If your computer is connected to a network, you and others can work with one Microsoft Access database at the same time. There are several ways you can share data in a multiuser environment. This topic provides reference information about:
Sharing the entire Access database
Sharing only the tables in the Access database
Sharing the Access database on the Internet
Replicating the Access database
Creating a client/server application
Share the entire Access database
You can put the entire Access database on a network server or in a shared folder. This is the easiest method to implement. Everyone shares the data and uses the same forms, reports, queries, macros, and modules. Use this strategy if you want everyone to use the Access database the same way or you can't support users creating their own objects. Learn about sharing a database on a network server.
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Share only the tables in the Access database
You can put only the tables on a network server, and keep other database objects on users' computers. In this case, the Access database's performance is faster because only data is sent across the network. Also, users can customize their forms, reports, and other objects for their individual needs and preferences without affecting other users.
You can separate the tables from the other database objects by using the Database Splitter Wizard.
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Share Access database objects or data access pages on the Internet
You can output one or more database objects to static HTML or server-generated HTML format, or create data access pages, and then display them in a browser, such as Internet Explorer, on the World Wide Web. Learn about the three types of Web pages Access creates.
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If you use two computers, such as an office computer and a portable computer, you can use Microsoft Windows Briefcase to make replicas of your Access database and keep those replicas synchronized. Also, several users at different locations can work on their own copies at the same time and then synchronize them over the network, either through a dial-up connection or on the Internet. Learn about replicating a database.
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Create a client/server application
If you work in a client/server environment, you can take advantage of the extra power and security it provides by creating a client/server application. For more information, see Chapter 16, "Multiuser Database Applications," in the Microsoft Office 2000/Visual Basic Programmer's Guide.
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