Re: MS-ACCESS as a client front-end?

lou2@cbnews.cb.att.com (louis.avrami..jr) wrote: >Hello, > My group is just beginning to venture into the client/server >area. One of the server databases that we need to access is INFORMIX >ONLINE 5.02, running on an AT&T (NCR) 3555 using the UNIX System V >Release 4 (SVR4) operating system. > Much of the PC/Windows development that has been done here in >the past has utilized MS-ACCESS 2.0. > My questions are: can MS-ACCESS serve as a proper client to the >UNIX/INFORMIX database server? Does MS-ACCESS properly partition the >components of client/server applications? > Another factor to consider is that some clients will have local >LAN connections, some WAN connections, and a few will require SLIP/PPP >(telecommuters). > Any advice, warnings, information, etc. will be greatly appreciated. >Thanks, >Lou Avrami ( attmail!lavrami ) >AT&T Law & Government Affairs We have used MS Access to query data from an Informix Online Database --- it works, but it is slow and not very dependable. The only way you can connect the two is via Inet and ODBC. As far as partitioning goes, if you are not using "pass-thru" queries, you can't even be sure that Access passed the entire SQL statement to the Informix engine (this is documented somewhere is one the the MS Access books). Also, we have been having trouble with some of our Access databases, and due to our lack of trouble with the Informix platform, we are considering porting a couple of our Access based applications to another front end (such as Powersoft) to access the Informix engine. In my opinion, Access is a good single user tool for managing personal databases, but it is definately not a front-end client server development tool.