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Brian_Hayes
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Joined Oct 10, 2019
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Re: Moving Away from MS Access
The powers that be are working on how to change the technology from Access to something else, still. No progress has been made, but it's not on my plate any more. I am left to support the working Access databases until end of life, which may never happen. I'm okay with that. I really appreciate all of the responses and discussion. If I find out what technology they end up going with before I retire, I will update you all. Thanks for a good discussion. Cheers!7.5KViews0likes1CommentRe: Moving Away from MS Access
No worries about resurrecting an old thread. Grateful for all of the conversation, insight and experiences you all have shared. A little more background is the databases reside at an agency I used to be part of. There were a team of maybe six people who were responsible for any issues with the databases. Eventually I was asked to help out with that. Outside of taking a few Access classes, I'd had no experience with Access and to this day have never built a database from the ground up. Around 2014, I and the others who assisted with those databases were absorbed into another agency. The thought being why should the agency with all of the Access databases have their own "IT shop" (it wasn't really an IT shop, more of a first line of defense Help Desk type area). So at my new agency, the decision was made by the "powers that be" that the crew of six people (self included) who "maintained" the Access databases would continue to do so. Eventually all of them retired or moved onto other jobs, including the one who loved using VBA (nothing against VBA, but it's the devil when you know nothing about it). She was always on disability for health issues and eventually just went from that straight into retirement after bilking the system for as long as she could. (Another story in and of itself). So that meant the support of all of those databases (sixty-some at that time) fell in my lap. Because I was able to somehow keep them running smoothly and keep the users happy, they kept it that way. Fast forward to 2019, where I joined a team that supports O365 products, including Access databases. They came with me. Fortunately on that team is a person who is very knowledgable and savvy with Access and VBA and she helps me when I need it. But now that we're at the real IT shop, and are part of it, the visibility of these databases is no longer in the garage with the door shut, but out on the front lawn for all to see. And the "powers that be" are still saying "get them out of Access". So we're slowly working on converting the tables and data to SQL Server back-ends as a start, until someone finally decides what new technology they want to use to "get them out of Access". Where I work, Access is viewed as old technology. I have yet to hear a good reason to get things out of it other than security/encryption. Also auditors wanted some sort of logging feature to be able to tell every move made in each database. Apparently SQL Server accomplishes the logging and encryption of data (that's what I'm told anyway). The main issue I'm having has been touched on several times. The people pushing to get things out of Access know nothing about the data contained in Access. An example would be an Access database developed in the early-to-mid 1990's that is still being used today. The consultants who developed it did a very nice job, and it has plenty of VBA (which I am unfamiliar with) and suited the users very well at the time. But as users, needs and developers changed over time, the database has as well. And there have been "several hands in the pot" so to speak. One developer loved VBA so used it very heavily behind the scenes. Others didn't know VBA at all. So at the present time, our push is to start moving all data currently in an Access database into SQL server back-ends, while leaving the front-ends as they are. Obviously it depends on what the purpose of each database is, where the data is coming from, and many other factors to determine what technology will be used to ultimately "replace" Access. But the people tasked with that project are those that know little-to-nothing about the databases. I don't know if I'll ever see the end of this project while I'm still actively working. All of you are appreciated and I can tell have vastly more knowledge than I do about the inner workings of Access, VBA, SQL Server, etc. For now, I'll just keep plodding along trying to learn SQL Server and trying to get the data into it. At the shop I work at, the "database" people create the SQL Servers and are responsible for them. But my coworker has familiarity with SQL Server Management Studio and is starting to show me the ropes (slowly but surely). But she is trying to wash her hands of Access support and it's like pulling teeth to get information from her to get all of this done. I honestly don't know why she just doesn't do it herself. But she has many new projects and is pushing towards retirement, so that probably weighs into it. I hope this finds you all healthy and well and enjoying your 2022 so far.9.4KViews0likes4CommentsRe: Moving Away from MS Access
marcsmith121 Nothing has gotten off the ground yet. This happens every so often where new management comes in, decides we need to move to a different technology, there are meetings and discussions about it and then it dies. Little by little many of our databases are going away and data being exported to Excel or some other tool to be imported into something else. So we really do not have an answer yet, even after all of the time that has passed since I made this post. Sorry I don't have more to share.10KViews2likes13CommentsRe: Moving Away from MS Access
You weren't critical at all. I was hypersensitive. No worries. And I think you hit the nail on the head - replacement is going to cost more and take longer and no one will be satisfied. That pretty much sums up my experience so far. But management keeps pushing to get the data out of Access. I'm just a worker bee. 🙂10KViews2likes16CommentsRe: Moving Away from MS Access
Thank you to EVERYONE for your responses and insights on this question. I actually have a limited knowledge of Access, but supporting databases somehow fell into my lap (aka I drew the short straw I guess). Now, the State doesn't have means to many resources to support Access, or to hire Access developers. So instead their "solution" is to get everything out of Access into something else. It's a project that's been ongoing for years and always flames out before anything changes. That said, I'd love to at least get them all to an SQL back end. But I've never done that before. Do any of you with SQL knowledge know of a tutorial or training on how to do this? The larger issue is that this particular area had their own "IT" area, and they chose Access for many things that were not good fits for Access. So the folks who developed the databases are all long gone and we're left to sort it out. It's a bit of a mess. I so appreciate all of you and didn't mean to insinuate that everyone was being critical of my question. That was me having a frustrating day, which I apologize for. Everyone on this thread has been nothing but helpful.85KViews1like19CommentsRe: Moving Away from MS Access
tsgiannis you know, I came here for help and all I've gotten is different responses telling me I either am wrong for wanting to move away from Access, or people telling me I asked the question "wrong". I thought this was supposed to be a support and help community. I'll just take my questions elsewhere. Good day.99KViews0likes30CommentsRe: Moving Away from MS Access
George Hepworth yes I'm asking MS Access folks what options they recommend, because I'm being told that's the direction we're going. So who better to ask than people who know Access? The catch is that it has to be a Microsoft product, as our contract is with them. I appreciate your input. Have a great day.99KViews0likes0CommentsMoving Away from MS Access
The organization I work for is wanting to move away from Microsoft Access databases where possible, and we have started exploring what tools our current Access databases could be moved to. Is there a standard for what works best (Powerapps, Sharepoint, etc)? What have you found to be a good resource for guidance on this topic? Thanks!129KViews2likes81Comments
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