Communication between Web and Windows application

[Jochen Neyens]

We're in the process of developing an e-commerce application that vets can
use to order medicines. One of the requirements is that the web application
can communicate with a locally installed practice management application
that uses MS-Access as a backend database. This way shipped e-commerce
orders can we imported in the practice management application to update the
stock levels of medicines.



The web-application will be written in ASP.NET / C#.



My question:



Which technology should we use to communicate from within the browser with
the MS-Access backend of the practice management application? I was thinking
of writing an ActiveX control using C# and let this sign by Verisign. Will
this be a good solution? Is there an alternative solution? The interface
will be used by approx 1500 clients. An important aspect is the ability to
deploy code via the Internet. The current order application is written in VB
5 and needs to be installed from a CD-Rom which is a nightmare for code
updates. This has to be replaced with an ASP.NET application whilst
maintaining the ability the synchronise data with the locally installed
practice management application.

 

[Guest]

Just use the same database for the client and web applications. If you have
1500 users though, be warned that Access won't allow more then 10 (I think
it's 10) concurrent users, so be careful with the connections. If you are
using something more robust for the web app, then use that for the client app
as well.

 

[Mark Rae]

We're in the process of developing an e-commerce application that vets can
use to order medicines. One of the requirements is that the web application
can communicate with a locally installed practice management application
that uses MS-Access as a backend database. This way shipped e-commerce
orders can we imported in the practice management application to update the
stock levels of medicines.



The web-application will be written in ASP.NET / C#.



My question:



Which technology should we use to communicate from within the browser with
the MS-Access backend of the practice management application? I was thinking
of writing an ActiveX control using C# and let this sign by Verisign. Will
this be a good solution? Is there an alternative solution? The interface
will be used by approx 1500 clients. An important aspect is the ability to
deploy code via the Internet. The current order application is written in VB
5 and needs to be installed from a CD-Rom which is a nightmare for code
updates. This has to be replaced with an ASP.NET application whilst
maintaining the ability the synchronise data with the locally installed
practice management application.

 

[Mark Rae]

Firstly, MS-Access, even the very latest version is totally the wrong
solution for this! As has already been mentioned, you're limited to 10
concurrent web users this way. When the 11th concurrent user tries to access
the site, they will sit and wait until a connection to the Access database
becomes available. Really. Forget it!

Secondly, is there any necessity to deploy local code at all? Why not just
go for a browser-based solution? That way, all your 1500 users require is a
connection to the Internet (which they would need anyway under your scenario
in order to do the data synchronisation) and a web browser.

I can virtually guarantee that the money you'll save in deployment and
maintenance will far outweigh your initial outlay in SQL Server.

 

[bruce barker]

You are correct an active/x is the answer. Much as I hate to suggest it, I'd
write the control in vb6 for two issues.

1) To write the control in C#, will require your clients install the .net
runtime seperatly (a 20mb download). you'd probably need to send a CD to a
larger number of your clients for this.

2) by default, a C# (.net) browser control will not have access to the hard
drive, or Access database. the users will need to manually config their .net
security for your control, or you will need them to download an install
program that they run.


-- bruce (sqlwork.com)

 

[Lan H. Nguyen]

I suppose you already have a web environment, now investing in a SQL server
and host an ASP.net application is a solution to go.

 

[Joe Fallon]

SQL Server Express is free and will easily support your requirements.
It is the identical engine as regular SQL Server.
(Used to be called MSDE.)

 

[Mark Rae]

SQL Server Express is free and will easily support your requirements.
It is the identical engine as regular SQL Server.
(Used to be called MSDE.)

Still in Beta 1, though...Any idea when it will be officially released?

 

[Jochen Neyens]

Using the same database for the client and web application will not be
possible since the client application is from another software vendor. The
Web APP has to push data to this practice management application by
inserting it directly to the backend .MDB file. There will be no concurrency
issues since there will be max 2 connections to the local MDB: 1. The
practice management app itself en 2. the web application. We'll be using SQL
server as backend for the web application.

 

[Jochen Neyens]

using the same database for the client and web application will not be
possible since the client application if from another software vendor.
The Web APP has to push data to this practice management application by
inserting it directly to the backend .MDB file. There will be no
concurrency issues since there will be max 2 connections to the local
MDB: 1. The practice management app itself en 2. the web application.
We'll be using SQL server as backend for the web application.

 

[Jochen Neyens]

Mark,

The MS-Access DB from the locally installed practive management application
is from another software vendor. We can only insert data at MDB level. We'll
be using SQL server as backend for the web application but we need to find a
way to push certain data to the local MDB file via the browser. Each vet has
its own practice management application, provided by various software
vendors. We 're to provide a bridge to these application since the current
(windows based) order application also provides this.

Thanks,

Jochen

 

[Mark Rae]

The MS-Access DB from the locally installed practive management application
is from another software vendor. We can only insert data at MDB level. We'll
be using SQL server as backend for the web application but we need to find a
way to push certain data to the local MDB file via the browser. Each vet has
its own practice management application, provided by various software
vendors. We 're to provide a bridge to these application since the current
(windows based) order application also provides this.

Wow! Seems unnecessarily over-complicated... However, I think the only way
you're going to get a web page to insert data into an Access database which
resides on the client machine is via ActiveX.

Will each client machine have a full copy of Access installed, or just the
actual .MDB file?