How to upgrade an Access application to use a SQL Server backend

Transcription

1 Upcoming sessions February 28 SQL Server Migration Assistant March 28 Q & A Session/Questions from the Group April 25 Web Apps using Azure May 30 Differences are there any between Office 2010 and Office 365 MS-Access June Aug Summer break Sep 26 Integrating Access with Power BI

2 What we will cover Using the SQL Server Migration Assistant to load Access table to SQL Server How to link your Access application to your SQL tables SQL Server clients ODBC, Native (OLDBE), Windows What we will NOT cover Installing SQL database (see the same video from Access User Group SQL Server with Access ) Splitting your database into a front and back end Access Upsizing Wizard (deprecated for 2013) Import from SQL Server

3 Reasons to upgrade Size of your data Access (desktop) is limited to 2 GB ( a GB, or gigabyte is 1 billion bytes) SQL Server Express 2008R GB SQL Server virtually unlimited (524 PB a PB, or petabyte is 1 quadrillion bytes) Security Windows based can be driven off of Active Directory SQL Server based (can be more complicated to maintain) Granular levels possible Backups both ease and continual backup option Reliability Processing speed (not faster just by linking tables, have to take advantage of SQL with stored procedures or other methods)

4 Using SQL Server Migration Assistant Download it by searching on SQL Server Migration Assistant download make sure you get the Access one Word of warning there are two versions, regular and 64. If you have Windows 10 and later than Access 2010, you may have to install runtime Access 10 first. I did an used the 32 bit one of both. Follow the step Next until you get to Add Access Database Click Add Databases, then browse to your back end (or main database if you have just an all in one) Select Tables to do all tables (briefly discuss queries, talk about what to leave local) Select your SQL database (Instance/server), Port, database (Contacts) Will ask if you want to create it say yes

5 Review Results Linked tables in Access - Hover to show link (Windows) How to replace Windows Driver - Linked table manager new DSN (File) Viewing in SQL SQL Management Studio New TimeStamp fields Difference for split databases Migrate back end Modify front end with Linked Table Manager new DSN Tables come in as dbo_ (will want to rename) Prompts if there is not a primary index Index is needed to make updates otherwise it is read only Can create index from Access Access table links can be ported to computers without the File DSNs as they are connection strings stored with the table

6 SQL Server Clients Download them by searching on SQL Server #### ODBC driver download For 2014 it will come up with 11 as the first one For 2016 it will come up with 13 first (allows you to connect to SQL Azure) And SQL Server 2012 Native driver download (that is the latest version) Look for the hits on Feature Pack (not SP2) Click on Install Instructions A little over half way down find Native Client Choose X86 or X64 From Access New Data Source see 3 SQL Server (Windows version historical issues but improving, this is the default that the migration assistant uses) Native (historically fastest but being deprecated) ODBC (the one they want you to start using, but cannot use ADO)

7 Green SQL whitepaper Security Considerations for SQL Server whitepaper from Microsoft SQL Ports Turn off your SQL Browser service Change your port from default use something above 1024 For corporate installations Active Directory For small business installations Windows security, have to add each user as a SQL user For one application installations SQL security and store the user name & pw in the connection string or the app Schemas, roles SQL Security

8 Resources AccessUserGroups.org SQL Server With Access chapter videos ConnectionStrings.com Understanding Data Type Conversions Maria Barnes Barnes Business Solutions, Inc. Register on the website to get an informative newsletter via each month!