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Re: MSAccess to update Oracle database ???

From: Sylvie Bérubé <sberube_at_cam.org>
Date: 1997/02/11
Message-ID: <33017063.283C@cam.org>

Joel R. Kallman wrote:
>
> I guess I really don't get the gist of "data lying around". If this
> is truly static and unstructured data, you are best served to put this
> into some static HTML files and get the fastest and cheapest WebServer
> around, and off you go.
>
> If this becomes structured data, and you want to put this in a
> database, then I think I see the solution you want to pursue, although
> I don't think it will work.
>
> If I understand you correctly, you want to put your data into an MS
> Access database, let your UNIX server "see" this Access mdb file via
> Samba (NFS-like, which I have used before), and then somehow, via
> drivers, access the data in the mdb file from your UNIX Web Server.
>
> Firstly, I personally do not know of any ODBC drivers that are
> available for UNIX systems that can read and manipulate data in an MS
> Access database file directly. You may have trouble tracking this one
> down. I imagine that if you host your Web server on NT, that IIS
> probably has drivers available for just this purpose.
>
> My suggestion, although biased, would be to host all of this (database
> and WebServer) on NT using the Oracle7 Server and Oracle Web Server.
> You are put off by having to maintain your database using SQL*Plus.
> But that's what you are missing. With Oracle Web Server, you maintain
> your database and Web server through your browser!
>
> As far as getting your data initially into Oracle7 Server, you would
> use SQL*Loader to populate your database.....and you define the
> structure of your input data file....comma-delimited, tab-delimited,
> etc. After that, it becomes a pretty easy problem making this dynamic
> data available through the Oracle Web Server.
>
> Does this make sense, or have I missed your point entirely?
>
> On Mon, 10 Feb 97 06:42:34 GMT, Stephen.Meredith_at_jcu.edu.au (Stephen
> Meredith) wrote:
>
> >Hi, thank you for reading my post and I apologize for the
> >cross-posting but, like any cross-medium solution this is a
> >question for someone familiar with two very different
> >environments.
> > ~
> >I have some data lying around which has to be accessed from
> >the Web. My current thinking is to get Oracle's Web interface
> >software, dump the data into Oracle and problem (more or less)
> >solved. (I've prototyped this by hand with C programs and
> >another database product and it all works but is not really
> >maintainable).
> > ~
> >I don't really want to maintain the db with SQLPlus so I've
> >loaded it into MSAccess and would like to use this product
> >to maintain the physical db (visible on the Unix machine via
> >Samba - a kind of Network File System).
> >
> >Correct me if I'm wrong but I think all I need to do is get
> >an ODBC driver and use the appropriate 'ConnectString' to
> >declare the remote db to MSAccess ? Performance is not a
> >problem because I'm only loading the original data once in
> >a while from my PC; the on-line updating will take place via
> >the Web.
> >
> >This would be a great help if I could work from my PC instead
> >of having to wrestle with Oracle itself. Can anyone tell me
> >if this is viable ? I've got some ODBC drivers on floppy which
> >came with another PC product - can I use them or is there a
> >particular one to be preferred (where available ?). Do I have
> >to do a 'Create Table...' first then load the data or is MSAccess
> >able to do the whole thing as easily as it creates one of its
> >own tables (when based on a spreadsheet or ascii file for
> >instance) ?
> >
> >Any (intelligent) suggestions would be very much appreciated.
> >
> >Regards, Stephen.Meredith_at_jcu.edu.au
> >
>
> Thanks!
>
> Joel
>

Stephen, I have another interpretation (which may be also completely wrong) of what you want to do so let's try this.

I think what you want to do is have an Oracle Web Server database that contains all your data with updates coming from the Web. You would though like to maintain that database with MS-Access installed on a PC probably because of the simple!!! and user-friendly query and update interface, possibly also to use as a kind of a CASE tool for Database Modeling - CREATE TABLE???

Well if I have it correct, here are my comments. Managing an Oracle database is, you're right, pretty complex and Access seems to simplify it. But it's at the risk of not being able to manage the complexity! Creating tables and adding R.I. would seem easy but how would you manage table sizing, tablespaces, indexes sizing, table splitting across many tablespaces, etc.? Anyway, you would have to wrestle with SQL*Plus and Server Manager to manage the objects creation first.

If that was what you meant by using MS-Access then I don't think this is the best solution. Look at a product like ErWin instead, or Designer/2000 that acts as complete CASE tool. They will also help you manage table and data changes. Another good one is Platinum Desktop DBA. If you only meant it as managing the data itself (selecting, updating, inserting) from time to time then I agree MS-Access makes sense. It's true that it simplifies queries but you could also look at MS-Query, Oracle Data Query, etc.

For the ODBC drivers, Oracle Corp. supplies recent ones on their web site: www.oracle.com

Sylvie Berube
ISM - Air Canada
sberube_at_cam.org Received on Tue Feb 11 1997 - 00:00:00 CST

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