makes requests for services provided by the server. These services may include querying a database, printing a document, or backing up data. The client performs operations on the data that is returned by the server and interacts with the user.

There are several advantages to a client/server environment. Instead of sending the whole database back and forth across the network, network traffic is limited to queries from the client to the server and responses from the server to the client. Also, the data on the server can be accessed from multiple client applications. The server is responsible for maintaining data integrity and security at a centralized location.

Important   Before you can use Microsoft Access with a server, you must install the appropriate Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) drivers. If you clicked Typical when you installed Microsoft Access, you don't have these drivers installed. For information on how to install drivers, search the Help index for "installing drivers."

Additionally, you must use the ODBC Manager to set up an ODBC data source for each remote database to which you want to connect. To start the ODBC Manager, double-click 32bit ODBC in Windows Control Panel.

Note   Some database server documentation refers to records as rows and to fields as columns. This chapter uses the terms records and fields.

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