One of my clients wants to upgrade there system from using various Access
DB's to Microsoft SQL.

The hosting company provides 10 SQL Databases, I have a couple of questions:
(please be aware I know nothing about SQL...I guess I will be doing some
reading)

- If my client has 3 different Access DB's for all of the systems that I
have built for them (the DB's do not share information), do we still use 3
SQL databases?

- What do I use to actually build the tables in each SQL database, the
hosting companies web site mentioned "Enterprise Manager", what is that, and
where do I buy it?

- Are there any other tools to create the SQL DB?

- Is it true, that unlike an Access DB that can be downloaded at any time, a
SQL database cannot be downloaded and must be administered remotely from
"my" PC to the hosting companies SQL Server?

- Does anyone have any tips on how I should approach this?

- It appears like the SQL Server is a separate server than the dedicated
server they currently host for us, will Ultradev be able to build and store
the files on the dedicated server, while connecting to a SQL database that
is on a separate server?

- Do I build the SQL DB's/Tables locally or remotely? If locally, can this be done on a Win98 SE PC or do I need to upgrade my OS, I do own XP Pro, I just haven't had time to install it.

Ahhhh! All of this is very new to me.

Thanks for any help and advice you can offer.

Mitch

hello!

i don't have all the answers (who does?) but i have some of them:

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>- If my client has 3 different Access DB's for all of the systems that I
have built for them (the DB's do not share information), do we still use 3
SQL databases? <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

there is no fundamental need to use 3 different databases, unless your 3 databases have tables which have the same name. you can easily use one as long as you are able to keep your tables organised to avoid confusion

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>What do I use to actually build the tables in each SQL database, the
hosting companies web site mentioned "Enterprise Manager", what is that, and
where do I buy it?

Is it true, that unlike an Access DB that can be downloaded at any time, a
SQL database cannot be downloaded and must be administered remotely from
"my" PC to the hosting companies SQL Server?
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>
you'll need some sort of interface client to connect to the remote database. MSQL databases (Like MySQL) run on the application servers (hosting servers) as services, and not as applications (as access does). this means that you can't download the database and edit. it doesn't behave like a 'file', strictly (like access), but rather as a service to which you connect and make changes.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> It appears like the SQL Server is a separate server than the dedicated
server they currently host for us, will Ultradev be able to build and store
the files on the dedicated server, while connecting to a SQL database that
is on a separate server?

Do I build the SQL DB's/Tables locally or remotely? If locally, can this be done on a Win98 SE PC or do I need to upgrade my OS, I do own XP Pro, I just haven't had time to install it.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

there's 2 ways to do this: either make a connection to the remote server (you'll need remote connectivity and the right host details from your hosting company) or run a loca, mirror version of MSQL to work and then upload the SQL scripts to the server to "create" the mirror version you previously had on your computer on the remote server. this way you can use 'localhost' as your host on your PHP/ASP pages which is better practice anyway.

the OS that you use is irrelevant- unless of course you are going to be running MSQL server on your local machine, in which case you will most probably need Windows 2000 or XP installed.

I don't use MSQL at all, but the practical theory of it is the same as MySQL.

However, can i take this oportunity to have a dig at MS Access; this is another example of acccess being an amateur crappy database system. it doesn't work in any similar to any of the professional database systems, and it mileads developers like mitchelt into a development architcheture which is completely out of touch with that of the more established professional tools (including MySQL, Oracle and PostgreSQL).

File-based database systems are designed for desktop applications and should not be encouraged as web-development solutions as they have obviously drawbacks which Microtoss are reluctant to ever mention to anyone. instead they teach people to design pages in ASP using a shit database system whose only useful application is to make barry white CD collections.

GOD DAMMIT I HATE ACCESS!

i hope that helped a little bit <img src=../images/dmxzone/forum/icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

------------------------
Julio

PHP | MySQL | DWMX | ColdFusion

ICQ: 19735247

poolio,

Thanks for the great answers!

If I create the SQL DB locally and upload to the remote server and the SQL DB starts to get used and a few weeks later I need to add a field to a table, if I add the field locally and then upload the SQL scripts, will the information that is already in the SQL DB be erased?

I'm sure if I could see someone do this once I would understand it.

Can you recommend any books that would teach a person how to use/build a SQL DB? Some of the books I've looked at get way to involved in the actual server portion and in my case the host is doing all of that work.

Thanks!

Mitch


Edited by - mitchelt on 05 Feb 2003 15:24:59

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>If I create the SQL DB locally and upload to the remote server and the SQL DB starts to get used and a few weeks later I need to add a field to a table, if I add the field locally and then upload the SQL scripts, will the information that is already in the SQL DB be erased? <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

essentually, yes. the way to ghet around it, is to create the table, export the SQL code for the new table and simply execute the SQL in the remote DB, this will create the new table without disrupting the exisitng data.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Can you recommend any books that would teach a person how to use/build a SQL DB? Some of the books I've looked at get way to involved in the actual server portion and in my case the host is doing all of that work. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

i'm not sure about MSQL books, you'll probably be best off looking around in amazon.com or something.

hope it helps!

------------------------
Julio

PHP | MySQL | DWMX | ColdFusion

ICQ: 19735247

poolio,

thanks for the quick response!

Would a tool like this work to connect, build tables and manage the SQL DB:

www.datadino.com

it says it's a data management tool, and it's cheap...$49.95

Thanks...

Mitch

Mitch

that tool looks good! go for it. although i strongly recommend you look around for a free opensource tool on the net, there's bound to be one around.

this tool will allow you to connect and manipulate your database without problems. but: make sure you find out if your host provides remote connection to the database first! (via hostname e.g. www.domain.com) otherwise your host might provide a web-based interface solution, most PHP/MySQL hosts have a thing called mySQLadmin... the MSQL hosts might also provide this.

let me know how it goes ok?

------------------------
Julio

PHP | MySQL | DWMX | ColdFusion

ICQ: 19735247

ok i found some links for you:

www.i-con.dk/wdb/doc/old/node12.html
efsa.sourceforge.net/archive/brueckner/libmsql.htm

www.google.co.uk/search?q=free+MSQL+interface&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=0&sa=N

cheers!

------------------------
Julio

PHP | MySQL | DWMX | ColdFusion

ICQ: 19735247