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[nycphp-talk] Microsoft Access application conversion recommendations

Timothy Boyden tboyden at supercoups.com
Fri Mar 9 18:35:02 EST 2007


Perhaps I need to clarify some...

The Access database is just a front-end to an MS SQL server.

Some issues that this causes: it is not cross-platform; it is not accessible
outside the corporate network; the presentation is intertwined with the
logic making it difficult and time consuming to update features; the
application has not been refreshed to keep up with current Microsoft
technologies and as such parts of the code keep breaking as Microsoft
obsoletes older parts of the VB and ASP languages.

Budget constraints dictate that we make do with the resources that we have
available to us. As such, adding Terminal Server infrastructure or
purchasing a dedicated hosting service is not in the cards. From a security
standpoint we¹re not comfortable exposing the current MS SQL server on the
web, and we don¹t have a server we can dedicate at this time to put out in
the DMZ for this project. Plus we¹re not sure how well our internet
connection would scale as this app grows, we¹re not really setup for web
hosting on our own. We already have the Network Solutions hosting in place
and run other applications on there that this application would integrate
with, as such it would be ideal for us to build it on this existing
infrastructure. This application isn¹t our entire business but it does serve
to glue a few other main line apps together to automate some functions of
our business. 

I¹m not saying this app needs to be completed tomorrow, but anything that
would help make the process go faster would be great.





From: Kenneth Downs <ken at secdat.com>
Reply-To: NYPHP Talk <talk at lists.nyphp.org>
Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2007 17:24:16 -0500
To: NYPHP Talk <talk at lists.nyphp.org>
Subject: Re: [nycphp-talk] Microsoft Access application conversion
recommendations

Timothy Boyden wrote:
>   
>  Hi All, 
>  
>    
>  
>  I will be starting on a project to convert a fairly extensive Microsoft
> Access based application to a web based version. This application was
> internally built to manage all manner of details regarding our franchisee
> operations (financials, reporting, CRM, etc..). It uses MS Access forms with a
> tabbed structure and various form elements. The application will be hosted on
> a Network Solutions shared hosting server that has an Apache 1.x, MySQL 4.1.x,
> and PHP 4.1.x back-end. The MS Access application uses an MS SQL 2000
> Enterprise database for data storage.
>  
>    
>  
>  I could use some recommendations on tools that will help me convert this app
> as quickly as possible. Everything from IDEs to conversion utilities are on
> the table. Unfortunately changing the web infrastructure is not.
>  
>    

Hmm, why not just leave it as-is?  Whatever you may think of MS Access (I'm
not a big fan myself), its got to be simpler and easier than splitting it
into 3 pieces and using older versions of all three.

What is the motivation for doing this?  Just to get web access?   If so, use
Terminal Services.

Shared hosting?  The project doesn't warrant its own server?  Doesn't add
up.  If its that big and is contributing to the bottom line one would think
it could justify a server and the admin's choice of tools, languages, etc.




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