- By Bernie
- Posted 12/12/2018
The Demise of Access adp Projects
MS Access is a rapid application development tool, great for prototyping and developing small to medium-sized business applications. There are a number of possible architectural configuration options
a) MS Access front end containing all the forms, queries and reports which links to an MS Access back-end database containing the database tables.
b) MS Access front end containing all the forms, queries and reports which links via ODBC (open database connectivity) to tables in a more robust back-end database e.g. MS SQL Server or Oracle
c) MS Access Project (adp) which links directly to MS SQL Server tables, views and stored procedures.
Option c) is the preferred solution for medium-sized MS Access developments; the front end supports rapid application development with a robust, secure back-end database where data-intensive functionality can be coded in stored procedures.
SiS maintain a number of business critical, MS Access adp projects which have been operational for many years, however, there is a gotcha – whilst MS Access 2003 to 2010 support this architecture, Microsoft have dropped adp support in MS Access 2013 and higher!
If you are in this position there are a number of options:
- Re-design and rewrite your application as a web-based application with a supporting database.
- Forego a lot of functionality and try and find a replacement off-the-shelf solution.
- MS Access 2013 web app with Sharepoint back end.
- Re-write for architecture b) above.
Option 4 is typically the cheapest and quickest solution and maintains your existing functionality. But it is not the best solution for all bespoke applications. If you have this dilemma we would be happy to discuss/advise you on the best upgrade path for your solution.