Splitting MS Access Database - Front End Part Location
- by kristof
One of the best practices as specified by Microsoft for Access Development is splitting Access application into 2 parts; Front End that hold all the object except tables and the Back End that holds the tables.
The msdn page links there to the article Splitting Microsoft Access Databases to Improve Performance and Simplify Maintainability that describes the process in details.
It is recommended that in multi user environment the Back End is stored on the server/shared folder while the Front End is distributed to each user.
That implies that each time there are any changes made to the front end they need to be deployed to every user machine.
My question is:
Assuming that the users themselves do not have rights to modify the Front End part of the application what would be the drawbacks/dangers of leaving this on the server as well next to the Back End copy?
I can see the performance issues here, but are there any dangers here like possible corruptions etc?
Thank you
EDIT
Just to clarify, the scenario specified in question assumes one Front End stored on the server and shared by users.
I understand that the recommendation is to have FE deployed to each user machine, but my question is more about what are the dangers if that is not done.
E.g. when you are given an existing solution that uses the approach of both FE and BE on the server. Assuming the the performance is acceptable and the customer is reluctant to change the approach would you still push the change? And why exactly? For example the danger of possible data corruption would definitely be the strong enough argument, but is that the case?
It is a part of follow up of my previous question From SQL Server to MS Access 2007
