Samba record locking & PC db's

David Collier-Brown "davecb " at Canada.Sun.COM
Thu Dec 4 20:37:02 GMT 1997


You wrote:  
>         Well, the use of Access is a given and I'm using Linux not NT.  My
> client is using Access already.  I'm not doing any db programming or
> development for him, I'm just setting up the server.  My options are (a)
> use Access to manipulate db files shared through samba (w/ record locking)
> or (b) use Access to manipulate the db over an ODBC connection to
> PostgreSQL.
> 
>         Does anyone care to comment on the desirability/viability of these
> options?

	Sure: Access using file locking works fine, but doesn't scale,
while real databases scale, but have a high installation/admin cost.

	If you don't know what the user is likely to do over
an extended period, choosing either will likely be wrong (:-))

	Seriously, though, if this appears to be a one-off, according
to the customer's expectations, set it up as a single-user file-based
database with file locking, but leave him with the expectation
that he'll have to convert ($$$) to a real database if he wants real
multi-user capabilities.
	A wise customer will tell you if he's going to want to
have lots of users on the db.  A foolish one will tell you
the opposite.  Setting either's expectations correctly will make 
him sensitive to the costs in money and your time, and in the latter
case will motivate  him to keep the load down to something that a
file-locking based db emulator scan handle.

--dave (wearing his dogbert hat) c-b
[ I consider giving out file-based Access programs to be 
  rather like giving out free samples of crack cocaine.]
-- 
David Collier-Brown,  | Always do right. This will gratify some people
185 Ellerslie Ave.,   | and astonish the rest.        -- Mark Twain
Willowdale, Ontario   | davecb at hobbes.ss.org, canada.sun.com
M2N 1Y3. 416-223-8968 | http://java.science.yorku.ca/~davecb


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