database for website...

[RAB]

I am building an e-commerce website with Asp.net 1.1. I don't expect a
high volume of sales at first (probably less than 10 sales per day).
The daily page visits at first will be slow (probably less than 50).
Hopefully, these numbers would increase yearly. Would Access database
be sufficient for my website? Or should I use SQL server 2000? If I
used SQL server, what would be my least expensive license option for
the functionality I need? If I started with Access would it be easy to
convert the data someday to SQL server?

Thanks,
RABMissouri

 

[Mark Rae]

Would Access database be sufficient for my website?

Maybe, but Access is not optimised for web deployment...

Or should I use SQL server 2000?

For this low volume, you should consider SQL Server Express.

If I used SQL server, what would be my least expensive license
option for the functionality I need?

You'll find SQL Server Express is extremely cost-effective - so much so, in
fact, that it's completely free...

If I started with Access would it be easy to
convert the data someday to SQL server?

Depends how you design your website. If you use a DAL (database abstraction
layer), all you would need to do is to convert the DAL...

 

[David Wier]

My first question would be whether or not you do your own hosting, or
whether or not you are buying hosting services from somewhere.
If you are purchasing hosting services, they usually integrate SQL Server
with your plan (or at least my host, and many others do).
Then, you could use the free SQL Server Express for local designing
purposes, and then use the host's SQL Server for the final product.

 

[RAB]

Yes, I am renting space on a web hosting service which offers SQL
server. I am designing and testing my web application locally using
MSDN. Am I allowed to use the MDF file on my my web host server
without buying a license from Microsoft? Would a MDF file created on
MSDN and uploaded to my rented webserver service have any limitations
than if I developed my application with a local version of SQL server
2000?

By the way, an excellent book is "Beginning ASP.NET 1.1 E-commerce from
Novice to Professional" by Darie and Watson. Has anyone found a better
text resourse than this for developing an e-commerce application
step-by-step from the ground up?

Thanks,
RABMissouri

 

[sloan]

Don't go Access.

Go MSDE (sql server 2000 "lite" ) or SqlExpress(2005).

These are free, and the jump from these a true sql server is not difficult.

Access to Sql Server is for the birds, especially now, that you have a
choice.

See
http://sholliday.spaces.live.com/ 12/16/2005