Web site database - Access or SQL Server?

[Selden McCabe]

I'm developing a web site which might have 200 or so simultaneous users.
The current design has an Access database providing various information.
I've read that Access supports no more than 66 simultaneous users.

However, I'm using ADO.Net, which only connects when it needs some
information, and then disconnects right away.

The amount of data I'm working with is pretty small, no more than 15 rows
and 5 or 6 columns (at most) per query.

I think under these circumstances, Access will work fine.

Is there any reason I should switch to SQL Server? Am I likely to hit the
66 user limit? And if I do, what would happen?

If I do go with Access, are there any tips or configuration issues I should
be aware of?

Thanks!
---Selden McCabe

 

[c9groups]

Selden, one reason to opt for SQL Server would be that it supports
Stored Procedures which greatly improves performance. Though you'd need
to balance this benefit against the cost of hosting or owning SQl
Server - unless of course you already have it in-house.

 

[IPGrunt]

I'm developing a web site which might have 200 or so simultaneous users.
The current design has an Access database providing various information.
I've read that Access supports no more than 66 simultaneous users.

However, I'm using ADO.Net, which only connects when it needs some
information, and then disconnects right away.

The amount of data I'm working with is pretty small, no more than 15 rows
and 5 or 6 columns (at most) per query.

I think under these circumstances, Access will work fine.

Is there any reason I should switch to SQL Server? Am I likely to hit the
66 user limit? And if I do, what would happen?

If I do go with Access, are there any tips or configuration issues I should
be aware of?

Thanks!
---Selden McCabe

The OP is correct: SQLServer will perform better that access for a variety
of reasons. It will also scale up easier if your user load increases while
Access will not. Once you reach it's limitiation it bogs down right
quickly.

I have read here and there a new version of Access does exist that supports
SPROCs (though they are named something else). Is this true? (Golly, Mr.
Gates--I still haven't used all the features of Office 2K! :#)

Access will likely support your needs with a small user population (a few
hundred users a day), but the free dev SQLServer (MSDE?) will give you
added security features as well as many performance benefits, especially
when used with ADO.NET and the System.Data.SqlClient classes. If your db is
extensive and normalized, the tuning tools in SQLServer, in the hands of a
skilled dba, yield eye-popping results. And get to know how to use triggers
and views, if you ever wish to become a $300/hour web-app pro.

BTW, Visual Studio.Net 2003 is a handy tool for developing data-intensive
web applications, especially when you get familiar with using the Server
window to edit your SQL Server sprocs, but don't throw away the Enterprise
Manager or the Query Analyzer just yet. I don't know how I worked without
it all those years writing ASP!

It's time I take those "Developed with Notepad" buttons off my sites.

-- ipgrunt