LOOKING AT MULTIUSER TERMINOLOGY
Even before you get an overview of the way Access handles multiuser issues, it's good to get an idea of the terminology used when talking about the subject. The following list shows commonly used words in connection to networking and Access:
Front end, back end. To achieve optimal performance on a network, the recommended method is to split the application from the shared data. This means creating two databases. One is used locally on the workstation, called the front end. The other contains the shared data out on the network, called the back end. Splitting a database is discussed in detail later in the section “One or Two Database Containers: Knowing Where to Put the Pieces.”
Client/server. Native Access uses file-server technology. When it performs requested work, such as a query, it does so by using the front end, thereby passing over the network all the records that are used as the source for the query. Access can also use a back end that's implemented in a client/server product, such as SQL Server. When this is the case, the query is passed through to the back end, on the server, and the work is performed there. The back end then passes the answer only to the front end over the network. Figure 22.1 diagrams the difference between file servers and client/servers. For more information on implementing Access with client/server, see Chapter 25, “Developing SQL Server Projects Using ADPs.”
Figure 22.1. You can retrieve results from large records much quicker with client/server.
Shared, exclusive. When a database is opened so that more than one person can access it at the same time, it's shared. When only one person at a time can get into the database, it's exclusive.
Tip
One way to increase performance when working with two databases is to open the front-end database exclusively. This is discussed in greater detail, including available command-line options, in the section “One or Two Database Containers: Knowing Where to Put the Pieces.”
Local area network. LANs are networks set up in a limited area, such as in an office or business.
Wide area network. A WAN is usually made up of a number of local area networks hooked together over a great distance. In any particular location, you might have only one station or many.
Now you're familiar with some of the jargon used when discussing Access and networking. A good follow-up to this information is to get an overview of how Access performs multiuser tasks.