[AccessD] End of an era

[Jim Dettman]

<< Pushing the data into a 'cloud' is also not an option for a factory located
on the outskirts of a rural town - we wouldn't want to be reliant on one
internet connection to that extent.  >>

  I would re-think that.

  With Star Link now up and running, using it as a backup connection (or maybe even a primary one) would be a sound plan.   I would put the app on some hosted servers and use RDP.    

  Of course, Microsoft breaking Access is a serious concern.  I just filled out a Microsoft survey the other day and complained about exactly that.    Mind you, they do get high marks for fixing things extremely fast now, but still, you can easily be down a day or more.   That's just not acceptable for many situations.  If they are on a O365 subscription, switch  them to the semi-annual channel and that will give you some stability (you are still open to bad security fixes).

<< Access developers are thin on the ground and I am officially a pensioner
already.  I've managed to find a full time Access developer interested in
taking over from me so that might be the best option (and the reason I
haven't leapt out of the water yet).>>

  You've got that right.   Many are now retiring (I've got a year and a half to go), and the younger generation has simply not picked it up.    One client I have has been looking for an Access/VBA developer for a few years now, and coming up naught.   None of the headhunters even recognize "VBA" when it's listed as part of the requirements.    Like your situation, this is software that has been running 25 years now and constantly evolving, and made the company a successful one.

Jim.


-----Original Message-----
From: AccessD On Behalf Of Paul Wolstenholme
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 7:53 PM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
Subject: Re: [AccessD] End of an era

Rocky,

The frog in the hot water didn't think it was broke either.  A stitch in
time...

This app is used by a factory operating 24/7 (and deemed 'essential'
throughout covid lockdowns) so ongoing support is essential.  Access simply
wasn't reliable enough for this task without SQL Server.  Even with it we
operate in fear of the next Microsoft update breaking Access again.
Pushing the data into a 'cloud' is also not an option for a factory located
on the outskirts of a rural town - we wouldn't want to be reliant on one
internet connection to that extent.  An additional issue is the
performance speed on some forms and reports - especially for remote users
(workarounds include ADODB forms or investing in remote clients that
connect to local servers running Access).
Access developers are thin on the ground and I am officially a pensioner
already.  I've managed to find a full time Access developer interested in
taking over from me so that might be the best option (and the reason I
haven't leapt out of the water yet).

The international owners of this plant could decide to use remote
developers and different technologies.  That would be a shame.  The plant
has worked very well with a database system that continues to be customised
locally to meet local needs by someone who understands local priorities.

Paul Wolstenholme


On Wed, 27 Mar 2024 at 10:22, Rocky Smolin <rockysmolin2 at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'd say 'If it ain't broke...' but I think the logical path is probably a
> web app with the database in the cloud.
>
> What problem is the app running into that there's talk about migration?
>
> r
>
> On Tue, Mar 26, 2024 at 1:55 PM Paul Wolstenholme <
> Paul.W at industrialcontrol.co.nz> wrote:
>
> > Is there a preferred migration path for a multi-user system having a
> 100MB
> > Access FE application and a SQL Server BE?  I've been pondering that one
> > for about a decade already (the app is ~22 years old with about 15
> users).
> >
> > Paul Wolstenholme
> >
> >
> > On Wed, 27 Mar 2024 at 07:18, Rocky Smolin <rockysmolin2 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > > I'm still doing Access dev, but only a few hours a week for legacy
> > clients.
> > > My skills became obsolete just as I was sliding into retirement. Timing
> > is
> > > everything...
> > >
> > > r
> > >
> > > On Sat, Mar 23, 2024 at 3:35 PM Ryan Wehler <wrwehler at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Company I work for sold. Acquiring company has their own FE/DB
> solution
> > > > that is C#/PostgreSQL.
> > > >
> > > > Naturally some skills might carry over, but 20+ years of writing
> T-SQL
> > > and
> > > > Access is coming to an end.   Heck I'm not even sure at this point if
> > > I'll
> > > > be in any developmental role. So far it seems like I'll land in the
> IT
> > > > team, but maybe more in a Sysadmin role.
> > > >
> > > > Time will tell...
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