Separate tables

"Even if all your data is in Access itself, consider using linked tables. Store all the data tables in one MDB file - the data file - and the remaining objects (queries, forms, reports, macros, and modules) in a second MDB - the application file.

In multi-user situations, each user receives a local copy of the application file, linked to the tables in the single remote data file."

• Maintenance: To update the program, just replace the application file.
  Since the data is in a separate file, no data is overwritten.
  
  
• Network Traffic: Loading the entire application (forms, controls, code, etc)across the network increases traffic making your interface slower.
  

• Static look-up data such as postal codes might be kept in its own file.
  
• Linked temporary tables might avoid the need to compact the application file.
  

From Allen Brown's tips for Access users

Access has a tool to do the splitting for you, go to:
Tools>Database Utilities Database Splitter

In Access 2007:

1. On the Database Tools tab, in the Move Data group, click Access Database.
   
2. In the Database Splitter dialog box, click Split Database.
   
3. Type a name for the back-end database, and then click Split.

Also:

Knowledgebase:
How to manually split a Microsoft Access database

MSDN:
About sharing an Access database on a network



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access

Labels: Customize, General