Microsoft SQL Server

About SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server is classified as a client/server database that performs its functions on a server machine and returns results to the user's computer. The server software itself can't display data to the user and this is a major reason for connecting SQL Server data to Microsoft Access. MS Access serves as a front-end or User Interface (UI) for SQL Server by displaying data retrieved from the SQL Server database in forms, data sheets, and reports.

For example: If the user updates the data in an Access form, the user's computer sends the update to the SQL Server back-end database. You can accomplish this by process either by linking to these external databases so they appear to both you and the user in Access tables or by using techniques that access client/server data directly.

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Why The SQL Server + MS Access Connection Is Important

When you reduce the volume of network traffic by moving the processing of queries to the back end SQL Server database, Microsoft Access becomes a much more powerful development solution. MS Access can now handle huge volumes of data and a large number of concurrent users. The primary concerns developers must overcome when they attempt to create and install a very large Microsoft Access software application are:

• The variety of operating systems used by each user
• Difficulties with deployment
• The method by which each user is connected to the application and data
• The type of Hardware each user has

We Use Microsoft Access + SQL Server

At MS Access Solutions, we develop your database system using Microsoft Access as the front end User Interface with SQL Server as the back end data store. There are several positive reasons for this:

• Improved Security
• Processing Speed
• Reliability
• Backups
• Internet Ready
• Server Processing

Advantage Of Server Processing

Processing of queries in an SQL Server application is done at the server, which significantly reduces network traffic. The application itself, however, must continue to reside in the memory of each user's PC. This means that each client machine must be capable of running the appropriate operating system and the correct version of Microsoft Access. Even when the correct operating system and version of Access are in place, problems can still exist.

SQL Server Performance

SQL Server consistently leads in performance benchmarks with very fast processing speed, such as TPC-E and TPC-H, and in real-world application performance. With SQL Server 2016, performance is enhanced with a number of new technologies, including in-memory enhancements, Query Store, and temporal support. SQL Server continues to lead the way. Gartner rated SQL Server as having the most complete vision of any operational database management system.

SQL Server 2016 Enchancements

SQL Server 2016 introduces many new features and enhancements, including:

• Improvements in application performance with online transaction processing (OLTP) in memory
• Query Store
• Real Time Analytics
• Improved Security using "Row level security" and "Always encrypted" security/li>
• Improvements in availability using AlwaysOn, availability groups, and failover clustering features
• Improved security, scalability, and availability with support for Server Core and Windows Server

Before you decide to deploy a wide-scale Access application, you need to know the hardware and software configuration of all your systems users. You must also decide whether the desktop support required for the typical Access application is feasible, given the number of people who will use the system that you are creating.

Microsoft Smoothing The Process

The issues related to hardware and network capabilities, although still present, are not the obstacles they presented when Access was first developed. Powerful and inexpensive memory and other computer components now make Access to SQL Server connectivity much easier. Additionally, Microsoft has continuously refined both MS Access and SQL Server to create an easier path to connectivity.

Got Questions Or Need Help Now?

If you need answers to questions or your database is not working for you
CALL US AT: (323) 285-0939 or use our Contact Us email form.

*Attribution: Some text on this page reprinted by permisssion of author from Alison Balter's Mastering Microsoft Office Access 2007 Development.