Ways to make a secure application and workgroup available to users

A secure application depends on users having access to both an application database where permissions are stored, and a workgroup where user and group accounts and passwords are stored. Depending on how the application is to be used, you can make the application and workgroup available to users in a variety of ways.

Copy the application files and the workgroup information file that defines the workgroup to a network server location

Using the Workgroup Administrator, users can join the workgroup by specifying the network server path to the workgroup information file, and then run the application directly from the server location. You might want to prevent users from opening the application with exclusive access by removing Open Exclusive permissions for the database from the Users group.

Give each user a copy of the application files and the workgroup information file that defines the workgroup

Using the Workgroup Administrator, users can join the workgroup by specifying the path to the workgroup information file on their computer, and then running their copies of the application on their computers. However, if you have to update the application, its data, or the workgroup information file, you'll have to give each user copies of all updated files.

As an alternative, you might want to split the application into a data database placed on a network server and an application database containing all other database objects placed on each user's computer. Typically in this configuration, you want to keep the workgroup information file on the server as well. Then if you have to update the application, you only have to give users updated versions of the application database file. For information on how to do this, click .

Give users in different Microsoft Access workgroups access to the application by creating the same group in each workgroup

You can create a group account in each workgroup with the identical name and personal ID (PID), and then add users in each workgroup to that group. For example, a user working on a network on a Microsoft Access workgroup in Honolulu can use an application created for a Microsoft Access workgroup in Melbourne if that user is a member of a group account that was created with an identical name and PID on both workgroups.

To run the application, each user must have a copy of Microsoft Access. To create a Microsoft Access application that doesn't require a copy of Microsoft Access, you must use Microsoft Office 2000 Developer (MOD).