We provide solutions that take Access databases which have become unstable and slow from large amounts of data and migrate the data to a SQL Server backend database. The application keeps the existing screens in Access and then uses SQL Server’s robust scalable backend solution for storage and reporting.
TIP: If you are thinking about further centralizing your data, you may want to consider converting your Access screens to a web interface connected to a SQL Server database. This will eliminate the need to install additional software and streamline your updating process.
Here are a few additional reasons why you might want to consider migrating to a SQL Server backend database:
- Security – While Access databases can be password protected and encrypted, they do not have the same level of security that SQL Server has. If data security is critical to you, then a SQL Server solution is the better choice. SQL Server also offers 128-bit encryption and storage in a remote location from the user and application data.
- Data Integrity – Access data integrity and recovery is not as robust as SQL Server which features triggers, transaction logs and repair processes. Due to the nature of Access databases and their portability, Access databases may become corrupt and require regular maintenance to obtain optimal results. Since SQL Server is centralized, it offers more stability and integrity.
- Backups – Access databases are easy to back up, however they require user initiative. In addition, if users are actively changing data, the database cannot be backed up. This can be a major problem if the database is critical and used 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The administrative tools that are available with SQL Server offer more features. For example, backups can be automatically scheduled to run at anytime, even if the users are active.
- Transaction Logs and Rollbacks – If you need to know who modified the data and undo changes, SQL Server’s built in features and triggers support this requirement. Access does not feature rollbacks after a transaction is committed.
- Network Bandwidth – While Access databases pass the whole table of data across the network, SQL Server significantly improves performance by only passing the requested data.
Please take a moment to browse some of the solutions we have provided to our satisfied customers.