From Leo's mailbag:
> From: A Computer User
> Sent: August 14, 2005
> To: Ask Leo!
> Subject: Accessing Access
>
> Leo,
> I am trying to connect to a MS Access database on my website.
> The connection wizard in Access asks for the server name,
> but gives no clue as to how to find the server name. I tried
> asking my hosting company, but they just gave a VB snippet
> with the "connection string". I have searched high and low
> on the web and Microsoft help on and offline for an answer,
> but nothing.... Do you have any ideas or suggestions? ps: I
> have read somewhere that you can't access a database over the
> internet, but that doesn't make any sense since there are
> probably millions of pages that do just that...
Well, the problem is that *Access* databases are not intended
to be accessed across the internet. You can use them across a
Microsoft Windows network - for example your LAN - but the type
of control you need to access it across the internet, Windows
File Sharing, is typically disallowed by almost all of the
equipment between you and your web server.
There are definitely millions of websites that use databases,
and it works either of two ways:
- the Access database AND the program that accesses it, are
both on the web server. That way the database itself is not
being accessed remotely.
- MUCH more commonly: Microsoft Access is not used. There are
lots of other database programs that fill a similar role, and
ARE architected for access across the internet. MySQL is one
such example. Microsoft SQL Server is another.
Hope that helps at least a little,
Thanks for asking!
Leo
Article 9031
| Category:
Internet
